Tank/Tub Pros and Cons

[demonicchild]

After lots of research and hearing some opinions on here I have decided that my 55 is most likely not going to cut it, even though my snake had a great feeding today in his tank as he flat out refuses to eat anywhere else.

So that leaves me with a 20 high and a long, plastic tub. What are pros/cons of each?

Here's my list...

20 Gallon
Pros
-"Pretty" as in I can decorate

Cons
-Heavy and more difficult to clean
- More space to heat because of height
- Have to eventually upgrade because of snake growth

Tub
Pros
-Easy to clean and lightweight
-Less space to heat

Cons
-Pretty darn ugly
-No space for the climbing items Ramesses loves


Anything I'm missing, as I'm sure there is.

[Kaorte]

Tanks:
cons
Pain in the but to get the right temps and humidity
Useless height that a ball python will never use

Tubs:
pros
Easy to clean
Easy to keep humidity right
Cheap
Efficient

cons
not for display
bigger snakes can get out of them unless you put clips on the tub


If you BP is still a baby, yes he probably climbs a bit but trust me, once they start putting more weight on, they will not venture past 6-7" above ground level.

I personally don't think tubs are ugly, I have iris tubs will brightly colored lids and a few fake plants in there. I think it looks pretty nice!

[demonicchild]

Okay, so assuming I use the tub, wouldn't a UTH melt it or something? lol. Just a thought. This has nothing to do with the tub itself, but how would I keep the temps from dropping too much on the cool side? It wouldn't seem right to have a 90 degree side and a 75 degree side. lol. Also, would he be eating so well if the tank's size was stressing him? I fed him today and he went for it in seconds. I am willing to put the extra effort in for cleaning the big tank, that is not a problem. A few people said I'd need several UTHs and that sounds crazy to me. If I put an identical hide over it, wouldn't he go in when he wanted to? Why heat the cool side when the room's temp is already 85?

[Argentra]

Ok, since I'm expected to pipe up here... These are my Personal opinions based on my own experiences.

TANKS:
Pros - Attractive for display and decoration.
Typically more space than tubs, especially height.
Easy to clean/wipe down.
Hold and spread heat well once insulated.
Smaller sizes not too expensive/easily found at sales and online.

Cons - Heavy!
Unable to be stacked without special adjustments
Easily breakable if dropped.
Take tweaking to get things stable

TUBS:
Pros - Lightweight.
Can be cheap $$.
Fairly easy to clean and disinfect.

Cons - Too unstable! Temps and humidity keep shifting.
Ugly! Even the clear ones.
Usually too short for explore-loving snakes.
Not as much overall space (floor is smaller than upper dimensions)


There's my say on things. I'll always prefer tanks and display cages over tubs. Maybe it's just me, or the way we keep our apartment, but tanks hold temps and humidity rock solid here, while tub temps are all over the place and humidity is either too high or bone dry.

[Slim]

Okay, so assuming I use the tub, wouldn't a UTH melt it or something? lol. Just a thought. This has nothing to do with the tub itself, but how would I keep the temps from dropping too much on the cool side? It wouldn't seem right to have a 90 degree side and a 75 degree side. lol. Also, would he be eating so well if the tank's size was stressing him? I fed him today and he went for it in seconds. I am willing to put the extra effort in for cleaning the big tank, that is not a problem. A few people said I'd need several UTHs and that sounds crazy to me. If I put an identical hide over it, wouldn't he go in when he wanted to? Why heat the cool side when the room's temp is already 85?

A UTH on a T-Stat won't melt the tub, and since any heating device should be on a T-Stat, you'll have no problems.

How do you keep your room temps at 85 degrees.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

My turn

Words in Red are mine.....

Ok, since I'm expected to pipe up here...

BPnet's Official Tank Advocate
These are my Personal opinions based on my own experiences.

TANKS:
Pros - Attractive for display and decoration.
Typically more space than tubs, especially height.
Not always a good thing, depending on the BP.
Easy to clean/wipe down.
Not as easy as a tub.
Hold and spread heat well once insulated.
Keeping humidity can correct can be more fun than a three ring circus, however!
Smaller sizes not too expensive/easily found at sales and online.

Cons - Heavy!
Unable to be stacked without special adjustments
Easily breakable if dropped.
Take tweaking to get things stable

TUBS:
Pros - Lightweight.
Can be cheap $$.
Fairly easy to clean and disinfect.

Cons - Too unstable! Temps and humidity keep shifting.
I've never had this problem.
Ugly! Even the clear ones.
Ever ask the snake what he thinks?
Usually too short for explore-loving snakes.
Widely known to populate the BP world!
Not as much overall space (floor is smaller than upper dimensions)
That's why they sell them in a wide variety of sizes

[demonicchild]

Slim, a space heater.
So, humidity isn't an issue for me. Counting that out, what other factors affect the snake making one better than the other? Anyone care to answer my feeding question, if the space was stressing him, would he be eating well?

[Rbenda]

I'll admit that I'm no expert, but I can share my experience with tank vs tub...

I recently got 2 ball pythons, a male and a female. Initially, both were housed in tanks that are probably a little too big. The female seems to be doing just fine in the tank. However, the male was very stressy and did not eat. I tried for a month to get him confortable in the tank before I switched him to a tub. I hardly handled him while he was in the tank for fear of causing more stress. He is now eating and seems very happy in the tub. I guess in this regard, it depends on the snake.

The tanks took over a week to stabalize temps and humidity and can still be a daily struggle. It takes longer to clean normally, and can be a pain when it needs to be cleaned extra in an "emergency" situation - ie spilled water dish, or discovery of a little mold. But it looks nice in the living room.

On the other hand, the tub took less than 24 hours to set up and is 100 times easier to clean and maintain. Although I don't see the snake as easily as with the tank, I do get the pleasure of handling him more now that he's more relaxed.

If my girl stops eating or seems stressed, I will switch her to a tub immediately. In fact, I'm sure eventually the pain of maintaining a large tank will outweigh the "it looks nice in my living room" and I will switch her to a tub.

Just my experience - hope it helps even a little with your decision.