Cleaning question

[narist]

Hi guys,

First time BP owner here. I have had my BP for a little over two weeks now he seems to be doing great. Two quick questions. I have a glass tank with aspen substrate (but I think I'm going to switch to coconut husks or something else to help with the humidity). How often do you do a full blown cleaning and change of substrate? Also I have heave read that some people "wash" their snakes, is this necessary or beneficial to do on the regular?

Thanks

[Inknsteel]

Welcome to bp.net!!!

First, using a tank with wood based substrate, you should be spot cleaning daily to look for urates and poo and removing them as soon as you see them. A full tank cleanout is recommended once a month or so to keep bacteria and mold away.

Washing a snake regularly isn't necessary or beneficial to the snake. It's the exact opposite in fact. Bathing a snake can cause unnecessary stress that could lead to feeding problems down the road. It can also wash away essential natural oils that aid in the shedding process.

The only time I recommend washing or soaking your bp is if they have a bad shed, or if they have a messy poo and decide to paint the tank with it... Otherwise, they're pretty efficient at taking care of themselves...

[rebelrachel13]

Mostly I just clean what needs cleaned, when it needs cleaned. I spot clean every day, checking for urates, spilled water, poop, and refill the water. I also shift the substrate around to check for any buried nasties.

I always clean thoroughly after a big messy poop and/or shed (the two usually come hand in hand).

Snakes don't really need baths. Unless they smell, which shouldn't be a problem if the cage is clean.

[The Serpent Merchant]

spot cleaning as necessary, and a full cage change once a month. I recommend that you use a disinfectant such as Chlorhexidine or F10 when doing a full cleaning.

"washing" snakes is actually bad, it stresses them out (in most cases) and if they are close to shed, it can actually dry them out which leads to a bad shed.

[Mike41793]

Usually i spot clean/refill water every day or every other day. The snakes on cypress mulch get a full change every month or every other month. Sometimes they mess it up alot but if its a slow month as far as pooping and shedding ill stretch it for 2 months. The one on newspaper gets the paper changed whenever i noticed pee/poo. Since it only takes 5 min usually ill do this once or twice a week.

[satomi325]

I spot clean as well. I only change the substrate after a poo.
I don't give baths unless the snake gets poo on it.

Sent from my ADR6300 using Tapatalk

[Emily Hubbard]

Yeah, it all really just depends how messy your snake decides to be on a week to week basis. I spot clean little messes, but when the big one comes, everything get cleaned.

I say your set up should never have any unpleasant odors. It shouldn't smell like mildew, old urine or steamy turds (yeah, you all know what I am talking about.) If you have a wood substrate, your tub should smell like a forest after rain if you mist for humidity. Base you cleaning schedule on what needs to be achieved to keep everything fresh. I always err on the side of caution and budget for a substrate switch every other week. If my snake is especially tidy, I will let it go a little longer.

[Emily Hubbard]

Oh, and just a heads up, if you use coco husk, try to find the large chunk kind. I used the EcoEarth PetCo kind for a while, and yes, I loved it for humidity, but hated it for the mess. It is basically like dirt, looks great, humidity great, mess EVERYWHERE. Every time I took the water bowl out to change it, dirt would be all over the bottom and clog my sink, get on my carpet.... it stuck to rodents and the snake would eat a mouthful of dirt.... I gave up and switched to bark chips. I'm not saying DON'T use shredded coco husk, it is a perfectly viable option, affordable, and has many pros. The cons drove me crazy though. Just a warning, though it could be the perfect solution for your particular needs, we all have a substrate we swear by eventually, just gotta try several before you find yours.