Look what I found in my boas water

[Diamond Serpents]

Yeah I wouldn't worry about it, I don't think a vet is necessary soak and clean with bleach then soap. You can even bake that dish in the oven if its not plastic to reassure your self.

It was definitely some type of larva what type I'm not sure. I could be wrong here but I do believe mosquito larva isn't really that visible.
So I don't think it's that.

[Gio]

Those Exo-Terra dishes are a real pain get clean around those little stairs on the side but that gunk will come off with a bit of elbow grease (wash, disinfecting, running it through a dishwasher, then re-rinsing any potential soap residue is the easiest, if that's an option.) I started off with that same kind of water dish actually (solely because it looked nice) but it wasn't worth the hassle. Now I just use one of those square glass Pyrex dishes and its much much easier - heavy enough not to be dumped and cleans in a flash. Sorry I'm no help in identifying those little larvae looking things - Ive never come across something like that before; hopefully they aren't something too major...

I have one and the easiest way to clean it is to use Tilex. It's a shower cleaner spray designed for cleaning tile and scum. There is a lot of bleach in it and it sprays out nicely. As Darwin said a little extra effort will get it clean. The Tilex spray is nice because it gets in the little cracks/step. Spray and let it sit for about 5 mins the rinse hot and use a scrub pad. BOOM, clean.

I personally prefer a realistic looking enclosure and find it worth the effort. However I completely understand that people who have a lot of snakes need to be efficient and IF you are THAT person, by all means go simple.

But, if you like to enjoy your snake in a semi realistic/natural environment, change the water often and just spray the bowl with Tilex and use a buff pad to clean it.

I just get too much pleasure out of this and will take the extra effort to clean it.



Again, not knock on the simple, efficient setups as it's purely a personal choice.

Try the Tilex and just change the water more. If you go on vacation add a second water bowl and maybe have that one be simple. We came back from an 8 day trip and the water got scummy it's just the way it is unless you have a friend/relative change it.

Good luck.

[Darwin]

No, I'm not THAT person. I have a very nice realistic, display enclosure (with the exception of my simple water dish.) For as often as a water bowl is cleaned, I wouldn't advocate that someone cleans it with Tilex as a general practice. Personally, I don't care to frequently use harsh bleaching products in my enclosure. Bleach, for me, is reserved for complete deep cleanings (not routine daily maintenance) as I want to ensure there is plenty of time to air out any items exposed to harsh chemicals. Just because I can't smell bleach after rinsing doesn't mean my little snake buddy can't smell it. My nose doesn't work near as well as his!

That being said, I'm not knocking your cleaning routine, everyone has their way that works for them. Your enclosure looks great, by the way!

[Gio]

No, I'm not THAT person. I have a very nice realistic, display enclosure (with the exception of my simple water dish.) For as often as a water bowl is cleaned, I wouldn't advocate that someone cleans it with Tilex as a general practice. Personally, I don't care to frequently use harsh bleaching products in my enclosure. Bleach, for me, is reserved for complete deep cleanings (not routine daily maintenance) as I want to ensure there is plenty of time to air out any items exposed to harsh chemicals. Just because I can't smell bleach after rinsing doesn't mean my little snake buddy can't smell it. My nose doesn't work near as well as his!

That being said, I'm not knocking your cleaning routine, everyone has their way that works for them. Your enclosure looks great, by the way!

I should say DEEP cleans as well. I usually change water every day or 2 and use a buff pad and cold water rinse. I use Tilex when needed which is not often IF the water is changed. Ideally, I'd love to have a continuous flow system that is filtered. That would solve a lot of the stagnant water issues that people have.

But hey,,, we can only do so much. As long as its clean and safe, it's about all we can ask.