Converting an old fish tank to a snake tank...

[the_Ryno]

The tank is 55 gallons, was used as a fish tank for 5 years+ and has been sitting empty in my basement storage room for 4+years and I recently noticed that it is extremely dirty.
What is and what isn't safe to use when cleaning this tank in preparation for putting a Ball Python in it? It looks like mostly dust in it, but also some builtup that looks like dried salt, but it was used as a freshwater tank so not sure what it is.

[BastianUSA]

I would clean it with a water/bleach mix,then clean it again with water till you are sure there is no bleach in it anymore,then spray it with PAM and let it dry.
After that it's ready to use.
BTW cheack for stress cracks or something like that,cause evn small cracks can get bigger if you put a UTH or lamp next to it.

[Kagez28]

i would just like to give you a little warning about justing a 55 gallon for a BP...

first off your temps are going to be a nightmare to keep up. bp's don't need alot of "head room", they need more floor space. a 55 gal is the same as a 20 gal just taller. you're pretty much going to be heating that space up for nothing. it's going to take a lot to keep that think at the right temps.

but i understand that you gotta do what you gotta do, and a tank sitting around mind as well be used for something. i just wanted to let you know what you're in for.

[kc261]

Well, I'll agree that you probably don't want to put a BP in there. Temps and humidity will be hard to get stabilized at the proper levels, and the BP doesn't need that much room.

However, to answer your question about how to clean it... vinegar is good at dissolving hard water and salt deposits. You can heat it to make it even more effective; just be careful cuz pouring hot stuff on glass will crack it. Vinegar also kills lots of germs, and will leave the glass streak-free. Rinse it thoroughly afterwards.

[the_Ryno]

Other then the problem of keeping the temp and humidity right, is there any harm that could come with having a BP in that large of a tank? Or is it it the fact that it would be hard to keep the conditions where they need to be and such?

[Warm-blooded]

I was thinking of doing the same with an empty 55, but also found out smaller is actually better (after raising fish for a long time, I was suprised to learn the opposite for bps), as besides the conditions being hard to maintain like you said, they tend to be feel more secure in a smaller enclosure.

[BMorrison]

Furio is small (23 or 26" I can't remember) and I got him in a 40 gallon breeder and he's doing fine, it's just a struggle at first to find a way to keep your temps and humidity spot on.

[the_Ryno]

I talked with a friend today that has a 55 for his BP, he said he is able to maintain his temps and everything. Not sure what his set up is so I am going to go over to this house soon and take a look to see if I like what he has and get some ideas. If I dont, guess I will be betting a smaller tank.