I used to think that tubs were way easier to deal with but I am now really feeling that I was wrong. Tubs are easier to house a lot of snakes in, but I don't think cleaning is easier.
I have reptile cages from RBI and they are way easier to clean than the tubs and here's why: there is no space in tubs for the snakes to move around and get out of their own feces. I feel bad for them that they are trapped in their own waste for the night until morning when I clean them (7am).
My snakes in the cages never lay in their own waste and always go to the other side of the cage and into the other hide, away from the waste- 3 feet away. My snakes in the tubs have nowhere to go and are always just laying in it.
I believe that tubs serve a purpose for young and small ball pythons but I also believe that larger balls need and use the space provided by larger cages. I also understand that every snake is different and so has a bit of a different definition of 'need', but I also believe that only having tubs and thinking they are best could be very wrong information.
I understand that my post will fly in the face of many members on this forum and not thinking that tubs are the best thing is very much not en vogue. However, I would be remiss to not mention this observation with my own snakes.
In light of what I have been seeing, I am working very hard to save my money and spend it on cages for my snakes that are large enough to warrant one; sadly, this is a lot of cages Not to mention more t'stats....