Advice Needed Regarding a 2nd Hand Reptile Tank

[LeeAnnT99]

Hi! This is regarding a new home for my baby BP, Lilia. She's in a 10 gallon right now and is fine, but I am anticipating moving her into a larger tank as she grows. I bought one used from another BP owner on Craigslist.

I have stripped it of it's UTH because I bought a new one. (The one w/ the tank didn't work consistently enough for me to feel comfortable using it.)

I cleaned the tank with Flukers organic cleaner and scrubbed it very thoroughly and rinsed it with very hot water. I used a scrub brush and old toothbrush to get every inch clean.

My question: Is there anything else I should treat the tank with to be very sure nothing bad is transferred to Lilia? I had thought of spraying it with white vinegar and letting it sit then rinsing it again. But, I use WV to clean everything!

She won't be moving into her new home for a little while because, if you saw my other post, she's just started eating for me and she and I are just getting to know each other.

Any advice would be appreciated! Thank you for reading.

[Bogertophis]

Honestly, I consider used tanks to be risky because you never know what the previous occupant died of, so you need to clean it as if it was IBD, in my opinion.

In other words, assume the worst. If you don't want all this work to save money, just buy new. We don't all have the same priorities- if you have more time than
money, buy used & clean, but understand that not every product is equally effective against pathogens- some things work best for 'this' & others best for 'that'.

This means using several different products, one after another with thorough rinsing between (never combine strong cleaning agents, fumes may be toxic & dangerous). I would say that 1. & 2. are necessary, plus choose 2 from the last options 3.-5.

1. Soap & water...start with this, always, since disinfectants are only effective when little to no biological debris remains.
2. ammonia (need lots of ventilation for this, trust me, but it's the only one that kills the worst stuff)
3. chlorine bleach, diluted (also harsh, needs a LOT of rinsing, no fumes must remain as they are harmful to you & even more to your pets).
4. F10 or Nolvasan, or chlorhexidine: all properly diluted, typically used on snake cages (easier, you can wipe dry with no rinsing UNLESS you're using another chemical
afterwards...then do rinse for safety.)
5. isopropyl (aka 'rubbing') alcohol: available everywhere & not expensive, but very effective. Harsh on the nose, but dries with no residue. Good choice for back up.

White vinegar is a mild disinfectant (must rinse) & IMO best used for routine cleaning of water bowls, as it dissolves mineral deposits too.
Have no experience with Fluker's organic, but sounds like you've covered "option 1." with your good scrub using this.

Don't forget the outside of the enclosure, btw. Germs can lurk everywhere.

From your choices I suspect we have a lot in common...choosing safer & healthier options. But when you're dealing with unknown germs & risks, it's not
the time to be gentle with germs, IMO.

[bcr229]

The worst is not IBD, though those three letters can - and do - strike fear into the heart of ever snake keeper. Fortunately the IBD virus is readily killed by most disinfectants.

IMO the worst is cryptosporidium since the spores can persist on surfaces for months, and the only disinfectant to easily kill it is 100% ammonia; F10, bleach, vinegar, etc. don't kill it. It does look like freezing will kill the spores so if you're in an area where it's getting cold at night you could put the enclosures outside overnight.

Before bringing used enclosures into the house I thoroughly clean them outside with mild dish soap and water, rinse well, and then spray them with 100% ammonia. Let dry, rinse, and repeat. I then give them one final washing to remove all traces of ammonia.

[303_enfield]

Bleach an let it soak for a few days. Then rinse an repeat. Then if you can get a heat gun, you'll kill anything else that lived. It's a tank fill it up.

When done air it out. It's not like you need the tank today. Zoos use the same tanks an cages for years, just sterilize everything including the screen/lid.

Your snake will be fine.

[LeeAnnT99]

This is all great advice, thank you all very much!!
I have the tank outside now...it's 50 degrees out, so not at all cold -- but I'll leave it out there anyway.
I have the ammonia and chlorhexidine ready for pick up tomorrow to treat the tank (with lots of rinsing in between).
And, finally, I'll wipe EVERYTHING down again with the rubbing alcohol.

Awesome!