My first tub....ever - Comment/Criticize

[Mikoh4792]

This is just a trial tub. I am just trying things out on this one and i'll see how it maintains conditions for a couple days(without any animals inside it). If it works out good I'll be using another tub that has an actual latching/closing system so a snake can't escape. It's the same size. Then I'll just use the tub below for something to put my smaller snakes in when I am cleaning out their enclosures.


15 qt tub with small UTH left side. 2 hides, 1 water bowl, 2 therm/hydrometers for ambient warm and cool sides. Infrared heat gun to measure surface temps. Drilled holes for ventilation.
http://i39.tinypic.com/2reprwl.jpg


Probe sitting beneath warm hide, covered by a very thing layer of substrate.
http://i44.tinypic.com/4l0i08.jpg

Equipment to monitor/control conditions inside enclosure. Thermostat is set at 91 so it's still warming up.
http://i43.tinypic.com/33olfm1.jpg


Do I need anything more? less?

EDIT: actually I need help on one thing. With the probe set up like that, it could be moved by the snake. How can I have it permanently fixated in that spot? If I were to use zipties, or wire rope to tie it down to something, what do I tie it down to?

[desipooh.12]

that's how mine kinda looks but I just bought a hydrometer/thermometer from
petsmart that has probes for each, cuz what you have are quite big?

[Mikoh4792]

that's how mine kinda looks but I just bought a hydrometer/thermometer from
petsmart that has probes for each, cuz what you have are quite big?

Yeah I was going to use the ones with probes but since I already have a heat gun I just needed something to check the overall ambient air temps instead of a precise location(which I use my infrared heat gun for)

[Terranaut]

Don't forget to add water to the dish so your humidy is the same as when a snake goes in ;)

[Mikoh4792]

Don't forget to add water to the dish so your humidy is the same as when a snake goes in ;)

Forgot about that. Wouldn't want to have a water bowl with no water in it lol.

BTW do you have any tips for fixing the probe so it doesn't move? Or is that how everyone usually does it?

[Terranaut]

Mine seldom move under the substrate. If they do I just bury them again.

[smy_749]

Did you not punch holes in the sides or the top? What are you keeping in there? You will prob want to add some holes, add the water to the bowl, and watch the humidity with the lid ON

[Starbuck]

i would use a piece of thick sticky tape (maybe electrical tape? something unlikely to peel) and tape the cord of your probe close to the corner between bottom and wall of the tank; so your tape is on the vertical section of the tub close to the bottom. This way, the 3-4 inches of wire attached to the probe are anchored, and the probe can only move in a 180 degree arc (ideally, all of this arc is over your heat mat.

One thing you could also look into might be supergluing a cord clip to the bottom of your tank, something like the little rubber piece found on mac/apple chargers? that way you can remove the probe as needed for cleaning, and once the glue is dry ou dont have to worry about anything sticky on your reptiles.

However, i agree with Terranaut; if you check on your snake every day, it shouldnt move too much to be an issue.

[Mikoh4792]

Did you not punch holes in the sides or the top? What are you keeping in there? You will prob want to add some holes, add the water to the bowl, and watch the humidity with the lid ON

In the middle pic I think you can see the holes. I wouldn't want the snake to suffocate. I even said I put holes in there for ventiliation.

[smy_749]

In the middle pic I think you can see the holes. I wouldn't want the snake to suffocate. I even said I put holes in there for ventiliation.

Sorry I've been staring at the computer for quite some time, and I have the webpages zoomed out pretty far so the text/pics are tiny. With regards to fixing your probe, instead of using glue/tape products you could always cut 2 tiny slits in the bottom, 1 cm apart or so. Then feed a ziptie through and loop it around the probe. Just make sure the bulk of the ziptie is outside the enclosure. I like zipties :P

[Mikoh4792]

Sorry I've been staring at the computer for quite some time, and I have the webpages zoomed out pretty far so the text/pics are tiny. With regards to fixing your probe, instead of using glue/tape products you could always cut 2 tiny slits in the bottom, 1 cm apart or so. Then feed a ziptie through and loop it around the probe. Just make sure the bulk of the ziptie is outside the enclosure. I like zipties :P

Me too. The only thing is I have to do it in a way so that the substrate doesn't fall out(dust from either aspen, cocohust, and cypress mulch). But I have a drill bit set so I might try drilling with the smallest bits first. Or would you recommend using a soldering iron?

[Mikoh4792]

i would use a piece of thick sticky tape (maybe electrical tape? something unlikely to peel) and tape the cord of your probe close to the corner between bottom and wall of the tank; so your tape is on the vertical section of the tub close to the bottom. This way, the 3-4 inches of wire attached to the probe are anchored, and the probe can only move in a 180 degree arc (ideally, all of this arc is over your heat mat.

One thing you could also look into might be supergluing a cord clip to the bottom of your tank, something like the little rubber piece found on mac/apple chargers? that way you can remove the probe as needed for cleaning, and once the glue is dry ou dont have to worry about anything sticky on your reptiles.

However, i agree with Terranaut; if you check on your snake every day, it shouldnt move too much to be an issue.

Excuse the poor art skills. Not my specialty but do you mean something like this?

The dotted line probes represent the possible ways (180 degree angle you mentioned) that it could turn. The two squares over the probe on the wall would be duct/electrical/aluminum..etc tape.


http://i43.tinypic.com/2nsc2sl.jpg

[franks]

Forgot about that. Wouldn't want to have a water bowl with no water in it lol.

BTW do you have any tips for fixing the probe so it doesn't move? Or is that how everyone usually does it?

i put a rck on top

[Mikoh4792]

i put a rck on top

Yeah I could just use those cave hides which are significantly heavier than plastic or wood hides

[Lankyrob]

Dont put any sticky tape in the tub with a snake, you are asking for trouble

[Terranaut]

Dont put any sticky tape in the tub with a snake, you are asking for trouble

I agree. If you can avoid tape, you should. If you insist on securing it put a couple blobs of hot glue across the cable but not on the last 2" closest to the probe. I also have a rock over the cable on 2 of mine. Seriously though if you ignore the reading on the thermostat and set the temps by measuring them with a heat gun you can place the probe in a variety of places. To acieve lets say a 90º hotspot you may have your thermostat set to 94º or something. It's just a set point and should never be trusted any more than as a guide. I believe the heat gun is very important to ensure your enclosure is the temps you think it is.

[Mikoh4792]

I agree. If you can avoid tape, you should. If you insist on securing it put a couple blobs of hot glue across the cable but not on the last 2" closest to the probe. I also have a rock over the cable on 2 of mine. Seriously though if you ignore the reading on the thermostat and set the temps by measuring them with a heat gun you can place the probe in a variety of places. To acieve lets say a 90º hotspot you may have your thermostat set to 94º or something. It's just a set point and should never be trusted any more than as a guide. I believe the heat gun is very important to ensure your enclosure is the temps you think it is.

What I'm doing right now for my bci and corn snake is placing the probe in their hiding spot above the substrate. So if I set it to 92F on the herpstat then it gets exactly 91F. Although for my corn snake I set it to 88F.

I agree that people should use heat guns to measure temps where the probe is.

[pdomensis]

At first glance I thought your tub had a pair of speakers in it. :-)

[Mikoh4792]

At first glance I thought your tub had a pair of speakers in it. :-)

I'd bump hardcore rap songs for my snake to chill out in.

[formica]

what an awsome idea, def more cost effective than tanks! I'm a little concerned about bactirial and smell build up in the plastic, is this an issue? I'm not sure i'd reuse them myself. I have never used tupperware tho, but it seems like a great solution for a hatchling snake :)

[Aaron_S]

what an awsome idea, def more cost effective than tanks! I'm a little concerned about bactirial and smell build up in the plastic, is this an issue? I'm not sure i'd reuse them myself. I have never used tupperware tho, but it seems like a great solution for a hatchling snake :)

Due to the rounded corners and using proper cleaning methods there is no bacterial growth. It's a rather clean environment unlike tanks, as I've found. No smell either but depends on how you clean.


Lastly, I just used to leave my probes in the tank dangling or whatever. I was using them for small geckos but I prefer to use a temp gun for my snakes and a thermostat. Easy peasy.

[Donnie]

I use a hot glue gun to stick down probes in a RUB setup

[formica]

Due to the rounded corners and using proper cleaning methods there is no bacterial growth. It's a rather clean environment unlike tanks, as I've found. No smell either but depends on how you clean.

was more thinking about the plastic itself, many are porous, even those that are used for holding water (like water bottles, which can absorb chemicals from their surroundings) and will absorb liquids/chemicals, and hold bacteria, within the plastic itself; proper heated sterilization will deal with bacteria i presume, dont know how well the plastic will cope with the temps tho - microwave culd be a solution i guess, or UVC

[Aaron_S]

was more thinking about the plastic itself, many are porous, even those that are used for holding water (like water bottles, which can absorb chemicals from their surroundings) and will absorb liquids/chemicals, and hold bacteria, within the plastic itself; proper heated sterilization will deal with bacteria i presume, dont know how well the plastic will cope with the temps tho - microwave culd be a solution i guess, or UVC

A lot of people use steam as a way to clean their bins. Plenty of handheld steam cleaning tools.

Also, every few years I buy new bins so I don't really encounter any long term effects.

[formica]

A lot of people use steam as a way to clean their bins. Plenty of handheld steam cleaning tools.

Also, every few years I buy new bins so I don't really encounter any long term effects.

fair enough! you may be leading me to a potential hoard of snake hatchlings appearing in my house haha

jk quite enough work with my Sav tbh! I'm looking forward to getting snakes again one day tho

thanks for the info!