View Full Version : Rubbermaid vs. Glass Aquarium
Tinytim12333
05-26-03, 01:23 PM
Wich one would be better to house a corn snake. I plan on to breed colubrids. Im going to start buliding the shelfs but im low on room and on a budget.
Tim and Julie B
05-26-03, 01:38 PM
A lot of colubrid breeders use a rack system that uses rubbermaids. Aquarium/rubbermaid? I don't think it makes a big difference except that rubbermaids don't look as good. But if you are breeding then who cares. Also rubbermaids are a fraction of the price. If you are going to breed you want to save as much money as possible. So I guess rubbermaids are better. They are easier to clean, lighter to move and don't chip or crack as easily. Also if one gets to bad you can just chuck it because the cost is so low. I switched all my hatchling turtles to rubbermaids because they were easier to move and clean for all the water changes.
Big Mike
05-26-03, 04:20 PM
Also...Rubbermaids (covered) will hold humidity much, much better thank a standard tank. This is because you can put ventilation holes in the side. Tanks, although nice for looking at, are not really a good choice for keeping most snake speceis in. Alot of people (including me) do keep snakes in tanks so we just have to deal with the humidity problems.
BoidKeeper
05-26-03, 05:33 PM
I use both depending on the snakes size.
This is a set up I use a lot it's a 10g on its side.
http://www.ssnakess.com/photopost/data/504/2890_1_hog_cage-med.jpg
I also use 15g, 20g high, 27g high and 33g on their sides too. They work great with a locking screen front. I'm always picking up cracked tanks to add to the tower.
Here is a 4 sweater boxes on a 27g on a 33g.
http://www.ssnakess.com/photopost/data/504/289mar2503_4-med.jpg
Cheers,
Trevor
My vote is for rubbermaids all the way.
My personal cons to tanks are 1. they have crappy humidity and ventilation...2. they are damn heavy! it can be a huge pain to clean them completly. 3. They are really expensive when you factor in a reptile lid.
Rubbermaids are great. They can be cleaned 100% clean easily, they are very light weight...they have good ventilation and you hardly have to work at all to keep a nice humidity level...they can be heated easily, and you can buy a HUGE rubbermaid for a fraction of the cost for a tank the same size. And they come pretty much clear as well.
Marisa
ThEmAdHaTtEr
05-26-03, 07:02 PM
Heating? How? I always thought heat rope and tape. How else? Seeing this post made me think about switching my two BPs to rubbermaids...I look forward to seeing more info.
I have my BP in this rubbermaid:
<img src="http://members.rogers.com/mattl/enclosure.jpg">
<img src="http://members.rogers.com/mattl/enclosure2.jpg">
I use a heating pad underneath, controlled with a thermastat. I never ever have to mist unless he is shedding, because the humidity stays at around 70% all the time with just two water bowls.
Marisa
SerpentLust
05-26-03, 09:51 PM
You know, I was always against rubbermaids just because, for me anyways, i want to give my snakes the best. But now looking at this. It really all depends if you want to show the snakes off or now, because both seem really good. For me, for my pets and only pets I would do Aquariums and for breeding...rubbermaid.
Jenn
ThEmAdHaTtEr
05-26-03, 09:53 PM
Heatpad? Doesnt it melt the plastic? What kind of heat pad are you using? Thats an AWESOME set up too btw.
Frankly aquariums aren't giving some species the best. In fact some species will do horrible in tanks, and simply cannot live in them.
I do not keep my animals in rubbermaids because I want "less than the best" for them. My ball python has the BEST because he is in a rubbermaid. Nothing can beat stable humidity, great ventilation (which you simply cannot get in a tank, period) and roomy, light weight enclosures than can be cleaned better than tanks.
You really need to look at the species specific requirments closely before saying aquariums are the best. Because even as a pet, some species can't live in them and many people mistakenly keep some such species in tanks thinking they are the best when they aren't. Tanks are for my fish now, and my fish only. :)
marisa
MadHatter: Thanks...heating pads don't melt them. They *could* melt them if they are uncontrolled. Mine is set to get no higher than 95, (ends up being around 88-90 in the hot spot above his towels and hide) and that can't melt anything really.
Marisa
Big Mike
05-27-03, 07:55 AM
Marisa is right, heat pads should not melt any plastic container that you would use for snakes (if properly controlled). If the plastic was melted then your animal would probably be long dead.
depressor86
05-27-03, 03:35 PM
yea i dont think heatpads that can melt plastic should be used on tanks either !
ThEmAdHaTtEr
05-27-03, 03:47 PM
So you just stick the heatpad on the bottom of the rubbermaid? What kind of heatpad do you use? How do you control the temp it puts out? Thanks guys!
BoidKeeper
05-27-03, 04:23 PM
Never stick your heat pad to anything. Leave the backing on it so that you can use it in the future on different tanks. I uses exo-terra and zoomed heat pads and I just leave the backing on them.
Cheers,
Trevor
BoidKeeper is exactly right. Never use the sticky stuff. It works just as well not being stuck....
I use a human heating pad. There is debate if this is safe or not but I only use one and so far, amazing! Since I use the Reptile ESU thermastat the heating pad is not on all the time. Its turned on and off automatically to adjust the temp. The heating pad could EASILY go above the 95 so it hardly has to be on long before the thermastat shuts it off again. I check it each day though to make sure nothing looks like its malfunctioning. And I have also replaced it once this year for peice of mind. Saving the "old" one for my bad back *LOL* I just want to make sure its new, and working properly. The thermastat prob sits inside the rubbermaid, but underneath the towel (paper towel) and underneath his warm hiding spot so the heat is always controlled where he is most.
Anyways, I have never had an issue. The heat is consistant, the plastic never ever gets near melting, and my snake is happy as a clam! :D
Marisa
Alicewave
05-28-03, 09:01 AM
I have a question related to human heat pads. I have a mini-rack set up for my soon to hatch baby leos and I wanted to use a human heat pad and have half of it under the bottom and the other half on the side of the rubbermaids. Is it ok to bend it this way (as long as it's not a sharp fold?) I too am going to regulate it with an ESU thermostat.
Alicewave,
Yikes. Definitely not ok to bend a heat pad (if you really must use one in the first place). The only heating medium that can be used in that matter (not with a crease, just curved) would be heat tape or heat rope.
Tinytim12333,
Tanks are only suitable for desert animals and other animals that do not need any supplemental humidity levels. Tanks do not provide any means to hold humidity without totally cutting off the airflow. Your best bet is to go with rubbermaids or custom enclosures. Most breeders use rubbermaid rack systems for their cornsnakes.
Alicewave
05-28-03, 10:12 AM
Did I specify that it's a human heat pad? I thought I did... THat's what I'm using. All I was going to do was curve it, like they show it being used on knees and stuff in the pictures. Just wondering if anyone has actually had a problem doing this?
CyberGhost
06-01-03, 10:18 PM
Use rubbermaids their just better for most species, and escpeccialy breeding. I think everyonelse has alredy said why.
Alicewave- I honestly can't say...I use mine flat. *shrug* Sorry! :)
Marisa
Alicewave
06-02-03, 09:09 AM
From what it looks like on the one I got you can bend it in one direction but not the other. (The other is how I was hoping to use it) I think I will get enough heat from just below but if not I will buy a second one and put it on top. By the way, Don't buy the new Sunbeam human heating pads. They have an auto-off feature which renders them basically useless for reptiles.
unBOAlievable
06-02-03, 10:08 AM
I use nothing but rubbermaids/steralites for all my neonates. I used to use flexwatt on them but have since changed on the way I keep my babies. Now I use no heat tape and keep the hatchlings room at 84-86. I keep Elaphe,lampropeltis,pituophis,Candoia,Bothrochilus ,Boa constrictor imperator,and B.C.C, Python regius,Liasis,Morelia,Masticophis,Philothamnis.Cro talus,Agkistrodon. and many more without any problems or regurges whatsoever for 3 years now.
You are right about the new sunbeams, I hate it when they improve something.
Alicewave
06-02-03, 12:01 PM
Seriously! I had to wait in line at Wal-Mart for 25 mins to buy the darned thing, only to take it home and realize it was uselss and I had to wait in line another 25 minutes to get the Dunlap one.
We use both tanks and rubbermaids (and soon custom melamine) for our enclosures.
We have no problem keeping the humidity at the correct levels, the only one that has ever posed a challange is our viperboas, and that was fixed by putting a towel over the cage.
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