Count Down till I Get "Mint"

[Faequine]

Made the first payment on the Candy Cane Corn I'm getting, and even though i dont have it yet his/her name is going to be Mint. Mwahahaha! Now during the time itll take to pay off the 178 bucks i need to clean and sanitize stuff. I have no bleach, but i have white vinager heard i could use that. ill be boiling the hides, and branch thing, but im more concerned about the tank at the moment.

[Chu'Wuti]

Vinegar alone is not a reliable disinfectant. However, you might follow a vinegar treatment with H2O2 (hydrogen peroxide) to boost the disinfectant qualities. For both, you need to get strong concentrations. Don't combine them (my first statement was confusing in that regard); do vinegar first, let dry, then follow with H2O2.

Info here: Can Vinegar Disinfect Counters? (http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/archives/pharmacy_qa/can_vinegar_disinfect_counters.php)

might help, though it isn't related to snake-keeping.

In addition, if you can put the tank in sunlight (but cover with plastic wrap and turn upside down so nothing can get in) that will also help disinfect the tank. Basically, what you want is a UV treatment, and sunlight is a strong source.

Those three are about the best "natural" disinfecting treatments that I know of.

[Kmef07]

Other than running the hides and stuff under really hot water and using like glass plus and some other mild cleaners i have never really been big on disinfecting. my house gets cleaned every week by a cleaning lady, but my cage has yet to grow mold or anything. i know there are some things that will grow that i can't see but either way i just never seem to have any problems

[Faequine]

at the pet store i used to work at theyd rotate sanitizing and sterilizing with 2 different cleaners. Could you do the same with a vinager mix and bleach mix?

[Chu'Wuti]

I wonder if they were using Zoo Med's Wipe Out at the petstore? It's supposed to be specially formulated for using with herps (though they still have to be removed before cleaning the enclosure, etc.). I use it occasionally for a super-duper clean up. Mostly, I just wash things with dish detergent really well; I'm pretty leery of chlorine bleach.

[xXKATRINAXx]

stay away from the bleach and if you do use it make it bleach\water mostly water (but it's bad for the snake to have all those chemicals). the vinegar stinks to high heaven but it works ok, also you might try baking soda, just mix a little water in it and scrub with a scrubby sponge (a new one) it wont scratch the glass and its something that's always in the house. another thing to do would to soak it in a bathtub in the hottest water with soap for a while scrub the hell out of it, rinse and then let it sit out in the sun upside down to dry on a towel. the sun should get the rest of the germs if the scrubbing and hot water didn't.

i don't know if any of these things are flawed but i use them and im a house keeper. it might be a bad (and kinda embarrassing) job but i get $30 an hour and i only haft to work for 3 hours a day so > P but still it's $90 a day and i work 3 days a week that adds up to $270 a week, that's $1,080 a month. not bad for being 16.

[Faequine]

will try the bakin soda. Though i cant be leaving the tank outside this time of year, to much snow. lol. and ill get some wipe out as a once a month type thing. i should be the mice soon too, so i have them then i wont need to worry about them later.

[xXKATRINAXx]

HAHAHAHAHA OK, i live in oregon in the US and its been sunny and nice here pretty warm to and i tend to forget that people live in other places. lol

[Faequine]

lol, im sure that happens all the time. You people with your nice weather -.- i miss seeing the grass. lol

[Faequine]

a new pic of Mint. she offered me a banded verison and omg you guys got to look at it^^

[Smilts]

Nice looking snake there :)

[Chu'Wuti]

Beautiful snake! The head pattern looks cool. I'd love to see a close-up of that head!

You think it's always nice weather in Oregon? My middle son lives in Portland, and the weather was crazy in December around Christmas! Almost shut down the city; actually, I guess it pretty much did shut down the city, as the busses weren't running at one point. I don't think they were seeing much grass--if any!

Faequine, enjoy that beauty--post more pics!

[Kmef07]

My silly city here Cincinnati, ohio got pretty much shut down with only 3 inches of snow in the city before. This year we got almost a foot in the city and it was shut down for 2 days straight.

[Chu'Wuti]

Personally, I think places are shutting down earlier & more because they're afraid of lawsuits for injuries if people were to try to go to work. Our campus is even shutting down for really minor snowstorms, but I can remember 30 years ago they wouldn't shut down at all, even when the snow was knee deep!

So, Faequine, how's that snake doing? Have you got her home yet?

[Faequine]

No, i havent got it yet. I wont till may when the breeder will be comeing up for the reptile show. Shes going to trying and send my feeding pics cause she cant send a video, and next week she'll be sexy it so ill find out if i get a girl or a boy ^^.

You guys shut down for 3 inches of snow?! holy crap that unheard of here. unless its 3 ft and/or you live in the country. Last week we got 15-20 cm in less than 2 days and all that happened was busses where delay 10 mins or so and a bunch of accidents cause some idiots out there dont know how to drive when there snow on the ground.

[Kmef07]

Ya in cincy there doesn't have to be snow falling for people to drive like idiots. It just has to be snowing even if it is all melting as it touches the ground. people here just either drive very well or horrible.

[Chu'Wuti]

You guys shut down for 3 inches of snow?!

Yeah, it seems pretty crazy, I know. ;)

The problem is that some of us live in places where it doesn't stay snowy all winter; we just get a few snowstorms. With less call for the equipment, our cities don't maintain lots of snow moving equipment, so when it does snow, we get shut down for what y'all farther north think is nothing. Of course, we also get really bad ice--a half an inch of pure ice on the ground & streets can cause more trouble than a foot of snow! LOTS of people falling & ending up in the hospital, tree branches breaking and falling on people & killing them . . . all because of ice & attendant unusually low temps.:eek:

[Faequine]

I hate ice. In fall we get a lot of freezing rain where it leaves you praying for a good snow cover so we can get some damn traction. And along with ice i hate the morons that dont know what salt and gravel is.

[Wolfus_305]

Haha! Aww 3 inches, how cute! I've had to walk to school in more snow than that!
Better safe than sorry though if the majority of people where you are don't know how to handle snow.
Ugh! I hate ice, slipped on my walk to school today. I didn't even see the ice, I can't imagine what consequences half an inch of ice would cause!
Kenny

[Kmef07]

Well Kentucky just had over an inch and a half in some places and it put people out of power for more than two months. it was crazy in cincy we only got between half and inch and an inch. We had a three day period where it was 8-10 inches of wet snow one day then that turned to half an inch to an inch of ice then that turned back to really powerdy snow that fell quick and was anywhere from 10-14 inches. so all that was on the ground at the same time. I took my son sledding and he was almost all covered up by the close to two feet of snow.

Then three days later it was 63 degrees. tell me that isn't crazy. then everywhere flooded. lol cincy weather is horrible.

[butters5620]

Wow that is one of the coolest snakes I have ever seen. I like the colorful ones :). Maybe if my life ever slows down I'll be able to get a second snake. For now I'm having trouble even keeping up with my bp!!! You might've seen my thread...:( But good luck with 'Mint!' If I was getting a snake like that I would probably have died by now with anticipation:eek:

[Faequine]

Mint is a girl!

[Chu'Wuti]

Mint is a girl!

Oh, that's exciting!

Someday when she's mature enough, you could breed her if you wanted! Of course, there's more work involved--more money, too, for incubating equipment, etc.

I hope you get to bring her home soon!

[Faequine]

Just had a thought. Its tax season... ill get a tax return.... if its big enough maybe i wont had to wait till may. If thats the new plan then i MUST set up the tank a soon!

[Chu'Wuti]

There you go! Get busy! ;)

[Faequine]

Got the tank and tree thing and feeding container cleaned yesterday. Used baking soda and water on all with the tank i added vinager and water after the BS and h2o was rinsed out, theyre all drying out now, in the closet away from my 2 yr old. Checked the aspen shavings packaging for punctures. Didnt see any so im hoping i can still use it even if the package is extremly dusty. Ill wipe it off for closer examination later. Today i hope to start putting things together if i can locate the box of reptile stuff that some where in the storage room. :s

[Chu'Wuti]

I'll bet the aspen shavings are fine. I'm so glad you're going to be able to get Mint soon! She's a beauty!

Well, it got up to 82 deg F here today--it's 70 now & almost 1 a.m. Sheesh! We've had flannel sheets on the bed & they're too hot!

[Faequine]

good that sounds nice. Wake up to -25 c, -35 with wind chill. AND PEOPLE DONT KNOW WHAT A SHOVEL IS!!! :@ I HATE snow drifts >.< ok im good now... its outa my system.... maybe, lol.

Set up the tank over the weekend. Got pics on facebook. Moblie pics so they wont be the best. And a q. Is the water dish suposed to be in there all the time? I dont think theres room:S

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[Kmef07]

i would take the temp and humidity gauges you have in the top corners and move them down closer to the substrate where your snake is going to be. it will be a more accurate reading.

[Chu'Wuti]

Hey, Faequine, Greg's cute! I agree with Kyle--you need to have the temp & humidity gauges down where the snake actually lives. Also, the temp strip won't give you any useful info--they are really inaccurate and it's only measuring the glass temp, not the temp inside the tank.

Don't feel bad--I did the same things wrong with the temperature gauges and several of the guys told me the same thing. After my DH & I got temperature probes and put thermometers inside on the substrate, we learned how far off the temp strip can be! And the difference in reading between the thermometer I had stuck on the enclosure up high and the substrate temp was something like 12 deg F.

-25C! Brrrrrrrr! We never get that cold here in Oklahoma. However, we do get blisteringly hot in the summer, and that's when I'd be happy to trade with you! Last night--between midnight and 2 a.m.--it was 73 deg F, so we had the windows open and it was still too warm for covers. However, it's going to drop back down to freezing (just) today.

[Faequine]

Thats one thing i dont have , the hundi reader. Them two is themometers. But i will move them down. Guess i should do the same with Gregs cage, hes terrestrial too. Oh and the temp strip was from when i used to breed fish. I had used the 10g as a fry tank. Couldn't get it off, so its useless, lol.
Should a water dish be in there? Oh i double checked the watage on the heat lamp theres a 75w in there now, is it good enough? god im lazy, i could of read up on this >.< but im at school right now not at home haha.

[Chu'Wuti]

Absolutely a water dish should be in there--one big enough that your snake can get into it fully, but not so deep that it can't get out.

Talked about the 75W bulb & the rheostat on the other thread.

Good luck!

[Faequine]

annette sent the feed pic^^

[Faequine]

And if this snake is a year old what are the chances shes out grown everything? Haha >.>

[Faequine]

everythings set, Light works, puts hot temps to 80f (suposed to be 78-82 right?) water dish is just sitting off to the side. Here a couple pics.

[Kmef07]

Nice setup i'd make sure that your corn can't get too close to that bulb and burn itself if it is on a metal screen it could easily make that screen 100 degrees+ to the touch.

[st3v3n]

do you guys kno if the reptile show april 19th in NY is any good dont wanna waste the gas if it sucks n nice corn dude..