considering a BRB

[ilovemypets1988]

hi all.

im considering getting a BRB in a few months, ive read a fair amount about them and this wont be my first boa but is my first BRB.

im happy with all the other information ive read but when it comes to substrate, theres a ton of choices and options so i want to ask, what do you guys use and why.

also just as an fyi, ill be getting a grown on hatchie and have it in a 4ft x 2ft wooden viv with plenty of cover and hides, ill also be going with a heat lamp (unsure of which type yet).

[ilovemypets1988]

also been thinking of using a cat litter tray as a water bowl as its large enough to help with humidity but also big enough to actually swim in

[medicinhed]

Cheers. BRBs are great pets. I have a tray I use in his enclosure for him to soak. I have a larger tub that I use when he needs to swim a bit. Tame as a puppy, except right after feeding.

[ilovemypets1988]

i loved my old boa, he was a complete baby but cant really have a normal boa as my partner doesnt think there suitable to have around my son due to his inquisitive nature, so im thinking of the happy medium and the BRB comes into that very nicely, being small and not getting too chunky.

tbh, i think that boa`s reputation is terribly misunderstood as ive never even heard of a super aggressive boa that couldnt be tamed down to a puppy with the right attention and care.

also as i said, im not getting a BRB for a couple of months, but thought id come on here and ask everyones advice and experience before i commit into buying 1, i am going to see a few hatchies this week at my local reptile center who are very good and if everything is ok and i get enough advice then a week on friday, ill be able to put a deposit down on 1. but we will see what happens

[CK SandBoas]

I use Cypress Mulch with my BRB. It holds humidity great, and it won't mold like aspen does . I also give him a moist humid hide filled with damp Sphagnum moss on the hot side to use if he wants to. As for the heat lamp, i use an UTH attached to a thermostat, and skipped the heat lamp all together.

[bcr226]

I use Cypress Mulch with my BRB. It holds humidity great, and it won't mold like aspen does . I also give him a moist humid hide filled with damp Sphagnum moss on the hot side to use if he wants to. As for the heat lamp, i use an UTH attached to a thermostat, and skipped the heat lamp all together.

This. We put cypress in ours and the humidity has stayed around 80% constantly now. We don't even use lights in the enclosure as they make it too hot for the BRB. He's a happy little bugger and very secure in his enclosure.

[ilovemypets1988]

heat bulb and dimmer or pulse stat i was gunna use tbh, but as they are semi-arboreal (from what ive read about them) the gurad will also help with a climbing structure as itll as as part of the support

[ilovemypets1988]

also forgot to mention that after i used a mat and stat before and the stat failed causing the mat to get that hot and burned the snake i had, i no longer am comfortable with using them

[stephanbakir]

How come you will be starting a baby in a 4 foot viv? Be careful he doesn't fir through the vivs.

Baby BRBs are TINY, they would feel much more secure in a small tub for a few months at least.

[ilovemypets1988]

its not quite a baby, just found out that they are 2012 hatchlings, so id think about a foot long, the reason for going straight into a 4fter is simpley because itll save money, but i may partition the viv so that i can adjust the size of the viv to the size of the snake, im still unsure about that.

sorry for the misconception but i call 2012 hatches "grown on" as i dont know the exact birth date

[medicinhed]

4 x 2 x 2 viv would work if you put in a lot of hides. They are more arboreal when young, but are pretty terrestrial at adult. They have the python head but are not as thick, hence "slender boa". More a bit more than my royals, which are pretty much docile unmoving snake bracelets. The BRB will more around a tad more. Good TV watching snake. Fun to watch swimming.

[Corey209]

also forgot to mention that after i used a mat and stat before and the stat failed causing the mat to get that hot and burned the snake i had, i no longer am comfortable with using them

Dimmers burn like half your bulbs life, just buy a thermostat that actually works from herpstat or vivarium electronics.

[Snakesitter]

Congrats on a great choice of next species, ilovemypets!

A 4x2 should be fine, if (as Medicinhed noted) you offer enough hiding places. That said, I usually use a removeable divider when the snake is young, and give it the second half of the viv later.

I would recommend against a heat lamp. They can dry the air out, which is a problem in a humidity-loving species like this. As Corey noted, a good thermostat is a better investment.

Other substrate options are orchid bark, coco husk, and eco-earth. I've heard good things about all of them.

Good luck!

[ilovemypets1988]

i was thinking of doing a substrate of eco earth with sphagnum moss covering the top and some wood for the snake to climb over to give it the opportunity for loads of excercise, with loads of foliage to act as cover all over the vivarium.

thanx for all of the advice though guys, ill be looking more at heat source once i got the actual viv and before getting the BRB.

[medicinhed]

Also, BRBs are great eaters. I really like them. Have had zero problems with either live or f/t.

May I suggest also conditioning your viv prior to introducing the rainbow. I like to have a tank dialed in so that it is consistently at in the healthy range for at least 2 weeks. I stick some pothos or some mesclun seed mix at the garden store. Gives you something to look at. The rainbow will appreciate the lettuce, radicchio, and other ground cover. Even though he'll just crush it all. I transplant the mesclun outside after a cleaning.

I use a mixture of eco earth, reptibark, and i surround his swimming hole and hides with misted sphag moss.

[ilovemypets1988]

yep i certainly will be conditioning the viv before i bring the BRB home, it will be setup for about 3 weeks so it gives me a chance to "cycle" the viv, purely meaning, to let the viv run at humidity and heat to see if any mold grows or anything else could go wrong and can adjust accordingly.

thats a great idea with the seeds aswell and ill certainly try to use them, im also thinking of getting some "oxygen plants" from the local aquatics store to add to his swimming pool as its gunna be a cat liter tray and be pretty big, although im not sure of any risks with that 1 so if anyone knows of any, please let me know.

[medicinhed]

I've used some aquatic plants, anacharis for example. He likes to use it as cover when he swims or soaks. The problem is if he soils the water. The pet stores have plastic "frog" plants. Those work good for water cover and can be washed/disinfected.

[ilovemypets1988]

well i went upto the reptile shop today to see there BRB young, they are about a ft and a half long and bred by 1 of the shops employees so they have the parents on display.

had a hold of 1 of there young and of the dad aswell, perfectly docile, very alert and in perfect health.

cb2012 snakes for £175 ($263 US or $270 Canadian) is what they are selling them for. is that a good price for them from a reptile shop where service is absolutely excellent.

its gunna be around 6 months before i get 1, but i am thinking of puting a deposit on 1 though, what do you all think.

[medicinhed]

Depends on the breeding and the patterning and potential. But I'd say that's in the range for a nice looking well-raised one. If you choose to breed down the road, get a stellar one.

I think Cliff or David on this sub-forum would be good resources.

Post some picks mate. Let's see the lil darling.

[ilovemypets1988]

ill ask the shop if they can send me a pic of the lil guys so i can show you all if youd like :)

[medicinhed]

ill ask the shop if they can send me a pic of the lil guys so i can show you all if youd like :)

Yes please. Also they can change their lateral colors at night too.

[ilovemypets1988]

oh wow, well ill tell you this much, the young BRB`s have very vibrant colouring and there iridescence sheen is amazingly clear and very apparent on them

[medicinhed]

I just had my BRB out for petting session. If you look at pics of brbs, when the lateral color is bright it's daytime. When the color in the pic is white then it was taken at night. Should have taken a pic but he wouldn't sit still.

[KORBIN5895]

Dimmers burn like half your bulbs life, just buy a thermostat that actually works from herpstat or vivarium electronics.

A proportional t-stat works just like a dimmer switch, they both reduce the amount of electricity flowing to the source. So your statement is wrong. Please stop giving advice you don't know about because your doing it again.

[Snakesitter]

cb2012 snakes for £175 ($263 US or $270 Canadian) is what they are selling them for. is that a good price for them from a reptile shop where service is absolutely excellent.

An average baby Brazilian sells for $150 to $200. On the low end, you can find them as cheap as $100 at shows...but those are usually lower-end, mass-produced animals sold as a sideline by breeders focused on other species, and as such do not usually have a ton of expertise or customer service behind them. On the high end, I've purchased babies for as much as $350 or $400 -- but those are top picks from the best litters of the Tier 1 breeders. So $265 is on the higher end, and would suggest either a great baby, or stellar customer service and records.

Note that rainbow prices do tend to run higher in Europe than in the US, so that may also be part of the issue.

Good luck!