Fish tank to snake enclosure?

[Sorraia]

We have an 80 gallon fish tank I've been thinking would make a great snake enclosure, but my husband has been resistant. Well today we discovered a leak, looks like I might get my wish after all!!!

Is there anything I need to worry about as far as converting it to snakes?
For example, any diseases that may be a concern?

I plan to clean it out real good using vinegar and hydrogen peroxide, and rinse well. I don't want to use bleach, in case it leaves any residue that may be harmful to the snakes. Do I need to worry about anything else?

[infernalis]

No, I use old fish tanks all the time without any issues.

[nick654377]

only thing differnt is glass on a fish tank is alot thicker than a terrirum.

[Sorraia]

Excellent, thank you!

[EmbraceCalamity]

Originally Posted by Sorraia

Excellent, thank you!

If you want some ideas, a quick Google search with give you great results about how to set things up. I always do that before I set up any enclosure for anything.

Also, is your username from the horse breed by chance?

~Maggot

[Edmond Y]

If you are living in a warmer state, then a fish tank is not a bad idea, in my case in Canada, I need double layer plastic tub for my green tree.

Edmond

[Sorraia]

Originally Posted by EmbraceCalamity

Also, is your username from the horse breed by chance?

~Maggot

That it is!

Originally Posted by Edmond Y

If you are living in a warmer state, then a fish tank is not a bad idea, in my case in Canada, I need double layer plastic tub for my green tree.

Edmond

Why is the fish tank not a good idea for a warmer area?

[EmbraceCalamity]

Originally Posted by Sorraia

That it is!

They're beautiful. Very obscure breed though, which is why I wasn't sure.

Originally Posted by Sorraia

Why is the fish tank not a good idea for a warmer area?

He's saying it isn't a problem, but in a cold area, it might be harder to keep heat in than a plastic tub (though I've never had any issues with it).

~Maggot

[Becky Goings]

We had issues with the heat here in WV in the winter while using an aquarium. Our uth actually cracked the glass. The bigger problem was the humidity for us. Our house runs around 30% which just isn't enough. We had to cover all but the area the light was over with saran wrap, foil, and a pillowcase. We still had to spray several times a day. It can be done, but can also be very difficult depending on how well your house holds temps and humidity. We switched to tubs for most of ours (2 are in Boaphile enclosures, the rest in tubs for now - 2 more will be in other enclosures as they grow). The rack with flexwatt under the sterilite tubs we have no issues with temps or humidity. Just my $0.02, and some advice on what to look out for in terms of where things can go wrong.

[EmbraceCalamity]

Originally Posted by Becky Goings

We had issues with the heat here in WV in the winter while using an aquarium. Our uth actually cracked the glass.

Only time a UTH will crack glass is if it's used incorrectly, that is under water or without allowing room underneath the tank for excess heat to escape. If you don't do that, there will be a buildup of pressure and cause a stress crack. Heat itself won't crack glass, or we couldn't use glass cookware in the oven.

Originally Posted by Becky Goings

The bigger problem was the humidity for us. Our house runs around 30% which just isn't enough. We had to cover all but the area the light was over with saran wrap, foil, and a pillowcase. We still had to spray several times a day.

That shouldn't have been such a big issue either unless it required very high humidity. I use an aquarium with a screen tank for my gecko that needs 50-60% humidity, and with most of the screen covered with a bit of tape, I have no issues. Just have to mist once every few days. The light is the biggest cause of humidity loss because it dries the whole setup. If you switched to something under the tubs, that won't dry it like a light does.

~Maggot

[Sorraia]

OH I misread! Thanks for the explanation though!

That doesn't sound like it will be a problem here. I do live in a warmer climate (Southern CA) and I'll be housing rosy boas in it who will be happy with both the warmth and the dryness of it. Might actually help me get more of a temperature gradient across the tank (the one they are in now, divided, seems to be too small to have much of a gradient, this other tank is double the size of their current enclosure). The house stays a pretty even 30% humidity, which I've read and been told is pretty ideal for the rosys.

Thank you for all the input, I appreciate it!

[EmbraceCalamity]

Originally Posted by Sorraia

OH I misread! Thanks for the explanation though!

That doesn't sound like it will be a problem here. I do live in a warmer climate (Southern CA) and I'll be housing rosy boas in it who will be happy with both the warmth and the dryness of it. Might actually help me get more of a temperature gradient across the tank (the one they are in now, divided, seems to be too small to have much of a gradient, this other tank is double the size of their current enclosure). The house stays a pretty even 30% humidity, which I've read and been told is pretty ideal for the rosys.

Thank you for all the input, I appreciate it!

I don't know much about snakes so I can't give you input on the husbandry. Geckos are my thing.

~Maggot

[nick654377]

glad im not the only one that had a uth crack the glass. and yes mine was a 1/4 inch off a wood table.

[jarich]

Glass is actually better in cold climates as glass is a much better insulator than plastic.

Those of you that had the bottom glass crack or break; did you have a thermostat on those UTH? I've never heard of a tank cracking at temps less than 100 degrees. However I have heard of people having non thermostat heat pads with power surges get super hot, malfunction and crack the glass. Just imagine what that would've done to your plastic tub, or worse yet, the snake inside.