Enclosure related questions/problems, help? (long)

[crocsnhots]

Ok I'm not sure if this post should be in here but since this is the general enclosure discussion forum I figured I may as well post it here, if it's in the wrong area, I apologize. I have some of my herps in rubbermaids, others in glass vivariums, anyway in one of my rubbermaid containers, my albino burm's enclosure to be exact, I have what I think is some type of mold problem. It always and only grows underneath the water bowl, no where else.

(I posted several pictures in my photo gallery instead of in this post so that those on dilaup wouldn't have to wait forever to view a post they can't help with anyway.) I have tried everything to get rid of this 'mold' problem, boiling water, soap and bleach on the enclosure and the bowl but nothing is working, it always comes back. I have also given her a bath several times just incase she was the reason for the problem.

I've never had a problem like this so I don't really know how to treat it. The container has paper towels as a substrate, I first thought it was just cuz she likes to spill her water a good bit so I would only half fill the water bowl and make sure its completely dry on the outside before placing it back in her cage but within a day or two the stuff grows right back even with the cage being completely dry.

I'm worried it's harmful to her and I don't want to get it in any of the other enclosures, plus it's just a pain in the @$$. I gave her a new water bowl tonite, an all plastic one that lets air circulate the bottom so hopefully none will grow. So how do I tackle this 'mold' problem?

Secondly, what does everyone use to clean their cages? I use antibacterial soap and hot water but something I could spray and wipe would be easier.

And lastly in another post I read somewhere that on metal cat/dog bowls crystals form after a while, what causes em, are they harmful and how do ya get rid of em?

Sorry for the long post, hope someone can help. And for fun here's my lil sweetheart.

[JDouglas]

I clean my cages with Virosan or Nolvasan. It is diluted and can be put in a spray bottle. You can purchase some at animart.com. Here is some info on it.

2% chlorhexidine solution. Broad spectrum anti-microbial activity, fungicide, virucide & bactericide. Dilute 1-3 oz per gallon of water for premise disinfectant.

Vets also use it as a topical wash for cuts and abrasions. It is very safe and will not harm your snakes. Virosan is often used by bird keepers because it is so safe yet effective. We use it for everything from cage cleaing, water bowl cleaning, hand cleansing, and occassionally we spray snakes that have laid in there feces or urates. This product is also used and sold by Pro Exotics.

Be careful when purchasing this product from other sources. There are different types of Virosan and many retailers don't specify what has been added. A friend of mine ordered 4 gallons from a place that sold it as kitchen cleaner. The manufacturer had added ammonium and other harsh chemicals. It was so strong that it would burn your nose if you smelled it. Here is a link to animart to get the good stuff...
ANIMART

$30 may sound expensive for cleaner but keep in mind that you dilute it. Three ounces of Virsosan makes one gallon of cleaner so one $30 gallon of Virosan will make 42 gallons of cleaner. So one gallon of cleaner is only 71 cents. If your friends have snakes maybe you could split the Virosan and the cost. Thats what we do.

You could also put a layer of dried spanghum moss under the water bowl. It is resistant to molds.

Good luck

[vanderkm]

The change in water bowl should solve your mold problem. These ceramic bowls are not glazed on the bottom and so when they are submerged in water to wash them they absorb water through the unglazed bottom. That water seeps out into the bedding and the moist warm environment is perfect for molds. The mold spores are common in the environment, in dust and on paper - just need moisture and warmth to get them growing. Many of these ceramic bowls also develop very fine cracks in the internal glaze leading to more leakage. We have replaced most of these we used to use with plastic and no more problems with seepage.

mary v.

[Derrick]

Mary took the words right out of my mouth. walmart has all sizes of fully glazed casserole dishes cheap. Thats all I use now.

as far as cleaning goes I use a 10% bleach solution the rinse well with water.

[K1LOS]

I clean wiht quat sanitizer. It is a cleaning agent we use at my work. I noticed it advertized as a cage cleaning solvent elsewhere and a lightbulb went off. I work in a kitchen and all we do is spray a counter or whatever to disinfect, wipe it off, and food can go right back on top of that counter. No rinsing or anything. But it is still powerfull enough to kill salmonella and the likes. I am happy with it. It's made by a company called eco-lab if you are interested.

Geoff

[Linds]

I use hydrogen peroxide. It isn't that great for glass, because it will leave streaks, but works great for custom wood/plastic enclosures and rubbermaids. I just spray and wipe. It is very effective at killing bacteria and works great at removing urates as well, not to mention you can get it just about anywhere