considering a BRB

ilovemypets1988 · 03-03-13, 04:28 AM

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 · 03-03-13, 05:07 AM

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 · 03-03-13, 07:04 AM

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 · 03-03-13, 07:36 AM

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 · 03-03-13, 07:52 AM

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 · 03-03-13, 08:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KKgal

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 · 03-03-13, 08:03 AM

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 · 03-03-13, 08:05 AM

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 · 03-03-13, 08:16 AM

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 · 03-03-13, 08:23 AM

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 · 03-04-13, 02:40 AM

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 · 03-04-13, 02:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 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

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

Snakesitter · 03-04-13, 03:12 PM

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 · 03-05-13, 04:22 AM

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 · 03-05-13, 08:43 PM

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.