New Brazilian rainbow and owner :)

RainbowBoa · 01-14-17, 08:09 PM

Hey guys hope all is well

I purchased a baby brb about two weeks ago at my local expo. He is small, 4 months old so still a baby.

I just had a couple questions.

She is currently in a 32 qt tub with a water bowl, repti bark, and uth for a heat source.

My humidity is at 100% but I have a small hole on the side of the tub and was wondering if the air would get stagnant or if this is ok?

Also I put too much bedding on accident so it's pretty thick. The hotspot can get in the low 90's high 80's which I know is high but is it okay as she can just move away from the hot spot?

Also I might want to upgrade to a 41 qt tub because I saw the iris weatherproof one and it looks a lot safer without the snake having it easy to escape. I currently use binder clips and it's pretty annoying tbh.

Additionally I also wanted to convert to paper towels for easy maintenance but how would I go about using paper towels as substrate? Do I make them wet? Do I slightly most them? How often should I replace them? I also have a thermostat that I need to install soon.

Any suggestions or feedback would be amazing!

RainbowBoa · 01-16-17, 09:36 PM

Update:

I installed the thermostat and the temps are around mid to high 80's on the hot spot. Although I put it completely under the substrate (the probe) so it is probably cooler up top.

I still want to convert to paper towels or a different bedding, because I can not find the poop in the bedding. I saw a calcium deposit but no poop, maybe it dissolved, maybe it blends in i'm not sure.

Additionally, if I use paper towels should I make a humid hide or will the humidity in the cage itself be enough. I only have 2 holes ATM and plan on adding more for some better air flow.

Oh, also another thing is that my brb never soaks in her bowl. She seems to hate the water actually. Any help would be greatly appreciated

bigsnakegirl785 · 01-17-17, 03:08 AM

Probe should be outside the enclosure in between the UTH and the bottom of the tub. The hot spot should be measured under the bedding, the temperature at the top does not matter as long as your room temp is no lower than 75-80F. If the snake needs more warmth, it can just bury itself in the bedding down to the UTH. Which, rainbows being the burrowing type, will definitely happen. This is why you want the probe outside the enclosure so the probe's readings are as accurate as possible, then you use a temp gun to dial in the thermostat's setting so the surface of the tub under the bedding is reaching 80-85F. This gives the snake a chance to hug the heat or escape the heat as it needs to without it getting dangerously hot under the bedding where your rainbow is likely to spend the majority of its time.

I have 3 rainbows and none of them soak with any regularity. The only time I've caught them in the bowl was maybe for an hour or two after eating a meal. They much prefer the dampness of their bedding.

RainbowBoa · 01-17-17, 12:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bigsnakegirl785

Probe should be outside the enclosure in between the UTH and the bottom of the tub. The hot spot should be measured under the bedding, the temperature at the top does not matter as long as your room temp is no lower than 75-80F. If the snake needs more warmth, it can just bury itself in the bedding down to the UTH. Which, rainbows being the burrowing type, will definitely happen. This is why you want the probe outside the enclosure so the probe's readings are as accurate as possible, then you use a temp gun to dial in the thermostat's setting so the surface of the tub under the bedding is reaching 80-85F. This gives the snake a chance to hug the heat or escape the heat as it needs to without it getting dangerously hot under the bedding where your rainbow is likely to spend the majority of its time.

I have 3 rainbows and none of them soak with any regularity. The only time I've caught them in the bowl was maybe for an hour or two after eating a meal. They much prefer the dampness of their bedding.

Yeah that's what I ended up doing. Another question, this being my first snake, is it hard spotting poop? I have repti bark but can't find any poop. I found a calcium deposit but that is all. Do you have any experience with paper towels or something simple to maintain? Are other substrates better than the chips that I am using? Also what about ventilation? I'm using a 32 qt tub with only two
Holes to keep the humidity up

bigsnakegirl785 · 01-17-17, 10:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RainbowBoa

Yeah that's what I ended up doing. Another question, this being my first snake, is it hard spotting poop? I have repti bark but can't find any poop. I found a calcium deposit but that is all. Do you have any experience with paper towels or something simple to maintain? Are other substrates better than the chips that I am using? Also what about ventilation? I'm using a 32 qt tub with only two
Holes to keep the humidity up

Depends on the bedding you use and how thorough you are. The urates just mean that the snake is perfectly hydrated. If you haven't fed the snake yet, I wouldn't be expecting any poop. They generally poop anywhere from 4-7 days after eating to a few weeks after eating.

If you're keeping the boa's tub nice and humid, you'd see a mold ball sprout up where the feces was if you did miss it.

I have had little luck making paper towels work for this species. They require extremely high humidity and benefit from the ability to burrow into bedding - they will spend 99% of their time buried in their bedding.

Ventilation is whatever allows you to maintain humidity levels while also ensuring that there's plenty of fresh air in the tub. The less ventilation you have the faster mold will grow (which can cause RIs), but the more you have the faster the humidity will escape, so you have to find a good middle ground.

RainbowBoa · 01-18-17, 01:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bigsnakegirl785

Depends on the bedding you use and how thorough you are. The urates just mean that the snake is perfectly hydrated. If you haven't fed the snake yet, I wouldn't be expecting any poop. They generally poop anywhere from 4-7 days after eating to a few weeks after eating.

If you're keeping the boa's tub nice and humid, you'd see a mold ball sprout up where the feces was if you did miss it.

I have had little luck making paper towels work for this species. They require extremely high humidity and benefit from the ability to burrow into bedding - they will spend 99% of their time buried in their bedding.

Ventilation is whatever allows you to maintain humidity levels while also ensuring that there's plenty of fresh air in the tub. The less ventilation you have the faster mold will grow (which can cause RIs), but the more you have the faster the humidity will escape, so you have to find a good middle ground.

I have fed the snake twice already (have had it for a little over 2 weeks) and have not seen any poop yet. I think I am going to switch to eco earth or something like that so it will be easier to see the poop from up top. I had a pacman frog with eco earth and it was easy to spot.

I will try and add some more holes, maybe even had frog moss or something to maintain that humidity. But so far everything seems great with the snake. Kind of bummed about the paper towels but no big deal

jay's reptiles · 01-18-17, 03:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RainbowBoa

I have fed the snake twice already (have had it for a little over 2 weeks) and have not seen any poop yet. I think I am going to switch to eco earth or something like that so it will be easier to see the poop from up top. I had a pacman frog with eco earth and it was easy to spot.

I will try and add some more holes, maybe even had frog moss or something to maintain that humidity. But so far everything seems great with the snake. Kind of bummed about the paper towels but no big deal

I use eco earth as well. But remember when feeding the snake on eco earth make sure the mouse is dried off. Doesnt need to be completely dried off but good enough so that not a lot of substrate sticks to the mouse. But i do suggest It as i have never had mold grownth as long you clean it out properly.

RainbowBoa · 01-18-17, 03:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jay's reptiles

I use eco earth as well. But remember when feeding the snake on eco earth make sure the mouse is dried off. Doesnt need to be completely dried off but good enough so that not a lot of substrate sticks to the mouse. But i do suggest It as i have never had mold grownth as long you clean it out properly.

how often do you change all of the bedding? also i feed live atm so i dont think too much will stick

bigsnakegirl785 · 01-18-17, 10:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jay's reptiles

I use eco earth as well. But remember when feeding the snake on eco earth make sure the mouse is dried off. Doesnt need to be completely dried off but good enough so that not a lot of substrate sticks to the mouse. But i do suggest It as i have never had mold grownth as long you clean it out properly.

EcoEarth will pass right through a snake...there's really no need to worry about substrate ingestion. The stuff you have to worry about are wood chips (ReptiBark, ReptiChip, aspen chips, etc.) or sand if you're using that for whatever reason. Unlike lizards, snakes don't go around lapping the stuff up 24/7 so there's not really a chance for any buildup.

As far as RainbowBoa's question, I change my rainbow's EcoEarth out every 3-4 months so long as the bedding isn't molded. My less humid species can go 6 months before they need a change.

If the bedding molds, it needs to be changed immediately.

RainbowBoa · 01-19-17, 02:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bigsnakegirl785

EcoEarth will pass right through a snake...there's really no need to worry about substrate ingestion. The stuff you have to worry about are wood chips (ReptiBark, ReptiChip, aspen chips, etc.) or sand if you're using that for whatever reason. Unlike lizards, snakes don't go around lapping the stuff up 24/7 so there's not really a chance for any buildup.

As far as RainbowBoa's question, I change my rainbow's EcoEarth out every 3-4 months so long as the bedding isn't molded. My less humid species can go 6 months before they need a change.

If the bedding molds, it needs to be changed immediately.

Oh wow that's awesome! I have always been worried about RI but 3-4 months is cake. I can even give him a thick layer to burrow if he likes. Although I have never seen him burrow nor go to his water dish yet haha

SnakeyJay · 01-21-17, 03:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RainbowBoa

Oh wow that's awesome! I have always been worried about RI but 3-4 months is cake. I can even give him a thick layer to burrow if he likes. Although I have never seen him burrow nor go to his water dish yet haha

They're a shy species in general I find especially as a baby, this is normal so don't worry... I almost guarantee that once the lights are off he's out and about exploring.

Brbs are an awesome species to keep, good choice! Keep us updated with pics once he's settled and good luck with him.