rubbermaid containers

[Night_Crawler]

Ok, I have read many post containing or about rubbermaid containers as herp habitats. I was thinking about getting some to keep my herps in but was't sure as I've read mixed views about them so I would just like for people to give their opnions about them the goods and the badds that is, to help me decide if I should get them for my herps.

Thank You

I use them for neo's, feeding, and transporting but not as permanent housing. However I have been to breeding facilities with large numbers of rm racks used very successfully as housing/breeding/hatching/care containers.

[Lisa]

We use them for quarentine, transporting, feeding animals kept together, and when an animal seems stressed and won't eat.

[Night_Crawler]

whats a rm rack i have heard of rack or shelf housing to but dont really know what that is could you explain. Also when using rubbermaids how do you use lighting and heating?

[MartinW]

I'm guessing rm rack is a rack using rubbermaid (=rm) tanks. I'm hoping most people will vote that they're good, cuz I'm going out today to buy 16 of em for hatchlings!

Martin

[MartinW]

Night Crawler, I should have put this in my last post, but here goes anyway. For heating I'm planning on using heat rope with the rubbermaids that I'm getting from Port Credit Pet Center in Mississauga. I've never done this before, so unless I forget I'll share the info on how well it works. (I'm setting them up for leopard geckos). I ordered the 15W ropes but they were too weak, so I'm going to try the 50W ones instead. I figure it's better to be too hot than too cold, cuz if it's too cold there's not much I can do, but if it's too hot I can put some insulating material between the tank and the ropes, or attach the ropes to a dimmer.

Martin

[Zoe]

There is no reason for them to be bad, unless it goes against a specific snake's needs. For example, rubbermaids have a tendency to stay very humid and the ventilation is low - even if you melt/drill holes in the sides. So a snake needing moderate to low humidity would probably not do as well in a rubbermaid as in a tank or cage. But a snake with high humidity needs would do well.

They do have many good points:
Opaque sides: Rubbermaids are usually a little see-through or not at all, which makes a shy snake feel much safer.
Light: Rubbermaids are LIGHT. I can easily pick up a 50gal rubbermaid with the snake and stuff inside. Try doing htat with a 50gal glass tank, even without the stuff!
Inexpensive: Rubbermaids are cheap, depending size and brand, and can range from 3$ to, say, 30$ (though I'm sure it can go higher), which makes them great for litters or clutches of babies. It wouldn't make much sense to buy 20, 5 gallon tanks for 20 leopard eggs that are due to hatch and be sold.

That's all I can think of now, but as I said it depends on the snake/reptile's needs. Obviously a chameleon would NOT do well in a rubbermaid, but a rainbow boa would.

Zoe

[RachelS.]

I use them for all my snakes that get large (i.e. burmese python and BCI's) because I believe it's just a waste of money to buy a nice glass terrarium or aquarium for something that's gonna outgrow it in a few months. They're cheap and easy to maintain, plus the lids come with latches so you don't have to worry about going out and buying locks for a screen lid, or about the snake getting out. They also hold humidity and heat very well compared to any glass enclosure. But for lizards they don't worry very well... I would never keep a lizard or even turtle in one of these!

Just my 2 cents. Hope it all works out for you

[MartinW]

Why wouldn't you keep a lizard in one? This is important for me cuz as I said I was planning on getting some tubs today for my geckos. Is it the lid that's the problem (keeping it too humid)? I'll be cutting out a big square hole in the lid and put mesh over it.

Martin

[Zoe]

That's fine Martin. I kept my baby fat-tails in rubbermaids and they were fine.

However, considering they are leos, make sure the ventilation is high enough.

[RachelS.]

Well, I was mostly talking about iguanas, agamids, and such. I wasn't thinking about geckos, I'm sorry I didn't specify that. I know a lot of people that breed leos in them and stuff, and I have no problem with it

[Night_Crawler]

m actually i kept salamanders box turtles and red ears in rubbermaids for along time it worked very well but these herps do not need as much heat as other herps and i didt keep lids because their was no way any of these creatures could have climbed out but it worked very well till i built an outdoor terrium for my animal in a flower bed and they all left within a couple of months but thet were wild caught i got them off of roads or found them hurt and nursed them back thne let them go still do the same thing.

[MartinW]

I know a leo wouldn't be able to escape from the tubs I'm getting, but I'm getting lids (with mesh screening) anyway just so I don't have to worry at all about escapees while trying to get to bed at night, and to keep my cat out. So far my cat has shown no interest in my leos that I have in an aquarium though, but better to be safe than sorry. My cat seems much more interested in my mice and crickets. Once in a while I take a cricket out for my cat to play with. She loves it! And she's so cute when she plays with them!

Martin

[Night_Crawler]

That would be a great site you gota post soem pix of that for us.

[V.hb]

Rubbermaids make good nest boxes... high humidity hides as well for larger animals. I use them for pretty well all of my monitors to hide in. My timors have aboreal small 5 gal rubbermaids to hide in full of moist sphagnum moss, works well.

Remember, high humidity to us is still moderate to most herps. even the most dry conditions are usually still humid as most animals seek refuge from dry heat. A heat lamp on a rubbermaid (using screen melted too the lid) would suffice for leos easily, as the area surrounding the lamp or UTH will be dry, and the unheated area will be moist.. Good way to create a mini weather system.. give the animal choice.