I love sterilite tubs!

Kingsnakechris · 04-10-12, 11:00 AM

Before I got into breeding I had spent hundreds and hundreds of dollars keeping my collection in glass tanks. I've recently discovered the huge sterilite containers and they actually seem BETTER then glass tanks for a fraction of the price. IMO they give the snakes a better sense of security and you can buy them large enough to meet or exceed the requirements of the snake. They also keep heat and humidity much better then a screen top tank. They may not be as pleasing to the eyes but you can modify it however you like. Cleaning is also a breeze! Just thought I'd share.

hellosugaree · 04-10-12, 11:03 AM

Seems like a lot of other people love them too

theapexgerman · 04-10-12, 11:05 AM

Yea I here ya I got all of my in glass tanks cept my dumeril he's in an tub I really don't want to think how much I spent on all of my tanks lol every new snake I get now is going in an tub

UwabamiReptiles · 04-10-12, 11:08 AM

Yea tubs are great for smaller snakes. I use them on just about all my snakes, til they get to a size where they need a viv.

Kingsnakechris · 04-10-12, 11:11 AM

Yeah. Fortunately for me, I keep smaller snakes lol. My kings are quite content in them and the biggest I'll keep is a BP. The most I've spent was 12 dollars on a tub that was about a foot 1/2 or 2, longer then a 20 gal. Long. They are wider then the glass tanks as well.

theapexgerman · 04-10-12, 11:12 AM

I think I spent bout 100 bucks on my 60ish gallon tank for my nelson a few back lol

Kingsnakechris · 04-10-12, 11:31 AM

That's fairly inexpensive for a glass tank. Especially if your buying the actual terrarium type tanks. $60.00 for a 20 gallon long. And the price gets even higher

theapexgerman · 04-10-12, 11:38 AM

yea I've seen some custom tanks go for like 700 on some websites crazy high price

Kingsnakechris · 04-10-12, 11:45 AM

Yeah, it's just to expensive for people these days to try to start a collection using glass. Plus the tubs are incredibly space efficient

exwizard · 04-10-12, 11:53 AM

I agree tubs are the way to go. My new AP rack I got recently uses sterilite tubs and Im very happy with it.

hellosugaree · 04-10-12, 12:28 PM

They aren't too fun to look at though. Also, it seems people are more willing to provide an enclosure that is way too small as long as it is plastic. Some people will look at a particular snake in a 20 gallon glass tank and say the enclosure is too small but somehow it's ok when it's in a tub. This line of reasoning doesn't make a whole lot of sense. But as long as you keep snakes that are small enough for the tubs and you don't care about observing your snakes in their enclosures then I guess they're great.

MoreliAddict · 04-10-12, 12:37 PM

Why I don't use tubs:

I have no idea how!

I'm not exactly a carpentry genius, but how would you sit a heat lamp on top of a tub without melting it? How would you even put a screen top into a sterilite tub in the first place?

If you're not using a bulb, how do you put a RHP at the top the tub(would screws even work with a sterilite tub?)?

Say you're using only flexwatt, would that melt the tub? And is flexwatt enough heat to keep a hot spot of over 90 degrees in a room that's 68 degrees?

Like I said, I'm not a carpentry genius, but these are my issues when I conceptualize using a tub...

I hate sterilite tubs

Kingsnakechris · 04-10-12, 12:43 PM

Easy solutions to all these issues :-) first go buy a thermostat or a cheap light dimmer and hook it up to your flex watt or UTH. No melting issues this way. Secondly you can go buy a cheap screen lid and cut out the screen and cut a hole slightly bigger then the dome lamp in the sterilite lid and screw the screen on around the hole ( screws going up from the inside out!) then you can safely rest the heat lamp on the screen.

Kingsnakechris · 04-10-12, 12:47 PM

And make sure if your using a dimmer that you have a digital thermometer with a probe so you know when you need to turn the heat up or down. And hellosugaree, I agree some tubs are just to small! But if you go look around you'll see tubs large enough to hold almost any colubrid and a lot of other species as well. For the money you just can't beat tubs, they aren't much to look at but I'd rather save money and give my snakes ample room to roam then buy a glass tank that's to small but it was all that was affordable..

theapexgerman · 04-10-12, 01:01 PM

I know of a few places here that just deals in tubs they got like every possible size and some with holes already in them but also go to an office max or an staples they got good selection to