` Since Anacondas are quite tolerant of low pH, lowering it is just one more thing you can do to inhibit bacteria, and promote general cleanliness. Same idea as in your swimming pool.

` After being in pet retail for years, I can assure you that cleanliness is one of the fundamental elements in successful captive critter husbandry.

` You must test your water and the effect of the acidifier on the carbonate buffer in the water. I use vinegar for this, and to spot clean, along with Hydrogen peroxide ( don't use peroxide for pH adjustment ), because these two cleaners are safe for the snakes, and me. You get a little sloppy with it, nobody dies, except the bacteria. On very hard water with high alkalinity, the vinegar will only lower the pH for a few days. I change water every 24 to 48 hours, so it's enough, as my water is quite alkaline. For the first few days, you test the water every 8 hours or so, to establish the pH trend. Once you've got it down, and assuming your water supply doesn't fluctuate in pH from the faucet, you just measure the vinegar by volume. I just use a graduated turkey baster.

` I use pH 5.0 because is is just about as acid as flowing riverine water is likely to get in their native habitat. Most of the Cichlids from the Amazon drainage will tolerate pH 5.0 fine, as long as it is stabile.

` Remember the Anaconda is going to excrete what ever it wants to, in the water. It's going to drag in any detritus from the floor of the cage. Warm water, full of dissolving metabolites can be a bacterial soup. It can stress your Anacondas health, and make it weak, or downright kill it. That's why may Anaconda keepers, who operate on a large scale, forego the soaking container, for health safety reasons. They offer them just a small bowl to sip from. Their Anacondas do fine this way.

` My interest is in their behavior, so I give them soaking water, as they do seem to enjoy it. I push my snakes to the limit of their tolerance of human intervention in their lives. So, I want them really comfortable. I figure it gives them a little more ability to recover from the hoops I make them jump through every day.

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` I believe it helps me to get them to behave as in the picture below. This guy has got so lazy, he will actually sit there, with his mouth open, untill I lower the food into his mouth. I'm certainly not suggesting you try this with just any adult Anaconda.

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