Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hello, all.

I need advice. Well, I am currently living in a small apartment and I also have a LARGE glass tank (with a screen lid) for a bullsnake. However, this thing is waaaaaay too heavy and unwieldly for me to try to carry it to the bathroom every single time that I need to clean it. Aren't there any safe cleansers on the market which I can just spray into the enclosure and then wipe out WITHOUT rinsing (This way I won't need to worry about breaking my back and/or dropping the tank!)? Carrying the tank is just too difficult for me to do. I am making due with what I have since I really can't afford to buy another lighter enclosure at this time. Any and all suggestions would be greatly appreciated by me. Please help me. Thank you very much!

Take care,
Terry

What kind of substrate are you using? If you are using cypress or something, just spot clean and then once a month remove everything and do your cleaning with non-toxic cleaner. I use my shop vac to suck up all the bedding i want removed.
Cages in my racks, I just use newspaper and roll it up with the stuff in it and lay down a new sheet...very easy.

John

chlorhexadine. name brands novalsan or virosan. dilute with water to less than 10% concentration. spray in, wipe out, done.

Erik.
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Erik Williams

fattailed geckos, western hognoses, and a bunch of postage stamps.
Contact me
Chicago Herpetological Society

I use this mix also and it is easy and effective!

Jeremy

I would just use a dust pan or vaccumm, then water and a rag. Disinfectants are okay to use, but unecessary with a healthy animal that has been in your collection for a long time.

I have a large wooden custom enclosure that never moves and this works well. I should finally have pic's of Odie the bullsnake soon

Ian

Even if you have a clean animal, bacteria still grows, especially in a wooden enclosure. I feel it necessary to be sanitary, especially if you have multiple animals in multiple enclosures. Why take the chance of an infection of any kind when the cost of disinfectants is relatively minor? Just my opinion and two cents. Take care!

Jeremy

Shade Tree Exotics

I agree with you, disinfecting with something like chlorhexidine makes me all that much more confident that I am doing all I can to keep my animals in perfect shape. I especially like Chlorhexidine as it is OK as far as worrying about harsh fumes and whatnot, and I actually mix it a lot stronger than recommended as my vet and a few friends told me it is OK to do so. I can see why bleach would be a lot of extra work with worry, but reptile safe disinfectants are a great tool as far as keeping things optimum as far as the conditions you keep your snakes. Tom Stevens
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TomsSnakes.com

I agree to disagree, and respect your opinion. Chlorhexadine is what I'd use if I chose to go that way; it really should be rinsed out though. A wet sponge should suffice for this.

Bacteria is everywhere. A proper setup that is not allowed to get stagnant will have no more problematic bacteria than anywhere else. A perfect example is right inside the animal's gut itself. To many species of bacteria to name, but a large proportion are potentially pathogenic. Yet, the snake is accustomed to these, and being a strong healthy individual, everything is kept in check.

I guess it's the same debate as to whether or not to buy antibacterial handsoap. Some do, some don't. But as long as you wash your hands when they're dirty, the pro's and con's of either choice are pretty negligeable.

Ian

I prefer to do both but I think that's great you have been doing so well with just standard cleaning. I know others who do not often disinfect. For me, at certian times of the year I have a lot of snakes on paper instead of substrate and it is just faster to clean [and with Pits and Getula that means VERY often] and then hit is with the disinfectant after. After breeding season passes I put them back on substrate, but now.....man I am cleaning, and cleaning, and cleaning some more.......but hey, it's a labor of love Tom Stevens
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TomsSnakes.com

To: John
I use only newspaper for my substrate. It makes cleaning a heck of a lot easier than using other substrates such as wood shavings!

To: Erik
Thanks for your suggestion regarding the cleaning solution. In fact, I've taken your advice and I recently purchased one gallon of Virosan (Nolvasan) for $40.00 from the Pro Exotics website.

I sincerely appreciate the help, everybody!

Take care,
Terry

That gallon of Virosan will last long enough to make that $40.00 investment well worth while! Take care!

Jeremy

>>That gallon of Virosan will last long enough to make that $40.00 investment well worth while! Take care!
>>
>>Jeremy

methods and boy will I get C##P for this ! If substrate answer only > for 30 years plus I have used un-chemical corn cob on snakes with NO problem what ever. AND I use a wet dry vac for spot cleaning and occasional entire/whole substrate cleaning as to replacing the substrate new. I have used corn cob in aquari and wood cages for snakes. Yes I do occasionally clean walls and floors of cages with a disinfectant. I have never had a snake with an impacted problem on corn cob. Of course I also have never kept a boid or python on this substrate of size neither but as juveniles I have.
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I may be old , cantankerous, crabby, and cynical, but......

without breaking the golden rules of snake husbandry. Using corncob is one of them! So is using a hot rock (even though a hot rock is no different than most heat pads..)

Anyway, I know of a breeder who has used corncob for 30 years with no trouble. But he can't say that here lol.