Reptile & Amphibian Forums

is ideal for a Brooks? I had mine in a 20L, and he was a social animal and an intense feeder. I moved him to a 55 gallon tank, and he started burying himself most of the time and wasn't feeding. I put him back in the 20L and he fed the next day. However, in his 20L he is constantly roaming the tank, so i figured he needed more room?

Anyway, he is still in the 20L, and I have a 55 sitting empty. I did take the 50 and thoroughly washed it with 10:1 bleach, because there is a chance it was used as a saltwater tank prior to my acquiring it. I was worried there might be saltwater residue on the tank and that may have effected his sense of smell (is that possible?).
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1.0 C/B Brooks
0.1 C/B Pueblan
0.0.1 W/C Scarlet King
0.0.1 W/C Eastern Milk
0.0.1 W/C Yellow Rat
0.0.1 W/C Western Garter
1.0 C/B Black Lab
1.0 C/B Min. PoodleXAmer. Eskimo hybrid
1.0 C/B Goofy Cat
1.2 C/B Children
0.1 W/C wife

We would need to know how big the Brooksi is?? A hatchling/yearling may feel lost in a 55, but a 4' brooks may be OK in that same tank. But, from what you wrote i think the snake already told you the 55 was too big.

On the bleach thing i have no experience because in the 25 years i have been keeping herps I have never used it.. I use only hot soapy water and have never had an issue.

~ Mike Russo

he is an 06 male, about 36" long. What are your thoughts on the "saltwater theory"? Could a salt residue interfere with a snakes senses? Heck, I don't even know if there was any, I was just fishing around for ideas as to why his behavior changed so much and the tank had been used for fish previously
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1.0 C/B Brooks
0.1 C/B Pueblan
0.0.1 W/C Scarlet King
0.0.1 W/C Eastern Milk
0.0.1 W/C Yellow Rat
0.0.1 W/C Western Garter
1.0 C/B Black Lab
1.0 C/B Min. PoodleXAmer. Eskimo hybrid
1.0 C/B Goofy Cat
1.2 C/B Children
0.1 W/C wife

Consider that you took the snake from his cage with his own scent, a cage that he knows the layout of, and you moved him to a larger cage with none of his scent (yet). The snake may not be ready to assume activity. He may be laying low so to speak.

There is nothing wrong with using a big cage if you provide the correct temperature range and humidity range. The snake can then decide what it wants. That may not be what YOU want necessarily. Geez I sound like FR, but he is darn right about snakes having a much better ability to choose than we humans allow them to.
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Mark

He was in the large tank for at least a month though.

Interestingly, last night was the first time I ever saw him seek heat when he crawled into the warm hide. This AM when I entered the room, he shot out like a missile. I went and grabbed a large f/t mouse and he devoured it just like old times.

I am going to get him a girlfriend for the spring. Maybe she'll like the 55?
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1.0 C/B Brooks
0.1 C/B Pueblan
0.0.1 W/C Scarlet King
0.0.1 W/C Eastern Milk
0.0.1 W/C Yellow Rat
0.0.1 W/C Western Garter
1.0 C/B Black Lab
1.0 C/B Min. PoodleXAmer. Eskimo hybrid
1.0 C/B Goofy Cat
1.2 C/B Children
0.1 W/C wife

I only have a few snakes, but the two larger ones, about a 4' brooksi and a slightly larger kisatchie corn, are in 30 breeders. I like them because they have lower sides and are easier to spot clean, change water, etc.
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1.1 Florida Kingsnake
1.0 Kisatchie Cornsnake

I keep my Blizzard cali king in a 20L and she is about 50". She does all the burrowing and such that you stated but she loves her rock cave where she basically sleeps all day long and pops out from time to time. She also eats like a champ. When I bought her, her previous owner stated that the 20L would be fine for the rest of its life. I generally keep a 75 watt bulb with aspen shavings in the tank with a dog bowl for water and she is perfectly happy. I get a solid shead everytime and no loss of appetite. As for the saltwater theroy I dont think that would have anything to do with it cause this 20L i am using used to be a fish tank then it belonged to my dumerials boa before the blizzard moved in. I don't know if it is relative to all snakes and such but I had to downgrade my dumerials to a 5 gallon tank to get it to eat on a constant basis. It was always explained to me to keep the snake from getting stressed out and feeling lost that the snake should be in a tank at least the length of the body but not exceeding twice the length of the snake. That theory has worked well for me just from seeing the difference in attitude, feeding, etc between my dumerials when downgraded and the same with my blizzard cali king. I tried a 55g like you did and basically got the same results till i downgraded the tank size. I hope this helps ya out.