Reptile & Amphibian Forums

We are having trouble cleaning algae out of our balls plastic water dish. Can we use bleach to clean it or is this a no-no? Also, we had mold grow on his climbing log do to putting wet moss on it for humidity. Can this be sprayed with bleach to kill mold? If bleach is not allowed, does any one know what else we couls use. Thank you.

Steve the Snakes grandma

you can use a bleach/water mixture. Rinse well! I would myself allow the log/branch to air dry well before returning to enclosure.. This is what I would do.
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This is courage.. to bear unflinching what heaven sends. -unknown

2.0 chocolate lab (Harley) and basset (Capone)
0.1 leopard gecko (Nacho)
1.0 Normal ball python (Arwen)
1.0 pastel ball python (Merlin)
0.1 Spider ball python (Rogue)
1.0 Normal ball (Arwen)

I have found the best terrarium cleaner is Healthy Habitat. You can get it online, and in some big box pet stores. I use it on glass mostly, but the stuff works really well for just about everything. It's non-toxic and mild, yet very effective.

You could use that on the water bowl. Personally, I have a glass bowl that I just swap out every day... one goes in with the snake and the other I hand wash with dish soap.

For that mold, I would use some dish soap and a decent brush and go to town on it. Then I'd let it completely dry before putting it back in. If it's really, really moldy maybe just toss it and get another.

bleach is fine, as they said...rinse and rinse again....then let it dry and air out really well....for a couple days....

..bleach smells and snakes won't like it.....

chlorine gas won't be present, so they'll be fine...

I soak in dish soap a few times then bleach ,then water a few times then check by hand,scrub , then air dry ....takes me days to do the dishes....

I need a dishwasher....

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..JY

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I sometimes run into the problem of having hard water build up on the inside of my water dishes. The best thing I've found for this is the "Mr. Clean Magic Erasers". I wouldn't recommend using them to clean the rest of the tank, but for plastic or glass water dishes and hides they work great. Do not use them on the tank's glass or plexiglass though because they can cause scratches.

I would assume that the Magic Erasers would work equally well for your algae problem.

Haha, yes!! Magic Erasers are AWESOME... and my cure-all to everything... hehe

However, I clean my tubs and everything with Chlorhexiderm Solution. We use it at my hospital to sanitize Surgery Utensils, clean wounds, and sanitize tables, etc. I love that stuff, and I can't imagine it not working on algae or mold.

And I'm sure you already know, but just in case -- be careful with moldy branches and things of that nature. If they stay in the cage too long, or aren't removed quickly, mold can cause URI's... which would really suck.
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Cheers!
• Chelsea Lynn Gardiner
(and Frank M. Wood)