Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hello,

I have had success in recent years with keeping the humidity up in my BRB's cage. Unfortunately the cage has had a growing aroma of mildew/mold (?). I am going to completely clean the cage today, but I was curious if this odor is actually a bad thing. Anyone here know anything about this or had similar situations?

Additionally I have been feeling allergic lately and there is no pollen outside so I am wondering if I might be reacting to whatever is going on in the tank.

thanks for any thoughts,

Chris

Yeah, unfortunately that is a side affect of the higher humidity. I've come home from a week of vacation to find some number of cages/tubs with mold/mildew. Does not seem to affect the occupants and yes, a good cleaning is in order.
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Thanks,

Dave Colling

www.rainbows-r-us-reptiles.com

0.1 Wife (WC and still very fiesty)
0.2 kids (CBB, a big part of our selective breeding program)

LOL, to many snakes to list, last count (02/01/2010):
42.61 BRB
27.40 BCI
And those are only the breeders

lots.lots.lots feeder mice and rats

mildew can cause issues in most animals and I am quite sure snakes are affected too. The problem with mildew is the microscopic spores that are release into the air which can act as an irritant and allergent. A good cleaning with a bleach solution and proper air out time to ensure all bleach fumes are gone and any wood components are well dry (a good 24 hours in a dry location, like out in the sun on a day with little humidity works).

All wood in a cage should be well sealed (most sealents once completely dried and cured, are no longer producing any harmful fumes. Any urathane etc. that is safe to use indoors should be fine for snakes, if allowed to completely air out (product usually gives full cure times on the bottle).

Keep in mind that for a healthy environment a cage does need to be able to dry out completely on a regular basis, if its damp all the time and air circulation is poor, mold and mildew will florish, as well as bacteria. Though rainbows do need a fairly high humidity, they don't need their cage soaked either. It takes some care to find a good balance betwine sufficient humidity for the snake without the cage being constantly damp.
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PHLdyPayne

Thank you so much for the replies. Much appreciated. Only thing I have left to do is soak her branch in bleach and let it dry.

Have either of you ever heard of pet owners having reactions to mold in the pet's cages.

thanks again!

>Thank you so much for the replies. Much appreciated. Only thing I >have left to do is soak her branch in bleach and let it dry.
>
>Have either of you ever heard of pet owners having reactions to >mold in the pet's cages.
>
>thanks again!

I do a quick cleaning about once a week, and a thorough cleaning about every other week. It sometimes smells slightly earthy from the damp peat moss but not moldy. However, most everything in my racks are plastic so it probably helps keep it clean. As far as using bleach goes, make sure you dilute it. Also, as PHLdyPayne said, I wouldn't use a bleach solution on wood unless it's completely sealed. To clean unsealed wood, I've used Healthy Habitat. I've also heard of some people boiling or baking wood if it's small enough.

Paul D

So what is your ratio of healthy habitat to water when you soak with it?

I have soaked wood in 5 or 10% bleach solution before and had no problems that I know of. Is it bad because it leaves bleach in the wood?

thanks much!

using a 5-10% bleach solution on unsealed wood is alright, but you will have to rinse really well and give at least 24 hours to dry, to allow the wood to dry and all the bleach fumes to evaporate.

Mildew can cause health issues no matter where it comes from, be it from a pet's cage or your bathroom. Usually it causes respiratory issues, be it a lung infection or something else. Though health issues usually come after a long time of exposure, and often once the source is removed, the problem goes away too. However immunity compromised people, or those who have asthsma or other respiratory conditions, may become more successible to mildew exposure. If you have any concerns about your health, see your doctor. If you are worried about the health of your snakes, see a vet. In general, you do want to prevent mildew and mold from being in your snake's environment, or your own.
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PHLdyPayne