Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I was wondering if any of you house your babies in the larger 9" deli cups that you use for shows for adults. I have seen some pics of this and have seen it in a store or two. In the stores I have notice a high occerance of blistering in these babies if they are not cleaned every day or two. I believe the bacteria builds up in these because of lower air flow or something. The point is I keep seeing this and keep wondering.
I know a couple of the bigger producers of babies use the throw away Glad storage bins but the holes are bigger and more numerous. Anyway I would like to get your view.
Thanks Jason

I actually house babies in 16 oz. deli-cups until they outgrow them. As long as the substrate stays dry there aren't any problems. I've been keeping them this way for the last 10 years or so. I clean them every other week and replace all bedding with new, whether it needs it or not.

Brandon Osborne

I use the small deli cups with the pre-folded napkins in them. I have to replace the napkins quite frequently becuase they do not absorb much. I still have healthy animals and keep them this way for the first 4 months.

Thanks for the reply. The only other questions I have for you guys is where do you live. I am wondering if either of you are in Florida. Humidity levels being the next step in my questioning of the problem. Also do you guys clean the delis with bleach to steralize them every cleaning. Do they get rotated with some delis being unused for a week. Basicly have you had problems and adjusted for them or have you never had problems. I housed baby Scarlet Kings in delis and had some die for no apparent reason. I know this is a Scarlet King thing do by some peoples standards but when I switch them out into drawers they had no more problems. Like I said before I have also seen problems in stores that do this but it is usally in snakes that have been there for awhile. That is where the bacteria build up theory comes from. Just asking questions to try and help the situation.
Thanks Jason

I soak my deli cups in a water and bleach solution. Then rinse them and set them out to dry.

My cups are sprayed with Nolvasan and wiped out every other week. I've never had a single problem with this method. I would assume the problem you had with the scarlets is due to being totally exposed. As far as I know, they are very secretive animals and need lots of places to hide.....usually by burrowing. I use shredded aspen in my cups and the snake come in and out. If there is bacteria build up, then there are probably poor husbandry issues.

Brandon Osborne

is that a sib to Whitey cause the white looks white.Chris

Thanks Christopher. This is actually a baby from Big Whitie. I should have a couple of clutches to go around in 05. This year was pretty rough overall......and not just for me it seems.

Thanks again.
Brandon Osborne

I use the 6 1/2 inch deli cups for newly hatched snakes (mtn kings, hondos) and it works fine. I use aspen bedding. No way you should have to clean them daily. I staple a condiment cup inside the container (staples pointing OUT) and slip a second condiment cup into that "holder" for water: when the water gets low or dirty i pitch the nested cup & rpelace it with one with fresh water. I always keep a hide box in the deli cup, too--the bottom of a margarine cup or the bottom of a 3 or 4 inch deli cup, whatever the smaller sizes are.
Two problems:
1) sometimes snakes will rub their noses or heads on the lid, trying to force their way out, and end up with an abrasion (which goes away after a shed)
2) the lids are NOT to be trusted--i stack four to six deli cups one on top of another and then "top" the stack with a medium water bowl full of aquarium gravel, so nobody can force off the lid to their container.

terry