Tub Confinement

[mysnakesau]

Anyone who thinks confining snakes to tubs is cruel, mean, and wrong, I'd like to suggest otherwise. While it may not be considered appropriate, permanent residence, for those who have feeding issues, try down grading your snakes to tubs for a few weeks and see if the results change. It could be the best thing, and even the snakes may agree.

My diamonds are the best example I have. I have had a hard time getting my diamonds into a regular feeding routine since I've had them. At the moment they are all inside in tubs because fleas decided to make the snakes home, their home. I know fleas probably don't bother the snakes but they bother me so inside the snakes are while I am working on the problem outside. This weather is perfect for the rotten black suckers so I need a permanent fix for it. Even my new aviary I've been putting together has become riddled with the rotten things. Humidity, rain, hot sun, more humidity and more rain, how to you break the cycle. I notice the schools have had their ovals treated recently because they are a major problem in the grass, and kids are getting covered in them. Need some frontline for our kids....lol

Anyway, my diamonds have been in tubs on my loungeroom floor for bit over a week and offering them one feed, they ate like champions. Didn't think twice. Just snatched, ate, and came back for round 2 - all four of them. I am so impressed with their change in appetite that I wish I could keep them in, all the time now just so they would eat. If they repeat this performance next week, I'll be stoked. These snakes were under-condition when I brought them home, and while two aren't too bad, since they at fairly well last summer, the other two were still yet to take a feed at all, for me. So maybe I'll keep them in, to get some condition on them before moving them back out.

So what is it about the tubs? Is it because they feel secure in their own confined space? Temperature certainly hasn't been an issue. I have no heating on them, whereas outside they had the natural sunshine, and lately the onset of summer. They have water containers that take up half the tub because they were spilling small bowls, but they're happy . And if they eat and are happy, then that makes me happy Give them ideal conditions, they were fussy eaters. Confine them to tubs, they are happy. Go figure..haha

 

[Ozzie Python]

yep i agree kathy. i have a real problem feeder and have been slowly downgrading his tank sizes over the last 12 months to see if it make a difference. still not eating well but in smaller enclosures he is acting more like a snake and being a lot more active (his old tank was a 3x2x2).

i have considered an adult childrens may be a bit big for a V35 slitherin tub but that'll be his next move shortly if he doesn't get stuck into some tucker. might be small, but it is better than starving to death!

like you said, being secure in a small place is probably the key factor with them starting to feed again.

 

[Scleropages]

LOl , what????

 

[mysnakesau]

What do you mean WHAT? I am just sharing an experience that has worked for me, to get my difficult feeders, eating.

 

[nervous]

i have nothing against tubs.... but i had a reverse situation...

i have a darwin that i brought, and he was kept in a tub by his former owner and i was told he ate fine... well i had him for 3 months and he would'nt even smell the rat let alone try and snatch it... so i eventually put him into a bigger cage to see what would happen, well 1 week later he ate and has been charging ever since.

 

[pythrulz]

I agree with you my snakes I had the same siruation with a coastal when I put him In a 52L tub from a 10 L he sropped eating so had to move him back and these people saying they dont use tubs they put them straight In enclosers Is creul mean and wrong That will will stress out a hatchoe so muxh and wonder why they have feeding problems.Some prople jeep them In nig plastic tubs for years they dont suffer any Ill affects goos to let them out every few days so thwy can have some excersise for a couple hours just slthirn around the room

 

[Chris1]

if tubs help non feeder feed, then great, im a bit against tubbing in ordinary circumstances,..i was watching my 7 foot bredli cruise around his tank allllllll day yesterday, its not huge, just a standard 6 foot high, 4 foot wide and 2 foot deep and he covered every mm at least a thousand times,.....always stopping to peer around the corner to see if he could get my attention to let him out. (he will climb the stairs frlo hours given a chance)

tubbing him would be awful for him, not that he'll ever have to deal with that,.....

but like i said, if tubbing works better for some, then it should be and stay an option.

some people suffer from anxiety and cant handle crowds/dont want to leave the house,...maybe some snakes suffer a similar more snakey problem!!!

wouldnt slithereing around a room cause an anxious snake more stress than a 52L tub?

 

[snakeynewbie]

Comes down to a change is as good as a holiday I guess for some snakes. I just moved my finicky eater 6 month old coastal out of a sistema click clack into a 1 1/2ft clear glass fish tank sitting in the six foot tank. Following 'the rules' he should be stressed as but he's thrilled and has spent all his time cruising around looking at the view and chilling out on the most exposed spot on his driftwood, gave him a mouse this morning and he slammed it down so obviously his new tank with a view agrees with him.

 

[Defective]

for some its about the security of a tub vs the vast amount of space an enclosure/avairy has to offer.

 

[nervous]

for some its about the security of a tub vs the vast amount of space an enclosure/avairy has to offer.

if you have enough hides in an enclosure there wouldn't be an issue IMO!

but i do agree that some snakes thrive in tubs (hatchy / yearlings) but once they reach a certain size they should be moved to a decent sized enclosure. i think it would be hard to find a good sized tub for a 7 foot carpet... well a cost effective one anyway.

 

[mysnakesau]

I agree with all the above. I wouldn't move any of mine back into tubs while it isn't necessary. Giving them their space to climb, explore, soak and hide looks so much better. My diamonds' avairy outside is much more inviting than their tubs. They were always in the sun, hanging off the branches, but just wouldn't eat enough. That wouldn't be a problem if they had nice condition on them already, but they don't. So to have them tubbed, and see them smash their food like a snake should, really gave me a buzz.

if you have enough hides in an enclosure there wouldn't be an issue IMO!

Not always the case, nervous. My diamonds have hides on the roof, and on the floor of their aviary. I don't really know their problem is. They aren't babies so wouldn't have thought vulnerability would be an issue with 6 year old snakes, but there is something about the change I've made, that is done some justice.

I agree with you my snakes I had the same siruation with a coastal when I put him In a 52L tub from a 10 L he sropped eating so had to move him back and these people saying they dont use tubs they put them straight In enclosers Is creul mean and wrong That will will stress out a hatchoe so muxh and wonder why they have feeding problems.Some prople jeep them In nig plastic tubs for years they dont suffer any Ill affects goos to let them out every few days so thwy can have some excersise for a couple hours just slthirn around the room

Were you drunk when you wrote this? Looks like the writing of someone whose keyboard won't stay still.

 

[longqi]

I agree with you my snakes I had the same siruation with a coastal when I put him In a 52L tub from a 10 L he sropped eating so had to move him back and these people saying they dont use tubs they put them straight In enclosers Is creul mean and wrong That will will stress out a hatchoe so muxh and wonder why they have feeding problems.Some prople jeep them In nig plastic tubs for years they dont suffer any Ill affects goos to let them out every few days so thwy can have some excersise for a couple hours just slthirn around the room

99% of hatchies will not stress out in the biggest viv ever made
The only condition is hides
If you have enough hides and cover in there they will be fine

Please explain how you know a snake kept in a tub for years suffers no ill effects??

Think about only a few years ago
nobody used tubs until the Yanks showed us their huge battery snake farms

Did Aussie hatchlings have more problems before then, when tubs were not used, or now, when too many people keep too many snakes in tubs for too long??

 

[BigWillieStyles]

For me, half of the enjoyment of owning a reptile is being able to have observe it in a enclosure that mimics the enviroment they come from. Using the example that the snake responds to feeds more easily doesnt mean that its healthy or ethical to be stuck in a box.