Help: Brazilian Rainbow Boa Set-Up?

Hey everyone,

I'm getting ready for a BRB.

I have a few questions about their set up needs and have done a fair share of research.

For now, I'll be going the cheap route and will be using a plastic bin. From my understandings Juveniles do fine in a 15CT bin? 25CT? Correct me if i'm wrong. Just seems a bit "small" but it's what i've seen from different forums.

I'd also be using a Under the Tank Heater (UTH) with a Thermostat to regulate the hotspot at around 83f degrees. Just seems awkard keeping a snake in a 15CT bin, but having a cool spot of 70-75f degrees...so i really want to figure this size of the enclosure down.

For substrate i'd be using eco earth with a mixture of spagnum moss. This substrate will be around 3-4 inches to the bottom since BRB's like to burrow down.

I'd have a hide spot, moist box, bin large enough to swim, and a water bowl / drink bowl.

Foliage will be added aswell for extra hide areas / humidity. Holes will be drilled around the tub to keep airflow / humidity in check.

For measuring humidity i'd be using digital hygrometers and a few analogs since I have extras on hand.

Is there anything i'm missing? I'm mainly concerned about the heat mat. Do you guys have any recommendations? brands? And if kept at a solid 85degrees, will it melt through a plastic bin? I've never housed a snake in a plastic bin, so this is all new to me. I'd be using Zoo Med Medium / Large size if needed.

I'm really just concerned about the heat mat melting the plastic bin. so if anyone has some advice they could pass on, it would greatly be appreciated!

Thanks!

-Gabe

See the two gents in the other thread below,Cliff and Dave are reliable resources of experience with these guys.

Best Of Luck!

Originally Posted by Metachrosis

See the two gents in the other thread below,Cliff and Dave are reliable resources of experience with these guys.

Best Of Luck!

Thanks for the reply!

Could you copy/paste their usernames into my thread? Or PM their names?

I feel like It wouldn't hurt for me to PM them

Thanks!

-Gabe

All sounds fine, the 83 hot spot is only good if the baby can get away from it though.

separate swim/drink bowls (you know the BRB will use either for whatever right)

Bins will not melt at 85, they would likely not melt well above 100.

Feel free to peruse my care sheets at:
http://rainbows-r-us-reptiles.com/Care_Sheets.htm

There are ones for general, baby and even one specific to humidity.

Dave

Originally Posted by rainbows-r-us

All sounds fine, the 83 hot spot is only good if the baby can get away from it though.

separate swim/drink bowls (you know the BRB will use either for whatever right)

Bins will not melt at 85, they would likely not melt well above 100.

Feel free to peruse my care sheets at:
http://rainbows-r-us-reptiles.com/Care_Sheets.htm

There are ones for general, baby and even one specific to humidity.

Dave

Thanks allot Dave, I appreciate it.

Def clears everything up for me. Just printed out your care-sheets!

I thought the brb i was getting was a Juvenile, but it's a baby. Read the caresheets for them and it makes easier on my end.

As for the bins, I think i'm going with a 6-10ct.

How are brb as escape artists? I've had king snakes and they're pretty sneaky

I'm wondering if a sterlite container lid will be secure enough to keep them from getting out.

Natural born escape artists, if there is a way out (even one you can't find) they WILL find it.

Just got my little guy, breeder I got him from said he's a male.

Also, Just want to update everyone on my set up. Please let me know if you see anything wrong. Is the water bowl too large? Not enough coverage? Etc.

My heating set up is a Digital Thermostat combined with a small size Zoo Med Heat Pad.

Ventilation I put some small holes, 3 holes in each corner, one on each of the sides, and a circular pattern on the front/back. Top i didn't touch at all.

Humidity I have a large rock bowl and a moist box with sphagnum moss which was soaked with water and squeezed out.

Foliage I have a planters pot in the corner where my heat pad will be aswell as some fake plants I added which are not shown in the picture.

Heating, Still waiting for my temps to get correct so I'll update once everything is connected. Theres about a 3" thickness of ecoearth/sphagnum moss combo as substrate, is this enough? And will my heatpad still heat everything up? Hopefully I get some accurate temp readings.

And is it normal for the BRB to burrow? He cruised around for a second, then jetted off under the substrate hah.

Thanks!

Forgot to show these pics!

No Flash (bad lighting) :



With Flash:

Gabe, contgrats on the new family member. He looks great!

Be careful with temps in a smaller tub. If you can't create a solid gradient, better to go with a lower hot spot (77-80F) than risk him overheating.

For ventillation holes, less is more. It's easy to add, hard to take away.

As Dave noted, if there is an escape path, the baby will find it.

Burrowing is natural for these snakes. They love to hide -- rainbows are very secretive -- and are also ambush predators.

I would suggest letting your baby settle in for a week before offering the first meal. After he eats, give him three days to digest...and only then start short handling sessions. He may be bitey at first -- small Brazilians are notorious for this -- but he will settle down over time, and become an excellent pet.

Again, congrats!!!

Originally Posted by Snakesitter

Gabe, contgrats on the new family member. He looks great!

Be careful with temps in a smaller tub. If you can't create a solid gradient, better to go with a lower hot spot (77-80F) than risk him overheating.

For ventillation holes, less is more. It's easy to add, hard to take away.

As Dave noted, if there is an escape path, the baby will find it.

Burrowing is natural for these snakes. They love to hide -- rainbows are very secretive -- and are also ambush predators.

I would suggest letting your baby settle in for a week before offering the first meal. After he eats, give him three days to digest...and only then start short handling sessions. He may be bitey at first -- small Brazilians are notorious for this -- but he will settle down over time, and become an excellent pet.

Again, congrats!!!

Thanks Cliff!

As for feeding, I was going to give him some time to settle in. Figure on Monday I can offer him a Pinky in a separate enclosure for eating w/ no substrate.

Usually with any animal I own I give them at least a week or two to get used to their new environment before handling them. But thanks for the heads up anyways. BRB's are very fascinating and it's really hard to resist to handle them! lol I've done good so far, just took pics when I first got him before I put him in his new home.

The tricky part about my set up so far is getting the heat pad to hit right...so far it's working out pretty well. Just worried where my placement of the probe should be...

I have 4 more questions

1. Should my 80f hot spot be on top of the surface? Or should it be 80f about .5-1" into the substrate? I just stick my probe from my thermostat into the substate to know if my brb burrows down about an inch, it won't be too hot for him. But, lately when I check on him he's been in his moist box or under a bunch of foliage, I measured the area and it's about 77f in the hotspot. Just worried he's not getting warm enough on the top surface. So again, should it be 80f on top of the surface?

2. Where should my moist box be placed? I have it between the hot spot /cool spot. My humidity has been pretty high, around 85-90%. I know this is a must in a cage so my brb will always have the option to have high humidity if it's not high enough for him.

3. How often do you mist your enclosure? Do you let the humidity slightly dry out to around 75% to avoid any mold growth or possible respiratory infections?

4. How often do you clean your enclosure? Such as changing out the substrate and cleaning out the bin?

Sorry for all the questions! Just want to make sure my set up is perfect!

-Gabe