Keeping Enclosure Smelling Nice. :-)

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markannab

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I wonder if I can get some advice. Our main enclosure is in the living room. It's over six feet tall and is fitted out with a heap of logs, branches and fake eaves. When Piper decides to go to the toilet, it can usually be cleaned up except where liquid may, for example, get sprayed on leaves or where it soaks into the timber. Naturally, we clean it to the best of our ability. But the smell (urea?) permeates the house. Periodically, we take just about everything out and do a spring clean but it's still hard to get it smelling like roses. Is there a disinfectant, anti-smell spray? :) Thanks.
 
there is no real solution. A good substrate can help absorb liquid and smell but usually I just have a can of glen 20 close by or place a scented candle in the room. In most cases just having the candle in there (not even lit) will help the room smell great
 
Thankyou. I was wondering about a home-made bicarb spray that can be used to lightly wet the affected areas. Bicard is always referred to as a natural odour absorber.
 
Car air fresheners work quite well in my snake room, especialyl the vanilla ones :). In your case maybe just hanging it onto the side of the enclosure would help
 
You can use activated carbon.

The best carbon to use is designed for the sewage industry as it is impregnated with a chemical (non-toxic) that neutralises the hydrogen sulphide and other volatile organic compounds (VOCs) which cause odour. This kind of carbon treats odours in two ways where as non-impregnated activated carbon only traps odours within its pores. I found these guys online who have a phone number you can call if you want to get this kind of activated carbon - http://www.characterproducts.com.au/product-category/vapour-filtration/

Depending on how much carbon you have and how "dirty" the air is, the filters can last a couple of years.

If you don't want to source the best activated carbon for the job (we got a 25kg bag for about $250+GST which would last you quite a long time if the surplus was stored in an air tight barrel), you can get activated carbon from pool shops and some pet stores, but this carbon isn't ideal for air (you want cylindrical pellet shaped pieces, where as carbon intended for water is more like rough sand). It will work, just not as efficiently as the air won't be able to freely flow between the granules.

The easiest thing to do is to fill a couple of hessian bags with activated carbon and locate them within the enclosure on the substrate. You can hide them in rocks, branches, etc. But the closer to the ground the better as this is where the highest density of the "dirty" air resides. Also they need to be located where air will most likely flow past them such as near the access doors/vents.

If you are handy you can make a box where you mount a small 12v fan which pulls the air from the enclosure into the box and flows over the filtration medium. This is a more efficient means (known as an active flow system where as bags in the enclosure is a passive flow system). The considerations here is that you don't want the fan accessible by your animals because it could hurt them if they touch it or if they deficate on the fan... the expletive quite literally will hit the fan ;) But if carefully designed, it will do a better job than the bags.

Depending on the size of your enclosure, you will have to experiment with the bag sizes and quantities of bags.
 
The activated Carbon is brilliant, as is the bi-carb if hung in a piece of stocking, just remember 1 thing when using the bi-carb method not only will it remove the smell but it also removes moisture from the air making it difficult to keep a good humidity level for those reptiles that require the extra humidity for good health and clean shedding, I reckon if you hung a car air freshener in an unobtrusive place in the enclosure would also work well, just don't completely remove it from the packet or it might be a bit overwhelming with the heat in the enclosure, also check that the car air freshener does not contain anything toxic that could permeate the air, failing all that i used to use a small square of absorbent drink coaster with a couple of drops of vanilla essence in my invert tanks just hung from the top of the tank with a bread tie and never had that mouldy dirt smell that is quite common with inverts. :) ...............Ron
 
We're a few days in and the smell is all but gone! I made a bi-carb, white vinegar, water mix (not too strong), took the snake out for half an hour and sprayed down the affected leaves. We then put a jar of the mixture in the bottom of the enclosure. The lid is on but with holes punched in it. Not positive if this continues to suck the smell out but it seems to be working. I still like the activated carbon idea but haven't got there yet.
 
The solution in the jar would be better if it was bicarb alone. Bicarb is the cheap and nasty way of doing what activated carbon was made for.

So for not it is a solution, but not a long term solution (you would have to replace the bicarb more often and it won't scrub the air as efficiently).

Putting a package of activated carbon in there will work but even more so with some kind of active airflow.
 
Awesome, simple idea with the carbon but what are your thoughts on the high airflow ruining the heat gradient and humidity though [MENTION=23918]Virides[/MENTION]?
 
It doesn't need to be a high flow rate. All you need is a small amount of airflow but if you can manage without a fan this is better on power.

The carbon works better if there is some kind of flow occuring where smelly air is wafting over the pellets. If the air was completely still then the carbon is only really affecting the air in its immediate vicinity.

Sometimes sufficient flow comes from the natural convection currents within the enclosure. Dr. Shane Simpson from The Reptile Doctor in Victoria was telling me about his heat gradient manages to pull through air enough that a tissue will dance gently when up against the lower vent.

You can go even further and use a hair strand over the vent, if it's moving around then you will likely have adequate movement.

The flow rate only determines how quickly the carbon scrubs the air. That's why air filters have strong fans because people want their smelly air cleaned fast. But here you can afford to have it take much longer as this is an air maintenance solution.
 
Our rat sheds are about 6000 m3 each, and house about 20-30,000 rats at any time. What would be the pros and cons of using carbon scubbers to clean the exausted air? I imagine a kitchen exhaust fan sucking air through activated carbon would help but where does the smell go? How long does the carbon last? Does it reactivate so it can be recycled?
 
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Our rat sheds are about 6000 m2 each, and house about 20-30,000 rats at any time. What would be the pros and cons of using carbon scubbers to clean the exausted air? I imagine a kitchen exhaust fan sucking air through activated carbon would help but where does the smell go? How long does the carbon last? Does it reactivate so it can be recycled?

It would be best to contact the place I found online for the OP - http://www.characterproducts.com.au/...ur-filtration/ or some where local to you that is similar. They can help you with what system size would be needed.

As for the basics of carbon, it would be able to do the room and the smells get trapped in the carbon. If you could smell the odour in the carbon, then it's not doing what it's intended to do.

It is possible to reactivate carbon but I believe you have to get it up to 2000deg to effectively incinerate the chemicals trapped in the carbon.

It is possible to make your own fan based filter and you would need to look up how to's online. Hydroponics forums typically have a section about it for those who grow "tomatoes"...
 
just get onto cleaning out the poop ASAP! and soak reptile in a nice warm bath once a week? thats what i usually do, because i have a few enclosures in my bedroom. It only ever smells when there is fresh poo. Im always looking in the enclosure if there is any poop just so my room doesn't get smelly and the people i share the house with dont resent having a ton of reptiles in the house.
 
IMO - best way is not to use sand , reptile goes to toilet, where do you think the liquid part if will go ? it'll be make it's way to the lower layers of the sand and accumulate there where it becomes a reservoir for bacteria , fungi and virus unless the sand is kept scrupulously clean and dry at all time.

Water bowl is also a source of smells if the water is not replaces very regularly and bowl not sterilised and cleaned regularly (get very slimy and smelly).
 
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