this is the article again, Hmm, from what i've read i would say yes. Heres one article that seems rather researched well about it... http://home.comcast.net/~holachapulin/Parasites.html She has down that most WON'T kill it but few will as listed. and here is the list... "Rinse well. Steam cleaners work great as they don't use any chemicals and the steam (over 165 degrees F) kills coccidia oocysts. You'd be surprised to hear that most disinfectants will not kill coccidia oocysts. The best methods for killing coccidia oocysts are: bleach water solution, steam cleaning (temp above 165 degrees F), Nolvasan (with a contact time 15 minutes minimum), and a 10% ammonia solution. Also, boiling or baking cage furniture will kill oocysts" as far as this article is concern it's a lot better than nolvasan as nolvasan requires soaking time, and i believe cheri was the one who mentioned that a breeder is using the steamer with success, i will believe her.
Hey go for it. I mean you're gonna find out sooner or later if it's working or not anyway. If your dragon(s) get sick or you have a fecal show overload you'll know it's probably not the best but if you never have any associated problems and fecals are clean then chances are it works fine. I mean if this were something like whether or not the walnut shells you are using as a substrate(hypathetically speaking) would cause impaction it might not be such a good idea simply because that could be disasterous and cause your beardie a lot suffering but I think if you get a fecal done after using the steamer for a while just as a precaution, the risk probably does not outweigh the discovery of wether or not the steamer works. I probably would get a fecal a couple months down the road to be sure, though.
there's a lot more to consider besides cleaning the tank to ensure a beardies health and cleaning a tank is just one of many,and it's almost a guarantee a beardie will get sick sometime in his lifetime, i actually use wipe out disinfectant and cleaning the tank and furniture everytime he poops which is twice a day, i use the steamer once a week on the glass. A lot of us follow beautiful dragons articles but now this particular article is being questioned.
Veronica does a great job and I think there will always be questions like this. Her advice is sound overall. It is a guide, especially for those without the experience. Is steam cleaning effective? well it's better than a poke in the eye with a sharp stick! Are there better methods? Yes but it is a matter of considerations and compramise. Not everyone has the time and the ability to instantly scoop up poop and disinfect twice a day. Cleaning with bleach or ammonia is great but the fumes need to be vented and that may mean a different enclosure for a while... (BTW never mix ammonia and bleach unless you want to kill yourself as the fumes are deadly toxic). Many folks on news forums are looking for more than the average person and so they go beyond the basics. Just keep it all in perspective.
Bennett gives some real good advice there. Not only about mixing cleaners but that each person and their animals have different needs and what works for one may not for others. I know several breeders and clinic that are now using the steamers and are happy with their results. I am still using nolvasan and hot water. I also have a Quat Plus that seems to work well and I know a researcher that only uses the Quat products both for cleaning furnishings and the animals before surgery.
this is what is good about open forum, it widens the knowledge for the benefit of the hobby, now, i need to get QUAT PLUS , thank you.
I am expecting my order of lemon-256 by Monday. Honestly, I can't say how I will know if it is working as an antibacterial agent but I will let everyone know about how it kills odor and how it cuts dirt. For me, the advantage of this product is its safety. Toxic fumes and residue are my biggest concern.
what site sells it? i'm also looking for no toxic fumes antibacterial where i can use to wipe poo while the beardie is in the cage.
I use the Chlorhexidine while the BDs are in the cage. I will be using the lemon-256 for floors, furniture and other cleaning jobs so when things dry and go back in the cage, they are safe. As for the cage itself, I plan on using it on that while BDs are outside in a bath. Since they stay outside for a few hours it will be safe. When I have used bleach in the past I always wait at least a day for fumes to go dissipate. anyway if you want to get some or read info about it: http://www.petedge.com/shopping/product/de...amp;itemID=3455
you mean you can use chlorexidine, like nolvasan while beardie is in the cage? i thought that requires time to exhaust the fumes, the lemon product sounds good too.
The beardie can lick the nolvasan without anything happening. It's suppose to be completley animal/reptile safe!
I go through about 2 gallons of mixed down chlorahexadine a day. The cages and BDs get sprayed down and food bowls are rinsed with it too.
wow, those are a lot of cages, not an easy chore, btw, are the cages made out of melamine boards, the blue and the light color one's, i'm planning on buying from custom cages made out of melamine and how easy are they to clean?
Terrific set up Bennett! Can I go work for you??!! Well, the commute will be a killer as I live in California!
CHARLEENA, all my cages are a composite material (like plastic). I would be hesitant to use melamine cages. They are constructed of particle board covered in a mica type finish. They are very heavy and if water gets under the veneer the wood will swell and the cage is then junk. If you are going the custom route, you can have a cage made of plywood and laminated with mica. Any kitchen cabinet maker can do it for you if you can’t find someone with herp experience. You can find plans on line. If you want something really cool, think about a fake rock enclosure. http://www.morion.com/teo/english/rockwall...frame-cage.html http://www.geocities.com/tnstuttle/cage_info.htm http://708designs.netfirms.com/customcage/customcage.htm http://708designs.netfirms.com/customcage/...pythonscage.jpg Spot, any time you want to stop by I still have a large vision cage you can stay in. You can even have your own basking spot
They are great and they clean up in a jiffy with a pressure cleaner. That is actually the best investment I made as far as cleaning goes. It's a little 1600PSI but it's just enough to clean cages, tubs, hides... I use the medium and large dog litter pans. I was thinking about getting some of the small ones too.