For anyone using a glass bottle in their reptarium with a fleece pouch-hanger to keep it secure: USE CAUTION! Bird was unable to get water last night because his bottle has tilted backward in the pouch. The glass bottles cause the pouches to stretch out and lean back. I noticed this with the twins as well, so it's definitely common. When the pouch lets the bottle lean back, it's almost impossible to get water out of the tube.
The only reason I figured this out is because my kids bark when they're out of something. I always get up to check it out (because I sleep in the same room) and I noticed Bird barking and hitting his bottle. When I hit the bottle I couldn't get water out. Then I looked and it was full.
I went to the store today and got 2 new bottles because I didn't want this to happen to the twins. Theirs has started to sag, but it's still functional. When I took their bottle out, it was RUSTED. This is a glass superpet water bottle with the floating rubber ducky in it. It has the metal screw-off cap on the bottom instead of the normal plastic. That is what rusted.
Guys, I just wanted to let you know these things JUST incase. PLEASE use caution with water bottles. I know this was long, but I had 2 problems at once. *pulling hair out*
So, in conclusion, if you're using the pouch hangers in the reptariums and you haven't switched yet, switch to the plastic bottles. It could save a life.
Wow, thanks Amanda!!! Definitely well worth knowing. I use glass water bottles in my 2 repts but they are lixit. Been using them with various holders I made and haven't had a problem yet but definitely will check every day to make sure they are getting water. One cage I feel doesn't drink enough but clearly they are not dehydrated. I always worry about it though. Do you have any suggestions for water bottles for repts. Or does anyone else?
One of my glass water bottles was a lixit, but the other was a superpet. The one that Bird had was a Lixit, so be careful.
Well, I use a landware holder in one of my cages, so that there's never any question on water level. (Rodan goes through water like a mad man!) Other than that, I mean, just keep fresh water in a bowl for those JUST incase moments.
Landware holder? Do you make those? I use the homemade fleece holder found on the Critterhill site. The bottles sits out of the fleece so it doesn't move around. Not sure I explained that right.
I use a no-sew bottle holder for my rept. I hang it in the middle, up high, cause I noticed it had a tendency to turn towards the screen. I check my bottles to make sure they're full, and working, at least twice a day. In the morning when I take their food bowls out and at night when I feed them. During the summer, I check 3-4 times a day. I wash them once a week.
A tip to make leaky bottles work, instead of replacing them..........
Fill the bottle with bottled spring water, to about an inch from the top, but before you hang it in the cage, squeeze the air out. This creates a suction and stops the leak. Saved me a bundle cause I was always replacing leaky bottles till I thought of this.
I learned a new way to hang a trough-type water bottle in a rept from Suz at WAGG this weekend. I'll try to attach a picture, but if it doesn't work, I'll add a link.