Can 2 females and 1 male live together?

[Kyle@theHeathertoft]

Tanks suck. I love my tubs. SERIOUSLY. I will never go back to tubs and will never house snakes together unless they're temporarily paired for breeding. SO much easier to take proper care of everybody.

[rimelame]

thanks everyone for your opinions. I've decided that I'm going to stick with the 2 that I have and leave it at that. I realize a rack and tub system is the best, but I enjoy having a tank that mimics the wild environment. They have plenty of space to hide, the entire tank is full of them. I built an acrylic top for it, and it helps me keep the humidity exactly where I want it, within 1 or 2 %, from room RH to 100%. The snakes really don't seem to be bothered, and aside for when she is preggo, both snakes always eat, and LOVE to eat. For now I'm going to stick with just these 2, but maybe one day I'll get the third and leave updates on here on how they are doing with feeding etc. Once again, Thanks for your help!

[loonunit]

Hello.

I currently have 2 normals in a 125gal tank. They have lived in the same tank for nearly a decade and seem to be fine with it. In fact, the female has even had a few 'children', so stress isn't really a problem. she eats large rats, and he eats medium.

I'd like to get another, bumblebee, ball python. Once the new girl is around 1500-2000 grams, would be be ok to put them all together?

Yes, you can. They will stress out during the new introductions, though--your current pair are ONLY used to one another, and the new snake is most likely ONLY used to living by itself. And age is a factor: first, because it's easier for them to get used to other bps when they're younger, (just like it's easier for them to get used to mice or f/t food). Second, while I house my non-breeding boys together, and I've had no problems since the first encounter, I STILL won't house snakes of vastly different ages/sizes together. My big bps never seem inclined to mistreat the hatchlings when I do let them interact, but the worst case scenario just LOOKS too easy--a 1000 gram bp could yawn and -accidentally- swallow a 100 gram hatchling.

(I do feed separately. I have a collection of old shoe boxes and amazon boxes, and I bring them out once a week at feeding time. Hatchlings are just too HUNGRY, you know? They're more hungry than they are smart, and I have nightmares about two of them starting in on the same mouse, and winding up with one snake inside its buddy. And meanwhile the older snakes often won't strike at a mouse if they have line-of-sight to another bp.)

If you really want to try this, I recommend buying the new girl her own tank and introducing the older snakes to the new girl separately, on HER turf. You'll see them actively avoiding one another for several days to a week, and then slowly acclimating to the point where they're happy to share a hide. And then maybe try all three together in the new girl's tank before you move back them to original tank--I'm not certain of the dynamics, but the only two times I've had ball pythons snap at one another, it was the one whose space was being invaded doing the snapping.

With all introductions, in-tank or out-of-tank, make sure you're in the same room for the first hour or two to keep an eye on things. If you see the new snake desperately trying to get out and get away, LET THEM OUT. If the intro goes badly, it is possible to try again in another week or two, but I'd try from the other direction (ie. new snake meets old snake on old snake's turf, instead of reverse.)

[loonunit]

thanks everyone for your opinions. I've decided that I'm going to stick with the 2 that I have and leave it at that. I realize a rack and tub system is the best, but I enjoy having a tank that mimics the wild environment.

Yeah, and visually it's easier on new people who aren't used to tubs, and who may even think they're inhumane at first glance. Plus, I like being able to come out at night and watch my snakes flopping around and climbing things; and I think the animals do benefit from having the opportunity and space to flop around and climb things.

They have good posts here on DIY tubs on this forum, though, if you ever do decide to expand.

[Big Gunns]

Hello.

I currently have 2 normals in a 125gal tank. They have lived in the same tank for nearly a decade and seem to be fine with it. In fact, the female has even had a few 'children', so stress isn't really a problem. she eats large rats, and he eats medium.

I'd like to get another, bumblebee, ball python. Once the new girl is around 1500-2000 grams, would be be ok to put them all together?

Not if Big Gunns is the "1 male". The females will kill each other outta jealousy.


Oh wait. You mean snakes??? It is not recommended by the experts.

[jjmitchell]

I was once told if you cant afford multiple enclosures you can not afford multiple snakes Think its a good bit of advice.

[pitoon]

Hello.

I currently have 2 normals in a 125gal tank. They have lived in the same tank for nearly a decade and seem to be fine with it. In fact, the female has even had a few 'children', so stress isn't really a problem. she eats large rats, and he eats medium.

I'd like to get another, bumblebee, ball python. Once the new girl is around 1500-2000 grams, would be be ok to put them all together?

if you want to do it....go for it.....but many as well as myself would say the snakes would be better off separated for multiple reasons.

Pitoon

[RR - Mackenzie]

In fact, the female has even had a few 'children', so stress isn't really a problem.

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I've always heard that the best breeding weigh was 1,500 grams and larger.

If she isn't 1,500 grams, how many grams was she when she had these 'children'?

An under-weight breeding female isn't a very good thing at all, if you are going to breed, I would suggest waiting until she is proper weight to do so.

Sorry if I'm mistaken, but that part didn't seem to be touched up on, and I just noticed it while reading the thread, so I thought that I would mention it.