New Snake!

[AMBiEN22]

Well when i finish this semester of college up in about a week (April 30th). I plan on selling my motorcycle my books and my 55 gallon aquarium. My question really is i know when i get a baby or a hatching what have you. That the 55 gallon tank will cause it a lot of stress being so large. My new plan is to buy a 30 gallon long tank, zoomed under the tank heater, hide, bowl, substrate (Cyprus mulch a friend told me, aspen bedding maybe?), and lastly a light. Not sure if i need anything else or if i am forgetting anything! my question is will a 30 gallon last me a while with a hatching (heard it will last me a while)

I am aware that i should allow the take to cycle a little to make sure humidity and temp is where i need it.

I plan on getting a spider ball python, it will be my first snake ever i am so excited to get him/her.

Price is not an issue as i have spent up too 500 dollars on a fish tank and this snake's tank seems to be only running me around 130 dollars!

Comments Suggestions Questions Appreciated!

[iCandiBallPythons]

A great place to start , if you havent already.... http://ball-pythons.net/modules/Sect...warticle&id=59

[Lorgakor]

Add a thermostat and a digital thermometer to your list. A hatchling will be too small to go into a 30 gallon, it would be better off in a rubbermaid type bin until it is bigger, or a smaller aquarium. It is more difficult to maintain humidity in an aquarium, but not impossible.

Also, are you aware of the wobble that is inherent in the spider gene? Do some searches on that and make sure it doesn't bother you before you decide on a spider.

[Kaorte]

A 30g will be too big for a baby ball python. In fact, it will be too large for a full grown male. A 20g long is good for an adult male, but still too large for a hatchling.

Honestly, your best bet is to start off with a tub setup, then when your snake is full grown, get a nice front opening reptile cage rather then a tank. Boaphile plastics makes some great display cages and they are relatively inexpensive and they will be much better for your snake in terms of husbandry.

For any type of setup, you will need a thermostat. A reptile thermostat. These are hard to find in pet stores so you will probably have to get one on the internet. The reptitemp 500r is good for single setups and is only about $25.

Next, you will need good reliable digital thermometers. The general consensus is that the accurite weather station is the best bang for your buck. It is about $12 at the home depot, lowes, and walmart.

If you can at all avoid it, don't get a lamp. If you use a tub you shouldn't even need one. If you room temperature is around or above 75* normally then you will not need a lamp. A lamp combined with a glass tank and a screen top will leave you with no humidity which will cause your snake to have bad sheds. A UTH is the preferable method of heating. If you don't care about costs, a Radiant Heat Panel might be worth looking into.

You will also need two identical hides. Half log hides are not suitable for ball pythons as they don't really work as a hide at all, they are far to open. The rock cave type hides are great, but kind of expensive. I use plastic cereal bowls from the dollar store and I just cut a small entrance in the side. Cheap, effective, and easy to clean.

Hope this helps! Spiders are very cool but they also come with an added...bonus? They have a wobble. Use the search function to learn more about it.

[BiggBaddWolf]

¡¡¡¡pıɐs ʎǝɥʇ ʇɐɥʍ ɥɐǝʎ

[AMBiEN22]

Thanks for all the quick replies!

I am still in college and still need to sell my book and my motorcycle. Getting about 3,000 dollars for the bike and i am hoping like another 300 dollars for my school books. I have been seeing that aquariums are hard to keep the temp and humidity in well but what other cages do you put a ball python in! Would anyone supply me with links and or pictures of a cage that is perfect for one?

Also i am going to a local store called CVEXOTICS they have a website if you want to Google them and check them out. They only sell reptiles and seem very passionate about what they do. Just trying to gather as much information so i know what i am getting myself into because the last thing i want to do is rush into caring for a snake and have something happen to it.

Wobble?!?! whats that new term to Google. if you browse over the thread again i would love to hear what the "Wobble" term means in spiders.

[AMBiEN22]

Well just Googled and looked up the wobble. Found a you tube video of it as well. Looks really sad and didn't know that they can develop this kind of behavior. Also saw not all spiders have the "wobble" gene if you will active.

Like i said though i am a noob and just want to set up the best cage for my snake as possible. I don't even know what morph i want! i know i am willing to spend up to about 400 dollars on a cage and about 200 on the snake itself. The health and well being of the snake is my first concern. Looks will come second.

[Kaorte]

Thanks for all the quick replies!

I am still in college and still need to sell my book and my motorcycle. Getting about 3,000 dollars for the bike and i am hoping like another 300 dollars for my school books. I have been seeing that aquariums are hard to keep the temp and humidity in well but what other cages do you put a ball python in! Would anyone supply me with links and or pictures of a cage that is perfect for one?

Also i am going to a local store called CVEXOTICS they have a website if you want to Google them and check them out. They only sell reptiles and seem very passionate about what they do. Just trying to gather as much information so i know what i am getting myself into because the last thing i want to do is rush into caring for a snake and have something happen to it.

Wobble?!?! whats that new term to Google. if you browse over the thread again i would love to hear what the "Wobble" term means in spiders.

http://www.boaphileplastics.com/cages.html
http://www.animalplastics.com/

You don't need a super huge cage for a ball python. a 2' by 1' cage would be fine for quite a long while.

All spiders have a wobble to some degree. Some wobble all the time, some not so much at all, some only during feeding. It is just part of the spider gene. Some snakes grow out of it, and some develop it later on so don't think if you buy a spider that has no apparent wobble that it won't have it at some point. It really isn't a big deal though. They live completely normal and healthy lives.

I honestly doubt you will have to spend $400 on an enclosure...I spend about $30 per enclosure for my snakes (I use plastic tubs).

These are a few cages that would work:
http://www.animalplastics.com/terrestrial/T1/T1.htm
http://www.boaphileplastics.com/120d.html

[blackcrystal22]

Thanks for all the quick replies!

I am still in college and still need to sell my book and my motorcycle. Getting about 3,000 dollars for the bike and i am hoping like another 300 dollars for my school books. I have been seeing that aquariums are hard to keep the temp and humidity in well but what other cages do you put a ball python in! Would anyone supply me with links and or pictures of a cage that is perfect for one?

Also i am going to a local store called CVEXOTICS they have a website if you want to Google them and check them out. They only sell reptiles and seem very passionate about what they do. Just trying to gather as much information so i know what i am getting myself into because the last thing i want to do is rush into caring for a snake and have something happen to it.

Wobble?!?! whats that new term to Google. if you browse over the thread again i would love to hear what the "Wobble" term means in spiders.

If this is your first time selling your books from college, don't get your hopes up. Your books will sell for 1/10th of what you bought them for... if you're lucky.

Well just Googled and looked up the wobble. Found a you tube video of it as well. Looks really sad and didn't know that they can develop this kind of behavior. Also saw not all spiders have the "wobble" gene if you will active.

Like i said though i am a noob and just want to set up the best cage for my snake as possible. I don't even know what morph i want! i know i am willing to spend up to about 400 dollars on a cage and about 200 on the snake itself. The health and well being of the snake is my first concern. Looks will come second.

You won't need to spend 400 dollars on the cage. 200 on the snake limits you to a pastel, spider, or yellow belly for the most part.
$100 for Thermostat (Must have with all UTHs!) and UTH
$100+ on Cage, Decor, Hides, digital Thermometers & Hygrometers, and bedding.

I have a spider and mine has never wobbled. All spiders have the wobbling defect, but it does not impair their ability to eat, poop, and live a normal life. That information is incorrect. The one and only original spider that was found in the wild carried the gene, and all descendants have it as well (ALL spiders). Some to a lesser extent, but it's not that bad in my opinion, some think differently though.

If you want a spider, you can ask about wobbling, some breeders have spiders that have less tendency to show the trait, but it's not dangerous or life threatening.

[AMBiEN22]

Thank you for the quick replies!!!

Regarding the linked cages i am almost positive those are the cages that the local exotic reptile store sells. When i went to visit the store they had like TONS of tubs with all sorts of ball pythons. I was also offered a snake to have as a pet that had a kink in his back. It was said it was a 1200 dollar snake but wanted to be sold to a person that had no intention on breeding. The snake was eating healthy and showed no signs of pain. Although this would be a great deal i am looking to by a hatching so i can experience everything, and grow attached to the snake.

One question is do you use under the tank heaters for these type of enclosures? substrate? Looks so mini i feel like it will be hard to fit everything inside the cage! but i also have been learning that Ball pythons are shy (aka love to be in small places.)

This is a learning experience though i am just so excited to get a snake and want to be well prepared! Still have to decide on a morph though might just get a Regular BP.