Newbie questions and myth curiosity...

[ZoeFugazi]

1) if i want my BP to grow 5', i need a 5' long tank, and that the snake will only grow as long as its terrerium length. true or false?

2) is plaster of paris safe? is spray paint safe?

3) is it ok to use real rocks in the tank?

4) does all pourous material need to be sealed? aka rocks, wood, home-made hiding places. if so what do i use....clear spray paint?

5) my BP is 21" long at the moment. does the size of the tank matter or can i put her in a 100 gal terrerium and let her grow all she'd like?

6) is there a difference between a red light you find at walmart and these "infrared heating bulbs" i find at the pet store?

Thanks for ANY help on these questions!

[Jeo123]

3) Rocks are safe as long as you really clean them before bringing them in. you don't want to bring any little insects along for the ride.

5)Using too big of a tank will cause issues if the snake feels unsafe. You can use that tank, just make sure to provide plenty of hiding places and objects to make it seem less open.

6)My understanding is that the petstore light is designed to throw off more heat than the walmart one. Most light bulbs are going for energy efficency, which means less heat.

[iCandiBallPythons]

1) Myth

[Dragon76]

4) Any porous material that can absorb water has the potential to mold or mildew, I don't think you need to go as far as sealing all of these things with spray paint,but with occasional cleaning and disinfecting you can use the wood, rocks, homeade hides, without too much of an issue.

[bsash]

1) if i want my BP to grow 5', i need a 5' long tank, and that the snake will only grow as long as its terrerium length. true or false?

2) is plaster of paris safe? is spray paint safe?

3) is it ok to use real rocks in the tank?

4) does all pourous material need to be sealed? aka rocks, wood, home-made hiding places. if so what do i use....clear spray paint?

5) my BP is 21" long at the moment. does the size of the tank matter or can i put her in a 100 gal terrerium and let her grow all she'd like?

6) is there a difference between a red light you find at walmart and these "infrared heating bulbs" i find at the pet store?

Thanks for ANY help on these questions!

I will help you the best I can.

1. Ball pythons are fairly small snakes and will not get much bigger than five feet, and that is pushing it a little bit. Any snake regardless of species will grow to their proper size regardless of too big of a cage or too small of a cage.
2. I don't know what Plaster of Paris is, but spray paint, as long as it is non-toxic is perfectly fine as long as you let it dry first.
3. Real rocks are fine as long as they do not have any sharp edges and you thoroughly wash them before use.
4. Most people do not seal their rocks or wood, maybe bake them in the oven, but not sealing. If you make home made hides out of clay or any other materials, then you would seal them.
5. Start of in a small tank, a 10 or 20 long gallon would be perfectly fine. Going with too big of a tank could stress the snake, especially a little one.
6. Yes, the ones you see at wal-mart are soley for decoration and do not put off any heat as where the infrared heat bulbs do put off a lot of heat.

I hope this helps some!

[jjmitchell]

the best thing I can tell you to do @ this point is read a care sheet, alot of those questions will be ansewered by the care sheet.
as far as animal size, this is probably the strangest rumor as far as animals go.... If you kept a mastiff in a puppy crate would they stay tiny? Animals have a natural size, powerfeeding to get a larger animal or starving an animal to keep it smaller is (in my oppenion) a horrible thing to do. caging is basiccly the same, my son slept in a toddler bed, and has since out grown it, making him sleep in a toddler bed isnt going to keep him from growing just make him extremely uncomfortable.

[sarahlovesmiike]

1) if i want my BP to grow 5', i need a 5' long tank, and that the snake will only grow as long as its terrerium length. true or false?

2) is plaster of paris safe? is spray paint safe?

3) is it ok to use real rocks in the tank?

4) does all pourous material need to be sealed? aka rocks, wood, home-made hiding places. if so what do i use....clear spray paint?

5) my BP is 21" long at the moment. does the size of the tank matter or can i put her in a 100 gal terrerium and let her grow all she'd like?

6) is there a difference between a red light you find at walmart and these "infrared heating bulbs" i find at the pet store?

Thanks for ANY help on these questions!

1. MYTH - they grow to four/five feet on average.
2. I can't imagine that it's safe, but I've never tried it do I don't know.
3. I have put rough rocks in to aid in shedding, but that was before I switched to a tub.
4. I personally wouldn't use anything porous unless you are going to replace it often. You can't use anything toxic in their enclosures and it's a breeding ground for fungi.
5. She will most likely go off feed if her enclosure is too big. I would NOT recommend a 100 gallon tank.
6. I bought mine at walmart, but I don't know if there is a difference.

[MitsuMike]

Wow a 100 gallon tank??? That size snake will do fine in a 15-28 qt or a 10 gallon. Spray paints when heated can release chemicals that can kill your snake. All you need is 2 plastic hides, paper towels/aspen for bedding, water bowl and a UTH on thermostat. If in a tub drill holes in the sides, if in a tank cover the top but maybe a 4"x4" hole with alumium foil. Your snake will out grow this in maybe in about 3 months depending on snake. Then you can upgrade to a 28 qt or 20 gallon.
Snakes don't grow into tanks they grow out of them. The more safe and tight fitting their area feels the happier and the better eats they will be.

[bengalfan]

as far as the pet store or wm bulbs is wattage. all incandessant bulbs put off heat but lower wattage = lower heat I use the dollar store red bulbs at night in the winter when my house is cooler and dont see any diferrence but cage tempature.

[angllady2]

First of all welcome to the forums!

As you should know, the answer to your first question is false. This is a very damaging myth perpetuated especially in the fish and bird world. No, you cannot keep a ball python at 24" long by cramming in into a 1 gallon plastic Critter Keeper, nor can you entice a ball python to grow 12' long by putting in a 300 gallon tank.

As with pretty much all creatures, including people, ball pythons grow to the size determined by their genes, and trying to regulate the size of a ball with enclosures is as ridiculous as trying to keep your child 3' tall by stuffing them into a trunk, or make him grow 9' tall by stretching his legs, it doesn't happen. Best case scenario, the ball will outgrow it's enclosure and force you to get a bigger one OR refuse to eat from the stress of a monster tank, forcing you to get a smaller one. Worst case scenario, you'll strees your snake to the point of illness or even death.

Plaster of Paris dissolves in contact with water, so it's not a good idea.

Spray paints labeled as nursery safe can be used as long as you keep them dry and keep them from overheating.

Anything porous, such as natural rock or branches has the potential to harbor all kinds of nasties, so clean it well before use, clean it regularly, and be prepared to throw it away if you notice any trouble or it gets really dirty.

See above.

There is a big difference between the cheap Wal-Mart red bulbs and those created for reptiles. The problem with bulbs of any kind is they eventually burn out. I recommend getting a ceramic heat emitter. These emit heat but no light, and last 10 times as long as a bulb.

Gale