I'm Falling In Love :)

[AquaristGuy]

Well as a few of you know, I volunteer at a local pet store. And I take care of the snakes. I've been getting attached to one recently. I even named her. Amarillo. She's a 20" normal. I wish I could get her... I have an extra 50g tank. I'm not sure if I'm ready though. All my (6) fish tanks are a lot of work. Kinda pointless. Figured I'd just tell you guys though.

[jmitch]

Get rid of the fish get snakes! I got rid of my 90gal salt water about 4 months ago and purchased a bp about a month later. They are so much better then fish you can hold them and take them out. Fish you just look at them, and they are so much easier to care for then fish.

[benwallage9]

do you have snakes in the other fish tanks? If so make a rack lol

[Daybreaker]

Well as a few of you know, I volunteer at a local pet store. And I take care of the snakes. I've been getting attached to one recently. I even named her. Amarillo. She's a 20" normal. I wish I could get her... I have an extra 50g tank. I'm not sure if I'm ready though. All my (6) fish tanks are a lot of work. Kinda pointless. Figured I'd just tell you guys though.

Get a tub and ditch the 50g tank. Here's a quick run down on the cost of the setup (from my personal experience but everyone does things differently):

Tub from Walmart: $6-$10
UTH: $X depends on petstore, I get mine for $16.75 online on eBay
(Flexwatt is a possibility as well over the UTH and is available online).
Dimmer: $10 al Lowes (Thermostat is recommended but more expensive)
Binder Clips: $2 Walmart
Hides (I use plastic bowls): $1 at Walmart
Fake plants: $4 at Walmart or craft stores
PAM (prevent a mite, just in case you get an outbreak!): ~$17 online
Water bowl (I use the dog crock bowls): $2-3 at Walmart
Thermometer: $7-10 at Walmart
Temp Gun (recommended): ~$30 at Lowes

And there's a very cheap route to house a BP in over a tank. I'm sure if you got her you'd do fine: there's so many people on this site that are more than happy to offer help.

[jmitch]

And there's a very cheap route to house a BP in over a tank. I'm sure if you got her you'd do fine: there's so many people on this site that are more than happy to offer help.

x2

[AquaristGuy]

I don't plan on getting rid of my fish. I LOVE them.
As for the tub thing,
I know a lot of people do that but I don't know how I feel about keeping one in a tub. I just feel like she would be way happier in a nice big tank.

[jmitch]

I know a lot of people do that but I don't know how I feel about keeping one in a tub. I just feel like she would be way happier in a nice big tank.

I will say that almost everyone on here will disagree with you a 50gal tank is almost to big for a full grown female. A 20" snake would completely happy in a tub the size of a show box. Maybe around like a 16qt.

[AquaristGuy]

Oh wow! I didn't know it could be too big? How does that work?

(sorry I know absolutely NOTHING about snake-keeping)

[Daybreaker]

As for the tub thing,
I know a lot of people do that but I don't know how I feel about keeping one in a tub. I just feel like she would be way happier in a nice big tank.

Remember, they arn't roamers. A roaming BP is likely a stressed out one or one who is always hungry. They are ground snakes: they burrow in the wild and don't move around too often. Some of my BPs won't move for DAYS...but they're healthy, eating, and in my mind: happy. Plus, tubs keeps temps so much better than a huge tank and overall make BPs feel more secure (like a burrow). Wide open space isn't a ball python's friend IMO.

[jmitch]

What i use as a rule of thumb for closure size is that the tub, or tank or whatever the animal is being kept in should be half the length of the snake. A full grown bp can spend it whole life in a 20 long fish tank and be happy.

With what day breaker said I agree 100 percent. A BP in the wild spends almost its whole life in the tight area of a termite nest and they come out at night to eat.