Viv size?

[Archer]

Is a 20 gallon/2ft vivarium ok for a 4 week old BP (at the moment he is 85g and two weeks old) as long as I cram it with plants and decorations to help him feel secure?

[PitOnTheProwl]

You would be better off with either a 3qt or 6qt shoebox tub.
It hasn't eaten yet and putting it in something of that size will/may cause more stress and feeding issues.

[Stewart_Reptiles]

Is a 20 gallon/2ft vivarium ok for a 4 week old BP (at the moment he is 85g and two weeks old) as long as I cram it with plants and decorations to help him feel secure?

I would not recommend it, I believe I linked the optimal habitat for an animal that size, ultimately YOUR snake if you want to try and it fails and your BP refuse to feed and is stress than YOU will have to solve the issue.

I believe in preventing issues before they arise.

[Archer]

The thing is, I'm planning in using a ceramic heat emitter and am worried about it melting the plastic.
So far he has had no feeding struggles with the breeder (and will have had more than 5 feeds when I get him), and I'm not sure on how to maintain a correct ambient heat gradient in a tub of that size...
If I do get a 20 gallon and fill it with enough things, is there a chance he will still feel secure?

[PitOnTheProwl]

Is a 20 gallon/2ft vivarium ok for a 4 week old BP (at the moment he is 85g and two weeks old) as long as I cram it with plants and decorations to help him feel secure?

The thing is, I'm planning in using a ceramic heat emitter and am worried about it melting the plastic.
So far he has had no feeding struggles with the breeder (and will have had more than 5 feeds when I get him), and I'm not sure on how to maintain a correct ambient heat gradient in a tub of that size...
If I do get a 20 gallon and fill it with enough things, is there a chance he will still feel secure?

Someone isn't telling the truth or is misunderstanding.......

[Archer]

I'm not quit sure what you mean by that...
The breeder (In the UK, and reputable) told me that the (currently 2 week old) BP has eaten 3 or 4 times and that he never sells a BP before its had 5 consecutive feeds (as I'm getting my BP in 2 weeks he should have fed another 1 or 2 times as the breeder feeds him every few days)... wheres the misunderstanding here?

[Crowfingers]

I am not a breeder nor do I have tons of snakes, so I can only tell of my experience. I have kept mine in a 40 gal breeder since I got him at 130 grams and he has done amazing. I think it comes down to the snakes' personality. Some hatchlings will be more nervous / frightened and be better in a smaller cage, other may do fine. As long as you give him plenty of proper hides (mine had 6 when stating out), cover three sides of the enclosure, and add clutter he may be fine. If you find that he does not want to eat or paces all day then yeah, switch him to something like a tub.

Despite being told that ball pythons spend they're days hiding and are not active, my guy seems to really appreciate the space. I was also told that a 40gal was fine for an adult, but I would most likely have problems with husbandry and feeding. I've take the advice of all the great people on here and put my own twist on it. I've been figuring it out on my own, as this is my first snake. He hides like normal during the day and at night spends and hour or two cruising up and down his branches and exploring around. I also use a ceramic heat emitter (on a thermostat) and also a black heat bulb, I've never had trouble with heat or humidity.

I will say that using a tank is a lot more work, so if you can't check on the parameters multiple times a day then a tub may be best. In the winter I was having to re-dampen the towels twice a day to keep the humidity above 55 and three to four times a day when he was shedding to keep it above 70. Now that he is at 680 grams, he still has three hides and plenty of clutter and has only refused a meal once. I will admit that tanks are troublesome, and I will be getting a larger AP cage soon so that he can continue to have space to move if he wants it as he grows.

It is my personal belief that every animal should get the biggest habitat that I can afford as long as this does not negatively effect them. That is not everyone's belief, but it works for me. Just do what is best for your snake as an individual animal and he or she will be healthier for it.

[Stewart_Reptiles]

I am not a breeder nor do I have tons of snakes, so I can only tell of my experience. I have kept mine in a 40 gal breeder since I got him at 130 grams and he has done amazing. I think it comes down to the snakes' personality. Some hatchlings will be more nervous / frightened and be better in a smaller cage, other may do fine. As long as you give him plenty of proper hides (mine had 6 when stating out), cover three sides of the enclosure, and add clutter he may be fine. If you find that he does not want to eat or paces all day then yeah, switch him to something like a tub.

Despite being told that ball pythons spend they're days hiding and are not active, my guy seems to really appreciate the space. I was also told that a 40gal was fine for an adult, but I would most likely have problems with husbandry and feeding. I've take the advice of all the great people on here and put my own twist on it. I've been figuring it out on my own, as this is my first snake. He hides like normal during the day and at night spends and hour or two cruising up and down his branches and exploring around. I also use a ceramic heat emitter (on a thermostat) and also a black heat bulb, I've never had trouble with heat or humidity.

I will say that using a tank is a lot more work, so if you can't check on the parameters multiple times a day then a tub may be best. In the winter I was having to re-dampen the towels twice a day to keep the humidity above 55 and three to four times a day when he was shedding to keep it above 70. Now that he is at 680 grams, he still has three hides and plenty of clutter and has only refused a meal once. I will admit that tanks are troublesome, and I will be getting a larger AP cage soon so that he can continue to have space to move if he wants it as he grows.

It is my personal belief that every animal should get the biggest habitat that I can afford as long as this does not negatively effect them. That is not everyone's belief, but it works for me. Just do what is best for your snake as an individual animal and he or she will be healthier for it.

How many 130 grams BP have you kept in 40 gallons tanks? And how many years of experience do you have with BP?

Sorry bigger is not better for BP it applies to other reptiles not them, what you believe and what is fact is very different.

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk

[Crowfingers]

How many 130 grams BP have you kept in 40 gallons tanks? And how many years of experience do you have with BP?

Sorry bigger is not better for BP it applies to other reptiles not them, what you believe and what is fact is very different.

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk

That is why I prefaced the post with "I am not a breeder nor do I have a ton of snakes, so I can only tell of my experience". Just because it is not "recommended" it does not mean that people should be ridiculed for trying something new. I also finished by saying that if their snake is not eating/thriving in the 20 gal then the OP should use a tub as recommended by others. I also finished the post by stating that this is my personal belief. People come to this forum looking for advice and experiences from others, so I shared mine. What works for me may not work for anyone else. That does not mean that I am wrong.

[CptJack]

There will always be a divide between breeders and petowners in some husbandry related issues. Providing the right temps, humidity, food, and security is an across the board issue, but the ways that is accomplished is *GOING* to be different from someone who has 1-2-3 snakes that are pets and someone who has dozens and is breeding.

The fact of the matter is, the breeders - because they need the animals to breed - are probably providing the absolute optimal conditions. Animals who aren't cared for and healthy don't breed. It is, IMO, the ultimate test for an animal that is thriving.

But that doesn't mean that pet owners are doing it wrong. You do, however, really have to find ways to compensate and make sure your animal's needs are being met. This includes security.

Personally, I'm a pet owner. My solution to this was a cheap 10 gallon tank when the snake was little, and some construction paper around 3 sides and some hides and extra clutter. My adult enclosures are 40 gallons (and won't be upgraded, both because of my space limitation and knowing what the snakes do (or don't) with the space). The construction paper is long gone, so is most of the extra clutter. They're nice, attractively decorated, glass enclosures that make me happy. WITHOUT stressing out the snakes; they eat, shed, eliminate well, and are docile and friendly snakes. I'm cool with that.

However, all of that said? If you have a BP doing serious cruising on a very regular basis I'd be suspecting something of being off, somewhere. That's not content/secure BP behavior.