Do I need a new enclosure for my BP and if so, suggestions?

[Vayra]

Heyo! So I got my lovely snakey three years ago and she's been in the same tank since I got her, it's 2.5 ft long, 1 ft tall, and 1 ft wide. Her hides and some of her stuff have changed, but same tank. Set up nearly identically to: https://ball-pythons.net/forums/show...-With-Pictures!


Over the last six-ish months I've noticed that when she stretches out across the cage and roams around that she can't fully stretch out like she used to be able to when she was younger. She doesn't roam overly much outside of before/after feeding and after I've had her out, but I was wondering if maybe the cage is too small for her. I'm reluctant to rock the boat, since her temps, humidity, and everything are perfect. She acts fine, is a great eater, and she always sheds well. So nothing is wrong per se, I just don't know if it is a problem if her cage is slightly too small?

If you think it's on the small side, any suggestions for a new nest for my baby? I'm not against buying a reasonably priced premade or not super complicated DIY stuff, I have access to power tools such as a drill but I don't know if I can get my hands on someone who has a soldering iron or whatever. I've thought maybe a clear plastic tub (she is my one and only reptile, so I'd prefer a setup where I can see her when she decides to come out), but my house stays around 75%, so I would need some way to heat the ambient temperature up and I'm pretty sure just setting a heat lamp on top would be ineffective or dangerous. I've heard of the "Attach metal grate to the top" idea but I have no access to the tools to attach it.

Any thoughts? Thanks in advance!

[Reinz]

I didn't catch how long your snake is. Sorry if I missed that. Going with 3 years old, I'm assuming 3.5-4 ft? It could easily be more or less. Based on that you are probably ready to go bigger. As a very general rule many believe that to figure the size you add the length of the cage to the width. You are currently at 2.5 plus 1 ft which puts you at 3.5 feet. You want that measurement to be equal to or bigger than the length of your snake.

Most BPs top out at 4-5 ft in length, so you probably only need to go bigger just once. Ideally 4 ft long, 1.5 -2 ft wide would work well. You can get by with a 3x1.5, etc. I display my snakes so for me the larger I can get to fit space constraints and cost works for me.

Good lifelong plastic/PVC display enclosures can be had for equal to or not much more than tank setups. A few examples are Animal Plastics, Boaphile, BoaMaster, Pro Products, and others. Setting up the heat and good thermostats can really drive up the cost. But well worth it.



Animal Plastics on bottom and middle.
Boaphile on top.



BoaMaster melamine on top of the wardrobe.

I believe that Animal Plastics offer more options with more selection than the others. But I love the big drop down door on the Boaphile with super heavy duty latches which offer superior escape proofing without going to locks.

A tub setup will well too. Just get one big enough. Same with a tank. But for me, when it was time to upgrade I went from well controlled tanks to plastic and have not looked back.

There are some strong opinions here to what is best. There is more than one way to tree a coon. Just be sure to look at all options so that you get what is best for you and your snake.

[Vayra]

Thanks for the recommendations! I'll probably contact one or multiple of those websites, get a price check, and buy her a new tank soon. Besides all of those tanks look better than mine, so if I get a setup that should be good for her full grown, I'll have a pretty house for her.

I don't have an exact measurement on her length because I'm not sure how to get her to stretch out and stay still long enough, lol. But she is roughly 5-7 inches longer than tank, I'd estimate.

[Sauzo]

Here are AP T10s which is what I use for Dottie. She's just over 4'. Get the shelf for sure as all my snakes seem to like it.

[Yzmasmom]

My big female is in a 40 long. She is about 4 to 4.5 feet long. I was reading that small males can stay in a 20 long, but that seems nuts to me.

Basically, the tank should be half as long as your snake. A 6 foot snake needs a 3 foot long tank. Most bps don't get that long and a 40g will be just fine.

[Vayra]

For sure I'd like to get her a bigger cage even if her current one is technically alright, just in case she grows more and also cause I really like the look of professionally made tanks. I just wasn't sure if her cage being a bit smaller would be a health concern for her, if it's an immediate concern. Since it isn't, I'll save up for a cage I really like. I'm really partial to something like Sauzo's though. They look awesome and if I ever decided to get another BP (which I am considering maybe in a year or two), being able to stack them would be cool.

[Sauzo]

My big female is in a 40 long. She is about 4 to 4.5 feet long. I was reading that small males can stay in a 20 long, but that seems nuts to me.

Basically, the tank should be half as long as your snake. A 6 foot snake needs a 3 foot long tank. Most bps don't get that long and a 40g will be just fine.

I disagree with "A 6 foot snake needs a 3 foot long tank". General rule of thumb is minimum cage size is length+depth is equal to the snakes total length. The old rule of thumb was length multiplied by depth. I have Rosey, my 6.5-7' girl in a T10 which is 4x2 and I feel it's too small but I cant order a T25(72x30) cage until spring. I have my BP who is just a bit over 4' in a 4x2 and she uses every inch of that cage. The cage should be 3/4 the length of the snake.

[PitOnTheProwl]

34 7/8" L x 16 5/8" W x 6 1/8" H is all you will need.

[LittleTreeGuy]

34 7/8" L x 16 5/8" W x 6 1/8" H is all you will need.

This. After a lot of researching the same topic a year or so ago, I found that MANY keepers keep their adults in 32qt tubs their entire life (or a 41qt for their largest females). I've seen snakes kept in tubs like this and they are just as beautiful and docile as ones kept in larger enclosures. If their husbandry is in check, they'll spend most of their time in their hide anyway which is probably 12"x15"x4" or less. I believe I read where an adult needs 400-600 square inches of floor space. That's about a large tub size. A 4'x2' enclosure gives them over 1000 square inches. Yes, they'll use that space, but it's not really a "need". WE as people think they need a lot more than they really do.

Having said that, I have my 1yr old female in a Animal Plastics T8 which is 4'x2'x1'. It looks nice, in my opinion and I got it mainly from the reviews I heard on how easy it was to maintain temps and humidity. I have not been disappointed.