Brand new to this forum, we've had our baby ball python for just over a month now. We bought just a basic cage set up from PetCo with an additional fake log for him (her? we don't know yet) to bask on under the day time bulb. Also a bigger water dish because those basic set up's one was TINY! We took the store's advice and are using the aspen pine substrate. My husband and I have been debating back and forth on whether to complete the cage set up continuing to use fake decorations or whether to completely re-do the cage as a living terrarium. While he has had some experience with reptiles and their care when he was younger, neither of us have kept snakes. We both work some pretty long hours (tho we do make time to handle our little guy/girl every day to acclimate our snake to being held) so we don't want something that's going to take lots and lots of time to maintain. Also, most recently my husband bought two small anoles as tank mates for Mr. Slithers (big Simpsons show fans, don't ask lol).