First time owner setting up their tank..

[goatasaurus]

hey guys,

so i'm in the process of buying my first baby. as you can guess, i'm SUPER excited.

i was just able to get a fantastic deal on a bunch of supplies. i paid $50 for a 40 gallon breeder tank with lid and locks, heat pad, thermometer, hygrometer, thermostat, and more (to be honest i haven't looked at everything yet).

my question is: is it possible to make this massive tank suitable for a baby?

i do plan on getting a hatchling and i know that it's going to absolutely freak in such a large enclosure. i was hoping that i could fill the tank with tons of plants, hides, logs, etc to make my little one feel secure. i want to know if that is at all possible or should i bite the bullet and get him something smaller until he grows into it.

thanks for the help <3

[alilak]

Hello,

I think from the looks of it you have most of what you need. To answer your question (and I am sure others will chime in), you could just split the tank with a divider to make it smaller for the little noodle you're planning to get.

40 gallon is definitely quite large and he/she will feel very insecure, splitting it could help save cost of purchasing a separate smaller enclosure... and as the snake grows you can remove the divider in time. Just a suggestion

[Craiga 01453]

Hello and welcome to the forum and the wonderful world of snake keeping.

The short answer is: yes. It can work. But for a beginner with no experience in reading snakes and their behavior and no experience with trouble-shooting it might be tricky and set your snake back and make the road harder for you and the snake.
For beginners, it's best to start with tried and true, proven successful methods that have worked with thousands upon thousands of snakes for beginners right through to experienced keepers.
You want your first experience to go smoothly for yourself and for the animal. Once you've got some experience, sure try tweaking the "norm" and trying new things. But starting out, stick to what people with years of experience and knowledge are advising. It's being advised for a reason: it works.

[pretends2bnormal]

That's a pretty great deal on supplies! Make sure if it is a used tank to thoroughly clean and disinfect it. You never know why a used tank isn't being use anymore. Could be an old age death, upgraded caging, or some sort of sickness you don't want to get. (If it's new, wash out any manufacturing dust or stuff that may be in it)

As for the size of the tank, dividing is probably the best way to go if you are dead set on a tank from the start. If you haven't considered it, you could get a tub for the first few months. That would help you avoid any of the big issues new owners run into with tanks, give the baby somewhere secure to settle in, and not make you spend much more money like buying a 10 gallon tank or some other smaller tank would.

Some babies are extremely shy and nervous and may not do well (most noticeably refusing food) unless in quite small space and for tanks with most of the glass walls being made opaque (sides + back covered by construction paper or foam board or something like it). Some babies may be fine, but it isn't a good thing to chance getting a super shy baby who will refuse in the big space when they're really small as it would be ideal to get them eating as soon as possible and way less stressful for you. A tub could give you time to see his/her personality and get a better idea how to read you snake when it is more secure so that if you try to upgrade after a couple months of eating well you'll be able to more easily recognize if you see changed behavior.

If you definitely dont want a tub, use a divider for sure and make opaque 3 of 4 sides. For at least the first few meals, you'll have the best luck if you divide smaller than half of the tank (probably want to aim for about 8" of width since a 40 breeder is 18" front to back).

I started my banana out in a 16qt tub for a few weeks, probably about 4 to 5 meals/weeks) just to be sure he was eating frozen as I was told and that he settled in. Then added that to a roughly 2'×2' cage with an exit hole in the lid. The cage was furnished as well with hides and decor, and when he seemed happy out of the bin and was eating fine, I removed the bin and replaced with another hide. He's not hesitated to eat once, and is around 500 grams and has now even been upgraded to free-reign in a 4'×2' T8.

There's a ton of info on the forum about tub setups, what size to use, etc. So look at that info or ask if you have any questions on something specific.

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[goatasaurus]

wow that’s incredible help! i may just go with setting the divider in the tank or find a cheap deal on a smaller tank (facebook is great for it).

is there anything in the forum by chance about making dividers? every time i google it’s about water tanks so the dividers have holes in them. 😅

[Stewart_Reptiles]

my question is: is it possible to make this massive tank suitable for a baby?

Realistically and as a first time owner? NO

I would not consider to put an animal in a 40 gallons until it reaches at least 500 grams as a minimum.

[Starscream]

For a tank that size, multiple hides and fake plants for cover are a necessity. The key to success with larger enclosures is having correct husbandry and lots of places to hide. I wouldn't say it's impossible, but it is more work than a small tub -- more space to work with.

Regardless of what you decide, having your setup up and running for a few weeks before bringing the snake home is good practice and allows you to confront any issues.

[Craiga 01453]

wow that’s incredible help! i may just go with setting the divider in the tank or find a cheap deal on a smaller tank (facebook is great for it).

is there anything in the forum by chance about making dividers? every time i google it’s about water tanks so the dividers have holes in them. 😅

I've never created a divider, but I can't imagine it's much different than the aquarium divider, just without the holes.

[reptilemom25]

I am new to BP, but based on my experience with other reptiles I would say setting up the 40 gallon for a baby would be difficult. If you are using a UTH meant for a 40 gallon, and try to block off part of the tank it's going to be hard to establish a temp gradient. a overhead bulb would be easier but still difficult in that amount of space. I would just get a tub and a smaller heat mat.

[pretends2bnormal]

I am new to BP, but based on my experience with other reptiles I would say setting up the 40 gallon for a baby would be difficult. If you are using a UTH meant for a 40 gallon, and try to block off part of the tank it's going to be hard to establish a temp gradient. a overhead bulb would be easier but still difficult in that amount of space. I would just get a tub and a smaller heat mat.

I dont think the size of the heat mat is as much of a concern as the position of it. As long as the snake only has access to it over 1/3-1/2 of its portion of the tank, it should be fine. It would only be a problem if it was placed to cover too much space in the divided part of the tank. (All this assuming it is controlled via thermostat).

As for a divider, OP, you could probably just cut a piece of lexan or plexiglass from the hardware store to size and silicone it in place. I'm not sure I would trust hot glue to hold steady for too long, but that is a possible alternative. The silicone is perfectly removable later, just be careful around the original silicone when removing not to damage that if possible. (Videos about building a DIY aquarium sump have good technique for using silicone to insert plastic walls, you will just want a wall that is solid and has no gap above or below. Same principals though)

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