Finances and ethics, need help

[ApathyAngel]

So there's someone near me who has a horribly neglected adult ball python. No idea of the age or sex, it's a Petco special. Emaciated and severely dehydrated, and in such a small tank, it can barely move. It also has a heat light but no temp control and no humidity (we live in the desert).

When I saw the snake this morning, I asked about it and the owners said it hasn't eaten in months, and it's lived a few years now "with no problems," but they say it's boring and would be open to the possibility of selling it to me if I want it.

Both my husband and I have been laid off. We're okay for now, but things are tight and have to be planned out.

We have a 6yo female now (Eden), and even her tank is a little on the small side. I was planning on upgrading her to a properly sized tank, but now we have to wait. So she's in an 36x18x12 enclosure now (I know, I know. I'm working on it. But when we budgeted her upgrades after we got laid off, I decided that making sure I can properly control her humidity was a higher priority than the size of the tank).

So obviously, the cost is a problem. I threw out all of Eden's old stuff when I upgraded so I'd have to buy new stuff for this adult, which will cause a strain on us financially. We have an 18x18x12 tank, that we kept Eden in when she was smaller, but that's barely any bigger than the one this sick adult is in now.

And it's far from healthy. And if I get it, that means both it and Eden will have to wait even longer until I can upgrade them to the right size tanks. And the sick one will need the bigger tank more, which means Eden will have to wait even longer.

Further, potential vet costs are a problem. We have an emergency vet fund if something happens to either Eden or our dog, Galaxy, but the likelihood of this new adult wiping out that fund is high. Which means that, if Eden or Galaxy were to get hurt or sick, we'd be screwed.

I'm really struggling with the ethics of this. I can barely afford to take care of the snake I have, so it seems obvious that I shouldn't get another one.

But at the same time, this poor snake is being tortured. I feel like even a too-small tank and the cheapest equipment I can find would still be better than where the snake is now.

But I know Eden's current tank is too small. I need to do right by her and she NEEDS a larger tank. I had her first, I've had her for 4 years, so would it be ethical to make her stay in that tank longer than is absolutely necessary?

Is it ethical to leave a tortured animal in such horrible pain when I know I can do something to help it?

And yes, I'm scouring craigslist every day for used tanks. Haven't found any yet that are cheap enough and in good enough shape. Some people are wanting like $100 for a 75 gallon tank. If I could spare $100, I would've saved up just a little more and gotten a brand new one.

I'm looking for some input about what would be the right thing to do here. It feels wrong to leave the adult in that situation, but it also feels wrong to take it in when I can't afford to give it and Eden the space they need.

Any kind of input would be greatly appreciated.