is a standard 55 glass tank too big for my 3 footer?

[christiH]

i have an 11 month old almost 3 footer. I am wanting to move him into my 55 gal tank, but was curious if it was too big or not. He is a very curious one, more active than some i have seen, and the 30 tall I have been keeping him in is kinda cruddy, plus i want him in the living room...i love to freak out guests lol.....anyway in all seriousness any input on this matter would be most welcome. Thanks so much

[chz]

Any tank is ok as long as your temps/humidity are controllable and you provide enough hides. The only problem I see with your enclosure is that you're gonna need a LOT of stuff in there to make him feel secure. Ball pythons in the wild have limitless space to roam in, but they feel secure in their termite burrows (or whatever it is they hide in). So just take that into account.

[Lucero87]

i would say a 20 gal long is good, mine is 3 and a half feet and it's a little over a year old and he's in a 20 long and he does just fine. I think a 55 would be too big, but correct me if i'm wrong.

[JoshJP7]

Well your snake wont be doing too much freaking people out unless they come over at night time. As far as the tank being too big... No it is not too big just makes sure your temps/humidity are right on bc its really hard to get the ideal readings... I tried to do so with my 60 gal for like a month and couldnt get em so I had to use a plastic tub. Your snake may have issues with the size but the only way youll know is by trying. If you do run into issues... you know where to start. Got any pics of your set up?

[christiH]

i will get some pics as soon as i get it finished. I need to add a few more hides. Actually on my way out the door to get them, as well as new dig. therm I will give it a try and see how he does.....I will post pics in a few...thanks so much for the advice.....

[kk1020man]

I have a 55 right now that I just divided for two of my snakes. They are fitting in comfortably. I thought that it may be to large but after puting in two hides and a water bowl, with some fake plants it is about right for both of them. If you look at it, it works out to be about a 20 gallon a piece. So if you need to just divide it up, then you can get another for the other side.... even better...

[fishmommy]

I have always felt that space is a good thing, as long as you provide plenty of hides.
My BP has been in a 48"x24" cage since he was small and I see him out and using all that space at night. He's grown into a large male with great muscle tone and an amazing appetite. I like to think that having plenty of space to stretch out and exercise has played a role in his robust health.

but again, you must have lots of hides and decor to prevent a BP from feeling too exposed. I have 4 hides plus fake plants and two large water dishes in the enclosure.

[Ginevive]

With tanks, I think that it depends on your room temperature. A tank is hard to insulate unless you go with corkboard along 3 walls, and somehow cover most of the lid. If I were using tanks, I would never let the room temperature go below the coolest that I wound want it on my cool side of the snake's tank. A larger tank is harder to heat, and may require the use of heat lamps, which can really dry things out. It is alot easier to use a snug tub in my experience; I use a rack.