PVC enclosure or glass vivarium..Or something different?

Okay, so.. I've never owned a reptile. I intend to own a ball python, hopefully sometime soon. Over the past many months I've done a ridiculous amount of research through sources I trust, like blogs run by people who have owned BPs and local breeders. I actually have my first reptile convention coming up in July! I don't think I'll be able to purchase an animal this time but I'm still really excited, and if I have the money I'll buy other things to get me started.

Anyway though... All of my sources all have their own ways of keeping their ball pythons. I have a good friend who keeps his 7 BPs in a rack system and he swears by it, he loves the simple setup and his reptiles are very well taken care of. But, I plan on only having one, so I don't want to do that. I have another friend who keeps hers in a custom glass tank, I have a friend who keeps hers in a completely custom plastic vivarium, I have many friends who keep theirs in PVC enclosures... you know, etc etc.

BUT THO, this is the important part! My point is I'm not totally sure what I want to keep my ball python in. Initially I wanted to keep him in a glass tank, but after months of lurking here I see a lot more people claiming they're just more trouble than they're worth. So I was thinking I wanted a PVC enclosure from Animal Plastics. I don't want to use any heat lamps because I have the feeling I'm gonna have trouble keeping his humidity up, but I have no idea how i'm gonna keep up the ambient temperatures where they need to be. A PVC enclosure seems best for this, but the ones I see on Animal Plastics are at least 24 inches in width and that seems like a lot? Everyone's been telling me 12 to 16 inches in width is best for a BP enclosure because big spaces can kinda scare them. As of right now I plan on using aspen bedding on top of a repti-carpet so the UTH doesn't burn my baby's belly. Honestly I kind of want to spoil him, I want him to have everything he needs and then some, but I don't want to stress him out. I want him to have an enclosure with enough space to explore and hide but I don't want him to be overwhelmed with space. I want him to be cozy!

I guess I'm just really confused. I'm leaning heavily towards a PVC enclosure, but they seem awfully big for a BP and awfully expensive. I'm definitely willing to dish out the cash if it's worth it. I definitely don't want to keep him in a sweater box or a tub. Not ragging on people that do, it's a great setup when done correctly, but I really wanna spoil my first baby with an awesome shiny setup and I'm not quite sure how to do it! I know if he ever got sick (like with mites or something) I'd take everything out and keep him on paper towels with just the bare essentials, but while he's healthy I want the cage to have plenty of hides and sticks or "greenery" or whatever to explore. When I get everything I'll do trial runs for a few days or weeks to see how well I can regulate his temperatures and humidity. I just want to make sure I have everything ready when i'm ready to welcome a ball python into my home. (sorry about the weird font.. it's easier for me to read without my glasses)

If you go with PVC which IMO you should get the t8 and divide it in half till he's bigger.

Second forget animal carpet it's crap holds mold and creates issues. He won't burn his/her belly if you Spoil as you intend by purchasing a thermostat to regulate hot spot.

As for ambient with PVC enclosure you can get a RHP(radiant heat panel) for PVC and this eliminates. needing a flexxwat on bottom. But you will need again a thermostat to controls heat. Once he's bigger take out the middle piece add another few decorations and your set. As many say if you are to cheap out on stuff. Never on the thermostat as that is the best investment for your snake. Best of luck


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I have a T8 and a T12 from Animal Plastics and i personally like the T12 because once the snake gets bigger, it gives it a lot more room to strech and explore (which they always do). I have the T12 split in half and each side is running a RHP for ambient heat and heat tape for the hot spot. It's a good and solid setup.

If you want to learn more about PVC enclosures check this link out: http://ball-pythons.net/forums/showthread.php?t=165571

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Yeahhh, I saw the repti-carpet recommendation as a buffer between the uth and substrate on a post here on how to build a glass enclosure correctly. If I knew it held mold I wouldn't have considered it at all.

I have used both glass and PVC. Personally, I liked the glass better for keeping temperatures consistent, but the PVC is much better to look at (and easier to clean). What I did for keeping temperatures up is have two UTHes (one larger than the other) and two thermostats. One is covering most of the bottom of the enclosure and is set for about 83F (it is also shared by a corn snake with connected vive) and the other is set for 90F. It doesn't do much to heat the ambient temperature, but at least with the belly heat it is better than nothing. My house is almost always 74F so the inside of the vive gets to about 79F on its own anyway, and doesn't really drop at night.

PVC does hold humidity much better as well, although I've never had a bad shed using a sphagnum moss hide. Having the blacked out sides helps the snake feel more secure as well. I guess my vote goes to the PVC overall :P but glass can work just fine too. I think it all depends on your budget and personal preferences at this point.

All the best!


p.s. Just to add, if you go on Amazon and looking up Jumpstart Thermostats they are fairly inexpensive and work great for one snake!

Gosh, thank you! I think when I have everything ready with the PVC enclosure and a few UTHs set up, i'll do a test run for a few days to see if i can regulate temperatures well with just those. It might be easier in the PVC enclosure to keep it warm since it's so enclosed. If it's still too cool in there then I'll look into fixing it then!