Enclosure Advice

The CB70 starts around $200. I think the OP is suggesting this because he's getting the 40 gallon breeder for $40. Significantly less.

There are tutorials online for doing what you're talking about. There are also sites that do the work for you like JungleBox, but they don't stock what you need. You'd have to contact them and get a quote for it.

@jfreels

You're right - I can get a new 40 gal breeder tank right now for $40. I doubt that I'm going to find any similarly sized enclosure in that price range, and spending a few hundred dollars just isn't in the cards right now.

Considering she's right at 4ft long, it doesn't seem like 40 gal is too big, but maybe it is. I find a LOT of conflicting info on enclosure size. She's in a 30 gal. tank now. Is that big enough to be her permanent home? I don't want to impede her growth...

Regardless, it sounds like the benefits of making this project a front opening enclosure just aren't going to outweigh the possible detriments, so I think I'll forget that idea. If I go with the 40 gal. breeder, I'll sit it upright...

Professionally made reptile cages are a little more pricey, but well worth the money. I would suggest to the OP that they just save up a little more cash and go for the nicer professionally made cage and save the headache of trying to convert a 40g.

Edit: In my opinion, a 30g is just fine for an adult female. Cage size will not "impede her growth" as cage size is not determinant of growth. How much you feed her does though.

As you go up in tank sizes, usually its the height that increases the most, which is not really what you want for a terrestrial snake like a ball python. So those extra couple inches of floor space won't really make a difference, but the extra height will make it harder to heat and hold humidity.

Thats why I love reptile enclosures, I have one with lots of floor room, but still decent height. I have never noticed any negatives with a larger cage, quite the opposite. As long as it is heated correctly and it holds humidity well, and has hides in both warm and cool end all is well. I prefer a more naturalistic setup. I know its not for everyone, and that is cool.
However, it certainly can be done, if done right. With a "display" cage that is of some size, it really makes a huge difference when its a professional cage, as it makes cleaning and maintaining easy.
I've kept my Ball Pythons in 4 foot neodesha cages without a problem. They did very well, were calm and curious, and ate without a problem. I fed inside the cage, frozen thawed. They weren't shy or stressed.

These are the cages I love. They make everything so easy...plus they stack nicely and are well thought out, design wise. Easy on the eyes as well :)
I have the 48 L in red.

http://www.showcasecages.com/cage_pictures.htm

@Kaorte
Well, sticking with what I have will certainly save some money, so I'll go with that option for now! :)

@Zina10
I'm also a fan of more naturalistic environments and I really like the looks of the Showcase cages - and the prices seem pretty reasonable. Since it sounds like I don't need to be in a hurry to go larger, I think I'll take your advice and save for one of those.

Thanks!
David