Thinking about getting one ... What do I need?

Good advice from kitedemon.

I second on getting a tub instead of a tank, it's a LOT easier to regulate things in from the start and the professional enclosures or even a larger tub will be easier in the end as well.

You NEED a thermostat. To attach to the heat pad. As kitedemon said. A water bowl, two identical hides (you can make these out of old butter tubs for a baby, as long as the snake can touch 3 of the sides when inside to feel secure, or little dollar tree bowls), and paper towel/newspaper or cypress/aspen? bedding.

Also I would get a temp gun and one of those $10 accurite indoor/outdoor humidity and temp gauges so you can monitor your temps and humidity.

Wow, thanks for all of the replies! I know that there are care sheets and stuff but I'm the type of person that needs reassurance lol. Thanks for the welcome and yea I'm from Florida :). So you guys are saying that I shouldn't get like a 20 gallon tank, I should get a tub? When you say tub are you talking about like those green storage containers? Also, being that I'm in the middle of "you got a purdy mouth" Florida, there aren't many breeders that I'm aware of or that I would trust. So pet stores can be OKAY, but just don't pay through the nose and look for signs of infection etc? I would look for nose bubbles, wheezing, etc? If I saw mites is that horrible or common? After this post I'm going to check out those care sheets more lol.

We're talking about the little sterilite tubs. They are usually white and see through, but there are some opaque ones. I like the partially clear ones, I can take a peek inside and check if everything is all good before disturbing the animal opening the tub. Depending on the size snake you get depends on the tub size. Like, my adult male is in a 41 qt and he has plenty of room(that size is usually used for adult females who get larger than males) but people start babies in much smaller tubs

I know there are a few good breeders in different areas of florida, if you're willing to drive/have them ship you could get a nice quality healthy baby snake!

Pet stores can be both good and bad--I don't recommend beginners buying from florida because it's harder to tell a sick animal from a healthy one. First off pet stores over charge(I've seen $180 for a $40 dollar normal) and then if it's sick you also add on hundreds in vet bills OR just a dead snake! Oy!! I know I thought I could tell a healthy snake at first, but now that I have experience I can see much more subtle signs and know they are sick before they are REALLY sick!

Mites are a pain to get rid of, but the problem is you likely won't even see them if the snake has them! Then you get them home and see dead little bugs in the water bowl, and then you realize they are there! If you do get a snake with mites, pick up "Provent a Mite"..Best stuff out there. Got rid of all the mites my snakes had instantly after months of trying with other stuff!

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Originally Posted by purplemuffin

We're talking about the little sterilite tubs. They are usually white and see through, but there are some opaque ones. I like the partially clear ones, I can take a peek inside and check if everything is all good before disturbing the animal opening the tub. Depending on the size snake you get depends on the tub size. Like, my adult male is in a 41 qt and he has plenty of room(that size is usually used for adult females who get larger than males) but people start babies in much smaller tubs

I know there are a few good breeders in different areas of florida, if you're willing to drive/have them ship you could get a nice quality healthy baby snake!

Pet stores can be both good and bad--I don't recommend beginners buying from florida because it's harder to tell a sick animal from a healthy one. First off pet stores over charge(I've seen $180 for a $40 dollar normal) and then if it's sick you also add on hundreds in vet bills OR just a dead snake! Oy!! I know I thought I could tell a healthy snake at first, but now that I have experience I can see much more subtle signs and know they are sick before they are REALLY sick!

Mites are a pain to get rid of, but the problem is you likely won't even see them if the snake has them! Then you get them home and see dead little bugs in the water bowl, and then you realize they are there! If you do get a snake with mites, pick up "Provent a Mite"..Best stuff out there. Got rid of all the mites my snakes had instantly after months of trying with other stuff!

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Okay, I think I've pretty much got it now, but I have a few more questions:

1) Is this the container that you guys are talking about? They're safe to have a heating pad under? http://www.sterilite.com/SelectProdu...=252&section=1.

2) If I wanted to get fancy with the water bowl and hides, what should i get? I saw the Habba Huts online, are they good? If so, what size should I get for a baby/jv? I would appreciate some links so I know I'm getting the right thing.

3) Is there enough room in there for the snake lol? It looks like pretty tight quarters between the hides and water and all that.

4) As far as temperature, humidity, and thermostat, whats the most cost effective? You guys said the one at walmart works good?

5) What size heat pad would I use for a 15 quart tub? 4x5? 6x9? Also, would it be bad to use a human heating pad if it has a temperature adjuster built in?

6) I read that you can use a soldering gun to make the holes in the tub. How many holes? Where do I put the holes, does it matter? Is one way better then another?

7) So just to be absolutely certain, this setup would be good?

A 15 quart tub with aspen as the substrate, 2 hides (1 on cold side one on hot), a decent sized water dish, a thermometer/hydrometer, and a thermostat? Am I missing anything?

It would be a really big help if someone could just give me a link with everything already added to the cart that I would need. Like I said, I'm trying to keep the cost down as much as possible, but I don't want to torture it. If I can't afford it then I won't get it.

1, Yes that is a great hatchling tub. I personally prefer custom enclosures but little snakes do better in little spaces save the money buy a tub to start with and when the snake hits 1000 gms you can make the decision of what kind of permeant home you want and can afford. Starting with a 20 gal is ok it is a bit big but if you went 10gal in 5 month you would be buying a bigger one and then a bigger one still as the snake grows A good thermostat is better than 3 tanks.

I usually recommend buying hides once you have seen the snake, for scale they should be small I ideally the snake will contact the hides on three sides at once. Little snakes grow really fast crazy fast so again a cheap plastic container might be better to start with as they tend to out grow hides in months. Up to you I started with the exo terra smallest hide for my first snake he was in it for about a month and then wore it (came out of 2 or 3 sides) for a few more weeks then I got a medium and large and extra large for him.

Yes it is tight snakes generally like to see but to to be seen. Correct temps being first priority but security being second and humidity third. The tight quarters add to security and it is not for long the snake will out grow that first tub quickly but jumping too far ahead and going big straight away can work but takes more care and skill. My opinion is to get the animal established and feeding and starting to trust you before going big with the enclosure. My older snakes are in quite large enclosures but they all spent time in the tub to get used to my home sounds and smells and me, and the way I feed and do things. Then they moved to large open enclosures (10-18 months after arrival) That also spreads out expenses so buying high end gear isn't such a problem. It is easy to say 200$ snake, 10$ enclosure 120$ T-stat and 20$ heat than adding 200$ enclosure in the mix. See my point?

For a thermostat in a plastic tub under unstable room conditions I'd say a proportional one is the way to go entry level ones are 105-130$ there are cheaper ones but they often have issues with the tubs in coolish rooms. If you go on off the cheaper ones I'd highly recommend the tank. In the end there isn't much cost difference. Tank+cheaper t-stat tub+expensive t-stat is close to the same. There is likely to be a lot of debate with this but a search though older posts will prove this out tubs and on off have more issues.

I don't like the accurites they are no better than the others on the market and they are big and clunky to use. I usually recommend the cheapest thermometer with a probe you can get. (I paid 1.07 for mine on ebay) buy 3 or 5 of them and place the together and use the ones that measure the closest the ones that are off mark them and use them for something else. I also like hygrometers that are designed for humidors. They generally are more accurate and can be adjusted when wrong. They all go wrong over time the test (salt test) is easy and accurate so you can correct the humidor ones. I like the western instruments analogue ones the best cheap and very accurate. In analogue dial types a metal card is a must and I'd add a calibration screw on the back is also a must.

For the little tub the 4x5 is fine. NO a human pad is way too hot! for it to be warm to you it needs to be over 96º this is too hot for your snake to properly digest food. Most do not adjust lower than body temps.

Soldering guns work a sharp drill bit will too. Don't push too hard. ventilation is a bit of a personal crusade with me. I like more than less I don't want to use exhaled breath to increase the humidity. I use holes lower on one end and higher on the other with no holes in the lid. typically low holes over the warm end and high on the cool. It promotes good air flow. How many is a bit of experimentation so start with some and you can add more later. This is where it is good to have a week or more to tinker with things. remember ambient humidity is one thing but inside the hides will always be a bit higher.

It sound like that is about it. I might add a scale as weight is a good indicator of growth and general health. A note book or something to track weight feedings and as many other notes as you can think of records can help solve issues later on. I like to use two thermometers one in each hide. You might add a plant or something to generate 'sky' cover little snakes preyed upon by birds so a plant to provide some over growth sometimes helps.

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Originally Posted by kitedemon

For a thermostat in a plastic tub under unstable room conditions I'd say a proportional one is the way to go entry level ones are 105-130$ there are cheaper ones but they often have issues with the tubs in coolish rooms. If you go on off the cheaper ones I'd highly recommend the tank. In the end there isn't much cost difference. Tank+cheaper t-stat tub+expensive t-stat is close to the same. There is likely to be a lot of debate with this but a search though older posts will prove this out tubs and on off have more issues.

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Holy crap! $125 for a thermostat!? That was way more then I anticipated. Is that absolutely necessary? Also, could I get away with the walmart thermometer? Lastly, I am really concerned with the holes. Could you give me a ballpark estimate lol? What do you do personally? What size holes and generally how many? I don't want to skimp but there's no way I could swing a $125 thermostat. Someone pointed this out: http://lllreptile.com/store/catalog/...tat-150-watts/. Would that do the job?

That is a rheostat it will need to be adjusted every time the room temp changes. They work really well in absolutely stable room temps. It is for you to decide what your room is like. Generally speaking they are not useful out side a snake room that has dedicated heating and cooling to maintain constant temps.

No a proportional is not necessary it is the most versatile and will work exactly as expected under the most varied conditions. I think the herpstat lists at 104 or so. You could go with a ranco, or johnson they are in the 50$ range and the hydrofarm is 40$ or so all three like semi stable room temps and don't do really well in rooms that are not too cooler than the set point. I'd suggest that if you go that route especially with the hydrofarm then attach the uth to a sheet of glass and then place the tub on that to absorb the possible spikes.

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Originally Posted by kitedemon

That is a rheostat it will need to be adjusted every time the room temp changes. They work really well in absolutely stable room temps. It is for you to decide what your room is like. Generally speaking they are not useful out side a snake room that has dedicated heating and cooling to maintain constant temps.

No a proportional is not necessary it is the most versatile and will work exactly as expected under the most varied conditions. I think the herpstat lists at 104 or so. You could go with a ranco, or johnson they are in the 50$ range and the hydrofarm is 40$ or so all three like semi stable room temps and don't do really well in rooms that are not too cooler than the set point. I'd suggest that if you go that route especially with the hydrofarm then attach the uth to a sheet of glass and then place the tub on that to absorb the possible spikes.

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Okay, I see what you're saying. It looks like a thermostat would be much better and more convenient. I'm not sure if I have a piece of glass ... Is there any alternatives? I thought I read somewhere that tile works? Also as far as the thermostat, what would you suggest for me? It will be for 1 ball python inside a plastic tub, so I don't need anything fancy. I just want something cost effective that will get the job done. Also, whats up with the Acurite thermometer/hydrometer? Is it any good? I saw a $9 analog version, would that work or would it be better to get a digital version? Basically I'm just trying to get the most cost effective setup that I can. I have a limited budget and I just want to get what is absolutely necessary for now.

The accurite is awesome .. It's $10 at lowes. Just get that.

Pet stores jack up their prices no matter where you go. There are lots of breeders in Florida, you just have to drive a little bit and I'm sure they will meet you somewhere.

I have a thermostat from big apple herp ... its an off/on type but I have no issues with it. It was $45. But the thermostat is where you want to spend the money. You don't really need anything else too expensive.

I don't like the accurites. I had three and the best of the bunch was poor. (almost 2 degrees temp off and close to 10% humidity incorrect) Basically in instrument land there are cheap and accurate. Accurate is expensive much more than a 100$ T stat. Cheap ones have almost across the board +/- 2ºF meaning that the manufacturer expects them to vary off the line by as much as 2 degrees. One might be perfect the next one could be perfect. I suggest the cheap digital thermometer and a hygrometer that is calibratable. The analogue ones typically sold for the reptile trade are very poor they have a paper face. The face can be in the wrong position and can also stop the needle from moving metal face cards are needed. If you go on ebay and fine a cheap digital one they are usually quite bad as well but if you buy 5 the chances of getting two that are the same (and likely accurate) is fairly good I'd say the same for accurites but at the price they are you could buy a herpstat that is actually a very accurate thermometer as the probe.


I am afraid this is a case of you get what you pay for. I guess the hydrofarm is ok but the probes are terribly inaccurate I do instrument calibration in my work and I was asked to test 3 hydrofarms they all read differently buy one degree and one two degrees and the lowest one is is still too high by 1 degree. If you go that route make sure you have an accurate thermometer.