Which tank is best for a b.p?

Theres a couple ways you could go with this.

Glass enclosures. No less than a 20 Gal LONG for when the snake is under 2 feet long. The 20G high like you mentioned is not appropriate because there is not ample space to provide an adequate heat gradient for the bp to regulate its body temp. In addition, you want to place a hide on both sides of the tank; one to hide and warm up, one to hide and cool down.

Glass tanks also make keeping adequate humidity a challenge. A lot of people cover the majority of the top of the screen lid to keep some of it in. Again, if you want to use a glass enclosure, be ready to deal with this issue.

https://ball-pythons.net/modules/cop...l_MVC-005S.JPG
This is probably the best example of how to set up a glass enclosure. (Thanks JamminJonah, your pic was the best one I could find.)

The advantage to glass is that it looks much nicer as an overall display than a rubbermaid container does. However, I've seen as many grown and happy bps in glass tanks as I have in rubbermaid containers. I think glass is just overall much more difficult to maintain, thus why those keepers with multiple snakes prefer to use rubbermaid containers.

Rubbermaid containers are easy to clean, keep humidity levels constant, and can be found at rock bottom prices. Its really all about owner preference. We can argue the glass v. rubbermaid till we're blue in the face, each really just has their own set of advantages and disadvantages; but both can be set up to successfully keep a bp.

As far as heating goes, a 50w lamp over a 20 gal long works fine. Mine provides a 90-95 degree basking area, and leave the rest of the tank anywhere from 78-85 degrees depending on the surrounding room temperature. A lot of people stress that belly heat is vital, but I haven't found this to be an issue (at what place in the wild would a bp get a perfect 80-85 degree surface temp???). When they need belly heat, they will go to the warm side that is being constantly heated by the lamp and get the heat they need.

Check out the care sheets here, they are really good and explain all of this in detail. Good luck with your new friend!

Looks like I'll be shopping for a HUMAN heating pad this weekend!! Thanks for converting me guys (and educating me)!!

Well Sophie, not that my opinion means much cuz i have only been in this game for a couple months, but i have not had any problems with my under tank heater. I just hooked up a rheostat to it & I have not had any issues. When the temps start to get too hot cuz the outside temps go up, i just turn the rheostat down. When it gets cooler, I turn the rheostat up. I have not had any issues with Hissy harming herself & with a glass tank, I don't think that I am gunna start a fire. When i go to a rubbermaid or sterylite enclosure, i will go human heating pad, but for the glass tank i have now, i am fine with my UTH.

I'm with Eddie. I've got a UTH under Caesar's cage. It's hooked up to a thermostat and I've had zero problems with it. (So long as little fingers aren't turning the thermostat knob... :roll: ) The main thing is to have the cage elevated (as Marla said) so that air circulates beneath it...but it doesn't matter if the air is circulating between the pad and the tank...or the pad and the table beneath them.

YEAH! My picture was useful!! That's a 20gal Long just so everyone knows.

Ball (Royal) Python Shopping List! :)


Pet Shop List
Tank - This can be a glass aquarium (20L is good), a large rubbermaid, or a nice little professional number found at vision, animal plastics, neodeshacages, etc. (See weblink section under caging - http://www.ball-pythons.net/Web_Link...ink-cid-2.html ) also this housing care sheet could help - http://www.ball-pythons.net/Sections...-4-page-1.html

LOCKING LID - a locking lid is very uesful as BP's are strong and can push off a typical lid. Be sure to get lid clips on a tank or clamps or very strong locking rubbermaid.

Substrate (bedding,litter,etc.)- Your substrate is your cage or tank flooring. You can choose many things the best of course is newspaper for economic and cleanliness reasons, then repile carpet ain't bad (be sure to get 2 pieces so you can clean one and have one in the tank). Cypress bedding also works well, as does bed-a-beast and eco-earth (ground husk types of bedding). DO NOT USE - anything even close to PINE or CEDAR unless you would like to poison your new pet.

2 Hides- One for the warm side and one for the cool - you can buy the rock or cocount looking ones at petstores or make your own from empty boxes, old clay pots, disposable tupperware etc.

Water Dish- It is very important to provide your new BP with fresh water daily. You can buy one of the fancy water dishes at the pet store (be sure it is big enough for your BP to soak in if he wants) or you can just get a heavy bowl from somewhere else, just be sure it isn't so light that when your snake tries to get in it tips. No fun cleaning up soaking wet substrate, plus your snake won't be able to soak.

Thermostat/Rheostat- How antsy are you? If you can keep your temps where they need to be without one than awesome, but if you are using a light or ceramic heat emitter you NEED either a rheostat or thermostat. Even if you are using a heating pad depending on the adjustment amount (L,M,Hi, or 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,etc.) you may want to pick up a rheostat or thermostat. Don't buy the petstore thermostat try to get the one from http://www.bigappleherp.com the pet store ones tend to eat up bulbs and such fast, the BAH one is a little easier on your bulbs and such. If you are comfortable/have the time to monitor temps regularly a rheostat is for you. Pet store rheostats will probably be fine.
EDIT: A sliding dimmer switch works as well and is a bit less expensive. -Thanks Jotay! :)

Tongs- Tongs are essential for feeding any snake from colubrid to reticulated. NEVER feed by holding the mouse with your hand it is a very n00b thing to do. Snakes have an INCREDIBLE sense of smell so unless you would like to get bitten use tongs and wash your hands after handling any prey items. NOTE: BP's don't have the best aim when striking so it is best to avoid any tongs with sharp points (i.e. tweezers) so that if your BP misses he won't slice himself on what you are holding the prey with.

Walmart List
Heat - this can be a human heating pad WITHOUT AUTO SHUT-OFF (recommended), A heat lamp with either a red or blue(*edit* Black light style) bulb, a heat lamp with a ceramic heating element,(pet store) a pet store style under tank heater, heat tape, or a combo of the above. You only want about 1/3 of the tank to have the heat source to keep a proper temperature gradient.

Rubber Feet - if you decide to go with a tank get some rubber feed that stick on the bottoms of chairs to prevent scratching the floor, these can be found at Walmart for cheap, get four to create some air space between your tank and your heating device (heating pad :) ).

Anti-Bacterial Soap/ Soapless Hand Dis-infectant - BP's can carry salmonella be sure to wash your hands frequently after handling your snake and especially between handling different snakes.

box of cheap latex/plastic gloves- You'd be amazed at how handy these come in - everything from cleaning out the nasty cage floor on cleaning day to protecting your hands from caulk while making the home made humidifier. :)

Thermometer/Hygrometer- This to some extent determines whether your snake thrives or suffers. Most dial thermometers are WAY off. A digital combo Thermo/Hygro from Walmart runs about $15 and can be used to monitor the temps on each side (one probe, other sensor is in the unit as is the hygrometer [humidity level meter]). This is the most important device of all - snakes can't talk so it is up to you to maintain the environment properly, if you aren't recieving good information (i.e. bad dials/sensors/meters) you can't maintain the environment well and the snake suffers and could die. So go the extra mile and dollar and get a thermometer/hygrometer you can put some confidence in.

OPTIONAL you could pick up some contact paper, or duct tape to use on the lid if you choose a tank it helps keep the humidity in (glass tanks have trouble holding humidity and heat at times). So you can get that while you're at Walmart if you feel you may need it.

About the sticky kind of heat pad i have one small one but i only use it if i am transporting my snake in a rubbermaid. The sticky kind sticks to the glass and glass is a great conductor of heat and this is good but can also be very bad. If you dont have a thermostat controling this heat source it will heat up the glass and the glass will get very, very hot. I tested all of this with a temp gun and the glass surface read like 113 degrees. If you are using news paper for substrate you run the risk of your BP suffering some very bad burns. So i changed to a human heat pad it cost me like 6 bux and it works much better first of all you have the option to change the heat setting i.e. LO-Med-Hi. If you have one of the heat pads stuck to the bottom of the tank touch the glass with your finger if you cant keep it there its too hot.

But i agree with David get a rubber maid they are like 6 Bux and they are easier to clean and dis infect and you have about 1/8" thick plastic which is a heat insulator but it will spread out the heat instead of letting it concentrate in one area.

Those teracotta pots work great for hides. They are cheap and they absorb heat really well. You can also get the plastic or terracotta plant bases they work good to my new BP Coco has 4 of them 3 for hides and 1 for a little water dish and they were 47 cents each. These guys are so easy to take care of.

What is the 'recipe' for making a homemade humidifier?

here it is: http://www.ball-pythons.net/Sections...-secid-11.html just click on humidifier

are you sure that's a humidifier?? looks like something else to me! :mrgreen: J/K!!

Engineering of one device can be very useful when making a related device. ;)