New Ball Python Owner

Okay I'm definitely considering a PVC enclosure but how easy are they to clean fully and get substrate out of? Also I want to be able to have a permanent lock on the enclosure when I'm not home or what have you, can I do this with a PVC enclosure? Also I wonder how easy a PVC enclosure is to heat, I plan to use a heat lamp and a UTH is that still doable with a PVC enclosure? But I'm still wondering if it would be awful to just house her in a 20L reptile enclosure I e a glass enclosure for now until she grows out of it or not. I guess my biggest question is if a glass enclosure is the worse type of cage for my BP.

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Originally Posted by mmager21

Okay I'm definitely considering a PVC enclosure but how easy are they to clean fully and get substrate out of? Also I want to be able to have a permanent lock on the enclosure when I'm not home or what have you, can I do this with a PVC enclosure? Also I wonder how easy a PVC enclosure is to heat, I plan to use a heat lamp and a UTH is that still doable with a PVC enclosure? But I'm still wondering if it would be awful to just house her in a 20L reptile enclosure I e a glass enclosure for now until she grows out of it or not. I guess my biggest question is if a glass enclosure is the worse type of cage for my BP.

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I can tell you that glass cages SUCK for snakes or any animal really that requires decent humidity and heat...its a constant battle for temps and humidity to remain constant.

PVC 100%, that or use a plastic tub for the time being, you'll thank your own sanity for it later lol.

Glass enclosure are not bad but they make it harder to keep the right temperature and humidity. Also harder to clean being fragile.

If you really wanna use a heat lamp you can get an herptek cage, but I believe they're pointless with a terrestrial snake and dry up the air. Just get a properly sized UTH with a decent thermostat.

If you're US based go for the already suggested animal plastic, they come with locks too, just look up the site. They're so much cheaper then anything I can find in europe :(

I live in northern MN and would highly recommend you go for a pvc enclosure off the bat with a radiant heat panel, wouldn't hurt to have under tank heating as well. Get a good thermostat like a herpstat, set it all up ahead of getting the snake so you can make sure temps are perfect and steady. There are a ton of options on caging, built it yourself, come prebuilt and whatever options/colors/design you are after, check reviews on the company but you shouldn't have any problem ordering, I've had stacks of 3' and 4' cages shipped in no issues. Ball pythons hang out under a hide 95% of the time so you won't see them, they aren't a display snake and in a tank you would end up covering most of the sides with paper for his security and likely insulation to attempt to keep some heat in. Many are sold with dividers too so you could use half the cage to begin with if the snake seems stressed in a larger one but I haven't had any problems putting small snakes in big cages as long as they have appropriate hides and cover.

You would need several heat lamps on a tank to keep ambient temps up, it's hard to keep lamps at a steady temp and they suck humidity horribly. You would want ceramic heat emitters not light emitters if you do go the tank way though, snakes don't like bright lights and those bulbs usually crap out really quickly anyways. Fish tanks are for fish, not for holding heat and humidity well, they are usually tall and thin vs low and wide like a ground dwelling snake would like and the air flow sucks. Tubs are nice but need a warm room since bottom heat doesn't change ambient temps. You need ambient temps to be around 80 with a hotspot of 90 and it can't be swinging or changing all over the place.

Okay so PVC enclosure with UTH and a thermometer. I'm going to get a temp gun for any other temperature related things. Also I get a discount at my work on everything Reptile right now (I work at a pet store yes I know how most herpers feel about them and I don't agree with a lot of things they do but it's a good paycheck and I like working there) that being said other then my work I'm planning to get most everything else from TCR. Any reason I shouldn't get anything from them? With a PVC enclosure a UTH is fine for heating correct?

Being from the north, I can agree to the difficulties of keeping a Ball Python in a glass tank. I had to modify the screen top and still continue to mist the tank multiple times a day. Even then though the tank was still staying primarily around 35% to 40%. Now that I have changed away from the tanks my life and my Ball Pythons lives have become much easier. Do your best to get a PVC style enclosure. Even if you have to save for it eventually it will be worth it seeing the life span of these animals.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G935A using Tapatalk

UTH only create a hot spot, you are going to need a radiant heat panel to keep ambient temps up because of the climate here, your basement bedroom is probably sitting below 70 and ball pythons need 80s as a low. Thermostat is what you need to control your heat source, no matter what it is, thermometers merely tell temperature. You have boaphile, monster cages and probably other options near you that make pvc setups. They are super easy to clean, very light and not breakable unlike glass tanks, locks-choose when buying them or add later.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...74bccac0a0.jpg

This is a 3' divided boaphile cage for example with a herpstat thermostat controlling the heat.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...9a67d5b7cd.jpg

Stack of 4', nice displays, you can see the snakes, see the latches, very secure-I don't add locks but it's an option.

My Experience:
I bought my baby snake from a reptile expo in Canada last March.
From day 1 I bought her a 40gal glass terrarium where she has lived happy/healthy until this day.
Although, when I first had her she wouldn't eat for almost 2 months! Most likely due to her being scared of her new home.
After she took the first time she has taken every time after that.

Answer:
I would say go for the 40gal, but give her lots of room to hide so she feels safe.

Also:
I live in a basement which are usually humid all year round in Ontario, Canada. The only time I have problems with humidity is when I buy a new substrate that doesn't hold humidity well. I find coconut fiber keeps the tank at 50% for a longggg time before needing to spray.

What should I use for now until I have the finances to afford a PVC enclosure? Some people say a 20L glass enclosure will be okay until she grows out of it. Any advice? Also I'm wondering if I need day and night light cycle. So I can see her in the cage at night without using a heat lamp unless I have too. Would something like this work?

http://t.petco.com/shop/en/petcostor...t-led-fixture#