Owning only 1 Ball Python

The 3 footers are about $150 and another $50 or so for shipping...

They are called 36 inch standard cages (slant) They make a non slant version, too, but then you have a lower cage and loose some of that awesome viewing angle.

The only thing I liked better about the 4 foot cages is that there were 2 sliding doors, instead of one large sliding door like on my 3 foot cage...

If you google npi cages the webpage will come up, I can't link to it, because we aren't supposed to do that on this forum ;) (its like advertising..)

I found an old picture of when I had the 4 foot cages...

Back then I had 3 stacked on their shelving units (lowest cage is hidden behind couch), I don't think they offer the shelving (rack) anymore, though...

http://photos.imageevent.com/morgens...2006%20006.jpg

They still sell the rack, at least for the 36" model. Looks like 48" too.

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Originally Posted by ssecrest77

Hi,

I recently bought a banana ball python with intentions of breeding, but due to family issues building a rack system and more balls, I am going to have to stay with just my one. So I was wondering what in the BEST living environment for him. I currently have him in a 20L but obviously the humidity is hard to maintain. I use Reptichip for bedding and have a day light on a timer for 12 hours and 2 hides. Until I can eventually buy more what is the best option for him?

Opinions and suggestions are much appreciated.

Thanks!

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Hit your temp and humidity parameters. Everything else is just noise to distract you from that.

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Originally Posted by honeybee

Those are gorgeous!

EDIT: forgot to quote what I was referring to, but I'm talking about those neodesha cages. Why is shipping to Canada so expensive ;_;

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Because it's Canada....LOL!
Actually it's the duty tax that makes it expensive. I live in Ontario Canada now but when i lived in the USA i loved those cheap prices. I miss that very much :(

Live plants (and the soil they grow in) are great for helping out with humidity. They also grow and provide cover and enrichment.

If you just want to provide one snake with the best possible care, get the biggest viv you have room/budget for, make the effort to heat and humidify it appropriately, fill it with hides, plants, ledges, tubes, burrows, etc. Put nice lighting in it on a timer. Yes, it takes a little more thought, planning, and $$ to heat a bigger cage, but it's not *that* hard. Yes, you will have to fill all that space with stuff so your snake can feel secure. Provide a choice of hides at various temperatures and humidity levels.
For cleaning, a large cage is actually possibly easier to spot clean than a smaller one because there's less chance that the snake will sit on top of the poop or smear it around. And the snake is actually able to get away from its waste and go somewhere else. Or you could make it bioactive, in which case it cleans itself.
Yes, ball pythons need tight hidey-holes to feel secure in and do not care for wide open empty spaces. But you absolutely can provide for that in a big cage as long as you don't just leave it big and empty.

Obviously it's also possible to do those things with more than one snake, too. But you asked about pouring all your energy into giving one snake everything you possibly can. :)

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Originally Posted by Coluber42

Live plants (and the soil they grow in) are great for helping out with humidity. They also grow and provide cover and enrichment.

If you just want to provide one snake with the best possible care, get the biggest viv you have room/budget for, make the effort to heat and humidify it appropriately, fill it with hides, plants, ledges, tubes, burrows, etc. Put nice lighting in it on a timer. Yes, it takes a little more thought, planning, and $$ to heat a bigger cage, but it's not *that* hard. Yes, you will have to fill all that space with stuff so your snake can feel secure. Provide a choice of hides at various temperatures and humidity levels.
For cleaning, a large cage is actually possibly easier to spot clean than a smaller one because there's less chance that the snake will sit on top of the poop or smear it around. And the snake is actually able to get away from its waste and go somewhere else. Or you could make it bioactive, in which case it cleans itself.
Yes, ball pythons need tight hidey-holes to feel secure in and do not care for wide open empty spaces. But you absolutely can provide for that in a big cage as long as you don't just leave it big and empty.

Obviously it's also possible to do those things with more than one snake, too. But you asked about pouring all your energy into giving one snake everything you possibly can. :)

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Thank you! This is exactly what I meant:gj:

I would get a single level rack from TGR rack systems or a single shelf 32qt tub rack from Chris Chappell.

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Originally Posted by ssecrest77

I am going to have to stay with just my one.

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LOL - this is believed to be an impossibility with ball python owners

Anyway - Best bag for your buck would be an AP cage. I have the T11 for my male and he "loves" it - that is to say there is enough room for 3 hides, a water bowl, lots of natural odd shaped river rocks, some natural long branches, and fake plants. He Has a hot hide, a "medium" hide, and the cool / ambient hide. Every month I switch out the rocks, rearrange things, and give him some enrichment, the hides are the only things that stay in fixed locations. He climbs around for an hour or so each night, longer when it is close to feeding day, and has lots of choices for where he wants to be.

I believe that as long as there are enough hides and clutter for the snake to feel safe and it can have to proper temp / humidity maintained, you can't get a cage that is too big. However, bigger cages mean more attention to detail, more husbandry work, more cleaning, and more substrate costs...so it depends on how much time you want to spend on things like that. Doing his monthly cleaning and rearranging is my favorite part of having him.