Setup planning before Repticon

I have to disagree with BPs not being a good first snake.

If you're PREPARED and have put in the due diligence to research them, they are easy. If you've done your homework you'll have your setup ready before the animal arrives, your temps and humidity will be dialed in, you'll have proper hides and the security they thrive on, you'll understand that BPs take food breaks and live long healthy lives despite the food strikes. They are hardy animals who are opportunistic eaters in the wild, eating much less than in captivity.

They are an extremely docile species, stayfairly small, are slow moving and easy to handle.

I've had Kings (I absolutely love Kings), corns, hognose, Borneo Short Tail, and BPs. BPs are no harder to keep than Kings or corns...if you're PREPARED.

I agree, if ur an adult about it and u have already been here to seek advice then ur on a great path to easily handle a pet rock snake! Lol

Ok, ordered Exo Terra 600w thermostat they had it for $42 at Ken's fish, along with Exo Terra heat mat and temp/ hygro probe. I know that Hagen makes solid products for the aquarium community don't see why it would be any different for reptiles. I know they are not the best, but for $62 shipped I think it's a good start.

So that leaves
1. Temp gun
2. hides
3. Water bowl
4. Storage bin
Anything else I'm missing?

The bin I am finding is hard to source locally haven't tried lowes or home Depot yet but Target and Walmart have been a bust, at least for the weather tight ones with latches.

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Originally Posted by walzon1

Ok, ordered Exo Terra 600w thermostat they had it for $42 at Ken's fish, along with Exo Terra heat mat and temp/ hygro probe. I know that Hagen makes solid products for the aquarium community don't see why it would be any different for reptiles. I know they are not the best, but for $62 shipped I think it's a good start.

So that leaves
1. Temp gun
2. hides
3. Water bowl
4. Storage bin
Anything else I'm missing?

The bin I am finding is hard to source locally haven't tried lowes or home Depot yet but Target and Walmart have been a bust, at least for the weather tight ones with latches.

Sent from my moto g(6) using Tapatalk

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Do u have a container store near you?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by walzon1

Ok, ordered Exo Terra 600w thermostat they had it for $42 at Ken's fish, along with Exo Terra heat mat and temp/ hygro probe. I know that Hagen makes solid products for the aquarium community don't see why it would be any different for reptiles. I know they are not the best, but for $62 shipped I think it's a good start.

So that leaves
1. Temp gun
2. hides
3. Water bowl
4. Storage bin
Anything else I'm missing?

The bin I am finding is hard to source locally haven't tried lowes or home Depot yet but Target and Walmart have been a bust, at least for the weather tight ones with latches.

Sent from my moto g(6) using Tapatalk

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Nice work so far! I'm glad you were able to find a proportional thermostat at a good price. I think the heat mats all function fairly comparably (I have the Zoo Med ones). For the thermometer/hygrometer, it sounds like you have the Exo Terra equivalent of the digital probes that I started out with too (again, I had the Zoo Med version). Mine worked pretty decently, but my sibling's wouldn't detect the humidity accurately, so if you find yourself running into any issues there, I highly recommend the little Acurite monitors, which you can just plop into a corner of your container and which are nice and cheap. The versions I see commonly used by members of this forum, including myself, are these two:
- https://www.amazon.com/AcuRite-00325...gateway&sr=8-5
- https://www.amazon.com/AcuRite-Humid...gateway&sr=8-9

For infrared temp gun, I use this one from Etekcity, but I think there are various brands available that all function fine and are within the $10-$20 price range: https://www.amazon.com/Etekcity-Lase...-1-spons&psc=1

For the hides and water bowl, you can pick out more cutely decorative ones if you want, but if it's just based on what will make your snake happy, you won't need to spend much here at all, haha. Like others have previously suggested, you can make your own hides by turning little plastic containers upside down and cutting a little entry doorway, just make sure the edges are smooth and won't cut your snake's skin! For water bowl, you'll just want something with a wide base and a bit of weight to it, so that your snake can't easily overturn it and spill water everywhere.

Lastly, for the plastic tub itself, with latch lid - I actually got my Sterilite tubs from Target! Whether they have it readily in stock is probably dependent on store location, but if you give them the product number from the Target website, they should be able to get it ordered from the warehouse for you for in-store pickup.
- This is the 15qt, which is a nice size for a hatchling ball python: https://www.target.com/p/sterilite-1...l/-/A-13794491
- This is the 32qt, which should be able to accommodate up to adult male size, and can still be doable for a hatchling to grow into if you clutter it up with decorations so it still feels snug and safe with lots of hiding spots: https://www.target.com/p/sterilite-1...l/-/A-13794492
Some keepers like tubs with similar dimensions but a bit more height (to have room for something like a driftwood branch to climb), and that's fine too. I like these particular tubs just because the bottom doesn't have any weirdly-shaped recessing, so it's easy to stick the heat mat on.

My local Lowes has a good selection of tubs. I researched a bit before deciding to build my own enclosures. I was going to use the Hefty totes. I did end up picking up 2 to use to bring them home once I get them.

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Originally Posted by walzon1

The bin I am finding is hard to source locally haven't tried lowes or home Depot yet but Target and Walmart have been a bust, at least for the weather tight ones with latches.

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You don't need the "weather tight" bin - those have a gasket that seals around the top. A regular bin with the flip-up latches to hold the lid on securely so your snake can't escape is fine. I have several of the model I linked because it also has the latches on the long side of the lids, which helps ensure the snake can't push its way out.

I also agree that with adequate research and preparation, ball pythons make a great first snake. And as much as we may want to generalize about a species, there are still variances in behavior due to individual temperaments. Just as an example - I've never had an issue with my BP's being finicky eaters. Quite the opposite, they all love to eat. My corn snake, on the other hand, is super fussy. :shrug:

So I say go for what you want as long as you are willing to do the research, prepare beforehand, and learn as you go, which it sounds like you are. :)

If you have a tight budget, get a normal with a nice thermostat and setup.

Normals can be really cool looking, and they are all the same as pets. Morphs are really for people with a higher budget and usually collectors that want multiple snakes.


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Originally Posted by Godzilla78

Normals can be really cool looking, and they are all the same as pets.

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Definitely agreed that normals can look awesome! I still have some regrets about not bringing home a little normal male who was being sold at my local reptile shop a few months back. He had great contrast in his pattern and some nice orange blushing on his sides, and his asking price was $35. There are also a few single-gene morphs, like Pastel and Enchi, that spice up the pattern/color a little while still staying in the <$50 price range.