Its Official Son!!

Congrats, and let the addiction, I mean passion begin.

Also, make sure you do all of your homework on your new animal, so that if your parents ask you any questions about it's husbandry needs or care, you can answer them. Also, make sure that your tank is setup properly before you get your snake. If all of this is done correctly and you show a genuine interest and love for the hobby, it will make your parents more receptive to your new pet. (which will also help down the road when it's time to convince them that you NEED another snake)

congrats! now your off and running:)

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Originally Posted by muddoc

If all of this is done correctly and you show a genuine interest and love for the hobby, it will make your parents more receptive to your new pet. (which will also help down the road when it's time to convince them that you NEED another snake)

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HAHA! Agreed! Well I'm hopefully gonna get him sometime this week, but I'm not sure if I should take the chance of getting a free 10 gallon? Or go out and buy a 20 gallon. What do you guys think?

Congrats :)

I would research plastic tub setups for your first snake(and any subsequent scale-kids). It would make the husbandry so much easier for you and your snake could settle in faster. They are light and easy to clean, and they keep temps and humidity like nobody's business.

If you are planning on a hatchling, sometimes even 10 gallon tanks are too big for them. Glass isn't a good insulator for heat, so tanks require alot more effort in keeping the temperatures and humidity stable and in the correct ranges. Ball Pythons really like being enclosed and feeling secure, and alot of the time, the glass walls don't provide that. They are going to be in their hide 95% of the time anyway, so having a display enclosure for a Ball really defeats the purpose :)

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Originally Posted by SatanicIntention

Congrats :)

I would research plastic tub setups for your first snake(and any subsequent scale-kids). It would make the husbandry so much easier for you and your snake could settle in faster. They are light and easy to clean, and they keep temps and humidity like nobody's business.

If you are planning on a hatchling, sometimes even 10 gallon tanks are too big for them. Glass isn't a good insulator for heat, so tanks require alot more effort in keeping the temperatures and humidity stable and in the correct ranges. Ball Pythons really like being enclosed and feeling secure, and alot of the time, the glass walls don't provide that. They are going to be in their hide 95% of the time anyway, so having a display enclosure for a Ball really defeats the purpose :)

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I know but I just don't like the idea of a plastic tub sitting in my room, I think a tank shows more and looks nicer as well. But we'll see what happens, Thanks! :)

if you chose to go with a tank i would suggest to buy a piece of plexi glass (sp?) and have it cut to the size of the top ( either drop in or across the whole top. cut about 1/3 long ways and attach a hinge to it ( 2-3 depending on size of tank) and also drill holes along this piece. when you place the now new top down you can use clamps or something else to hold it down and make sure the ball cant get out ( best thing to use so its easy to get on and off is the things that are on the back of picture frames that can be rotated) this will give you the perfect humidity and help keep correct temps.

They do make tubs that are about as clear as glass. I use them in one of my racks and you can see every snake just fine(13 of them). You can always use a tank(which are for fish, imo) or buy an actual plastic reptile enclosure from the many different manufacturers(Animal Plastics, Boaphile, Herpenclosures, RBI Plastics, etc), when the snake is bigger and not so scared of the world. I use 6qt shoeboxes or 15qt's for my smaller Ball Pythons and they do great.

Maybe do an experiment and set up both enclosures, one tub(15qt max) and one tank(10 gallon max). See how that goes and which one is easier for you to maintain. Tanks require alot of work, so research alot and be prepared.

Sometimes we have to look beyond what is most visually appealing for our eyes and use what the snake will be most comfortable in. For a snake that spends 95% of it's life in a termite mound, in the dark, it makes sense to use an enclosure that is similar to that environment. Perhaps for a colubrid that is much more active(such as Sheree's Vietnamese Blue Beauties), a tank or more open enclosure is best. Know what I mean, Vern?

I'm not trying to persuade you to use one over the other(ok.. I am...LoL), but I am trying to help you have a much easier and more fun time with your first snake.

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Originally Posted by NickMyers03

if you chose to go with a tank i would suggest to buy a piece of plexi glass (sp?) and have it cut to the size of the top ( either drop in or across the whole top. cut about 1/3 long ways and attach a hinge to it ( 2-3 depending on size of tank) and also drill holes along this piece. when you place the now new top down you can use clamps or something else to hold it down and make sure the ball cant get out ( best thing to use so its easy to get on and off is the things that are on the back of picture frames that can be rotated) this will give you the perfect humidity and help keep correct temps.

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AHH I'm so confused! So lets say i use a tub, do i use a heat lamp too? won't it melt the plastic? I don't know I'm really confused, can someone post pictures and show me?

No, tubs are low profile(low to the ground, usually 5-7 inches in height) so using only under tank heaters(on a thermostat) will generally get the air temps up to where they need to be. Heat lamps won't be needed and only cause the air to dry out.

I do use a low wattage ceramic heat emitter on my boa's tub because hers is 14" high. The vast air space in that tub can't really be heated with just a piece of flexwatt. I use a 60w CHE on her tub only and it gets the air temps to the low 80s.

With just flexwatt on the shorter tubs(my room temp ranges from 75-79), the air temp gets into the 80s-82s.

I can write you down a shopping list if that would be helpful. That would be great to print up and show your parents what you will be getting and where it is, how much it costs, etc. Shows a good budgeting plan. You shouldn't have to buy anything at a pet store(overpriced junk) unless you want some driftwood or what have you.

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Originally Posted by SatanicIntention

No, tubs are low profile(low to the ground, usually 5-7 inches in height) so using only under tank heaters(on a thermostat) will generally get the air temps up to where they need to be. Heat lamps won't be needed and only cause the air to dry out.

I do use a low wattage ceramic heat emitter on my boa's tub because hers is 14" high. The vast air space in that tub can't really be heated with just a piece of flexwatt. I use a 60w CHE on her tub only and it gets the air temps to the low 80s.

With just flexwatt on the shorter tubs(my room temp ranges from 75-79), the air temp gets into the 80s-82s.

I can write you down a shopping list if that would be helpful. That would be great to print up and show your parents what you will be getting and where it is, how much it costs, etc. Shows a good budgeting plan. You shouldn't have to buy anything at a pet store(overpriced junk) unless you want some driftwood or what have you.

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Oh if you could make me one that would be great, pictures help too! lol