One tank size for life?

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Originally Posted by Michelle.C

The 20 Gallon doesn't have to go to waste in this hobby! You can get a Corn Snake, Crested Geckos, Leopard Geckos, etc. :D

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That's exactly what I'm trying to avoid. I want to limit myself to only one reptile, because I will be living in Taiwan, where the pet industry, in terms of reptiles is not very developed. If I want a captive bred I might have to import one from the states. All the specific equipment such as thermostats and heat pads will also have to be shipped overseas. Having a spare tank around is just too tempting, lol.

The funny thing is I will not be actually getting a Ball Python for another two years. I am just doing the research not since I'm bored at university.

I had my heart set on a 20 but I think 30 sounds pretty good. An important factor about Taiwan is humidity. Unlike here in North America, the humidity there is very high all year round, so thats one less thing to worry about in terms of a big tank.

In terms of the sense of security, I will be using two identical hides, most likely from Reptile Basics, and I will cover the back. The tank will be placed in an apartment that only I will live in, with no other pets in that room. So a very low-traffic area.

I'd place plenty of tight places for it to hide. Fake plants, hides, branches, etc. You don't have to limit yourself to two hides. As they get older, you'll remove them because the animal will require more room to move about. As hatchlings though, large enclosures can be overwhelming and stressful.

Another suggestion would be a plastic container while it's young and becoming acclimated. For a relatively low price you can give it several appropriate sized enclosures, and then as a sub-adult you can move it to the 30/40 Gallon.

It's wonderful that you are doing research so far ahead. I'm sure you'll get everything worked out! :D

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Originally Posted by Michelle.C

It's wonderful that you are doing research so far ahead. I'm sure you'll get everything worked out! :D

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...yah, I kinda get made fun of for that. I've been wanting to keep a snake as a pet for as long as I could remember, but I have one of those Moms, who are like "you can get a snake when you have your own place!" And thats exactly what I'm going to do.

Actually in terms of the type of snake, I've had my heart set on a Ball Python since middle school, which as the first time I've ever saw one. Around that time when I saw snakes in pet stores I always made myself look away, not because I dislike them, but the exact opposite, because I knew they were my favorites and yet there was no way I could get one, so looking at them was simply too painful. The Ball Python however, I just couldn't help myself. Everything about them was so attractive.

Anyways, that was a long time ago, and I've been doing research ever since. I'm in university now, and only have two more years to wait before I actually get one. It shall be a glorious day!

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Originally Posted by Kaorte

20 gallon long will be perfect for a ball pythons entire life. You might need to move to something a bit larger if you have an extra huge breeder female.

Just so you know, ball pythons aren't the best display snakes so you will most likely be staring at a bunch of fake plants and no BP. :giggle:

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You don't know my bp, then. lol. He's all over the place.

I wouldn't keep one in anything less than a 30. Bigger is better of course. Mine is in a 50 gallon. Bps love to stretch out and given the chance, will be fairly active snakes.

I have mine in a 50 gallon so he has plenty of room to play hehe

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Originally Posted by demonicchild

You don't know my bp, then. lol. He's all over the place.

I wouldn't keep one in anything less than a 30. Bigger is better of course. Mine is in a 50 gallon. Bps love to stretch out and given the chance, will be fairly active snakes.

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An over active BP is usually a stressed one. A happy BP is a hiding BP. Bigger is in fact not better with ball pythons.

I have two 1100gr+ adults in 40g breeders and one juvie in a 20g. I have two hides, their water bowl, a large log and loads of plants taking up the vertical space. They aren't stressed, eat well, and can stretch at will which helps with that one lung thing. I don't see them often, usually only before feeding day and when they move to the other hide. I can't see fitting the hides and water bowl in a 20g and them having any room at all to move when they need to. I've tried it, went back. Just what works for us.

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Originally Posted by Kaorte

An over active BP is usually a stressed one. A happy BP is a hiding BP. Bigger is in fact not better with ball pythons.

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Beat me to it. From what I've seen, unless you have some porker of a female a 20L WILL be fine for the life of the snake. If you are worried about one growing out of a 20L then just get a male, they're probably better for people who want a single animal as a pet since they stay smaller. If you have multiple animals then tanks should not even be a discussion unless you have something really nice you want to display and even then you'll probaby never see it since they love to hide.

IMO if you want a snake that'll be active and crawl all over the place then get something other than a BP. As soon as I get into base housing I am getting a Boa for this exact reason and putting my female in a rack.

L X W X H
20gL: 30" x 12" x 12"
30g: 36" x 12" x 16"
55g: 48" x 12" x 21"

Here is the thing, the floor room for these tank sizes barely changes when you increase gallon sizes. For the most part, it is the height that changes. Extra height is next to useless to a BP as they are terrestrial snakes. This extra 27 gallons of height is also a pain in the booty to heat and keep proper humidity. If you are up for the challenge of keeping a 55gallon tank then by all means, have at it.

Yup, I was all set to buy a 40 gallon tank at petco until I put it next to a 20 gallon. It was way taller but not much longer or wider.