cage size inquery

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Originally Posted by k2l3d4

Dude.... all depends on what you are willing to do.... I have a baby BP that was born early this year in a 50 gallon tank... but I also have five hides, a half log, a real log, and three different bushes in the tank to make sure that he can get from one side of the tank to the other with out being seen. I have had no eating issues as of yet. The hardest thing with a tank that large is the humidity. I have found that when he is going into shed I will put a wet wash cloth over his favorite hide to raise the humidty in the hide and that seems to work. I have not had any stuck shed while doing that . It is a lot easier to increase the humidity in the hide then in the whole tank. ... So what it all comes down to is how much are you going to put into it if you do increase the size of the tank? If you are not going to put a lot into it then stay with the size you have, becasue bigger tanks are more work.

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i was wondering if you had any pics of your tank. i like the idea of having a lot of space for him, and i like the idea of bushes. are they real bushes or plastic? is it hard to keep the humidity and heat in a cage that size? ting seems content as of now, but i think he may need a larger enclosure within the next year or so.

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Originally Posted by Kaorte

He may not be stressed from that particular experience, but he could be stressed out from his environment.

He has two non-identical hides. Hides are very important to ball pythons as they spend nearly all of their time in hides. You need two IDENTICAL and tight fitting hides. This means low to the ground and hugging the snake on all sides and with one small opening. Half log hides do not cut it. The hide should also be completely opaque. Place one hide on the hot side and one on the cool side.

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so identical hides? i only have the half log which has one open side up against a wall. he seems to like it a lot in there. if you think it's best to have identical hides, i can trust that, but i was wondering what might make that the case. is it because they like repetition? he seems content with his cage but i am more than willing to hook him up with whatever he needs.

Identical hides are recommended because the snake won't have to choose security over heat regulation. They may come to prefer a hide over another and stay there regardless if they need to be warmer/cooler.

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Originally Posted by Nae

Identical hides are recommended because the snake won't have to choose security over heat regulation. They may come to prefer a hide over another and stay there regardless if they need to be warmer/cooler.

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Precisely.

OP: I know you have your snakes best interests in mind but you are putting YOUR needs before the snakes whether you think so or not. I know you want what is best for your snake.

You -think- he needs more space. He doesn't NEED more space. Would he be okay with more space? Maybe. There are a lot of issues with having a big tank:

1. Security issues. Ball pythons are shy snakes and actually get more stressed by large enclosures.
2. Temp Gradients and Humidity are harder to maintain in a big tank. Usually, people get big tanks which are unnecessarily tall. Ball pythons are terrestrial and are not known for climbing at all. Having that extra height just means that you have to heat, cool, and maintain proper humidity for no reason. The snake will never be there.
3. Cleaning. The bigger your tank, the more stuff you have to have in it and the more stuff you have to clean every month. Cleaning a tub takes me about 5 minutes. Cleaning a normal sized tank takes about 30-40 minutes. Imagine cleaning a monster tank and everything inside it. It is no picnic.

If you don't think you can maintain temps, humidity, and a safe and clean environment, then don't get a larger tank. A 30g is more than enough for even a big female.

As long as you can fit two identical hides and a water bowl, the snake will be perfectly happy (assuming temps are correct).

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Originally Posted by Kaorte

Precisely.

OP: I know you have your snakes best interests in mind but you are putting YOUR needs before the snakes whether you think so or not. I know you want what is best for your snake.

You -think- he needs more space. He doesn't NEED more space. Would he be okay with more space? Maybe. There are a lot of issues with having a big tank:

1. Security issues. Ball pythons are shy snakes and actually get more stressed by large enclosures.
2. Temp Gradients and Humidity are harder to maintain in a big tank. Usually, people get big tanks which are unnecessarily tall. Ball pythons are terrestrial and are not known for climbing at all. Having that extra height just means that you have to heat, cool, and maintain proper humidity for no reason. The snake will never be there.
3. Cleaning. The bigger your tank, the more stuff you have to have in it and the more stuff you have to clean every month. Cleaning a tub takes me about 5 minutes. Cleaning a normal sized tank takes about 30-40 minutes. Imagine cleaning a monster tank and everything inside it. It is no picnic.

If you don't think you can maintain temps, humidity, and a safe and clean environment, then don't get a larger tank. A 30g is more than enough for even a big female.

As long as you can fit two identical hides and a water bowl, the snake will be perfectly happy (assuming temps are correct).

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Great advice as always Kaorte!!! He will use the half log if thats all he has but doesn't mean he likes it! Get two identical hides like Kaorte described and you will see he calm down and stay in the hide more!

sounds good to me. that means i don't have to build a new cage. i will definately take your advice and get identical hides for my little friend. i was actually thinking that was your reasoning for recomending identical hides. but i only thought it would be good for him to have a larger cage because i figured he would grow more in the next year and he already seems like he wants more space, but i'm glad i dont have to invest in a new enclosure. thanks everyone for the advice. :D