40 gallon tank? pic of set up

Hey my buddy had a 40 gallon tank lieign around and i decided to grab it from him...


now i have enough room for 2 hide boxes one on each side bigger water dish.


but the question is... is a 40 gallon to big

http://i820.photobucket.com/albums/z...3/photo-13.jpg


u guys see anything else i should get,


i have a under tank heater but the thing is idk how hot it gets does not come with a diel, how hot do they get?

his head keeps coming out of his hide box is he just getting familiar with the new tank and set up?

He's a month old, right? I think you'll get a unanimous "Yes!" (i.e. too big) from the replies on this thread. Let's see.

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Originally Posted by Patricia

He's a month old, right? I think you'll get a unanimous "Yes!" (i.e. too big) from the replies on this thread. Let's see.

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hes a year old

ahhh it took me so long to clean the 40 gal and put all the stuff from the 20 gallon to 40 so should i go back to 20 or will he be fine

Go back to the 20 gallon. Very rarely will ball pythons need a 40 Gallon tank at that age. 20 gallon will last some time.

Be sure you have these right
Warm side 90-94
cool side 80-84
humidity 55-65% Bumped up to 70%s for shedding
2 Identical hides one on each side
Water bowl in middle. Does not need to be big just enough so they can drink. Soaking ball pythons indicate a problem.

And use a thermostat to control all heating elements at ALL times. NEVER do a night time drop unless your trying to breed.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by flameethrower

Go back to the 20 gallon. Very rarely will ball pythons need a 40 Gallon tank at that age. 20 gallon will last some time.

Be sure you have these right
Warm side 90-94
cool side 80-84
humidity 55-65% Bumped up to 70%s for shedding
2 Identical hides one on each side
Water bowl in middle. Does not need to be big just enough so they can drink. Soaking ball pythons indicate a problem.

And use a thermostat to control all heating elements at ALL times. NEVER do a night time drop unless your trying to breed.

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alright il go back to a 20 gallon, can a 40 gallon stress my ball out and make him not eat? like whats the reason its to big

Ah, sorry, I had you mixed up with someone else.

Many people here with more than one snake keep them in plastic storage containers, specifically the 41gal under-bed one that's around $8 in stores like Target. My li'l BP is still in the 10gal tank it came to us with, but when it's time to move up, I just might go with a tub than a 20gal tank.

From the many threads I've read about this topic, 40gal is considered bigger than necessary by most people here, with humidity control being the biggest factor.

just switch backed to 20 gallon i can tell charlie is happier, hes prob one confused ball

It should be fine I never had any problems. Just add more stuff its pretty empty in there. Snake may not feel secure with it being so open. Add some hides and a few little fake plants to clutter it up a bit.

You should also cover three sides to make him feel more secure!

Wait until your animal is eating consistently before you switch him to a gigantic tank.

The main reason why big tanks are stressful is because they are just too big for such a small snake. Ball pythons are secretive and shy. They are not humans so we cannot apply our needs for "more space" onto them.

Another reason to avoid big tanks is husbandry. It is very difficult and expensive to heat, cool, and manage humidity in a big tank. More often than not, temps and humidity are completely wrong in a big tank and it causes the snake to go off feed.

:) Good luck!

I think a 40 gallon tank is plenty, just make sure its large enouph to move. Some people also just use a rack system. Snakes dont need that much room, they like tight spots.

As far as the heat. Get yourself a digital thermometer and a temp gun, both are fairly cheap. I personally keep mine at 90F. Depending on the room temp, it sometimes goes a little higher or lower but generally 90F.

in the wild they have more than 20 gal. as long as there are good hides i dont see why not. a super large tank 70-100 gal came to me and my 1.5/2 year old loves it. he utilizes all of the space and explores every inch. i had to have him in a smaller tank while i was doing some work on it and for those 3 days he spent all his time in his hide when in his normal space he climbs a lot and is more active.

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Originally Posted by rayann

in the wild they have more than 20 gal. as long as there are good hides i dont see why not. a super large tank 70-100 gal came to me and my 1.5/2 year old loves it. he utilizes all of the space and explores every inch. i had to have him in a smaller tank while i was doing some work on it and for those 3 days he spent all his time in his hide when in his normal space he climbs a lot and is more active.

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Cruising and climbing is a sign of stress.

Hiding is a sign of a happy ball python.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by rayann

i had to have him in a smaller tank while i was doing some work on it and for those 3 days he spent all his time in his hide when in his normal space he climbs a lot and is more active.

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Those 3 days in his hide = he was feeling secure for 3 days. Climbing around and being more active, especially if during the daytime = not feeling secure. Food refusal is another symptom of that not feeling secure.

unless the snake is ready for breeding season then you will notice more activity during the day time as well at night time.

All my females no longer sit still and stay on the cool side now. Along with my males staying on the cool side

"Cruising and climbing is a sign of stress.

Hiding is a sign of a happy ball python. "

I am just wondering where this line of thought originally came from... I know it is a widespread idea but I am wondering how stress is measured and if there are any studies on this?

Thanks !!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by rayann

"Cruising and climbing is a sign of stress.

Hiding is a sign of a happy ball python. "

I am just wondering where this line of thought originally came from... I know it is a widespread idea but I am wondering how stress is measured and if there are any studies on this?

Thanks !!

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The studies are years of experience from many different keepers.

Generally speaking, ball pythons will not eat if they are stressed by their environments. From observation, it has been noted that a ball python that cruises a lot verses a ball python that spends 90% of its time hiding is less likely to eat.

It's amazing how often this question comes up and the mixed responses.

I have a 55 gal tank and have a very happy snake and no environment issues.
He eats like a champ (in a separate feeding container...another topic of much discussion). I barely get the rat into his feeding container and he's all over it.
The tank is mostly enclosed with wood on the outside keeping an insulating barrier between the glass and wood.
The CHE's are set to the same thermostat that runs the UTH...so consistent heat above and below. Ambient is 82 with belly at 90 in the warm hide.
The air vent allows me to open and close to retain humidity (which runs consistent 50%..except when I spray a little during sheds).
He moved into this tank at about 1 year old...no problems.

I never see him during the day, but he cruises at night.

He has never as much as hissed at me. He gets handled frequently and has since the very beginning so he would get used to it.

In my opinion, at the end of the day, if you can provide the necessary needs of your snake and maintain a healthy environment, then go for it.

https://ball-pythons.net/gallery/fil...016_resize.jpg


https://ball-pythons.net/gallery/fil...709_resize.jpg


https://ball-pythons.net/gallery/fil...714_resize.jpg


https://ball-pythons.net/gallery/fil...712_resize.jpg

Andrewrks123.
I just noticed the link to your picture.
If you go with a bigger tank, you need lots and lots of clutter so they don't feel so exposed.
In addition to the two hides, you might want to cover the screen top...maintaining humidity with the screen is tough at best.
Larger water bowl might help too.
Get a digital hygrometer/thermometer too.
I also found that the UTH's run really, really hot.
You might want to get a dimmer switch or better yet, a thermostat.

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Originally Posted by deltaneutral

I have a 55 gal tank and have a very happy snake and no environment issues.

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Your tank is BEAUTIFUL, and since all is well with your snake, it's probably quite happy in it too. :gj:

BTW, is that 2 different types of bedding in there? Dark and light colored? What are they and which do you prefer?

Deltaneutral,

I don't really get it either. My normal female, Irulan, lived in a 40-gallon tank for about two years (with a heat lamp, even), and she never had any problems eating. She's quite the opposite!

I also don't believe that cruising and exploring are signs of stress. During the day, probably. But do y'all really think ball pythons hide 24/7 in the wild? Irulan cruised around her tank a lot at night, but she never had feeding problems other than breeding season last year. Sometimes I think she has an identity crisis and thinks she's a tree python!

As long as the snake has plenty of hiding areas, water bowl, and some decorations to help them feel secure when they're out and about, I don't see a problem with a big tank. However, if the snake does stop eating or seems stressed, then maybe a smaller tank is in order. I don't doubt some snakes just won't be comfortable in a big tank no matter what you do.

thanks guys i went back to the 20 gallon he def likes it better!

It's aspen mixed with a little Repti-Bark to help hold humidity and give a little color.

If you use aspen, buy it at Wal-Mart...you can get big bags of it for much, much less than you would pay in a pet store...plus since they don't carry reptiles, you don't have to worry about bringing home mites.

Actually, Wal-Mart is a good place to get silk plants too...or Michael's if they are on sale.

nice pics of the set up. my tank is large but has many hides and only 1 exposed wall. i would like him to be able to stretch out and move when he is adult size... to have the option to move freely when he feels like it and hide when he feels like it. he also was eating awesome until just recently (but its shed time!)