can a tank be too big?

my BP is a male about a year old and hes been living in a 20 gallon wide rep tank and i recently just got given a 125 gallon turtle tank would this be too big? if not im also looking for help on what would be safe to use as a cleaning solvent to set it up, and also could anyone suggest anything for a bedding medium because ive figured to use the barkmulch i use now will cost about 35 dollars a month(bi/tri weekly bedding remodel) which i dont ming paying but if i could get something a little more permanent that would save some dough that never hurts

First, it would be a pain to keep the heat and humidity at the proper levels. Second, BPs are more comfortable in smaller spaces. I think 125g tank would be too much for it.

I use newspaper as a bottom layer and then paper towels as a top layer.

yes wayy to big imo

Yes, humidity levels would be hard to keep up, you would need to make a lid for it that just has holes for the heat lamps. However, it would be possible to make the snake feel comfortable, you would need about four hides, two on cool side and two on the hot. As well, you would need to make it very crowded, get some trees, branches etc.

I have done this with a ball python, and it worked very well, but you will need to make it feel secure with plenty of trees, branches, and hides. The more areas to hide and and trees to blend in with the safer they feel, basically they like to feel "crowded" I guess is the best words to describe it. But, if you breed them, I would not suggest this, just because it takes forever for them to "find" each other.

Good catch on that tank any how, I paid $150 each for both of mine, not that I can complain. Also, good luck to you, no matter which way you go about it, I'm sure your snake will be happy no matter what.

to big for a bp....

Africa is pretty big so I dont think a 125 would be too big. lol jk. If hooked up right I dont see why it'd be too big- not nessesary but not too big.:gj:

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Originally Posted by DesignerBP

Africa is pretty big so I dont think a 125 would be too big. lol jk. If hooked up right I dont see why it'd be too big- not nessesary but not too big.:gj:

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You are dead on. In the wild, there are no boundaries as to here they can go, they just stay on the ground in the more over grown places. That is why I say as long as you get plenty of trees and just decorate the crap out of it, you will be fine with that size tank.

Also, like I said about the lid you will need to make your own so that it keeps the humidity and heat in. Other wise if you just have a screen lid, it will just float right out.

Again, good luck to you.

I don't think there can be too big, either. Lucy, our adult, lives in a 150gal (I think) that came with her when we adopted her from her previous owner. She loves it.

:/ Yes, a tank can be too big for a ball python.

You cannot compare a 125gallon tank to Africa. In the wild this in the wild that. If you justify putting your snake in a big tank because "in the wild" it has more space, then you are thinking about this the wrong way. If you were to try and replicate nature, your snake would probably be dead. "Oh well rodents are always with the snake in the wild so I will just leave the rat in there to live with the snake". There have been many snakes die because people thought this was okay because "that is how it is in the wild".

These snakes that we keep as pets are NOT in the wild. You should keep them in the most ideal conditions so they can have a happy and healthy life. I will tell you right now that unless you have a couple hundred dollars to drop, a lot of time and experience with these animals, you are not going to set up a 125g properly. OP: you already stated you don't want to spend 35 dollars on a bag of mulch, trust me, this setup will cost a lot more then that.

Most people who come onto these forums have no clue how to set up a 20g, let alone a 125g! I am not here to tell you it can't be done, it can. I am here to tell you that it is not worth the trouble it will cause.



Not to mention it would be a gigantic waste to set up a ball python in a 125g tank. Anything larger then a 40g breeder is a complete waste. Ball pythons are not active snakes. A HAPPY ball python will rarely leave its hides, maybe once or twice a week to "look for food" but that is about it. I don't even see my snakes come out at night when its not close to feeding day. If your snakes are roaming around all the time, they are NOT happy. Save the 125g for something that is more beautiful to look at, maybe some kind of display animal. Ball pythons are just not display animals.

PS: Chlorhexadine is a good cleaning solution and is safe to use around your animals.

Couldn't have said it better myself. :)

A tank can be a great home for a snake with the right work, but a tank that large for a Ball Python is just not worth that amount of work needed. For example, I once had a 40g breeder tank I got on CL because I thought a big tank would be best for a big girl I had. Yes, she liked the tank setup...but geez that thing was a pain in the rear to set up and clean! It was heavy as sin, and took ages and lots of tweaking and insulation to get the humidity and heat to stabilize. I much prefer building my own wooden cages for the bigger snakes as they're much easier to regulate, clean, and move.

I have two 20gal long tanks I use for my two male BPs. These boys are both full grown, but they are also both very shy, so they love the 'tight quarters' the tank gives them. I tried keeping them in 36"x18" cages, but they didn't eat once while in them, so I've switched them back. Sometimes, BPs just want the smaller cage.

The only problem I can see with Larger than necessary enclosures is the larger it is the more of a pain it'll for the snake to get its food. There is no comparison between a tank and the wild. And why would a snake probably die if its natural environment is simulated? I doubt predators or uncontrollable weather conditions are gonna be placed in with snake lol... If the snake is eating and drinking regularly, has a secure hide in a warm and cooler end, and the owner doesn't mind the upkeep,cost, and staring at bunch of decor then I think thats all the justification he or she needs!

Yes a tank can be too big, they're shy snakes and easily stressed. In the wild they don't explore, they live in burrows and hunt at night in the same small area, so a smaller tank is better for them.:)

Aspen bedding btw. big bags 10-15 bucks cant go wrong many many months of use.

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Originally Posted by DesignerBP

The only problem I can see with Larger than necessary enclosures is the larger it is the more of a pain it'll for the snake to get its food. There is no comparison between a tank and the wild. And why would a snake probably die if its natural environment is simulated? I doubt predators or uncontrollable weather conditions are gonna be placed in with snake lol... If the snake is eating and drinking regularly, has a secure hide in a warm and cooler end, and the owner doesn't mind the upkeep,cost, and staring at bunch of decor then I think thats all the justification he or she needs!

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Well I don't really like letting a ball python actively hunt for their food. If they have to roam their enclosure in search of food, then the enclosure is too big. Ball pythons like small, tight spaces. They live in burrows in the ground the majority of their life, only coming out to hunt (even then it is close by) and to drink water. Other than that, they are happy to sit contently in their burrows the majority of their time. Ball pythons DO NOT enjoy roaming their cages. They do not explore. Roaming the cage is a sign of stress, not a sign of enjoyment.

I'd say giving a ball python a larger tank is just asking for problems. Better to use the bigger tank for a different kind of reptile as a display animal.

Keeping a ball python in a 125 gallon enclosure would be fine. As long as the husbandry is met and the tank is "busy" with decorations, the bp will be fine. But dont have two hides a water bowl and newspaper substrate and thats it. Your snake will stress. In the wild they have plenty of holes and burrows to get in when they need to and its not just barren, there is grass, some trees and shrubbery.

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These snakes that we keep as pets are NOT in the wild

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Yes they are pets, but not domesticated by any means. We could put them in the wild and they would know what to do. Our herps instinctevly know what to do when it comes to surviving. As much as we like to think they love us and come out to see us, its just not true. They are acting on instinct, always, with limited cognitive thought. Yes some snakes such as retics will get into a routine with their owners and recognize them over a stranger, but with any herp we own, bringing them to the wild, they would know what to do. So if you set it up as a naturalist setup, with driftwood/branches, plenty of leaves for ground cover, around four hides, and a large water dish, the BP will do just fine. I am assuming that the temps are consistant with correct husbandry and the humidity is kept at appropriate levels.

I know Alexander is a wee one at 2 feet, but I ran across a used partially broke 10 gallon tank or a couple of dollars at a thrift store and decided to try my idea out on combining the two tanks into one long one. I broke out the panels needed and since I didn't have a screen for the other side I just put a wood panel and turned it to the wall. This gave him a glass look out to the room in the addition. Remember I was the one who turned his tank on it's side for easy access.....This worked fine but he didn't care for the other side, though I had it decorated and had hidey spots. What was the problem? He wanted a screen front after I turned it around and got a screen for it. He goes on the other side all the time. I think he felt more trapped or something being behind glass.

Anyway he has a nice 3 ft home to run about in now. I relocated it on a shelf that runs the length of my bed and it has a window that gives heat in the daytime. Too bad it frosted glass though, he could look outside otherwise. And decorative lamp at the far end that gives off a bit of heat too as well as ambient lighting.

As he get's bigger I will remove some of the decor so he can stretch out. But still leave enough so he can hide as well.