I'm Falling In Love :)

Well as a few of you know, I volunteer at a local pet store. And I take care of the snakes. I've been getting attached to one recently. I even named her. Amarillo. She's a 20" normal. I wish I could get her... I have an extra 50g tank. I'm not sure if I'm ready though. All my (6) fish tanks are a lot of work. :snake::snake::snake: Kinda pointless. Figured I'd just tell you guys though.

Get rid of the fish get snakes! I got rid of my 90gal salt water about 4 months ago and purchased a bp about a month later. They are so much better then fish you can hold them and take them out. Fish you just look at them, and they are so much easier to care for then fish.

do you have snakes in the other fish tanks? If so make a rack lol

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Originally Posted by AquaristGuy

Well as a few of you know, I volunteer at a local pet store. And I take care of the snakes. I've been getting attached to one recently. I even named her. Amarillo. She's a 20" normal. I wish I could get her... I have an extra 50g tank. I'm not sure if I'm ready though. All my (6) fish tanks are a lot of work. :snake::snake::snake: Kinda pointless. Figured I'd just tell you guys though.

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Get a tub and ditch the 50g tank. Here's a quick run down on the cost of the setup (from my personal experience but everyone does things differently):

Tub from Walmart: $6-$10
UTH: $X depends on petstore, I get mine for $16.75 online on eBay
(Flexwatt is a possibility as well over the UTH and is available online).
Dimmer: $10 al Lowes (Thermostat is recommended but more expensive)
Binder Clips: $2 Walmart
Hides (I use plastic bowls): $1 at Walmart
Fake plants: $4 at Walmart or craft stores
PAM (prevent a mite, just in case you get an outbreak!): ~$17 online
Water bowl (I use the dog crock bowls): $2-3 at Walmart
Thermometer: $7-10 at Walmart
Temp Gun (recommended): ~$30 at Lowes

And there's a very cheap route to house a BP in over a tank. I'm sure if you got her you'd do fine: there's so many people on this site that are more than happy to offer help.

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Originally Posted by Daybreaker

And there's a very cheap route to house a BP in over a tank. I'm sure if you got her you'd do fine: there's so many people on this site that are more than happy to offer help.

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x2

I don't plan on getting rid of my fish. I LOVE them.
As for the tub thing,
I know a lot of people do that but I don't know how I feel about keeping one in a tub. I just feel like she would be way happier in a nice big tank.

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Originally Posted by AquaristGuy

I know a lot of people do that but I don't know how I feel about keeping one in a tub. I just feel like she would be way happier in a nice big tank.

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I will say that almost everyone on here will disagree with you a 50gal tank is almost to big for a full grown female. A 20" snake would completely happy in a tub the size of a show box. Maybe around like a 16qt.

Oh wow! I didn't know it could be too big? How does that work?

(sorry I know absolutely NOTHING about snake-keeping)

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Originally Posted by AquaristGuy

As for the tub thing,
I know a lot of people do that but I don't know how I feel about keeping one in a tub. I just feel like she would be way happier in a nice big tank.

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Remember, they arn't roamers. A roaming BP is likely a stressed out one or one who is always hungry. They are ground snakes: they burrow in the wild and don't move around too often. Some of my BPs won't move for DAYS...but they're healthy, eating, and in my mind: happy. Plus, tubs keeps temps so much better than a huge tank and overall make BPs feel more secure (like a burrow). Wide open space isn't a ball python's friend IMO.

What i use as a rule of thumb for closure size is that the tub, or tank or whatever the animal is being kept in should be half the length of the snake. A full grown bp can spend it whole life in a 20 long fish tank and be happy.

With what day breaker said I agree 100 percent. A BP in the wild spends almost its whole life in the tight area of a termite nest and they come out at night to eat.

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Originally Posted by Daybreaker

Binder Clips: $2 Walmart

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Do you use the binder clips as clamps? Cause i need tank clamps and im not buying the 10$ clamps from petco when theres a cheaper alternative lol

Thanks! I noticed they don't move much. The ones at work don't move all day (12-5) most of the time. Also, I'm a fish guy, where a 10" fish needs a 4' tank.

I do not use clips on my tubs, but I am going to look into it after this post. I have never had a bp get out, but I dont need one to my wife will kill me. lol

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Originally Posted by drama x

Do you use the binder clips as clamps? Cause i need tank clamps and im not buying the 10$ clamps from petco when theres a cheaper alternative lol

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Sure do, they work great for me. I do use about 10 on my tubs for my little corn and kingsnake (since they're tiny) and more for my stronger snakes (my 6 lb normal girl can just snap them off herself if I only have four or so on her tub). Luggage straps work too.

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Originally Posted by AquaristGuy

Thanks! I noticed they don't move much. The ones at work don't move all day (12-5) most of the time. Also, I'm a fish guy, where a 10" fish needs a 4' tank.

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Oh, I forgot to include the caresheet for you if you haven't seen it yet: http://ball-pythons.net/forums/showt...ius)-Caresheet

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Originally Posted by Daybreaker

Remember, they arn't roamers. A roaming BP is likely a stressed out one or one who is always hungry. They are ground snakes: they burrow in the wild and don't move around too often. Some of my BPs won't move for DAYS...but they're healthy, eating, and in my mind: happy. Plus, tubs keeps temps so much better than a huge tank and overall make BPs feel more secure (like a burrow). Wide open space isn't a ball python's friend IMO.

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That's good to know. I am new at BPs as well, and have had my female only since August. I've always wondered about that, since the lady that sold mine to me told me that they CAN live in 20 long their entire life, but would be more comfortable in a 40 or 50 as soon as they reach maximum length of 60" or so. Mine was roaming for about a week after I got her final cage setup done, but now she spends 90% of her time in her hide and only comes out at night to bathe in the infared lamp and move around for about a couple hours before going back into hiding. Always thought she was stressed out to be spending that much time in the hide, but from what I've seen here, it's completely natural. So, that's good to know that they're supposed to do that and are comfortable in 20 longs :) Thanks.

Wow! I learn something new every day. Thank's to the OP for this thread because I too am a new bp parent and my baby is in a 40L which she cruises regularly. I never thought she might be stressed out. I thought she was happy but that explains why it's been difficult to get her to eat.

Good stuff Daybreaker!

That's why this forum is so amazing. I love being able to come on here and see herpers learning what their reptile needs, not what the owners think they need. Many people humanize reptiles, thinking the bigger the cage the better the care. Tubs are ugly and cheap, therefore they must be bad for snakes and only used as a cheap alternatives. This is not the case.

I thought these same things when I started out, I'm glad I found this place.

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Originally Posted by Daybreaker

Remember, they arn't roamers. A roaming BP is likely a stressed out one or one who is always hungry. They are ground snakes: they burrow in the wild and don't move around too often. Some of my BPs won't move for DAYS...but they're healthy, eating, and in my mind: happy. Plus, tubs keeps temps so much better than a huge tank and overall make BPs feel more secure (like a burrow). Wide open space isn't a ball python's friend IMO.

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I have an exception to that rule.

My male pastel loves his 40 gallon breeder tank with a "Lucy lid" installed.

He's totally calm, infinitely mellow, completely engaged and adores casually roaming about at night and climbing/lounging/sleeping on his "tree".

If I'm out there during the day time, he pops out of his hide and "begs" to be taken out.

We sit on the chair and watch TV in the bedroom.

He curls up beside me on the chair and falls asleep.

When I wake him up to go back to his home, he pitches a fit 'cuz he "don' wanna go back to bein' a snake!".

I really believe he thinks he's a dog.

You may have guessed already that he's the favorite in my collection....:)

Here he is, snoozing with his head propped on my fingers.

http://file.walagata.com/w/the-salam...cesleeping.jpg

He laid there for over half an hour until my hand went numb, trying not to move and disturb him.

I finally had to and he was so unhappy about 'going home'.

I love that snake.....:oops:

Everybody else is living in tubs but not My Boy.

:D

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Originally Posted by eel588

Good stuff Daybreaker!

That's why this forum is so amazing. I love being able to come on here and see herpers learning what their reptile needs, not what the owners think they need. Many people humanize reptiles, thinking the bigger the cage the better the care. Tubs are ugly and cheap, therefore they must be bad for snakes and only used as a cheap alternatives. This is not the case.

I thought these same things when I started out, I'm glad I found this place.

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I, too, started with tanks and all but one snake lives in a tub, now.

It's so much easier than constantly fretting over heat, humidity, etc.

For weeks, I hardly slept, always jumping up to check the tanks to make sure everything was still the same as the last time I checked the tanks.

First thing I did when I woke up was to run out and re-check them, fearing that while I napped, something had gone horribly wrong.

I didn't like the thought of tubs either, initially but everybody's calm, happy and eating like hogs, now.

Blessed, happy, peaceful tubs.


Aaahhhhhh.........;)

A big tank may be unnecessary, but really it's up to you. Yes, they tend to be more comfortable being able to hide and whatnot. But I keep my big female in a 75g aquarium I got off a friend. Yes, it's huge. But she can stretch out completely, and has plenty of places to hide, and some climbing spots. That too is unnecessary as they are mainly ground dwelling, but she seems to enjoy having something to climb on once and a while. It all depends on how you have your setup, and what works better for you. The most important thing is that the snake feels comfortable. She rarely comes out of her hides, but it works for me. It was a good deal and I took it. Heating it and keeping the humidity up are a royal pain, but I manage. I also cover it with towels, which helps. Regardless, I'm talking about a full grown female with whom I could do arm curls. Lol!

For a young BP, if you're going to go with what you know (glass aquariums), a hatchling would be happy in a 10g, and a sub-adult to adult would be happy in a 20L. However, depending on how you do up the 50g, they could be happy in there as well. It's just an unnecessary waste of space really. I also have a Dumeril boa baby...so that big tank may become her home in a couple years. :)

Thanks! This is why I thought they NEEDED big tanks.

(Quoted from That Pet Place): "Keeping a ball python in a small enclosure will not keep the animal smaller but, it will cause stress and be just as uncomfortable as you living in your closet! Provide your pet with the largest enclosure as possible while maintaining a safe and secure environment."