Thinking about getting a Ball Python

I have been thinking for a while about getting a snake, well I have chosen the Ball Pythonere is the question. I have a old used 10 gallon tank that I was going to us for the Ball Python. Is that big enoguht for a baby. I have a cold house So I was going to move him/her in to the pantry (exter room) I can close off the AC vent to make it warmer. Or should I keep the BP in the family room (high tracfic)? I plain on getting the Heat mat and thermstate. Would getting a BP from a Reptile show be ok I have one coming to my town on the 11th. :banana:

A 10 gallon tank is fine for a baby bp. You'll want to make sure you have hides on both ends of the tank and that you're able to keep humidity up to proper levels. That's the biggest usual complaint with glass tanks and screen lids is that it's nearly impossible to hold in humidity. Do some searching in the husbandry section. Make sure to read the caresheet from this site so you know how to create the ideal environment for your bp.

And YES, it's always better to buy at a reptile show IMO. There will be multiple breeders to choose from, a MUCH larger selection of animals than you will find at any big box pet store, and the animals are most likely going to be cheaper and in MUCH better health at the show than at a pet store. You will have a chance to talk to the breeder that produced the animal and ask questions like what it's eating, when was the last time it fed, what are the genetics of the snake, etc...

Well, you have come to the right place for information, this forum is great. 10 gallon is fine for a baby for awhile. You might want to look into a steralite tub set up, tubs are great and hold humidity well. Make sure you get him two hides. I would not put him in a high traffic area, they can get stressed out very easy. Do some research, and check out the care sheet on here first. Thermostats are very important, please invest in a good one. Shows are a great place to get a good price on a bp. When you bring him home, no handleing until he has taken several meals consecutively. Then start with short sessions, building up. Make sure you post pics when you get one. :)

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I have taken care of larger one but never a baby. I had to rehome becouse I could not find a breeder of live rats, I have a friend that is just down the raod that breed larger snake and long with rat and mice and ASF. She also sells F/T. So I am good with that.

Tub setups are generally better in warmer rooms, not so much for cooler spaces, but they do hold humidity better. There are tips and tricks that you can apply to a screen lid on a 10 gallon that will help lock in the humidity. One trick is to cover 2/3 of the screen lid with aluminum foil and saran wrap. Another suggestion is to lay a damp towel over 2/3 of the screen top, wetting the towel as needed and washing it regularly to avoid bacteria buildup. Again, if you do some reading in the Husbandry forum, you'll find a lot of useful posts, including walkthroughs on setting up a proper glass enclosure.

I am not to much worried about humidity I live in souther Louisiana. most days here are around 100 persent. So a little misting would work. Even in my house.

A 10g is great for a baby just make sure to set it up properly I would also recomend covering 3 sides with a background. You plan on an Under Tank Heater and T-stat I I also use a 60w CHE on a dimmer for my ambient temps in my 10G tanks and well all set up looks a litle like this :)

https://sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphot...29230124_n.jpg

SEX pie what are the hides? in there

Ok I have been looking on here and weighing the odds I am going to go with http://ball-pythons.net/forums/showt...he-Basics-*DUW* looks better for me to clean

Ok I have other question what would be better heat tape or heat mat? what is the differcnet in them Pros and Cons please.

That is a fantastic thread. I'm all for tubs. My snakes are all in racks of course, but if you have one ball python a sterilite tub is perfect for it. I made the switch to flexwatt heat tape when I got my racks a while back. Before that I used tubs with UTHs. Heat tape is definitely more dangerous if your thermostat was to short out. It will get VERY hot very quickly. It's cheaper than UTHs though for multiple snakes. I think with one snake just get an UTH and a T-stat for it. I use the Ranco ETC 111000.

The main problem with glass tanks is holding humidity, I couldn't keep the humidity past 40%.
High humidity is essential during shed, and without it, a bad shed is inevitable which makes the snake uncomfortable.

I recommend a sterilite/rubbermaid tub, they're cheap, hold in humidity well, aren't air tight (so holes are only needed if the humidity is too high), and take up little space.
As for size, the rule of thumb is that it's big enough for the snake to stretch and move around without trouble, but it's a bad idea to put it in something too large because it can cause them to stress out. They like warm, secure places.

Heat is also important, personally, I like heat tape because it's cost efficient and can heat many bps.
But for a single bp, a heatmat will work. Just make sure you don't use a normal heatmat, as they are known to get too hot. AVOID heat rocks they can cause serious and sometimes life threatening burns. Use something like a Zoomed heat mat, I used to use them and they work very well.

I no longer use tanks I have moved to Tubs or custome built XPVC enclosures :) I raided the wifes flower pot pile for my hides (dont let her know:) ) and I used a Plexi cover with holes drilled in it to keep humidity up but still fought it constantly so I love my tubs and Enclosure now :D

Thanks guys. I have been told buy other boa breeds that zoo meds is the best for heat mat. I am saving up money now. I have a repcon show comming up I would love a fance morph but I know they are out of reach with money wise. I really dont see the point in some of these morph if you are going to have just a pet, but I have alway been like that. I love pied and the albio.

Well i have good news I know someone that is rehoming a BP that they took in a over a year ago. He is a normal, about 2 years old. Is it ok to feed ever 2 weeks. That is what she does to her breeder. I saw him today and he look really nice and sweet. He was rehome due to his other owner move into apartment that would not alow extoics or fish. He is taking Med rats