Didn't research enough. Mistake? Help needed.

So for $60 dollars I purchased a 40 gallon tank, few packs of bedding, hides, 2 thermometers, and climbing equipment on Craigs list (KILLER DEAL)
I'm in the market for buying my FIRST snake, a fire ball python (male) for those who care. I'm not a breeder. I just want it as a pet.
Buying a baby, and I was planning on buying a glass pane to seperate the tank into 2 20gallon sides, one for the snake, and the other for the supplies and stuff. Until he grew up of course.

I didn't know much about the humidity, and I've been studying for weeks. I don't know how it just didn't come up until now.
JUST found out about plastic tubs, but dammit they look so ugly.
I KNOW I KNOW, the whole "it's what your snake wants" argument, it's just so n0n-presentable. I'm an orderly kind of guy, so it really bugs me how unprofessional it looks.

Did I make the mistake on buying the cage?
AND should I go to tub?
How effective is the wet towel over the mesh top? I work 8 hours a day 5 days a week, so depending on how much I'd have to switch the towel out. Maybe insulate the sides? something like that?

Kinda bummed on how honestly (dumb) weird it'll look with a snake in tupperware in my room.
Any thoughts? Should I suck it up?

Honestly, it really is quite a hastle to keep the humidity where it needs to be in a glass tank with a mesh top. I just switched to tubs myself. I'm sooo glad I did. The humidity stays EXACTLY where it needs to be. The heating was kinda tricky because tubs don't hold heat as well. But, I experimented around for a bit, and once I had everything stabilized, it took out A LOT of the work that I was previously doing when I had a tank.

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Originally Posted by kat_black181

Honestly, it really is quite a hastle to keep the humidity where it needs to be in a glass tank with a mesh top. I just switched to tubs myself. I'm sooo glad I did. The humidity stays EXACTLY where it needs to be. The heating was kinda tricky because tubs don't hold heat as well. But, I experimented around for a bit, and once I had everything stabilized, it took out A LOT of the work that I was previously doing when I had a tank.

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So what EXACTLY is recommended? All the basics, just in a tub? Coconut was what I was planning on using, not sure what the kind is that the guy gave me. Could I just cut a plastic piece to fit where the mesh would be? drill holes for the heating lamp and ventilation?
AND pad or lamp? I've only read lamp.

You can get the humidity correct when using a glass tank. I built a wooden "top" for one of my display tanks. I used wood and plexiglass and left a portion of it open and put a screen over that section to let air flow. It works great for me, maintains 56% humidity and I can mist it if I need to bump the humidity up.

You could cut a piece of plexiglass for over the top. Uth is better than bulb but depending on what temp you keep your place you may need the lamp also to keep ambient temps correct.
An alternative to tanks that look wonderful.... check out Animal Plastics T8 enclosure

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You'll most likely want underbelly heat and NO lamp if you want to keep decent humidity levels.

As for a tub looking unprofessional, you can always get a PVC enclosure, which would look great and also ensure proper heat and humidity. They can be expensive, but if it's just for one animal it's well worth it.

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Originally Posted by reptilesbeforemammal

So for $60 dollars I purchased a 40 gallon tank, few packs of bedding, hides, 2 thermometers, and climbing equipment on Craigs list (KILLER DEAL)
I'm in the market for buying my FIRST snake, a fire ball python (male) for those who care. I'm not a breeder. I just want it as a pet.
Buying a baby, and I was planning on buying a glass pane to seperate the tank into 2 20gallon sides, one for the snake, and the other for the supplies and stuff. Until he grew up of course.

I didn't know much about the humidity, and I've been studying for weeks. I don't know how it just didn't come up until now.
JUST found out about plastic tubs, but dammit they look so ugly.
I KNOW I KNOW, the whole "it's what your snake wants" argument, it's just so n0n-presentable. I'm an orderly kind of guy, so it really bugs me how unprofessional it looks.

Did I make the mistake on buying the cage?
AND should I go to tub?
How effective is the wet towel over the mesh top? I work 8 hours a day 5 days a week, so depending on how much I'd have to switch the towel out. Maybe insulate the sides? something like that?

Kinda bummed on how honestly (dumb) weird it'll look with a snake in tupperware in my room.
Any thoughts? Should I suck it up?

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For aesthetics, you may want to look at Animal Plastics' T8 cage. It is what I recommend if you don't want an 'ugly' tub. It maintains enclosure temps and humidity much better than a glass tank.

In my opinion, I personally don't like glass tanks. They are a pain in the butt to deal with in my experience. However, it's what you have and want, so we can try to make it work if you still want to use the tank.
You can get a plexiglass piece(or damp towel and wet every other day or so, you may have to wet every day or less depending. Just adjust accordingly) to fit over 90% of the lid to help retain humidity. Use a large water dish and keep it over the hotspot of the enclosure. Larger water surface = greater evaporation. You can also use a moisture retaining substrate like coco husk or cypress mulch. And don't use a heat lamp, which will kill humidity.


If you want a tub that is more "display friendly", you can try these Rubbermaid tubs: http://i.walmartimages.com/i/p/00/07...70_500X500.jpg
I've heard some people starting to use it for their snakes with success.

If you choose to use this or the more regular tubs everyone has, you need to have a thermostat and a heating pad. The thermostat regulates and controls the heating pad so it doesn't get too hot and burn your snake/melt the plastic.

Honestly, as long as the snake is happy and healthy, what it looks like is up to you.

I love the glass look as well, and I will not use plastic tubs. I got my snakes to look at and enjoy, and a tub would not work for me (I too am not a breeder, so space isn't a concern at this moment).

Where I am, the humidity in the air can be anywhere from 30-80% on ANY given day. I have a mini humidifier set up beside the tank (which my partner already had before the snakes) for the low humidity days. I think he got it for $20 at Wal-Mart or something.
The type of substrate you use also has an effect on the humidity. I use aspen, which can dry things out - so if you are super concerned, try something else... no idea what, as I too would like to know this info! :P Perhaps Reptibark or coco fiber/husk? Don't quote me on that though.
You can try misting before and after work, and see where the humidity sits.
Another thing you can try is putting a shed box in the tank at all times. A shed box is essentially a container/hide filled with dampened sphagnum moss. It works great! Only problem is when your snake loves it so much it doesn't want to come out when you want it too... *my corn snake specifically*.
Also, you could try having two water dishes in the tank on either side. If there is one over the warm spot, the water will evaporate into the air more. You would probably need to cover part of the lid for this to work properly though.
On that note, if you don't want to put towels over part of the mesh lid, I'm sure there are other things you could use to cover it - just look around some more, or get creative! :)

There are so many tips and ideas out there that I wouldn't worry if you have your heart set on a glass vive.

I hope I didn't ramble too much, I just got super inspired.

Best of luck!

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Originally Posted by reptilesbeforemammal

So what EXACTLY is recommended? All the basics, just in a tub? Coconut was what I was planning on using, not sure what the kind is that the guy gave me. Could I just cut a plastic piece to fit where the mesh would be? drill holes for the heating lamp and ventilation?
AND pad or lamp? I've only read lamp.

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Well, there are plenty of options. Everyone has different needs and wants. The main thing is that the proper temps and humidity are provided for the snake. The rest is up to you.

Heat lamps actually kill humidity, so most people will advise against them.

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Originally Posted by NH93

Honestly, as long as the snake is happy and healthy, what it looks like is up to you.

I love the glass look as well, and I will not use plastic tubs. I got my snakes to look at and enjoy, and a tub would not work for me (I too am not a breeder, so space isn't a concern at this moment).

Where I am, the humidity in the air can be anywhere from 30-80% on ANY given day. I have a mini humidifier set up beside the tank (which my partner already had before the snakes) for the low humidity days. I think he got it for $20 at Wal-Mart or something.
The type of substrate you use also has an effect on the humidity. I use aspen, which can dry things out - so if you are super concerned, try something else... no idea what, as I too would like to know this info! :P Perhaps Reptibark or coco fiber/husk? Don't quote me on that though.
You can try misting before and after work, and see where the humidity sits.
Another thing you can try is putting a shed box in the tank at all times. A shed box is essentially a container/hide filled with dampened sphagnum moss. It works great! Only problem is when your snake loves it so much it doesn't want to come out when you want it too... *my corn snake specifically*.
Also, you could try having two water dishes in the tank on either side. If there is one over the warm spot, the water will evaporate into the air more. You would probably need to cover part of the lid for this to work properly though.
On that note, if you don't want to put towels over part of the mesh lid, I'm sure there are other things you could use to cover it - just look around some more, or get creative! :)

There are so many tips and ideas out there that I wouldn't worry if you have your heart set on a glass vive.

I hope I didn't ramble too much, I just got super inspired.

Best of luck!

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Not a ramble at all! Completely on point with the direction I wanted, Helpful thank you.
I just really don't want the tub, and I will find a way to make it work. I may test it out for a few weeks before buying the snake at all. More or less some trial runs. I was thinking about making an enclosure AROUND my tank with packed insulation? Ideally, it should assist in this. I'm going to talk to a friend for some ideas as well. Thanks!

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Originally Posted by kat_black181

Well, there are plenty of options. Everyone has different needs and wants. The main thing is that the proper temps and humidity are provided for the snake. The rest is up to you.

Heat lamps actually kill humidity, so most people will advise against them.

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Ah, Good thing I brought that up! I didn't know that. FORUMS ARE HELPFUL AS HELL.
I'll make sure it's perfect thank you!

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Originally Posted by satomi325

For aesthetics, you may want to look at Animal Plastics' T8 cage. It is what I recommend if you don't want an 'ugly' tub. It maintains enclosure temps and humidity much better than a glass tank.

In my opinion, I personally don't like glass tanks. They are a pain in the butt to deal with in my experience. However, it's what you have and want, so we can try to make it work if you still want to use the tank.
You can get a plexiglass piece(or damp towel and wet every other day or so, you may have to wet every day or less depending. Just adjust accordingly) to fit over 90% of the lid to help retain humidity. Use a large water dish and keep it over the hotspot of the enclosure. Larger water surface = greater evaporation. You can also use a moisture retaining substrate like coco husk or cypress mulch. And don't use a heat lamp, which will kill humidity.


If you want a tub that is more "display friendly", you can try these Rubbermaid tubs: http://i.walmartimages.com/i/p/00/07...70_500X500.jpg
I've heard some people starting to use it for their snakes with success.

If you choose to use this or the more regular tubs everyone has, you need to have a thermostat and a heating pad. The thermostat regulates and controls the heating pad so it doesn't get too hot and burn your snake/melt the plastic.

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As that is extremely helpful, I'm going to try a trial run before I actually purchase the snake to recreate the environment. In California here, it shouldn't be of TOO much difficulty. And I have the time to spend macgyver-ing myself an effective atmosphere for the little guy. If I go through a week of NO success, I won't hesitate to buy one of these. Thank you!

Those turquoise tubs are actually kind of cute :) I'd wonder if a determined ball could push that open though...

OP, I'd recommend cypress mulch as a substrate. It's cleaner than coco (as in, it doesn't stick to EVERY single thing lol) and it has a great look while holding humidity wonderfully IMO. You very well may need a heat lamp, I know I do at times. I have a ceramic heat emitter, it works well to keep up my ambient times. I only use it when my room temps are low though. Anyway, that's all I got :) Good luck!

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Originally Posted by MootWorm

Those turquoise tubs are actually kind of cute :) I'd wonder if a determined ball could push that open though...

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I thought they were pretty cute too.
I haven't seen one in person yet so I can't say with certainty, but from what I've heard from snake keepers who are using it, it "clicks" into a locking position or something??

Either way, I'm sure with some imagination it wouldn't be too difficult to figure out how to keep it locked.
I would probably melt a tiny hole into the clear plastic door and another tiny hole parallel on the turquoise part and install a little latch or something.

And I know the gecko people are starting to use it too without any locks... But then again, their animals aren't as determined as a snake. lol ;)

I was under the impression that if you use tubs then the ambient temperature in your snake room should be close to 80 degrees. Or am I misunderstanding this?

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Originally Posted by jimmyvea

I was under the impression that if you use tubs then the ambient temperature in your snake room should be close to 80 degrees. Or am I misunderstanding this?

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You are correct. The room needs to be 78-80

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Idc what anyone says no animal is happy in a tub 24 hrs a day...mine is in a tank and I'm buying another BP sunday and he is going in a tank as well.... This whole collecting snakes and putting them in seled up tubs where they can't see anything or explore there homes is totally wrong.

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Originally Posted by NYHC4LIFE8899

Idc what anyone says no animal is happy in a tub 24 hrs a day...mine is in a tank and I'm buying another BP sunday and he is going in a tank as well.... This whole collecting snakes and putting them in seled up tubs where they can't see anything or explore there homes is totally wrong.

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They spend the good majority of their lives in the wild in tiny holes in the ground. Please check your info before spewing crap.

And don't drive your self crazy man..this is my first snake..keep ya hotside an avg of 88-90 and humidity between 50-70 and u will be fine... That's what I do and my snake is eating and shedding and pooping and peeing and sleeping and hiding and exploring..also to help with humidity keep a wet damp rag on the top of the tank...mist the tank with a water bottle to keep humidity up..its really not hard to maintain and take care of them...

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Originally Posted by NYHC4LIFE8899

Idc what anyone says no animal is happy in a tub 24 hrs a day...mine is in a tank and I'm buying another BP sunday and he is going in a tank as well.... This whole collecting snakes and putting them in seled up tubs where they can't see anything or explore there homes is totally wrong.

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You said this is your first and you haven't had him long. How can you determine that?


OP, I have two T8's. They are PVC cages. I have it divided down the middle so I can house one snake on either side. I also have lights and radiant heat panels on either side and a lock. Altogether each one has cost me a little under 400 each. The advantage is it looks nice and keeps heat and humidity right with no effort. The other options are tubs that don't look nice or a tank that looks nice but requires constant work to maintain.

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Originally Posted by jimmyvea

I was under the impression that if you use tubs then the ambient temperature in your snake room should be close to 80 degrees. Or am I misunderstanding this?

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Depends who you're talking to and if someone has an enclosed rack, open rack, or stand alone tub.
My room temp is 70. But with a 90 hotspot in the tub in an enclosed rack, it radiates heat to the cool end making it a perfect 80 for me.

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My rack is enclosed with 90 hotspot and my cool side went down to 74 without heating the room
No snake was in it at the time, I was testing it out first :)
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Quote:

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Originally Posted by NYHC4LIFE8899

Idc what anyone says no animal is happy in a tub 24 hrs a day...mine is in a tank and I'm buying another BP sunday and he is going in a tank as well.... This whole collecting snakes and putting them in seled up tubs where they can't see anything or explore there homes is totally wrong.

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Granted that ball pythons spend 90% of their time in the wild in underground rodent burrows and termite mounds, I would have to say that a tub probably feels very spacious to them. The only time they leave is to breed, eat, and find more burrows to hide in.

Thats in regard to ball pythons.
If we're talking about a species that does prefer open spaces and is active, then yes. I think it should be given a proper enclosure that includes open spaces and room to move. And I do exactly that with my colubrid. But my ball pythons? No. Because they won't take advantage of the space. Ive given them nice pretty decorated spacious glass tanks in the past and all it did was make some of them go off feed and have terrible sheds. They were holed up in their hide almost constantly and I only saw some of them come out only to feed.
I got a rack system and wham! Everyone starts feeding regularly! Perfect whole sheds. And they still spent the majority of their time in their tight hides which is about 1/16 of the size of the tub. Yup. They preferred their little hide than stretching in the larger tub space. Go figure.


I personally keep my animals in enclosures based on the species. I've personally found that tubs work great for ball pythons, but certainly not all other animals. I'll be getting a boa and they'll certainly not be in tubs. I know they are a more active species that will utilize as much space as I give them.

And note that not all tubs are small. There are some lovely display tubs out there that that people decorate as much as a pvc cage or tank. People use tubs because maintaining heat and humidity is easier than a tank and the ball pythons seem to drive. I know I wouldn't be using them If they were bad.

In the end, they hide in cramped spaces. That is what ball pythons prefer. Sure you get the occasional odd ball that is active, but as a species, I wholly disagree with you. Activity generally means stress in BP.

And one last thing. Tanks are for fish. I learned that early on in my BP keeping.

In the end, do what you want to do. Its your animals and your decision. But in regards to what you think they prefer, I disagree in general. Maybe if I had a ball that doesn't hide regularly, I'd put it in a display. But I don't. A hiding ball is a happy ball.

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I don't use glass tanks because I've had under tank heaters crack the glass bottom. That's a bad situation all around. The safety of my animals is more important than aesthetics. This is why I don't ever recommend fish tanks for reptiles if a UTH will be used.

Only animals that work as display animals (arboreal snakes and tarantulas) get display enclosures here. Anything that wants to spend most of it's time in hiding gets a tub or Kritter Keeper because that's where it's happier. That's my advice to anyone asking what to keep an animal in.

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Bugmom, if your glass cracked from a UTH, it makes me really question either the temperature, or the glass itself (most likely the glass because you sound pretty experienced).
:S Most (or all?) UTH are made specifically FOR glass, that is why that would be worrisome. But I can totally understand if that were to happen to you why you would switch to tubs!


Sorry, I don't mean to overtake this thread from the OP! But I am wondering, do BPs relax when they get older? I've got just a little 3 month old, and he moves around his tank a lot! I love it, but a few of you say they don't use the space... except he's out like clockwork every night, all night - and definitely uses the space! Every snake is different though...
Thanks! Hopefully my question will help aid the OP as well :)

Great glass tank write up from doing a search.

http://ball-pythons.net/forums/showt...ht=glass+tanks

I did one someplace too but Aaron really has it together.

Read up!!

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Originally Posted by Gio

Great glass tank write up from doing a search.

http://ball-pythons.net/forums/showt...ht=glass+tanks

I did one someplace too but Aaron really has it together.

Read up!!

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Thank you so much! This is way too helpful, I appreciate it.
I'm going to be going to the store to pick up eveerything that I don't have, that was mentioned on that link.
I've got a few places to go! Usually Repttile stores don't have the humidity gauges right?
And would they have mulch at the store? I feel like I've never seen it, and then again I haven't looked very hard.
Thanks again!

I just checked the bottom of my tank and it's fine and been for a month. I have a 29 gallon high and I'm only using a 10-20 gallon zilla UTH for his hide,since he is still a baby. Plus what I use for day time heat,which is a 100 watt bulb...no problems,with using the bathroom or shedding or eating..he hides most the time but likes to poke his head through the bushes and just look around and sit with half his body on the rock and look around...temps and humidity is good..so I have no problems so far,if anything arises then I'll change..for now,I say if it ain't broke don't fix it....

Honestly, I've used the glass tanks as well as the racks with plastic tubs, and I've kept perfectly happy, healthy snakes in both. I've been keeping ball pythons in glass tanks since 2007 with absolutely no problems at all. Never a single RI, very rarely do I get a bad shed.

I know tons of people who've kept snakes in glass tanks for 20+ years. I think the importance of humidity is exaggerated among enthusiasts. Not to say it should be completely ignored, but frankly, in my experience, the only snakes that come down with RIs are the ones in extreme conditions, such as being housed directly in the path of a central heating vent or constantly being allowed to sit in spilled water. For the most part they're fine as long as they're not stressed. Sometimes people will change their snake's environment trying to act in its best interest, only to have it respond to the change by getting stressed and coming down with something.

Don't worry yourself too much over this. These little guys are a lot hardier than we give them credit for.

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Originally Posted by NH93

Bugmom, if your glass cracked from a UTH, it makes me really question either the temperature, or the glass itself (most likely the glass because you sound pretty experienced).
:S Most (or all?) UTH are made specifically FOR glass, that is why that would be worrisome. But I can totally understand if that were to happen to you why you would switch to tubs!


Sorry, I don't mean to overtake this thread from the OP! But I am wondering, do BPs relax when they get older? I've got just a little 3 month old, and he moves around his tank a lot! I love it, but a few of you say they don't use the space... except he's out like clockwork every night, all night - and definitely uses the space! Every snake is different though...
Thanks! Hopefully my question will help aid the OP as well :)

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Yeah, I have used glass tanks for years with no problem, but this one cracked good. I just don't want that hassle/loss of money again.

My theory is that water spilled which led to a rapid change in temp of the glass, causing the crack. If the glass was already compromised somehow (manufacturing defect) then I can see how it would crack easier. I never noticed any temp spikes in the UTH.

I find tubs to be more convenient these days since I only have so much room. Having a 40 gallon set up for one snake like I did years ago just isn't practical for me. At least not one that is horizontal vs vertical. I have room to move UP, but not out. Plus accidentally dropping a glass tank if I need to move it for any reason would be a big, possibly fatal, disaster. Only the geckos get a glass tank these days, and it's just a 10 gal. Oh and one tarantula cause she's spoiled.

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