Caging Size?

Is a male ball python okay to live in a 20L gallon terrarium for its adult life?And if not, at what size should they be upgraded? Just curious. Have heard lots of mixed things. I am looking into a T3 animal plastics at the moment for an upgrade.

For most males that T8 would be fine. I know that I would not be comfortable using a 20 gallon tank for life.

I have a 5 foot girl in a a tank that is 6 inches taller than the T8, otherwise it's the same. But I have plans to move her to T12 equivalent, 48x24x24. She loves to climb, so I'm going taller than the norm.


http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/12...1bf28d2c9d.jpg
The clutter on top is to keep the cat off.

Most of my males stay in 15qt tubs. Depends on how large they get but a 20 gal should be more than enough.

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Originally Posted by Asherah

Most of my males stay in 15qt tubs. Depends on how large they get but a 20 gal should be more than enough.

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wait, a 15qt tub for an adult male ball python?

Yes. I keep my snakes up to around 1000g in 15qt tubs. Most of my males are kept at or below 1000g.

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Originally Posted by Asherah

Yes. I keep my snakes up to around 1000g in 15qt tubs. Most of my males are kept at or below 1000g.

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That's a tiny tub for a 1000 gram BP. Got a picture?

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Originally Posted by Eric Alan

That's a tiny tub for a 1000 gram BP. Got a picture?

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Sure. It's not an unusual part of the hobby to keep snakes up to 1000g in 15qt tubs, particularly if the are problem feeders.

700g pastel female
http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/12...c8c12fabad.jpg

900g normal
http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/12...2c39cddd51.jpg

1100g ivory.
http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/12...d99b889509.jpg

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I totally hear you, but it starts getting really dang tight in my V-18s when they hit 800 grams or so. What are the dimensions of that 15 quart?

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Originally Posted by Eric Alan

I totally hear you, but it starts getting really dang tight in my V-18s when they hit 800 grams or so. What are the dimensions of that 15 quart?

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Haven't measured. Most of mine get moved out when they hit 1000g. The ivory is currently still in a 15qt despite his size do to feeding. I don't provide hides for the most part for the 15qt, so tighter space is excellent for extra security.

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My 10 year old adult male is four feet long, about five pounds and in a 48 x 24 x 12 pvc cage currently but has spent most of his life in a 36 x 24 x 17 cage. I'll probably move him back to the smaller cage once some of my short tails need the space. He doesn't move around often and mostly stays on the cool end of the cage but I feel there should still be room to stretch out when he does want to. I wouldn't go for a fish tank since heating is so hard to maintain, poorly sized for most snakes and they are a pain to clean but aquarium wise you would be looking for more like a 40 breeder although that's still not as wide as I prefer.

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Originally Posted by maausen

Is a male ball python okay to live in a 20L gallon terrarium for its adult life?And if not, at what size should they be upgraded? Just curious. Have heard lots of mixed things. I am looking into a T3 animal plastics at the moment for an upgrade.

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Why not get a t8? It's cheaper, and larger. You can get a divider and have room for 2 snakes.

I actually did originally want the t8 but for just room wise.

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Originally Posted by Reinz

For most males that T8 would be fine. I know that I would not be comfortable using a 20 gallon tank for life.

I have a 5 foot girl in a a tank that is 6 inches taller than the T8, otherwise it's the same. But I have plans to move her to T12 equivalent, 48x24x24. She loves to climb, so I'm going taller than the norm.


http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/12...1bf28d2c9d.jpg
The clutter on top is to keep the cat off.

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It looks like you have the same tank in the same size as I do. It looks like you keep your screen top open/not covered, do you have any humidity issues? Just curious, because I do.

I have my boy a little over 900g in a 36x18x18h and he seems pretty comfortable. He can stretch out and he likes to climb the rock wall at the back of the tank. I am in the process of getting a girl and i am wondering if the same size exo-terra tank will be ok for her, when she is adult size.

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Originally Posted by reknirt

It looks like you have the same tank in the same size as I do. It looks like you keep your screen top open/not covered, do you have any humidity issues? Just curious, because I do.

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No humidity issues at all!

Now that pic is a bit deceptive, it was probably taken during the rainy season this year. But if you look back at quadrant #1 you will see one of the four cardboard/foil panels installed. Also that big plastic box is covering up most of quadrant #3.

Even now with dry air I have no issues because I have a great substrate system for THIS tank. It is a layered system of clay balls on the bottom covered with a solid inch or more of Eco Earth coconut husk that so many folks dislike.

Every two weeks I pour anywhere from 1.5 - 3 quarts of water directly on the top. It soaks the coco well and drains to the clay balls to be slowly released back into the Coco. This system has worked very successful for a few years now. The snake keeps the earth packed down so it is not sticky or messy as others claim.


Here is a pic today with 90% coverage.
http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/16/01...e1fcc414e8.jpg


Here's a shot taken the other day with high humidity on the cool side of 72.
http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/16/01...143680f925.jpg

A T8 will work fine. I plan on a T8 for my BP and either a T10 or T13 for my sunglow BCI. Thought about a T25 for my BCI but shipping would be $227. Figure I got time to decide as I don't plan to pull the trigger until early summertime so I don't have to worry about the cold. Anyways the key thing about the height is how hard will it be to maintain ambient temps. That's the biggest thing you need to look at. For example heating a 12" tall cage will be much easier than trying to heat a 24" tall cage. Another thing you can do is if you are getting an AP cage, just add a shelf which will add more floor space and give your BP something to climb on assuming it likes to climb.