Ball Python Cage Setup

So I might be getting a BP which I'm rally excited about :) I've compiled a list of things I will need but i think its lacking. So I decided to ask people who own ball pythons what exactly I need and how to lay out the tank.

Cage: $115 http://m.petsmart.com/h5/hub?id=rept...d%3D36-20350#a

Heat Emitter: $13 http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00HFN..._t1_B0002AQCQO will this work for the basking?

UTH: what size for 40 gallon?

Hides: tbd based on location

Water Bowl: tbd

Floresent light??: do I even need one?

Also I was wondering if people could post pictyres of their cage so I can have a guidline?

Thanks!
(Sorry for the spelling I am on a tablet)

Ypu could save your self alot of trouble that comes with trying to establish a tank and go with a tub setup, much cheaper and easier to get set up and remain established. Tanks are possible but take alot of work... Also on that uth youll need a thermostat otherwise you run the risk of burning your snake

Florescent light is not needed. If your getting a young bp that tank is a little to big. Like said above a tub setup would be cheaper but if your looking for it to look nice then you should go with a PVC cage because they look nicer. You can get the popular t8 cage from apcages.com and buy the divider with it and you can move the divider more and more as it grows bigger. You will also need a good thermostat like said above. Links to recommended thermostats below. Make sure you get a model that is proportional not on/off. Also if your room gets cold you will need either another uth for other side of tank or the heat emitter which then you will have to get another thermostat to control that device as well or a thermostat that can take 2 heating sources.

http://www.spyderrobotics.com/index....=index&cPath=1

http://www.vivariumelectronics.com/Products.html

http://helixcontrols.com/?page_id=42

Well right now I have a 10 gallon tank (with lid) that I used for my gecko for a while. Do you think I could start my bp out in that? I also have a 20 gallon aquarium with no lid (I needa find one). Plus, how much more would a PVC cage cost? I don't really want to use a tub because I want it to look nice. I'm thinking about the Herpstat Intro for the thermostat. But really, can I use the Ceramic heat emitter for the basking area?
Thanks

Snakes don't need a "basking area" per se. They just need a warm and cool side and as long as the temps are right in both of those they don't need any special basking spot. They don't require any special lighting either like some lizards do. The above advice is very good. Depending on your room temperature you can probably just get away with one under tank heater covering like 1/4 or 1/3 of the bottom of the cage.

They're selling the AP t-8 for 150 right now. But you'll also need to pay shipping I suppose. Another solution if you're handy is to build your own pvc cage - there are a lot of videos and info on this if you are interested. Otherwise you can go with a tank but you'll have to be very diligent on keeping the humidity up and you'll need to cover the majority of the screen top with something to prevent all the humidity from escaping. You might also find that in a tank you may have feeding problems since the snake will not feel nearly as secure as it does in a tub.

Something the size of your ten gallon would be perfect for a baby. The 20 would work for subadult size. I would reserve a 40 size tank for only adult ball pythons. If you put a baby in the 40 it will likely not eat.

Herpstat thermostats are great but I would get a better model then the intro bc it doesn't have the safety features. If your room gets below 80 at anytime you will need another heat source for the cold side which means you will need a herpstat 2. I just use a uth for both the hot and cold side and set my herpstat at 92 for hot side and my cold side is set to 85 that way I never have to worry about if my room gets to cold. You could use the heat emitter as your cold side heat source as well but you will still need a herpstat 2.

Petco will have their $1 a gallon sale soon so save your 40g buying for that :D. If you decide you still want a tank. The PVC cages are probably better, although I don't really like how they look. Up to you.

Yeah, you can keep it in a 10g for awhile, so no reason to run out for a tank right now. You do need a thermostat though. I'm using this kind: http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B000NZ...IfL&ref=plSrch

It's cheap but works. You can get much better products eventually, but this is a good way to get started with a BP without going broke or burning your snake.

You can make hides out of things like margarine tubs or (plastic) coffee cans. Or plastic bowls or flower pot bottoms or whatever. Get creative!

The basics: a secure enclosure. A heat source and something to control the heat source. A thermometer/hygrometer to measure the temps and humidity. Something to put in the bottom of the enclosure (paper towels work fine, but if you like wood chips more, aspen is good). Something to use as a hide. Well, 2 hides :). A water dish. Food (have you found a source?). You can provide the basics quite inexpensively---how fancy you want to get is up to you.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by chrid16371

Herpstat thermostats are great but I would get a better model then the intro bc it doesn't have the safety features. If your room gets below 80 at anytime you will need another heat source for the cold side which means you will need a herpstat 2. I just use a uth for both the hot and cold side and set my herpstat at 92 for hot side and my cold side is set to 85 that way I never have to worry about if my room gets to cold. You could use the heat emitter as your cold side heat source as well but you will still need a herpstat 2.

---

Which Herpstat should I get then? Can I just get along with a cheap thermostat starting out (like http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B000NZ...IfL&ref=plSrch) and as I go along, get a better thermo?

I have a Hydrofarm on mine back home (similar to your amazon link) that I use to control the UTH on the hot side. I use a heat lamp to increase the ambient room temp if I need to, but that's worked fine for me for the last 2+years

For a t-stat you don't have to get a proportional as on\off versions do work fine. I do understand that there is the risk of the switch breaking in the open position but that I personally believe is rather slim. I have a on\off t-stat that I got for a fraction of the price of a herpstat basic that i really like. It is an on off t-stat that is heavily used in the home brewing industry for beer which require some pretty rigid tolerances. My temp swings are no more then 2degrees and this has been working like a champ for months now. It is a basic t-stat that gets the job done with no issues. I am planning on getting the new herpstat 6 but that is mostly for ease of use. I like the ability to be able to run 6 heating systems off one unit and it does have quite a few bells and whistles. On\off is not the way to go if you plan on using it with heat bulbs though. The light coming on and off would really suck lol. Also an aquarium can be easily modified to work. All you need is a plexiglass sheet to cover a portion of the screen to help keep in heat and humidity. Also add some moss and a moisture retaining substrate and you will be fine. Just my opinion. :cool:

I'm still new to the BP arena... I've only had mine a bit over 6 months. I researched before I got mine. I felt I knew what was bad, what was okay, and what was good. In my opinion, you have three options:

1. Buy a fish tank with a screen cover, a ceramic heat emitter, a heat mat (UTH) a cheap thermostat, some hides and a water bowl. You'll end up spending $300 before it's all said and done, and you'll have to work daily to keep your temps and humidity in check.

2. Buy a plastic tub, heat tape, Maybe a space heater for your room (if it's ever below 75 degrees), a thermostat, some hides and a water bowl. You'll spend a little less here... maybe $150, but you can't see your snake very well, and a tube isn't all that attractive sitting on your counter or dresser.

3. Buy a pvc enclosure made for a reptile, an RHP (radiant heat panel), thermostat, hides, and a water bowl. You could spend $500 on this, but it will look nice, and after a day or two, you really don't have to fool with your temperatures or humidity.


I started off with a used plastic (not pvc) enclosure, heat tape, and a CHE. temps were okay, but humidity was all over the place. I had about $200 invested. Then I moved to a tub setup (and built a small rack). I underestimated the need for good ambient temperatures with a rack/tub setup... so I ended up purchasing a good PVC enclosure (T8). I'm 100% satisfied with my T8, knowing my snake is safe, happy, and has plenty of room to grow and be content for the rest of her life.

You CAN start out with a 10 gallon fish tank... but I would HIGHLY encourage you to wait, save up a little more money, and just go with a PVC cage and proper setup the first time. It will save you and your snake a LOT of stress.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by LittleTreeGuy

You CAN start out with a 10 gallon fish tank... but I would HIGHLY encourage you to wait, save up a little more money, and just go with a PVC cage and proper setup the first time. It will save you and your snake a LOT of stress.

---

This exactly.

Will also save you money in the long run. My bps are the cheapest reptile I've owned in terms of setting them up and there both in quite expensive vision cages. This was all bc I did what the pet stores told me and after realizing what I bought was all wrong I had to go and spend more money to make it right. My first reptile was leopard geckos and they cost me $700. Crazy right? Never buy those kits at pet smart or Petco either.

IMO getting a good thermostat is a priority. All it takes is one thing to go wrong and the cheaper ones will literally cook your snake. Plus with most on/off style thermostats if you set your temp to 90 it will drop to 85 before it kicks back on. It doesnt give your snake the choice of temp it feels comfortable at. Your snake will be on a rollercoaster with temps which I would think would be stressful. Its like being somwhere thats cold then hot and you constantly having to take on and off your coat. Not quite that bad but you get the idea. There is a couple that you can adjust so it turns on and off at let's says half or 1 degree which isn't bad but they still lack the safety features of shutting off if something goes wrong.