Enclosure size?

Hey all, greetings from Raleigh(ish) NC, and thanks to Kaorte for pointing me in this direction after some not so constructive help on reddit by other users! Anyway, my question: My Lucy (Lucille Ball Python) is growing well, and was 170 grams last week. And eating two "small" mice without difficulty, I'm not EXACTLY sure how long she is, he last shed was about 22". I'd like to put her in a 40g breeder that I have. I've of course heard two schools of though, 1) being that BP's don't like enclosures that are too big, that it stresses them out. and 2) that it just doesn't matter, as long as she has enough hides, and the correct temperature gradient. OR is it that at her size, the 40 breeder is fine anyway? Thanks much for the help, I really want her to be happy and healthy. I bought her to overcome a lifelong fear of snakes, so far it's working well, her and I are "growing" together.

First off, welcome to the forum, and that's so good that you bought a snake to break your lifelong fear off snakes, they're no so bad once you get to know them, are they? I bought mine to satisfy my lifelong love and interest for snakes, as well as to educate friends and family. Yes, it's true that royals don't need an excessive amount of room, because they don't really like open areas, they're not active hunters, they're opportunists. As anyone else will agree, a royal is most happy when they're hiding away. I reckon the 40g is definitely fine for the moment, but I don't work with g's, I just work with ft for wooden vivariums, someone will be able to come along and later clarify.

You'll definitely have to give us some pictures of your Lucy. :rolleyes:

@Streller, thanks for the input. I see you're in the UK, for size, the 40G breeder would be about (in CM) 91X46x44 (LxWxD).

Ahh! Welcome! I also bought my noodle to get over my fear, but after a Repticon, I was completely over it! A little shaky when handling but otherwise it was great :) glad to know someone is nearby! I'm 30 min away from Raleigh(ish) area. As for enclosure size, I think you'll get mixed inputs. Personally I would try it and see how she reacts to it. You could always downsize if needed. I'm sure others with much more experience than I have will chime in. Congrats on your Lucy and +1 with the pics! [emoji16]

If you put in such a big enclosure make sure to cramp it up with fake vines, cover, things to climb on etc. pvc pipe is great for them to climb on and play around. If is cluttered as such it won't seem so big to your bp


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Hey there! Glad you found us! I don't know what's going on on Reddit... everyone seems to praise the advice of one new keeper... sooooo yeah.

My problem with 40g tanks is that they are suuuuper tall. Think about the volume of air inside the tank that you need to heat and humidity. It is quite the task.

A 170g snake in a 40g is a bit overkill in my opinion. Have you considered a tub setup or a pvc enclosure? PVC is a little more expensive, but so much easier to keep temp and humidity where they need to be.

Perhaps you could use a tub setup until she is a bit bigger and then move her to a permanent PVC enclosure.


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Originally Posted by Kaorte

Hey there! Glad you found us! I don't know what's going on on Reddit... everyone seems to praise the advice of one new keeper... sooooo yeah.

My problem with 40g tanks is that they are suuuuper tall. Think about the volume of air inside the tank that you need to heat and humidity. It is quite the task.

A 170g snake in a 40g is a bit overkill in my opinion. Have you considered a tub setup or a pvc enclosure? PVC is a little more expensive, but so much easier to keep temp and humidity where they need to be.

Perhaps you could use a tub setup until she is a bit bigger and then move her to a permanent PVC enclosure.


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I love the look of the PVC "professional" display cases, but my pockets just aren't THAT deep, they get over $400 really quick from what I've seen. As for keeping her in a tub, I just can't do it. I know that the environment is easy to control that way, but they seem so impersonal, and I've not seen a tub setup that you can see in. I want a setup that I can see in at all times. Right now, she's in the bedroom in a 20L aquarium. I'm not in love with her substrate, because I do have to mist her ALL the time to keep humidity above 50%. Her substrate is the ecoearth shredded coconut. I like that it's natural, but dries out very fast. As always, thanks for all the help!!

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Originally Posted by jbzapanda

Ahh! Welcome! I also bought my noodle to get over my fear, but after a Repticon, I was completely over it! A little shaky when handling but otherwise it was great :) glad to know someone is nearby! I'm 30 min away from Raleigh(ish) area. As for enclosure size, I think you'll get mixed inputs. Personally I would try it and see how she reacts to it. You could always downsize if needed. I'm sure others with much more experience than I have will chime in. Congrats on your Lucy and +1 with the pics! [emoji16]

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jbzapanda where are you located? I'm between Clayton and Garner, in the 40/42 area, located in the JoCo! Are you familiar with any local places to get snakes and accessories that AREN'T petsmart, petco?

If you're struggling with humidity, I suggest that you get some sphagnum moss in the hides, or even just in some kind of ornament, that will help hold the humidity, especially if you keep it moist. :)

Well in that case, just keep her in the 20g. I don't think she will outgrow it for another year.


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Originally Posted by Can-AmOutlanderXMR

jbzapanda where are you located? I'm between Clayton and Garner, in the 40/42 area, located in the JoCo! Are you familiar with any local places to get snakes and accessories that AREN'T petsmart, petco?

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I'm actually in Wilson, NC! Small town just 30 min away. I'm still on the hunt for any reptile stores but a lot of them are closed. There's a Pet Supplies Plus in the Raleigh but I'm not so sure if they have any reptile stuff. I usually just drop by Repticon to get some stuff. They have shows 3 times a year so I get feeders just enough to last me until the next show!

Honestly I'm in the school of thought that if you provide enough hides and are able to keep husbandry numbers at optimal levels, the snake will be fine. I actually have a hatchling in a exoterra medium-low locking enclosure with screentop, it's inbetween 30-40 gallons, and he's doing just fine. He has 4 hides and tons of foliage to make him feel secure, and as of yet hasn't shown any signs of stress or discomfort. I use spagnum moss in hides and cocofiber substrate to hold humidity, and mist daily. The screen top is covered by tinfoil
where possible.

I personally think you're fine either way, but I would make sure the 40 breeder is dialed in before making the move. If you're having difficulty with humidity in the 20 gallon, it's even tougher in the 40. I currently have snakes in both a 40 breeder and a 20 gallon, so I know it can be tricky. But like somebody said above, you can add some sphagnum moss and it helps. Also make sure the tank is wrapped on three sides and you have the top covered in plexi-glass or cardboard wrapped in aluminum foil to hold temp/humidity. As far as substrate, I use repti-chips now and am content with the humidity control they offer. I have however heard good things about orchid bark that you can buy from Home Depot or Lowes or somewhere like that. I guess it works just like repti-chips but is a whole lot cheaper. I am on my last bit of repti-chips and checking out the orchid bark tomorrow.

Thanks all for the great help! Kaorte was right, y'all are WAY more supportive than the folks @ reddit BP!! I think I'll be working towards setting up the 40 for her, and I'll be extra diligent about her temp/humidity. I'm going to be using the 20L that she's in right now for a pair of female ratties. I'll be breeding her food so that I KNOW it's well cared for and well fed! @jbzapanda, PM coming your way. I'll be trying to figure out how to post pics, but I did find a few that I'll put in my gallery. Thanks again for the support. My goal is get very comfortable and snake savy with Lucy, then get a Dumeril's Boa!