So...

I know I've been posting a whole lot of threads about different snakes and I think I've decided on a Ball Python :) Right now I've decided to wait on getting a snake. In the meantime I want to cram as much knowledge I to my head as possible in the meantime:P So...
1. Would a 41q underbed storage tub be okay for the duration of a MALES life?
2. I know some people recommend that they arnt for beginners but other people say with the right research a beginner could keep a BRB. What's your point of view?
3. What's the best cage for humidity?
4. Are AP cages really as good as people say they are?
5. Are males or females better? Or is there really a difference?
6. Should a beginner start with a $20 normal or would a $400 Mystic Potion,BEL or Pied be okay?

Also I've read almost any sticky I can find about tub setups and the tank sticky on here :)

It doesn't matter if you have a normal or a cool morph- they have the exact same husbandry requirements so get whichever one you like the best and can afford.

My boy lives happily in a 41 quart. As for differences. If you aren't breeding I'd get a male because for the most part you'll be able to buy cooler genes for less money if you get a male as female are more valuable in the eyes of breeders.

Personally I don't find ball pythons to be the best for beginners as they can be very picky about both their set up and their eating. I would consider a ball python and a BRB about the same level of 'difficulty'. Both snakes really need to have their husbandry perfect to be happy and even then a ball python will often go on a food strike that can be very stressful for a first time owner.

I consider cornsnakes the 'go to' beginner snake. ;)

Not saying that beginners can't own ball pythons or BRB, you just need to make sure everything is set up right.

EDIT: also an older more established snake is going to be easier than a hatchling. A hatchling of either species is not going to be happy starting out in a 41 quart, way too much room for them to feel comfortable.

Hmm,the husbandry does worry me a bit but coulubrids really don't interest me :/ I like how they BPs have a python look in a 'Tiny' package :) Well tiny compared to Retics or Burms

Just make sure that you do plenty of research and you'll be fine. Have your enclosure setup and running with proper temps and humidity before bringing the snake home.

A thermostat (not to be confused with a thermometer) is one of the single most important pieces of a ball python enclosure. It regulates your UTH so your snake won't get burned. An unregulated UTH can easily reach over 100 degrees and injure or even kill your snake.

Ball pythons actually are extremely easy if you buy all the proper equipment, do thorough research and prepare ahead of time so I don't understand why people say they aren't beginner snakes.

Echoing Kira on the research. A beginner can totally keep a thriving bp as long you commit to your research and don't try to take short cuts with husbandry. Solidify yourself with the basics before trying to break the rules and don't be afraid to take things slow.

Thermostats will be your most important equipment so it will definitely be worth saving up for a reliable one with a long life span, such as Herpstat. They seem pricey at first glance but in the long run it will save you a lot of money and headaches if you start with a better quality thermostat than a cheaper one you will have to replace within a few months.

As for humidity, tubs and pvc cages will be your best bet, but your choice in substrate will play a key factor. I can say Animal Plastics is definitely fantastic, well worth the wait if you're looking for a high quality permanent cage. They also offer custom sizes/features and dividers. You just need to survive the wait time :p

As for male or females, it comes down to personal preference. The biggest difference is size. Males being smaller and females being larger. This will vary from snake to snake, but males may be more prone to going off feed during breeding season because they are more interested in looking for girls lol. However there has also been studies that suggest males are more likely to explore and climb than females. Again this is more dependent on each individual snake.

Personally I went with a male due to their smaller size.

So what I've found is that they are good for beginners...a well researched beginner who gets the right supplies and doesn't take short cuts? Especially no impulse buys as I find those lead to a dead snake or someone selling the cute little noodle they saw at an Expo or Petsmart(Who I've read is NOT a smart choice to buy animals from)

Exactly! I got my very first snake in February. I have never had a snake before let alone a reptile. The key is that I did a bunch of research and had the enclosure setup before she arrived. I've never had an issue with her and she hasn't skipped a single meal.

Feel free to personally message me if you ever have questions or need to help :)

Thanks so much Kira! When I do get a snake it will be my first reptile...so nervous even now! I've had many different animals so it's really just the humidifier and temps making me nervous:oops:

It seems overwhelming at first, but it's actually easier than it seems :) with the proper research I'm sure you'll do just fine! Everyone is more than willing to help if you have any questions. We will do our best to help!

I'm also a beginner who has chosen a ball python as my first snake, and it's this forum (and people like you Kira! And of course Redshepherd too!) that has helped me become more knowledgeable and prepared for my first snake. Kira listed solid key points to success. Just make sure you really take your time to digest all the information you're soaking up :)

As a tangent I see you have good taste in morphs! Mystic potions and pieds are some of my favs!

Haha,I love how with pieds you get a colored morph but also a BEL type whitness:P And mystic potions...well they're just pretty :D

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by BallPythonWannaBe

Haha,I love how with pieds you get a colored morph but also a BEL type whitness:P And mystic potions...well they're just pretty :D

---

I love that about pieds too! Especially high whites. It's like you're getting the best of both worlds :p I was close to getting one myself but ended up getting a mystic potion (he'll be arriving in 2 weeks!) because who can resist a nice mystic potion?? Lol

Oh! I saw your thread about him :) Tapioca right? He's an adorable little dude :D

Yup! That's him! Thank you ^^ we'll all be looking forward to seeing your first noodle too!

Well,now that you've offered I'll probably be peppering you and Kira with questions until the big day! And if I'm being honest I'll be asking questions for quite a while after I get my little noodle! I can't wait for more pics of Tapioca,make sure you post plenty of them. Don't hide him from us:rofl:

Don't be afraid to ask questions, it's better to be prepared than to just make assumptions :gj: You guys are going to love having a ball python! It's such a joy and I can't wait for you to experience it!

I'm leaning towards a high white normal or pastel pied...I had my eye on a Banana Pied from Bob Clark but he was around $1300 and since I'm 14 and it would be my first snake I don't really want something quiet that expensive

By all means please do!

Haha and don't worry there will be plenty of pictures of Tapioca to come :p

Also have you checked out MorphMarket? Great place to check out different morphs and even see which breeders are close to you! Just be sure to research the breeders as well :p that being said there are also lovely breeders here too :)

Morph market is where I find all the pretty noodles I like :D
I hadn't really thought about breeders on here :O

http://www.morphmarket.com/us/c/rept...-pythons/63489
I need this 0-0

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by BallPythonWannaBe

http://www.morphmarket.com/us/c/rept...-pythons/63489
I need this 0-0

---

Hi.. Link not working for me ..

Also what does the the 0-0 refer to ?


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by BallPythonWannaBe

www.morphmarket.com/us/c/reptiles/pythons/ball-pythons/63489
I need this 0-0

---

Pieds are gorgeous! I don't think I've ever met a bp owner that's been unhappy with a pied, be it low or high white. They're just cool snakes.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Zincubus

Hi.. Link not working for me ..

Also what does the the 0-0 refer to ?


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

---

the 0-0 is a wide-eyed smiley face, just have to use a bit of imagination. [emoji3]

Oops,sorry. The link is to a Pastel Pied Male BP with pretty high white from Fireball Reptiles :)

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by KayLynn

Pieds are gorgeous! I don't think I've ever met a bp owner that's been unhappy with a pied, be it low or high white. They're just cool snakes.

---

They really are :P I don't really like low whites bit the ones with 50% and higher amounts of white...I love them. :D

Are Zilla thermostats okay?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by BallPythonWannaBe

Are Zilla thermostats okay?

---

Honestly not really. Unless you're fine with replacing it a few months later it or potentially failing.

It would be more worthwhile to invest in a Herpstat from Spyder Robotics as it's more accurate, more safety features and has an incredible lifespan!
http://www.spyderrobotics.com/index....=index&cPath=1

Trust me, worth it! If you are going to spend lots of money on your bp, that would be it.

If that's too pricey, then consider starting with Jumpstart as a good TEMPORARY one so you can save up for a Herpstat or other higher quality thermostat.

https://www.amazon.com/MTPRTC-Contro...art+thermostat

Vivarium Electronics are also a good choice.
http://www.reptilebasics.com/thermostats

I could definitely afford the HydroFarm and I could save up for the better Stat. :) Thanks for awnsering! I think...I found a normal im love with 0-0

Could I use shredded paper as a substrate? This might be a dumb question :/ What tub is best for a standalone tub? 41q tub mean?

So...mom says she won't have rats in her house :/ Even frozen thawed ones. I'm starting to feel a little discouraged towards getting a BP. Mom does like Corns and Kings...

what does she think corns/kings eat???

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by BallPythonWannaBe

So...mom says she won't have rats in her house :/ Even frozen thawed ones. I'm starting to feel a little discouraged towards getting a BP. Mom does like Corns and Kings...

---

But she'll have frozen mice?

For some reason she's fine with mice no matter the size but rats she won't have :/

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by RickyNY

But she'll have frozen mice?

---

Yep

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by BallPythonWannaBe

For some reason she's fine with mice no matter the size but rats she won't have :/

---

have you tried having a discussion about it with her? rats and mice used as feeders come from completely sterile facilities; they're just like other meats in the freezer. does it have to do with sharing freezer space with food?

Nope,she even said that she supposed it was just like beef. But she hates rats :no:

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by BallPythonWannaBe

Nope,she even said that she supposed it was just like beef. But she hates rats :no:

---

has she seen Ratatouille?!? get her to watch it!

...this is a tough one. beeps can do fine on mice for practically their whole lives, the only downside is it's more expensive to feed multiple feeders vs one appropriately sized one, plus the extra work their bodies have to do for digestion.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by tttaylorrr

has she seen Ratatouille?!? get her to watch it!

...this is a tough one. beeps can do fine on mice for practically their whole lives, the only downside is it's more expensive to feed multiple feeders vs one appropriately sized one, plus the extra work their bodies have to do for digestion.

---

Yeah :/ I'm not sure if I should go for a Corn or still go with a BP... I like them pretty much equally

Only thing I can think of is having a separate mini freezer for them, but that's a tad expensive and she still might say no. Still, the rats would be away from food and she wouldn't have to look at them every time she opened the house freezer. :/. Parents, man. Why I don't live with them anymore lol.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Starscream

Only thing I can think of is having a separate mini freezer for them, but that's a tad expensive and she still might say no. Still, the rats would be away from food and she wouldn't have to look at them every time she opened the house freezer. :/. Parents, man. Why I don't live with them anymore lol.

---

Yeah,I would have to pay for the freezer since mom said if I have a snake I have to pay for all its supplies and its food.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by BallPythonWannaBe

Yeah :/ I'm not sure if I should go for a Corn or still go with a BP... I like them pretty much equally

---

you need to go with the one you love most. both species can live to be 20 years old, and that's a long time to have a pet you chose as 2nd pick. you can make it work with mice if a beep is what you really want. :)

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by BallPythonWannaBe

Yeah,I would have to pay for the freezer since mom said if I have a snake I have to pay for all its supplies and its food.

---

go on craigslist!!! since i buy my f/t feeders in bulk i needed my own little freezer. my parents have one but we had to share and neither of us were too happy about it. i found a big chest freezer for $60 and gave it to my parents so i could have the littler one.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by tttaylorrr

go on craigslist!!! since i buy my f/t feeders in bulk i needed my own little freezer. my parents have one but we had to share and neither of us were too happy about it. i found a big chest freezer for $60 and gave it to my parents so i could have the littler one.

---

That's about the price of a new small freezer at Walmart (I've been tempted but not THAT tempted lmao).

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Starscream

That's about the price of a new small freezer at Walmart (I've been tempted but not THAT tempted lmao).

---

i've never seen a brand-new freezer sell for anything less than $110 :confusd:

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by tttaylorrr

i've never seen a brand-new freezer sell for anything less than $110 :confusd:

---

They've got all kinds of things cheap right now for back to school.

https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...nafwo1_540.png

So tempted.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Starscream

They've got all kinds of things cheap right now for back to school.

https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...nafwo1_540.png

So tempted.

---

well i'll be darned! :cool: honestly i'd go for it.

EDIT: wait that's just a fridge with a tiny freezer compartment. i'm talking about a full freezer.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by tttaylorrr

well i'll be darned! :cool: honestly i'd go for it.

EDIT: wait that's just a fridge with a tiny freezer compartment. i'm talking about a full freezer.

---

Dang you're right, should have looked at the product description. :/. Lame.

Kid, get the ball python! If you get a Corn you won't be happy, you'll always want the ball python. In regards to your mom, I bet she can't tell the difference between an adult mouse and a rat pup :rolleyes: Just saying!

https://www.amazon.com/Igloo-FRF110-...s=mini+freezer


Small freezers are not that common - this one is $140 shipped from Amazon