My Bio-active set up for a Ball Python

Hi all so I've had my Spider Ball Python for a while now shes about 10 months old. I got bored with the set up she loves to burrow and climb so I added a little perch, cut from a terracotta plant pot bottom. I've now gone almost bio-active (the clean up crew aren't in yet but should arrive in 2 days time)

I just want peoples opinions on what could be improved or changed I know a lot of people don't think bio-active works with balls as they crush everything but i have tried to get over that with a cage made from a skull see in pic. I've also gone for durable flowers so far i have 2 mother in laws tongue a Ficus Ginseng (a mini tree) 2 aloe vera plants (doing surprisingly well) a vinca minor which should cover alot of the floor and climb and a succulent but no exactly sure what.

https://ball-pythons.net/gallery/fil...101_190238.jpg

I haven't gone for a drainage layer as the temperature is quite warm should't have issues with sitting water.
For the substrate I've used a mixture of soil, coco fibre coco husk and sphagnum moss all mixed together with some leaf little as well so far the plants seem to be doing well and some are looking better than they were in there pots.
I'm using a MicroClimate Evo Lite with 150w ceramic bulb as its winter months its on a 8am till 8pm cycle of 30 degrees in the day and 28 at night. before i went bio-active i was having big humidity issues it seems to be just right now with the soil holding enough moisture but isn't wet or damn for Wob's to lye on.

https://ball-pythons.net/gallery/fil...101_190311.jpg

I also have the lights on a timer so they come on at about half 8 in the morning and off at half 8 at night. The lights are LED Strip lights for indoor grow rooms. they dont produce any heat only red and blue light for the plants at the moment i have 2 strips connected i may reduce it to just one though.

https://ball-pythons.net/gallery/fil...101_194712.jpg

https://ball-pythons.net/gallery/fil...101_194704.jpg

That one of those skulls that looks like holes but is painted and has no holes but confuses people into thinking you put a hide with small holes into a snake's cage that likes to get stuck? Because if so that is awesome and I want one

However is that tape holding down the cords on the probes? If so that is not going to end well.

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Originally Posted by spiderfreddie

Hi all so I've had my Spider Ball Python for a while now shes about 10 months old.

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Wait until it gets to like 2000g and becomes the plant destroying noodle of doom.

Also, I would consider adding a drainage layer. It seems fairly instrumental in keeping a lower moist layer as the top layer dries out, which will be important when you add springtails / isopods.

Very cool and beautiful !!

But yeah, adult BP's are quite the Bulldozers, LOL. I used to have really pretty display cages but the older they got..sheesh.

In the mornings it looked like a natural disaster happened. Plants ripped off from wherever they were fastened on. The ones on the bottom, flat as pancakes with leaves ripped off. The beautiful naturalistic water bowel full of the beautiful substrate. Everything pushed around. And the culprit ? Nowhere to be seen!!! (back in the hide after a job well done, lol..)

It really is very beautiful, though !!!

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Originally Posted by zina10

Very cool and beautiful !!

But yeah, adult BP's are quite the Bulldozers, LOL. I used to have really pretty display cages but the older they got..sheesh.

In the mornings it looked like a natural disaster happened. Plants ripped off from wherever they were fastened on. The ones on the bottom, flat as pancakes with leaves ripped off. The beautiful naturalistic water bowel full of the beautiful substrate. Everything pushed around. And the culprit ? Nowhere to be seen!!! (back in the hide after a job well done, lol..)

It really is very beautiful, though !!!

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I’ve totally noticed this with Ramsey....she’s my biggest and just when she’s cruising along in her tank....anything and everything is fair game hahha specially my thermometer....ALWAYS knocking it over where I can’t read anything


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Yeah she's not even 1000g yet and she likes to bulldoze round like she owns the place so far she's not damaged much it's mainly the fake climber plant that's on her vine and the 2 little thermostats that she keeps knocking off. The climber plant I have is actually growing more little blue flowers on it and starting to take root where it's expanding out to. I'm going to have it like this for at least 6 months if she kills plants I'll replace afew. After 6 months if it does seem to be more effort than it's worth then I'll have to redesign the Viv but the natural look is what I'm trying to achieve also the Viv smells nice every time I open it so so far that's a major advantage

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Originally Posted by spiderfreddie

Yeah she's not even 1000g yet and she likes to bulldoze round like she owns the place so far she's not damaged much it's mainly the fake climber plant that's on her vine and the 2 little thermostats that she keeps knocking off. The climber plant I have is actually growing more little blue flowers on it and starting to take root where it's expanding out to. I'm going to have it like this for at least 6 months if she kills plants I'll replace afew. After 6 months if it does seem to be more effort than it's worth then I'll have to redesign the Viv but the natural look is what I'm trying to achieve also the Viv smells nice every time I open it so so far that's a major advantage

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You can keep the bioactivity, you will probably just have to dispense with the plants and add crushed leaf litter and other nutrients for your cleaners periodically. I am near convinced this is the best way to do smaller vivariums with heavy snakes.

If you have a very large enclosure, then you can fit in thicker plants that will hold up better to ball pythons.

That is one beautiful display! Very nice job. If I were you, I would keep it as long as possible. I’m pretty sure a couple of my larger girls would destroy it in one night but then I have a couple that almost never disturb their water dish or substrate. So imo there is a chance it could work depending on the activity level of your ball python, some are definitely worse than others so if you get lucky, it might work. Very cool display either way ;)

It looks really cool! I wish I had the patience to set up a tank like this, but as with Zina10 my babies love to rip down plants and poo all over them :rolleyes: But is that tape holding up the thermometers? Because if so, you will want to take the tape out asap because if your baby pulls the tape down and gets stuck on it it can cause injury or even death very quickly.

It does LOOK absolutely marvellous ....

You beat me to it .... you're the second , making me the third to emphasise that there can not EVER be any kind of tape in a Viv / rub .

Best find an alternative and IMMEDIATELY , I use a hot glue gun to secure wires in place but there are another half dozen options .

Even Blu-Tac is safer in the meantime ..




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Originally Posted by rufretic

That is one beautiful display! Very nice job. If I were you, I would keep it as long as possible. I’m pretty sure a couple of my larger girls would destroy it in one night but then I have a couple that almost never disturb their water dish or substrate. So imo there is a chance it could work depending on the activity level of your ball python, some are definitely worse than others so if you get lucky, it might work. Very cool display either way ;)

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She is very active but even the aloe vera plants are doing well I've now got the springtails, tropical grey woodlice and bean weevils in there. the trailing plant Ive got in there has had so many flowers come out on it and she runs around on top of that plant so its a good sign, you can just see the plant in the background of the pic

https://ball-pythons.net/gallery/fil...103_191718.jpg

I even put a little spider plant cutting in the skulls eye and that's starting to come up nicely. I'm not sure yet whether I should put some natural plant food in there to help out a bit but so far it doesn't look like i need to

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Originally Posted by Zincubus

It does LOOK absolutely marvellous ....

You beat me to it .... you're the second , making me the third to emphasise that there can not EVER be any kind of tape in a Viv / rub .

Best find an alternative and IMMEDIATELY , I use a hot glue gun to secure wires in place but there are another half dozen options .

Even Blu-Tac is safer in the meantime ..




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Thank you. I have now removed it it was the soft side of sticky velcro had to use a paint scraper to get it off really sticks well. I've used the aquatic safe silicone to fix those 2 thermometers on

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Originally Posted by spiderfreddie

She is very active but even the aloe vera plants are doing well I've now got the springtails, tropical grey woodlice and bean weevils in there. the trailing plant Ive got in there has had so many flowers come out on it and she runs around on top of that plant so its a good sign, you can just see the plant in the background of the pic

https://ball-pythons.net/gallery/fil...103_191718.jpg

I even put a little spider plant cutting in the skulls eye and that's starting to come up nicely. I'm not sure yet whether I should put some natural plant food in there to help out a bit but so far it doesn't look like i need to

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Fertilizer, natural or otherwise, is not a good idea. Your clean-up-crew will convert poop and any food you provide for them into nutrients that will benefit your plants. No fertilizers necessary, as they're nature's true natural fertilization team!

As stated previously, if you have tape in the enclosure, that needs to be removed ASAP. Snakes are notorious for rubbing on things and peeling the tape off onto themselves. A bad time.

First off, beautiful setup!!!

However...As some others have mentioned...if that is take PLEASE remove it immediately. Tape, and any adhesives, are EXTREMELY dangerous to snakes.

Also, that skull looks really cool, but may end up being a problem at some point. Beleieve it or not, your snake may end up lodged in it and you will have to carefully destroy the skull while not injuring the snake.

Awesome setup, but could use a few tweaks.

Beautiful enclosure.

Thank you you for removing the tape.

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Originally Posted by craigafrechette

First off, beautiful setup!!!

However...As some others have mentioned...if that is take PLEASE remove it immediately. Tape, and any adhesives, are EXTREMELY dangerous to snakes.

Also, that skull looks really cool, but may end up being a problem at some point. Beleieve it or not, your snake may end up lodged in it and you will have to carefully destroy the skull while not injuring the snake.

Awesome setup, but could use a few tweaks.

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The Tape has gone I didn't think when i put it in there.
Yes i am aware of the skull problem that's why I've put the tree in there and filled it with the substrate. I am considering different ways to fully fill the skull when something that will set inside it so she can't even move it.

Yes still needs a lot of tweaks I want to find a very leafy plant to fill the back right corner and something to replace the aloe vera as they will get trampled very soon by her

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Originally Posted by spiderfreddie

The Tape has gone I didn't think when i put it in there.
Yes i am aware of the skull problem that's why I've put the tree in there and filled it with the substrate. I am considering different ways to fully fill the skull when something that will set inside it so she can't even move it.

Yes still needs a lot of tweaks I want to find a very leafy plant to fill the back right corner and something to replace the aloe vera as they will get trampled very soon by her

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Awesome!!! Keep up the good work!!!

what a beautiful enclosure!!!

where did you get those LED lights?

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Originally Posted by spiderfreddie

Thank you. I have now removed it it was the soft side of sticky velcro had to use a paint scraper to get it off really sticks well. I've used the aquatic safe silicone to fix those 2 thermometers on

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Great ... I can relax ....




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Originally Posted by spiderfreddie

The Tape has gone I didn't think when i put it in there.
Yes i am aware of the skull problem that's why I've put the tree in there and filled it with the substrate. I am considering different ways to fully fill the skull when something that will set inside it so she can't even move it.

Yes still needs a lot of tweaks I want to find a very leafy plant to fill the back right corner and something to replace the aloe vera as they will get trampled very soon by her

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What if you cut screen a little bigger than they're sockets and silicone them in place on the inside then you can sill fill it again but it would also allow for air flow and drainage?

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Originally Posted by tttaylorrr

what a beautiful enclosure!!!

where did you get those LED lights?

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Bonlux 4-Packs 600MM Waterproof LED Grow Flexible Strip Light Kit 12V Red Blue 3:1 Full Spectrum 5W LED Plant Strip Light Bar with 2A Adapter for Garden Greenhouse Flowering Plant Hydroponics System https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01N7K5P..._xButAb8S58E23

I haven't had them long but so far for £13.99 and £1.99 for a plug timer it's definitely the best idea. I want to get the white LED ones as well for my visual purpose but I'm very pleased so far. They come in 4 strips but I've only needed to use 2 of them

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Originally Posted by spiderfreddie

Bonlux 4-Packs 600MM Waterproof LED Grow Flexible Strip Light Kit 12V Red Blue 3:1 Full Spectrum 5W LED Plant Strip Light Bar with 2A Adapter for Garden Greenhouse Flowering Plant Hydroponics System https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01N7K5P..._xButAb8S58E23

I haven't had them long but so far for £13.99 and £1.99 for a plug timer it's definitely the best idea. I want to get the white LED ones as well for my visual purpose but I'm very pleased so far. They come in 4 strips but I've only needed to use 2 of them

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I have white leds and warm white leds, for your enclosure I'd recommend warm white leds as it looks a lot more natural than bright white!

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Originally Posted by Booper

I have white leds and warm white leds, for your enclosure I'd recommend warm white leds as it looks a lot more natural than bright white!

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Would warm white light drown out the blue/red light for the plants so I don't see as much of it

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Originally Posted by spiderfreddie

Would warm white light drown out the blue/red light for the plants so I don't see as much of it

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I can't say, I don't use any other light-emitting bulbs in my vivs, sorry!