Potential new BP owner

Hi. 1st post, and I don't even own a snake yet.

My wife and I both like snakes, but didn't really want one due to live feeding. We occasionally have pet rats. My wife took in a rescue snake when she was in high school but rehomed it because the feeder rats looked like her pet rat. I volunteered at a zoo in Oregon in my early teenage years in the '80s and loved working with the BPs. JR was my favorite. He was a 4' normal. He also had a scar on his back from being bitten by a rat.

We've been to a few local reptile expos. My son has a bold banded mack snow leopard gecko (Bandit). My daughter has a russian tortoise (Boris). We also live on a small farm with miniature horses, Nigerian Dwarf goats and are getting back into chickens again this year. The closest I've come to owning a snake was my snowflake morray eel in my saltwater aquarium, and now that I think about it, a snake would probably be cheaper than getting back into a saltwater aquarium.

We went to another expo last weekend looking for dubia roaches to start a colony to feed the gecko. Getting tired of buying mostly dead meal worms from PetCo. My son wanted a tegu until he held one, and now preferrs blue tongued skinks. My daughter was bitten by the bug. Specifically she wants the ivory male she was holding, but I didnt' have the cash or the setup at the time. I won't do another impulse buy. That's how we got Boris. My wife felt bad that we bought the gecko for my son but weren't planning on getting anything else. Since then I've had to learn a lot about Russioan tortoises and am going to be building a dig proof 8x8 outdoor enclosure for him this spring. My rule is you have to have a habitat ready for them and know what their care needs are before you can bring one home. My daughter's birthday is coming up next month. She has been showing that she is responsible enough to take care of the tortoise. She can even forage suitable food for him from our farm. My wife and I found out about frozen/thawed rats which really changed my wife's opinion on owning a snake, so we've been doing research because we know we will be the primary caretakers. My wife grew up breeding dogs, so she's fascinated by all of the genetics behind morphs.

I recently contacted someone on Craigslist that is downsizing and looking to sell a 4 year old female pastel with a 40 gallon breeder tank. I have only asked some basic questions so far such as, price, weight, last time she fed, what is she currently eating, how often, where is he sourcing her rats, when did she last shed, any respiratory issues, and last vet visit. Are there any other questions I need to ask before we go look at it this weekend? He keeps multiple reptile species.

Currently he said she is eating 1 large rat every 10 to 14 days. She does not like frozen thawed. No idea how much she weighs. My guess is around 1500 grams. She doesn't look overweight or underweight in the picture he sent. Last shed was about 4 weeks ago. Has not been to a vet recently. Never had mites or respiratory issues. Are there any red flags here?

IF my daughter likes her enough, and I decide to bring it home with the enclosure, I need to get the following:
Bedding - I just used my last bag of cypress mulch for Boris the tortoise, so need to pick up one anyway. It looks like she's on Reptibark or some coco substrate.
UTH and thermostat - unless it comes with the enclosure. Might pick up a spare to have on hand.
A slightly larger hide - He sent me a pic and she's so large the hide lifts off of the substrate, but she likes it.
Cold side hide
Reptile cleaning supplies - need some suggestions for disinfectant, etc. I buy most of my equipment at That Pet Place in Lancaster, PA.
Feeding tongs
Heat lamp for warming thawed rats - Optional. I have plenty of ziploc bags, buckets and hot water.
Frozen rats - Medium to large
Digital hydrometer
A few decorations - Branches for climbing, rocks for rubbing (pretty sure these well come when I have to dig the trench to install the dig barrier for the tortoise enclosure), plastic plants for bulldozing.
I have a large 12" terra cotta dish that's too big for Boris' winter enclosure. Can I use it for water, or should I use something different?
What am I missing?

Environmental Issues:
The office/rapidly growing reptile room is part of the addition that was built on to the original old farm house and is on the southwest corner of the house. One window facing west. It's about 8x12. We have floor board radiator heat under the window and it wraps around the short wall as well. With the door shut and the A/C vent closed, it stay's pretty warm in the winter. The tortoise has his open enclosure with UVB and heat lamp in this room for the cold weather months and we're moving the gecko from the kitchen into the room this weekend. The only problem I'm running into is humidity. I essentially would have two desert dwellers and a tropical dweller in the same room. I have a few one gallon ultrasonic room humidifiers that get ran a lot in the winter time. Sometimes the humidity in the house during the winter months gets drier than Death Valley. Literally. We can get down to 15% when it's single digits outside. I was going to put a humidifier on a humidity controller, or should I focus more on just misting the substrate in the snake enclosure and partially covering the screened top?

During the summer I have the opposite problem. It's an old farm house. Some of the walls probably have newspaper instead of insullation. The A/C was added years after the house was built and struggles to cool the house in the summer. We tend to leave the thermostat at 75 and hope it really doesn't get above 80. I'm a West coast kid and the Mid-Atlantic humidity kills me every year. Other than installing a small window A/C unit, how do most people control high heat and humidity?

Is it ok ot keep the windows open on those rare days when the weather is absolutely perfect?

The floor in the room is carpeted. I don't have any shelving or a stand for a 40 gallon breeder. Do I need to elevate the tank off of the floor for a UTH? I'm not opposed to makeing a quick and dirty stand with a few boards and patio block to get it off the floor if needed until I get a rack or stand for the enclosure. I need to set up a rack anyway to start seedlings for the garden and I want to grow food for the tortoise year round.

There are a few more expos coming up in my are soon and Repticon Baltimore is Memorial Day weekend, so I don't feel pressured to get this particular snake.

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Originally Posted by kwjones001

Hi. 1st post, and I don't even own a snake yet.

My wife and I both like snakes, but didn't really want one due to live feeding. We occasionally have pet rats. My wife took in a rescue snake when she was in high school but rehomed it because the feeder rats looked like her pet rat. I volunteered at a zoo in Oregon in my early teenage years in the '80s and loved working with the BPs. JR was my favorite. He was a 4' normal. He also had a scar on his back from being bitten by a rat.

We've been to a few local reptile expos. My son has a bold banded mack snow leopard gecko (Bandit). My daughter has a russian tortoise (Boris). We also live on a small farm with miniature horses, Nigerian Dwarf goats and are getting back into chickens again this year. The closest I've come to owning a snake was my snowflake morray eel in my saltwater aquarium, and now that I think about it, a snake would probably be cheaper than getting back into a saltwater aquarium.

We went to another expo last weekend looking for dubia roaches to start a colony to feed the gecko. Getting tired of buying mostly dead meal worms from PetCo. My son wanted a tegu until he held one, and now preferrs blue tongued skinks. My daughter was bitten by the bug. Specifically she wants the ivory male she was holding, but I didnt' have the cash or the setup at the time. I won't do another impulse buy. That's how we got Boris. My wife felt bad that we bought the gecko for my son but weren't planning on getting anything else. Since then I've had to learn a lot about Russioan tortoises and am going to be building a dig proof 8x8 outdoor enclosure for him this spring. My rule is you have to have a habitat ready for them and know what their care needs are before you can bring one home. My daughter's birthday is coming up next month. She has been showing that she is responsible enough to take care of the tortoise. She can even forage suitable food for him from our farm. My wife and I found out about frozen/thawed rats which really changed my wife's opinion on owning a snake, so we've been doing research because we know we will be the primary caretakers. My wife grew up breeding dogs, so she's fascinated by all of the genetics behind morphs.

I recently contacted someone on Craigslist that is downsizing and looking to sell a 4 year old female pastel with a 40 gallon breeder tank. I have only asked some basic questions so far such as, price, weight, last time she fed, what is she currently eating, how often, where is he sourcing her rats, when did she last shed, any respiratory issues, and last vet visit. Are there any other questions I need to ask before we go look at it this weekend? He keeps multiple reptile species
I am ALWAYS skeptical about "downsizers...." You would be better off buying a hatchling from a reputable breeder and getting the animal onto FT. Buying a snake from a person with multiple other reptiles also scares me to death. Who knows what kind of care they have been providing.

Currently he said she is eating 1 large rat every 10 to 14 days. She does not like frozen thawed. No idea how much she weighs. My guess is around 1500 grams. She doesn't look overweight or underweight in the picture he sent. Last shed was about 4 weeks ago. Has not been to a vet recently. Never had mites or respiratory issues. Are there any red flags here?
Red flag right there. If you aren't willing to feed the animal live prey then a four year old animal that has only been fed live it's entire life will more than likely not eat at all when all you are trying to feed is FT. Also, a live, large rat for a female ball python is asking for problems if that is indeed what she is being fed. That rat can do serious damage to that animal. Anything above a smallish medium rat gets pre-killed for BPs in my collection. I don't even let 7 ft boas eat live rats that size.. They can be vicious little creatures.

IF my daughter likes her enough, and I decide to bring it home with the enclosure, I need to get the following:
Bedding - I just used my last bag of cypress mulch for Boris the tortoise, so need to pick up one anyway. It looks like she's on Reptibark or some coco substrate.
UTH and thermostat - unless it comes with the enclosure. Might pick up a spare to have on hand.
A slightly larger hide - He sent me a pic and she's so large the hide lifts off of the substrate, but she likes it.
Cold side hide
Reptile cleaning supplies - need some suggestions for disinfectant, etc. I buy most of my equipment at That Pet Place in Lancaster, PA.
Feeding tongs
Heat lamp for warming thawed rats - Optional. I have plenty of ziploc bags, buckets and hot water.
Frozen rats - Medium to large
Digital hydrometer
A few decorations - Branches for climbing, rocks for rubbing (pretty sure these well come when I have to dig the trench to install the dig barrier for the tortoise enclosure), plastic plants for bulldozing.
I have a large 12" terra cotta dish that's too big for Boris' winter enclosure. Can I use it for water, or should I use something different?
What am I missing?

Environmental Issues:
The office/rapidly growing reptile room is part of the addition that was built on to the original old farm house and is on the southwest corner of the house. One window facing west. It's about 8x12. We have floor board radiator heat under the window and it wraps around the short wall as well. With the door shut and the A/C vent closed, it stay's pretty warm in the winter. The tortoise has his open enclosure with UVB and heat lamp in this room for the cold weather months and we're moving the gecko from the kitchen into the room this weekend. The only problem I'm running into is humidity. I essentially would have two desert dwellers and a tropical dweller in the same room. I have a few one gallon ultrasonic room humidifiers that get ran a lot in the winter time. Sometimes the humidity in the house during the winter months gets drier than Death Valley. Literally. We can get down to 15% when it's single digits outside. I was going to put a humidifier on a humidity controller, or should I focus more on just misting the substrate in the snake enclosure and partially covering the screened top?

During the summer I have the opposite problem. It's an old farm house. Some of the walls probably have newspaper instead of insullation. The A/C was added years after the house was built and struggles to cool the house in the summer. We tend to leave the thermostat at 75 and hope it really doesn't get above 80. I'm a West coast kid and the Mid-Atlantic humidity kills me every year. Other than installing a small window A/C unit, how do most people control high heat and humidity?

Is it ok ot keep the windows open on those rare days when the weather is absolutely perfect?

The floor in the room is carpeted. I don't have any shelving or a stand for a 40 gallon breeder. Do I need to elevate the tank off of the floor for a UTH? I'm not opposed to makeing a quick and dirty stand with a few boards and patio block to get it off the floor if needed until I get a rack or stand for the enclosure. I need to set up a rack anyway to start seedlings for the garden and I want to grow food for the tortoise year round.

There are a few more expos coming up in my are soon and Repticon Baltimore is Memorial Day weekend, so I don't feel pressured to get this particular snake.

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In closing.. DO NOT buy a snake if you are unable or unwilling to feed live prey. Most will convert at a young age onto FT without any issues at all. The animal will suffer and get stressed out if you are constantly putting a FT rat in their face and they don't want it. You will frustrate yourself as well as lose a lot of money throwing away rats that it doesn't want.

Kudos to you for putting in the time and effort to be prepared. That will make a huge difference when bringing the animal home and sets a great example for your kids. Two thumbs up.

If feeding live is a make or break, you definitely don't want to bring home an adult snake who has refused F/T. Chances are it will take months or longer to transition to F/T.
Adults are also prone to refuse food for a while after being moved. Probably not the first snake experience (as a permanent pet) you're looking for.

My two cents would be to check out morphmarket.com and do some "window shopping". You will find tons of BPs for sale. Just do your homework and find a reputable breeder. Or at least get some ideas in mind for the next expo.

Since live feeding is something you want to avoid, your best bet will be to find a juvenile from a reputable breeder that is already well established eating F/T. By well established I mean AT LEAST 5 meals of F/T without refusal.

I just think this route will be more enjoyable for you and your family while also eliminating any concerns about feeding live.

Good luck! Please keep us posted.

Perfect! I was a little on the fence about her being fed larger meals so far apart, but had not even considered that she would permanently refuse FT. He just said she preferred live and there weren't many places locally that sell frozen other than Petsmart and PetCo. Personally, I think live rats pose too much of a risk to the snake, which is why I considered FT as a viable option. So for those that raise their own rats, how are they killed prior to feeding? I've heard some people use C02. My guess is that takes a sealed container hooked to a C02 tank. Breaking necks? Maybe a disucssion for a different time if we get back into rats.

Since I showed my wife Morphmarket a few days ago, she is non-stop sending me pictures snake she wants, and she has very expensive tastes in morphs....slow down turbo. Nothing good happens fast in an aquarium...same for other animals. I'm pretty sure my daughter would prefer a juvenile anyway. Again, I don't feel any pressure to buy this snake.

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Originally Posted by kwjones001

Perfect! I was a little on the fence about her being fed larger meals so far apart, but had not even considered that she would permanently refuse FT. He just said she preferred live and there weren't many places locally that sell frozen other than Petsmart and PetCo. Personally, I think live rats pose too much of a risk to the snake, which is why I considered FT as a viable option. So for those that raise their own rats, how are they killed prior to feeding? I've heard some people use C02. My guess is that takes a sealed container hooked to a C02 tank. Breaking necks? Maybe a disucssion for a different time if we get back into rats.

Since I showed my wife Morphmarket a few days ago, she is non-stop sending me pictures snake she wants, and she has very expensive tastes in morphs....slow down turbo. Nothing good happens fast in an aquarium...same for other animals. I'm pretty sure my daughter would prefer a juvenile anyway. Again, I don't feel any pressure to buy this snake.

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I think you're making a wise choice.

As for breeding rats, most euthanize using a CO2 chamber like you mentioned. It seems the most humane way to go. From there you can freeze them or offer what's known as "pre-killed" which poses no risk for the snake.

As for purchasing F/T prey Petco and PetSmart have poor quality prey at ridiculous prices. There are online suppliers who have ethically run facilities and produce quality prey for a whole heck of a lot cheaper than the big box stores.

I personally use perfectprey.com or bigcheeserodents.com but there are others. You can also find prey at expos for comparable prices to the companies I mentioned without shipping costs.

And yeah...morohmarket is fantastic and evil at the same time, hahahhahaha. I want this one...and this one...and this one..etc......hahahahahahahaha.

If live bothers you, maybe you could consider a species with less of a tendencey towards live? My corn snake is such an easy eater compared to my BP and he always eats F/T with gusto.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by kwjones001

Perfect! I was a little on the fence about her being fed larger meals so far apart, but had not even considered that she would permanently refuse FT. He just said she preferred live and there weren't many places locally that sell frozen other than Petsmart and PetCo. Personally, I think live rats pose too much of a risk to the snake, which is why I considered FT as a viable option. So for those that raise their own rats, how are they killed prior to feeding? I've heard some people use C02. My guess is that takes a sealed container hooked to a C02 tank. Breaking necks? Maybe a disucssion for a different time if we get back into rats.

Since I showed my wife Morphmarket a few days ago, she is non-stop sending me pictures snake she wants, and she has very expensive tastes in morphs....slow down turbo. Nothing good happens fast in an aquarium...same for other animals. I'm pretty sure my daughter would prefer a juvenile anyway. Again, I don't feel any pressure to buy this snake.

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I think you are making the correct decision. Like Craig said, older animals don't do well at all moving spots to begin with.. If you then switched up from live to FT it would be a disaster probably.

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Originally Posted by TopazEye

If live bothers you, maybe you could consider a species with less of a tendencey towards live? My corn snake is such an easy eater compared to my BP and he always eats F/T with gusto.

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A good point.

However, in my experience as well as what I've read and heard from reputable sources, BPs that are well established eating F/T usually always take F/T with no problem. Of course, BPs are going to be more finicky eaters than many species, but once started they will typically take F/T with no problem moving forward.

But with so many amazing species there are definitely plenty of options.

In your situation I would look at a carpet python or a boa. The upside to both is that they will typically eat anything and if you are raising chickens anyway they will dispose of the younger culls.

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Originally Posted by Craiga 01453

Kudos to you for putting in the time and effort to be prepared. That will make a huge difference when bringing the animal home and sets a great example for your kids. Two thumbs up.

If feeding live is a make or break, you definitely don't want to bring home an adult snake who has refused F/T. Chances are it will take months or longer to transition to F/T.
Adults are also prone to refuse food for a while after being moved. Probably not the first snake experience (as a permanent pet) you're looking for.

My two cents would be to check out morphmarket.com and do some "window shopping". You will find tons of BPs for sale. Just do your homework and find a reputable breeder. Or at least get some ideas in mind for the next expo.

Since live feeding is something you want to avoid, your best bet will be to find a juvenile from a reputable breeder that is already well established eating F/T. By well established I mean AT LEAST 5 meals of F/T without refusal.

I just think this route will be more enjoyable for you and your family while also eliminating any concerns about feeding live.

Good luck! Please keep us posted.

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Perfect !!
Saved me writing the same stuff..

I think the secret is to only buy a young snake who’s a good , proven feeder on thawed frozen. That really means buying off a well respected breeder or at least someone or a pet store you can trust ..


I gave that information to a colleague then one evening she rang and said she’d bought a baby Royal/Ball python from her local pet store .. before I could say anything she said “ the guy fed it in front of my very eyes !”


Oh and they love eating baby chicks ...


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I've heard chicks aren't as good, nutritionally speaking? Not that it matters, we're only getting hens because I miss fresh eggs.:D Haven't had chickens since a fox or racoon took out our 5 before the kids were born.

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Originally Posted by kwjones001

I've heard chicks aren't as good, nutritionally speaking? Not that it matters, we're only getting hens because I miss fresh eggs.:D Haven't had chickens since a fox or racoon took out our 5 before the kids were born.

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I honestly don't know the answer to the nutritional value question.

One thing I wanted to clear up just in case there's confusion...
Carpets and boas will likely take chicks, mice, rats, whatever you put in front of them. So feeding them a varied diet is easier than it would be with a BP. With BPs, once they're on F/T rats it's best not to stray, cause they may not switch back easily if at all.

Not sure if that was already known, but figured it couldn't hurt to mention it.

No, that's good info. If the wife decides to get back into rats, I would lean towards feeding freshly killed instead of FT, but that comes with its own headaches of housing, feeding, cleaning, etc., but then you probably can't go back to anything else easily.

I do like the idea of having another snake that isn't picky when it comes to FT. Oh, you don't want this rat today, well let's just give it to Mikey. Mikey likes it.

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Originally Posted by kwjones001

I've heard chicks aren't as good, nutritionally speaking? Not that it matters, we're only getting hens because I miss fresh eggs.:D Haven't had chickens since a fox or racoon took out our 5 before the kids were born.

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They're fine as a food source. Fowl generally are a bit lighter in weight than a rat or mouse of the same "size" due to birds having thin/lightweight bones compared to mammals. I have larger snakes that dispose of whole, grown chickens, especially roosters that don't play well with others.

I just texted the guy and told him I was going to pass on the snake. So now I want to plan for a juvenile from the ground up. Since I know salwater aquariums, I'm going in with that kind of mindest. Set up the tank and get all of the necessary parameters dialed in before stocking.

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Originally Posted by kwjones001

I just texted the guy and told him I was going to pass on the snake. So now I want to plan for a juvenile from the ground up. Since I know salwater aquariums, I'm going in with that kind of mindest. Set up the tank and get all of the necessary parameters dialed in before stocking.

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TBH fish tanks aren't good setups for snakes, since they aren't fish. With time and research on your side I would highly recommend you consider a pvc type cage that will hold heat and humidity well right off the bat and not have you trying the million fixes to make a glass tank work.

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Originally Posted by kwjones001

I just texted the guy and told him I was going to pass on the snake. So now I want to plan for a juvenile from the ground up. Since I know salwater aquariums, I'm going in with that kind of mindest. Set up the tank and get all of the necessary parameters dialed in before stocking.

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I never pulled the trigger and went saltwater, but I've kept freshwater cichlids for years.

Snakes are sssooooooooo much easier than freshwater, nevermind salt, so I imagine with your research and due diligence you'll have no trouble at all.

And having that same mindset is perfect. Get your enclosure and equipment dialed in prior to bringing the animal home will make the transition easier on you and the snake :gj:

If you've done cichlids, you can do salt pretty easily for a fish only tank. The pH is 8.2, the equipment and filtration is pretty similar, you're just monitoring salinity. Coral add more chemistry like calcium, dkh, magnesium, and water flow, feeding, and lighting requirements. They're lots of fun. Kinda wish I hadn't sold my 75 gallon setup. I thought about setting up a 2.5 gallon nano reef or a 40 gallon reef, but have to buy most of the equipment over again. I did keep my protein skimmer though.

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Originally Posted by bcr229

In your situation I would look at a carpet python or a boa. The upside to both is that they will typically eat anything and if you are raising chickens anyway they will dispose of the younger culls.

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Very good advice here. I have zero experience with carpets but boas on the other hand...... if it had a pulse at one point they will eat it. Never had an issue with FT with any of the 3 I have. That’s from babies to adults. They are quite a bit more fun to handle as well.

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Originally Posted by Moose84

if it had a pulse at one point they will eat it

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This made me chuckle! But aside from that, I do agree. My first two snakes were my ball pythons, and my two boas came after that. The ball pythons are adorable sweethearts, and I don't really regret starting with them. However, the boas are gorgeous, and feel SO much easier and stress-free to keep because of their eager appetites. It isn't just because I had more experience by the time I got my boas either, since their other basic setup and husbandry requirements are pretty comparable to a BP's. For a relatively new keeper, there's nothing that makes you fret and doubt yourself more than seeing your first BP go off-feed for 3+ months with no apparent explanation - and that's even if you already went in knowing about their finicky eating habits.

While it's true that there exist boas that are poor eaters, this seems to be very much the exception rather than the rule. For BPs on the other hand, it often feels like the GOOD eater is the exception to the rule, and is something worth feeling proud and relieved about, haha.

I'd say the only major point where BPs win over boas is that their temper and body language is a bit easier to read for a beginning keeper. BPs are generally mellow and timid, and very visibly so. Boas are usually pretty chill too, but they often default to a more alert stance that you want to be more attentive to. I guess there's the question of max size too, but even then, the smaller variants/localities of boas (especially the males) aren't that much bigger than average adult BPs either - longer yes, but less chunky.

With all that said, OP, the ultimate decision comes down to what you feel is the best fit for you. Whatever you decide on, it will likely be a fascinating learning experience and a beautiful animal to work with.

In my experience tanks are perfectly fine for snakes .. just takes a bit of research and effort to fine tune everything though .
I found them great for both humid loving snakes and those who prefer less humidity.


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My best friend in the Navy had a Columbian red tail. She was super nice, so I do like them. I cringe now when I remember his dad microwaving the rat to thaw it out and I think they had her on cedar shavings for a while. She was around 7 or 8 feet when she passed from a respiratory infection. Since it's for my daughter, my only concern is will she be able to handle a larger snake. My daughter is turning 10, and I know there are plenty of boas that don't get that big.

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Originally Posted by kwjones001

Since it's for my daughter, my only concern is will she be able to handle a larger snake. My daughter is turning 10, and I know there are plenty of boas that don't get that big.

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If you get a neonate bear in mind that they don't get big for 4-5 years if properly slow-grown. So, your daughter will grow with it.

You can also look at the dwarf/locality boas. My Tarahumara adult male only gets weaned rats; a small rat is too big of a meal for him, and my female is on small rats.

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Originally Posted by bcr229

If you get a neonate bear in mind that they don't get big for 4-5 years if properly slow-grown. So, your daughter will grow with it.

You can also look at the dwarf/locality boas. My Tarahumara adult male only gets weaned rats; a small rat is too big of a meal for him, and my female is on small rats.

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A very good point. Boas grow noticeably more slowly than ball pythons do. Your daughter will be a teenager by the time the boa is a significant size, and they will have had several years to familiarize with each other. If you're worried about a hatchling boa being a little more nervous/nippy, a yearling might be a consideration - a bit calmer, but still a manageably small size with plenty of time to go before it's fully grown. This is my 1-year-old Hypo Blood boy, as a size reference relative to my hand:

https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...5afTyVuA=w2400

If there’s a young daughter handling the new snake I’d only trust a Royal / Ball python as they’re just so placid and trustworthy when handled .

Young or baby Boas are a bit tetchy I my experience .


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Quote:

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Originally Posted by kwjones001

If you've done cichlids, you can do salt pretty easily for a fish only tank. The pH is 8.2, the equipment and filtration is pretty similar, you're just monitoring salinity. Coral add more chemistry like calcium, dkh, magnesium, and water flow, feeding, and lighting requirements. They're lots of fun. Kinda wish I hadn't sold my 75 gallon setup. I thought about setting up a 2.5 gallon nano reef or a 40 gallon reef, but have to buy most of the equipment over again. I did keep my protein skimmer though.

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My roommate going back about 20 years had a saltwater tank. If I remember correctly we had 7 or 8 tanks in the house, the rest were fresh. We had a pretty cool variety, but my memory ain't so great.
That's when I got hooked on cichlids. I loved his saltwater tank, but I saw how much time he spent working on that tank while the others were so much easier. I went the easy route, hahhaha.
I've kept some other stuff too, but mostly cichlids. I had piranha, a fresh-water sting ray, a snakehead and a few catfish I can't remember which though.

I've just got a single 75 gallon now, and this will be my last aquarium setup. Hopefully my fish still have some years in them, but when the time comes I won't be setting up the tank again.

I still enjoy the tranquility of the tank, but it doesn't excite me like it used to.