how big does a bp have to be to put in 60 gallon

i have a 60 gallon long and was wanting to get a ball python what size should i buy for this cage? thanks

fish

What are the dimensions? Sounds to me like it might be too big at any size. My adult BPs are kept in tubs that measure 33 inches long, and 17 inches wide, and 5.25 inches high. That is plenty of space for a BP.

4ft wX1.5 ft deep 1.5 tall

In my opinion its too big but you could prob make it work with a lot of hides. I am sure others have BPs successfully housed in tanks of that size.

I think that'd be fine for an adult bp. Might be challenging to heat and humidify properly, but if you want to put in that extra effort, I don't see a problem with it.

thanks lll reptile have sub adult 3 ft balls for sale i will check them out. i am driving by there today. i got the tank at craigs list for 20 bucks so i could not pass it up.

Wait, wait, what else do you have besides a tank? A lot of people go out and buy their snake without realizing that they didn't purchase the essentials.

dont worry i am still doing reasearch. i still need to get a under tank heater. and hideing half log. i do this with all my reptiles. i do reaserch first then get the set up. then the reptile. this would be my frist snake. but i breed bearded dragons and have a lot oof reptile experience.
thanks to all for your advice.

fish

p.s. do any of you know of a good breeder with good prices

Besides the fact that large enclosures can be stress on ball pythons.....you will definately have to consider the fact that an enclosure of that size is going to be hard to heat properly, so make sure you buy all your heating supplies, set them up, and get them running at the right temps and humidity before purchasing the bp.....it is better to be very prepared then risk stressing out your snake or causing it to get sick because the heating is still being 'worked on'.

I also seem to notice that you keep mentioning 'cheap'.....keeping a reptile correctly is not always the cheapest thing, so be prepared to spend a few bucks.

Good luck! and lets see some pics when you are done ;)

Our resident Adam is a great breeder and I've heard only wonderful things about him.

Where do you call home?

i know that it costs a lot i have thousands of dollors invested in my other reptiles. i just want to find the best price possiable.

thanks for the conscern though

fish

I've got a tank about the same size.... got it from a thrift store next door to where I work... while I was thinking of getting a snake. I figured, the more space, the better and it was just $25. But now I'm not so sure.....

My BP is less than a year. She's been doing well, but seems to never come out of her "lair" (main hide). Now that I'm beginning to read this forum, I see there are some changes that need to be made. I realize that I need a lot more hiding places. I've got the temp about 94 on the hot side and 82 on the cool side, both maintained with heat lamps. The center I've got an under-the-tank heater. I've got two water dishes and a half-log and a tree branch.

Humidity is a problem, and the first time she shed, it was really hard. At least the top is sliding glass, with small screens on either end which is where I have the lights. The light on the hot side is surrounded by aluminum foil to keep moisture and heat in. I mist the tank to get the humidity up, but really need to cover the other screen too in order to do that. Right now it is around 50% but drops below that a lot.

I wouldn't get a half log hide. They're usually not secure enough for the bp's. Go for the exoterra caves or make your own out of clay pots...it works better.

Personally, I think a 60 gallon tank would be more trouble than it's worth to get the heating and the humidity right in.

does it have to be a big glass cage? there are alot of cagebuilders out there! a nice plastic cage, with the right heat setup and glass doors would look nice too, imo.


vaughn

In my NON-expert opinion, I'm still not convinced that ball pythons would be stressed in large enclosures so long as they have some good hides and correct temperatures and humidity. I mean, if they're stressed in large enclosures, then ball pythons in the wild must be basket cases. And so would any ball python that is allowed to roam around the room (under strict supervision) during handling sessions. And finally, if they don't like large areas, why are they always inclined to escape if you leave something unsecured?


I did want to build a 6-9' long enclosure, but got talked out of it. For me, probably more because of the logistical concerns of having such a huge vivarium. The one I'm currently planning is 3'x1.5'x1.5'. It's going to be made out of wood, so heating shouldn't be as difficult as a glass cage that size. And all the wood is going to be stained and sealed with polyurathane with envirotek along the bottom and several inches up the sides, so cleaning will be as easy as with a glass setup.

Does anybody have solid knowledge either first hand or from a reliable source (not just a story) of a ball python in a large properly set up enclosure (heat, humidity, hides, etc) that wouldn't eat, be handled, be friendly, etc? I'm more inclined to believe the cases of stressed pythons in large enclosures is more due to improper setup, not size.

But that's my non-expert opinion.

thats what i have been told that the size is ok as long as they have pleanty of hides.

thanks

fish

Just my very non-expert take on large enclosures. I think it is about set-up and maintaining proper temps/temp gradients as well as humidity. Also issues of lack of hides/cover that leave a shy snake like a BP feeling very exposed. I think if you address these things very carefully and monitor a larger enclosure very strictly that you can likely provide quite well for you BP. It may mean a different lid to deal with the open mesh issues, extra hides, fake vines to minimize wide open head space, extra monitoring devices, etc. but I don't think it's unmanageable. For someone like me with 6 BP's it's unrealistic, for someone with hundreds of them it's completely impractical. For the pet owner though I'm sure it can be an interesting challenge and as long as the snake is provided for correctly then I see no harm in it (though again I'm certainly no expert).

I had 2 BP's in a 55 gallon (of course before I came here!!!), and moved them into their own plastic tubs. My female began eating like a horse, and my male completely stopped for 2 months. Took him to the vet, and he told me to put him back into the 55. VOILA! eating like a horse again. BTW, my male will NOT use anything else except for those half logs.

It just goes to show how different each Ball is. Do what you want to do first (of course with proper temps, hides, humididty), and then adjust as neccessary as your BP gives you clues.

yha my babby, well 1.5 ft is in a 60 gal that i got for him. it dosent seem to big. i have one hide i made of a small cardboard box for now. and i bought one of those stone ones for like 35 bucks and of course what one would he prefer???

the one i made from a box hahahah. i know that most care sheets say not to feed for a week or so but the place where i got him from said to feed the first day in his cage to make sure he would eat. and if not to bring him back. as far as heating i had to go and buy bigger bulbs for his tank now the temp is great
and he seems to be happy.

thanks

fish

LLLreptile told you to feed first day? Weird...

Quote:

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Originally Posted by fish21

as far as heating i had to go and buy bigger bulbs for his tank now the temp is great
and he seems to be happy.

thanks

fish

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What's his humidity? I know with just one bulb, I have to mist 3 times a day to keep the humidity up.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by rabernet

What's his humidity? I know with just one bulb, I have to mist 3 times a day to keep the humidity up.

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It may have been in a different thread that he said this, but because he's right on the coast, he's struggling to keep his humidity DOWN into the 60's. So I don't think the lamps are gonna make things too difficult for him.

the humidity is 56 now and the temps on the warm side are 95 and the cold is 81. i went to pet smart last night and bought a zoo med 100w halagon basking bulb & 100w night basking bulb. there are 2 zoo med under tank heaters on the bottom of the tank. yes humidity was a bit of a problem not keeping it up but lowering it it was like 78 before i got the hotter bulbs. now every thing has leveled out. thanks for all the help.


thanks

fish

p.s Robin if you are having to spray down your encloser 3 times a day. try what i do for some of my other lizzards. get a dish towl get it wet then ring it out so it is just damp then put it over part of your screen top i will raise your humidity quite will. it will proably save you some time.

if you decide to try this watch the temps at first as it will prevent a little heat loss

fish

Thanks for the suggestion Matt,

I think what I'm actually going to do is end up putting him in a tub (he's my only one still in a glass viv) and then I won't have to worry about it.

I'm too concerned about bacteria growing in a damp towel - but that's my OCDness. LOL

I worried about stress with my snake in a same large 4 foot tank.

He sleeps all day under some large leafs on the hot end and then later and night I find him crawling around the cooler end in the large barnches and streatching out on the fake plants. He seems to be doing fine. The heating and humidity is still a problem at times. I keep one large water bowl under the UTH and a med size bowl by the ceramic heat emitter on the hot end. plus a sponge soaked ontop of a hide. and extra black heat light for times when it gets to cool. I keep plenty of things for Khan to hide under and plenty of plants for him to get into. He seems like a happy camper so far. He eats every week (since we found out he wants live) and so far so good.

I dont think glass tanks this large are the best idea, esp for someone who just became an owner (like myself). This month I am going to purchase a large storage container and start using those from now on. I'll leave Khan be in his glass tank but for the new ball we will be getting its plastics all the way.

I may be wrong - but I'm CONVINCED that Kashmire is not eating because he's in a glass viv. None of my tub and rack kids have ever missed a meal. On my list of things to do this weekend - buy a tub to switch Kash into and let him acclimate before trying to feed again. If the new girl wasn't in quarantine in the rack - I'd put him in there to see what happened.


Speaking of the new girl - today was feeding day - and so I decided to see if she'd eat as well - and she ate like a champ!