Please help, IM NEW!!!

Hey everyone, new to the site, bunch of questions, so on with it...

I've been doing a lot of research before actually going ahead to buy my first BP. I dont want to get it until i feel i know as much as possible, and have everything set up, so first, tank size. Id like to start with a regular bp, so a local told me to get this 20 gallon set up, when i look at it, it seems kind of small, would the snake be happier if i went for the 40 gallon? A local breeder has eggs hatching in june, so i want to be ready. Also, bottom substrate? As well as if i get a larger tank, how much wood, hideouts, and other fixtures is too much? I dont want to over crowd it, but also to make it feel at home. Thanks for all the help, hope non of this sounds too lame, but i had a bad incident buying a sick turtle from a local shop, which killed my entire collection, so i want to be sure everything is right.

Andy

Welcome! You've come to the right place. ;)

first off.. smaller tanks are better for babies. Believe it or not a big tank can be scary and stressful for a baby ball. A 10 gallon will be plenty big. (I prefer rubbermaid/sterilite tubs to tanks though since they're better for keeping humidity and temperatures correct)

There are several good things to use for substrate. I use newspaper myself, but if you want something to look good, you can try cypress mulch (the repti-bark stuff is nice) or aspen shavings. Coconut fiber beddings like bed-a-beast are fine too.

You want at the very least two hides. One on each end of the tank (cool and warm side) Hides should be dark, tight, and secure feeling for the snake. Half log hides suck in my opinion.

Instead of the half logs, what would you suggest? Do you think a 20 gallon would be ok for one around 6 months? I think you can get the whole thing with a lid for around 100 with some extras. Drift would is also a good idea? Thanks!

I'm guessing you want something that looks nice for a hide.. you can look at the pet store and try to find something with one entryway, that is otherwise completely enclosed. The half logs are too open to be very secure for a ball python. A lot of people use the plastic plant saucers that are made to go under potted plants to catch the water. You can easily cut or melt an entry hole either in the top or the side of these, and they're great hides.

A 20 gallon really is big for a young ball.. if you really really want to use it, you have to have lots of hides. Open spaces are scary for baby BPs, so multiple hides are a must if you want the snake to eat.

Drift wood is fine decoration. You may want to bake it for about 20 minutes in the oven to make sure and hitch hiking bugs on it are dead.

if you're looking for a decorative hide exo-terra makes some pretty cool "reptile caves" http://exo-terra.com/EN/products/caves_i.html. they're usually available at a lot of reptile stores.

Welcome to the site! :handshake You've come to the RIGHT place!

Take a gander @ the caresheet. But be careful, BPs are addictive. ;)

The more the merrier! :coke: Glad to have you! :)


RuLyn

Welcome to the site Andy. I think it's great you are taking the time now before acquiring your new BP to find out all you can and get it's enclosure set up properly. Here's our caresheet for Ball Pythons for your viewing pelasure. Please feel free to ask any questions, we are all here to help you learn and enjoy your experience as a snake owner. Oh and when you actually do get it....we love pics! LOL :)

http://www.ball-pythons.net/modules....warticle&id=52

Welcome to the site. :colbert2:

We'll all be waiting on pics of the new kid when you get him!!

:welcome:...why wait six months??? Once the baby has hatched out and has had a few good meals, I don't see the reason you have to wait six months. Heck, why don't you ask the breeder if he's got any yearlings he can sell ya now.

I'm buying from a local breeder, he says they wont be hatching until middle of june, and i almost made a BIG MISTAKE! I went to the local petco with my girlfriend to look at aquariums and such, and i saw one that i kind of fell in love with, so i was holding it and she asked me, what are all those black dots on your hand? Mites! The "specialist" as he was so proud to point out said it was lice, then left for a minute and asked me to watch this pulled out and OPEN cage of snakes while he went out for a minute, he came back minutes later with a sheet from petco officials, which said something about a mite outbreak, something along the lines of someone not following "proper protocall", and all this crazy stuff, i instantly told him thanks, and we left, glad i got in touch with the local breeder, cant wait to show you pictures middle of next month, maybe as i get his habitat ready, i post those.

Also, what is the size and aggression difference between male and female? thanks

I did the same thing, read a lot of forums and bought a book before i got my first, lots of great info here,tryhttp://www.reptilesupply.com/index.p...sort=3a&page=2

there's a lot of options, i agree, half logs just suck, i just got the exo-terra cave,Stripe just loves it and it looks good in the cage.

Welcome to the site, can't wait to see the new addition!!!!!

This is how we have our 20L glass vivarium setup for our ball python. Please see the link in my sig for the Glass Viv Guide my fiance "Captain Overkill!" Rick wrote for more details on the setup.

http://www.onlinethingy.com/files/gr...opic13_big.jpg

Welcome Mr. Gorilla!

I bought our first BP from Petco.
not a good experiance. Had parasites, wrong gender, and not eating what they claimed he was. Good Idea to look to breeders for a snake.

I use a half log for Lola and Khan. Eversince khan was put into his larger home with more hides he no longer uses the log, and heck lola never has. she uses a top of a shoe box i have that we cut to fit her steralite container.

If you plan on making your Bp a home where you want people to see it, and you feel like showing it off or displaying it it somewhere then start buying things now. All the neat "natural looking" habitat stuff can get pricey when you want it all at once.

For Khan we went all out and have him in a 55(ish) gallon class viv with plenty of fake plants, hides and water dishes. For Lola we use the plastic set up with two hides and a plastic water dish. Cheap and easy. Both seem to be doing fine.

I love Cassandras set up! Its exactly what you would want to see your ball python climbing around in and it fits all the snakes needs.:gj:

Shelby is right too. if your getting that hatchling start out with something small. This way you can save a little moola, keep your bp secure and take away some of the stress of such an open area of a large cage. Also the larger you go in tank size the trickier it is to heat and maintain. When Khan takes a #2 and I can smell it...finding it becomes the problem.

Good luck and keep us all updated on the progress of your egg/hatchling!

Males and females have the same temperament.. neither is more aggressive. Females are larger.. average 4-5', males 3-4'.

Awesome, just wanted to thank everyone for their help. So why is it that sometimes females of different types are 2 to 3 times more expensive, is it just cause there bigger? Does anyone recommend either or for my first one?

No pictures so far, the only thing i have so far is a stand, which is my old tv stand... sad huh. Dont have too much to spend this week, plus, what is in my savings will be saved just in case, not sure how expensive the vet trips could end up being, hopefully not having to go too much. Anyways, i'll keep everyone posted, oh, NAMES?! If i get a female, im thinkin Crypta, or Atom for the male, sorry, hard to explain!

Andy

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Originally Posted by white_gorilla_x

So why is it that sometimes females of different types are 2 to 3 times more expensive, is it just cause there bigger?

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I'll offer this example... although it doesn't work for all snakes.... (but like you said, "different types"..)

If I were to want to breed Albinos.. (good ole stand-by)... I would have to either get two hets, or two homozygous (visible) animals.... I could breed my male that I bought for $2000 to my normal female that I bought as a hatchling for 80 bucks, and wind up with all hets.... then I raise the females up for three years, and breed the homozygous albino to all of the hets.. and whammo... Albinos... (total time, 6 years, approx 2-4 clutches)

Alternatively, I could buy a hatchling female Albino for $3000, raise it for 3 years, and then breed a het male that I purchased for $150 bucks, raise it up for a year, and whammo, Albinos... (total time, 3 years, 1 clutch, 2 more years to get approx 2 MORE clutches..)

With the Co-Dom traits, you can see results right away... so take this example... I could buy a male Lemon Pastel for $1000, breed it to 5 adult normal females that I purchased for $80ea 3 years ago, and whammo, Lemons! (total time, 3 years.... 5 clutches)

Females are the ones that make the eggies.... so they're more valuable... You can never have enough girls! Adult male normals you can pick up for $50-$150... Adult FEMALES?? $400 bucks... and most are HAPPY to pay it. So when you see people in this forum post that they picked up an adult female for $50 bucks, or for FREE (even better), that's why we all say "what a steal" or "nice find!"

Hope this helps.

I ordered my "natural" looking hides and terarrium plants from thatpetplace.com, and they have great prices and I've never had a problem with them.
I love those vines that suction cup to the glass at in one spot, and then you can spread them out. I have a couple that do a great job of filling in empty spaces.