What's keeping your bp from breaking out?

i was just curious, what do you guys use to keep your ball pythons from escaping. custom cage/top? something heavy sitting on the top of the cage? a sign that reads "please no escaping" and just hope he has manners?... im just asking because my snake has a 20gal aquarium with a screen top... i customized the screen top with a 2" hasp and a padlock on the front and back where when both locks are locked i cant even move the screen top at all.. i also have about 6-8 pounds of rocks evened out on the top and my ball python STILL escaped... earning the name houdini :P .....

i found him a couple days later slithering around by my bathroom and now theres 17 tons of cement keeping him from getting out.
boy is it gonna be hard to open that lid when i gotta throw in a mouse :rolleyes:

My snakes all live in either racks or boaphile cages. No escapes here.

I'm very cautious and always triple check my snakes tanks. Never had an escape yet.

The two Balls are each in a locking sterilite underbed box. I have suitcase straps in the middle to keep it from lifting up. No chance of escapes here.

The Corns and Rosy Boa are each in their own 10g tank with 2-4 clips on the lid. Darned little worm snakes :) But no escapes and all is well in the world.

About 40lbs of weights.

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Originally Posted by greenmonkey51

About 40lbs of weights.

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I had 55lbs when I used an aquarium :) hehe

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Originally Posted by SnakeySnakeSnake

I had 55lbs when I used an aquarium :) hehe

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thats another thing i was gonna ask... how much weight do you think a 20 gal aquarium and/or the screen top can withtake? i just noticed the little dents from some old 10lb weights and im afraid the screen is gonna cave in or something

after reading the title i was going to suggest a daily wash useing liberal amount of some sorta face cream...

nah seriously though i was an AP T3 with sliding plastic doors and a lock

but when i had a glass aquarium and a screen top i used for metal clamps and before i turned it sideways i used two ten pund weights just for safety.

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Originally Posted by alexrls

after reading the title i was going to suggest a daily wash useing liberal amount of some sorta face cream...

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petco said they were all out of snake clearasil though :( lol..

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Originally Posted by dca367437

thats another thing i was gonna ask... how much weight do you think a 20 gal aquarium and/or the screen top can withtake? i just noticed the little dents from some old 10lb weights and im afraid the screen is gonna cave in or something

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I made my own lid... I figure a straight up and down aquarium could take hundreds of pounds spread across the top, as long as the lid could take it.

Weight directly on a screen, not much without doing damage.

i use luggage straps and a nice heavy rock ;)

Plastic Tub Setup here made from a Rubbermaid Latchable here.....we also have mini-clamps around the perimeter of the lid.


https://ball-pythons.net/gallery/fil.../2/5/Setup.jpg

Common sense? :D

-adam

I have a 20 gallon tank and i use two 10 pound weights on the sides of the tank. It's been working so far...

if you have a tank with screen top......cage locks, cage locks and cage locks...one on all four sides.

I have nice 12x12 granite tiles on the top of my 55 gallon take....there are three on there and a nice big piece of rose quartz on there too...

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Originally Posted by Adam_Wysocki

Common sense? :D

-adam

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where do they sell that? lol jk

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Originally Posted by dca367437

where do they sell that? lol jk

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Give me a call ... I take cash, check/mo, paypal, and all major credit cards. ;) :P

-adam

No greasy foods. Oh, and Clearisil. :P

I use the cage lock's and some heavy book's as a back up.

Thesauruses, dictionaries, novels, any heavy books I can spare. I'm planning on installing latches on my cage, but for now the books work.He's gotten out twice, but since the books are on I haven't had any escapes.

The great thing about the glass critter cages is that they have a place to insert a lock. I put mini padlocks on them. Never had an escape from them the tanks.

Critter Cage ++

It has a screen lid that slides in on runners and two locking clips built in to the back, plus the hole for a lock in the front, like Melanie said. We don't put locks in ours, just long black screws that fit nicely.

I also use a safety pin when I misplace the locks. O_o Work just as well.

im planning to get the 20 gallon critter cage pretty soon.. is it nessecary to add anything to it to make it more secure?

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Originally Posted by dca367437

im planning to get the 20 gallon critter cage pretty soon.. is it nessecary to add anything to it to make it more secure?

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I never had a lock on Ophelia's tank for about a year or so, but I think that the extra precaution is always a good thing. You can buy the mini locks at Wal-Mart for $5-$6. Who knows, your scalekid could just be extra fiesty and find a means to get out. The few extra bucks spent is a nice little way to keep your self sane.

i have a couple mini padlocks... thats not what i mean.. i mean should i put anything on top so the screen top is not moveable in anyway?

i.e weights , rocks , books anything like that?

The Critter Cages have the plastic securesque locks, but the padded lock is all you'd probably need after that.

thanks. thats good i really hate the tacky way it looks with 2 purple 10 pound weights at each side of the top of the screen

Haha. You can make glass vivs both secure and non-tacky all at the same time. Ain't it great?!

I personally have complete confidence in the Critter Cage locking mechanism. I don't have complete confidence in myself making sure that I hear it "snap" shut everytime I close it - but that's stupid human errror, hehe!

im really considering getting one seeing how almost everybody who replied to that respone has a good opinion on it. now that i know the pros are there any cons on critter cages besides the high prices?

On the one aquarium tank I have left (boaphile rack is being built or something...hopefully it arrives soon), I have what are like 6 foot lock backpack fabric straps, with buckles. the straps go all the way around the tank, and there are two of them. I can tighten the straps down and the lid isn't going anywhere. No snake has ever escaped from the aquarium.

I also used to have backup bungie cords on a few of my rubbermaids. The carpet pythons rubbermaids are self stacking, and as for the rest..they snap on fairly tightly.

Someday I'll be able to rack them all..or at least get them into a more proffessional looking cage...and the larger pythons will have locks.

what do you guys think the approx. weight an adult ball would be able to push up with his or her head?..

I haven't had any of my BPs escape, but Felix the Stimson's almost got away once. I then put office supply clips and a couple of bungee cords on the tub. Oreo has escaped twice out of her 10g tank and screened lid. I had had two clips, but as she got bigger, she squeezed out underneath. I've since added two more clips on each side of the length of the tank. Lid won't budge at all now. :carrot:


*Whew* We've been lucky to find Oreo the 2x she got out. I didn't want to try my luck a 3rd time. When Kishnah escaped from her tank w/ the SNAP ON lid, it was due to human error...FD didn't push the lid down until it snapped and snugged on and Kish squiggled out underneath.

CeCe's little tub has a bungee running the length, but now that she's getting bigger, I'm going to add some clips to the sides. Hera has a few LARGE clips on either side of her tub.