Getting a ball python, have a few questions

So I've decided to get a python :)

Ive done alot of research and still have a couple questions.

alot of places say a 20 to 30 gallon tank is sufficient, but would it be ok to go bigger? I have a friend with a 55 gallon fish tank, would there be a problem with using that? (it been cleaned out, and i'll make a screen for the top)

Also, how do i find a good vet for my python?

and finally, I'm a student, so i'm generally gone during the day, will this be a problem?

also, any tips for the newbie snake owner would be very helpful!

Thanks!

BTW: I have a friend whose mother works with exotic animals, so shes trying to find me a mojave! :D

Quote:

---

alot of places say a 20 to 30 gallon tank is sufficient, but would it be ok to go bigger? I have a friend with a 55 gallon fish tank, would there be a problem with using that? (it been cleaned out, and i'll make a screen for the top)

---

An adult will not requier anything larger than a 30 gallons tank, however if you get a baby you need to start with a small tank (10 gallons). BP are very shy and more prone to stress than other snakes.

Quote:

---

Also, how do i find a good vet for my python?

---

http://www.arav.org/USMembers.htm

Quote:

---

and finally, I'm a student, so i'm generally gone during the day, will this be a problem?

---

Not a problem

Quote:

---

also, any tips for the newbie snake owner would be very helpful!

---

Make sure to do your homework, have your setup is ready before buying your BP. This will be a good place to start to understand how to setup your future BP

http://www.ball-pythons.net/forums/s...004#post569004

http://www.ball-pythons.net/modules....warticle&id=59

Oh and :welcome: aboard

Welcome to BP.net!! :handshake I hope you find all the answers you need here...and more!


alot of places say a 20 to 30 gallon tank is sufficient, but would it be ok to go bigger? I have a friend with a 55 gallon fish tank, would there be a problem with using that? (it been cleaned out, and i'll make a screen for the top)

For BP's, smaller is definitely better. A young BP will likely be overwhelmed in a giant tank. And even a fully matured large female does not need one that big. They are also a huge pain to maintain proper temp gradients and humidity levels. It CAN be done...but is it worth all the extra work and sweat and worry? That's up to you.

Also, how do i find a good vet for my python?

Try any of these links:
http://www.arav.org/USMembers.htm
http://www.anapsid.org/vets/index.html#vetlist
http://www.herpvetconnection.com/

and finally, I'm a student, so i'm generally gone during the day, will this be a problem?

Not a problem at all. They'd much rather be left on their own and wont' ever beg for attention. ;)

also, any tips for the newbie snake owner would be very helpful!

My best and first tip is to go to BP.net and sign up and introduce yourself. :P Also, check out our caresheet:
http://www.ball-pythons.net/modules....warticle&id=52

And my other favorite piece of advice is to decide how you want to house your snake and then get it all set up WELL BEFORE you bring the snake home. Give it at least a few days of being completely set up and running so you can make sure everything is dialed in right. It can be a real pain, and no fun for the snake, if you have to keep re-arranging and tweaking his new home once he gets put in it. That can set his acclimation back by weeks.

Good luck! Feel free to ask as many questions as you need to in order to feel confident about caring for your new friend!

Thanks for the tips!

I think i'm going to wait until i know the EXACT python i'm getting before i go and buy anything, but i def will wait to bring the python home until i have its home ready to go!

oh and one more question, how much per month should i expect to spend to keep my BP happy? (its not an issue of being able to afford it or not, just curious)

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by mysaabisfaster

oh and one more question, how much per month should i expect to spend to keep my BP happy? (its not an issue of being able to afford it or not, just curious)

---

I guess it depends on what you use for substrate and what you decide to feed. (And what it'll eat...they can be picky...LOL) But really, for one snake, the monthy cost is minimal. Buying expensive rats at a chain petstore...and using a substrate that has to be replaced periodically, I'd guess $20-$30 a month. Finding less expensive feeders at a mom&pop store...or buying frozen in bulk...and using newspaper or something similar for substrate could reduce that cost significantly.

Save your money and buy a rack instead of a tank or even just a tub. Most likly you will be addicted like the rest of us.

I started with a tank. A 20g long to be exact. No problems maintaining temp or humidity. Tanks are just to bulky. And for display, the snakes hide 90% of the time anyway, so you are displaying a seemingly empty tank.

I have a rack on the way from Rich at RBI with a thermostat.

Coming shortly after that is my female spider :)

Also try and buy from a breeder or you might as well buy a can of Provent-a-mite with your pet store snake. Some breeders give away free normals with the cost of shipping, so it is usually less than a pet store anyway.

sweet, i was thinking of getting at cat for a while, then i found out my apartment complex would charge an extra $150 a month to keep it o_O.....

they dont charge me anything for "small reptiles"

i asked what they meant and the lady up front said as long as i didnt have an iguana or an anaconda i was probably ok :)

i'm gonna ask today if a BP specifically qualifies as a small reptile.

Once again, thanks for the help :)

i'd get a rack.... if i had the room...

its times like these i ask myself why i got a studio apartment... then i remember how cheap my rent is! :)

Whenever my hubby and I have to rent and the potential landlord asks if we have pets...I always say, "Nothing that can't live in a glass tank." That's always good enough for them and not one has ever asked for more detail than that. (we move somewhat frequently due to the military and have interviewed a LOT of landlords!)

Get yourself a plastic tub... Anything smaller than 66qt($12)... 2 small black Zilla hides(3$ea.), a water dish from walmart(2$), something to climb on ($15), heat mat(flexwatt is real cheap 5$), thermostat(spend the extra and get a good one 75$), digital acurite thermometer(2 in 1 for 12$ walmart) and your pretty much all set... Use newspaper for ur substrate its free.... food sould be 3$ a week at most (small rat) for when its full grown so less than that if its a baby. Only like 12$ a month and your golden

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by GA_Ball_Pythons

An adult will not requier anything larger than a 30 gallons tank, however if you get a baby you need to start with a small tank (10 gallons). BP are very shy and more prone to stress than other snakes.

---

This is something that I do not understand. These are wild animals and the world is a tad bigger than 10 gallons. Are we saying all wild BP's are stressed out all the time or is this an example of esoteric needs that people project on their beloved pets?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by jwarriner

This is something that I do not understand. These are wild animals and the world is a tad bigger than 10 gallons. Are we saying all wild BP's are stressed out all the time or is this an example of esoteric needs that people project on their beloved pets?

---

No wild BP's spend the majority of their time in a burrow in the ground or a termite mound/burrow, where they feel very secure. They are nocturnal and come out at night when they feel less vulnerable. Thats why imitating that with a small enclosure makes then feel secure.

My understanding is that even in the expanse of the wild, these snakes will seek out small animal burrows, etc. for safety. Providing them small hides in small cages within reason is an effort to mimick this safety they seek.

Speaking from experience, my snake started shedding, eating, and defecating regularly once I provided her appropriate hides and good husbandry.

Edit: 1 minute too slow!

If you want to save $ I would buy a tub from Target or Walmart(size depends on size of snake,a 32 quart will last a long time), go to the 99 cents store and get three plastic bowls one for water and flip the other two over and make a cut out opening for hide entry. While at Walmart also pick up a digital thermometer/humidity gage.

You are also going to need a heat source which could be a stick on one from pet store or flexwatt heat tape and a thermostat to control it. I started with a cheap pet store ones that were VERY inaccurate, after replacing 3 of those I got a Ranco which works fine.

For what you pay for one hide at a pet store you could buy three bowls at the 99 cents store(or Dollar tree) and still have $ left over :cool:

Quote:

---

is this an example of esoteric needs that people project on their beloved pets?

---

No it's not.

Ball Pythons do better in smaller enclosures.

To understand this you must look into how Ball Pythons spend their life in the wild. (I can recommend you some good reading for that ;) ).

Security is key for Ball Pythons. A Ball Python placed in an oversized enclosure will be show signs of stress that are not always recognized by an inexperience owners, such as aggressive behavior, going off feed etc.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by West Coast Jungle

No wild BP's spend the majority of their time in a burrow in the ground or a termite mound/burrow, where they feel very secure.

---

Isn't this what hides are for?

I'm only trying to be slightly argumentative here, I am willing to listen. It's just that I fail to see how big giant world+termite mound will stress a BP less than, say, 75gallon tank+multiple hides.

I think it is kind of hard for people to grasp the tub idea. Considering we are a pet loving country. A huge population owns dogs as well as many other animals that need stimulation and they need space. BP's are some of the only pets that can live like this successfully. I think people have a hard time changing the ideas that have been pounded into theirs heads their whole life. My :twocents:

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by jwarriner

Isn't this what hides are for?

---

How often are they out of their hides? Most of the time they are in their hides EVEN at night. Just because they are nocturnal doesn't mean they go out every night. They also dont hunter every week. They pretty much let food come to them. In the wild BP's only eat a few times a year.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Brimstone111888

How often are they out of their hides? Most of the time they are in their hides EVEN at night. Just because they are nocturnal doesn't mean they go out every night. They also dont hunter every week. They pretty much let food come to them. In the wild BP's only eat a few times a year.

---

Doesn't that support my point?

The other thing is that it's probably easier to control the temps, and have a nice gradient, in a larger enclosure.

Something I recently thought about was buying an extremely large tank/display cage for a BP and bordering off a "room" in it for him to spend most of his time in while allowing a very large area for exploring which would be accesible by a few small holes in the "room." I think it would be interesting to see if he ventured out of his "room" and into the larger part of the enclosure. Now this would obviously take ALOT of effort and thought to put together, but I think it'd be absolutely awesome. I highly doubt I'll ever do it, but it's something to think about. :cool:

For the original poster,
I have a 10 gallon aquarium for my baby BP. When I move him into a larger enclosure I'm going to spend the money for a nice diplay enclosure which will hold heat/humdity better. I would highly reccomend against the 55 gallon based on the fact that it'll be very difficult to maintain proper heat/humidity (even the 10 gallon isn't all that simple). Larger enclosures(regardless of the type) will require alot of "stuff" so there isn't alot of open space. Either way welcome to the obssesive compulsive BP Nation :salute:

anyone know a good breeder? just in case my friend's mom falls through.

i'm in orlando and would much rather drive and go pick a snake up than have it shipped. If BPs are as easily stressed as they say i'd rather transport it myself.

There is a few people on this board from Orlando that might know.

Quote:

---

Doesn't that support my point?

The other thing is that it's probably easier to control the temps, and have a nice gradient, in a larger enclosure.

---

I don't think it does, for this reason. Since they are in their hide a vast majority of the time, why do they need a 75 gal tank? or even something much larger.

On larger enclosures I don't think so. I have heard the exact opposite from experienced herpers. I live in South Florida where the humidity outside is a constant 70-90% most of the year. That being said I have a 20 gal long and in order to maintain temp/humidity I have foil covering 80% of my screen top and I still have to mist to keep it at 60%. For sheds I have to put a towel on top of it to be able to keep humidity around 70%. In a larger enclosure I feel this will be much harder.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by jwarriner

Doesn't that support my point?

The other thing is that it's probably easier to control the temps, and have a nice gradient, in a larger enclosure.

---

It's actually much harder to control temps and overall environment in a large enclosure.

BUT....to anyone who can't/won't be swayed by the words of those who have tried it and moved on to tubs or smaller enclosures....I say GO FOR IT. :gj: Get your ball python the biggest glass tank you can afford and fit in your room. Enjoy it! And if it works out for you, that's awesome. Not ALL ball pythons are completely shy and timid. You could very well get one that doesn't care a whit about the size or openness of its enclosure. And you may enjoy the increased amount of hands-on attention required to maintain the environment and to keep it clean.

And if you should happen to end up with a ball python that refuses to eat for weeks and months on end....maybe....just maybe...consider the idea of a smaller tank or tub. ;)

You can put your snake in any size enclousure you like as long as you know and understand the potential problems... I keep my snakes in larger enclosures then probably 99% of the people on here and have never had a problem eat, shedder, pooper whatever. Most important part of owning a ball python is heat/humidity. When people give out their advice on here its based off of what is going to work 100% of the time. Can you choose a different route and get the same results? sure you can but that is a decision a BP owner with experience should make... Once youve got it down and know pretty much everything invovled in taking care of BP you can make whatever changes you would like... with that said when people give out advice its with the impression the owner knows nothing.

Im not too sure about your comment on "more exensive cleaning"... Takes me just as long to clean out a 4x2x1.5 cage as it does a 66qt tub... Temp gradient isnt challenging either... if its glass.. yes much harder... wood/plastic... same as a tub.

I say stay away from glass and get a big tub(96qt)... when/if you feel your snake has outgrown his tub you can build one out wood or buy a plastic cage.