Heating Q's For Home Made Cage

Ok here's the deal..me and my wife bought a baby ball python two weeks ago, Ive Decided to build a big enough cage that can be it's perminant home. I built this thing out of MDF board and lined the inside with a stone looking linolium with four 3 inch circular vents. Now this is my first snake of my own and i bought a heat rock the same day i bought the snake not knowing that it was a "Big NO NO" but before i found out it was a no no i set the tank up laying the heat rock on top of some subtrate and and then covering it with more subtrate..right now the snake is still in a little pet container while i get this situated, the temp is at about 75 at night and 80 during the day... but i know thats not good enough yet...now im seriously thinking about changing the heat rock to a heat pad but im worried about it getting hot enought to melt the linolium or burn the wood...is that possible? what do i do? also the humidity stays between 50% and 60%...is that ok?

here are some pictures of my set up..i still have to buy a hide rock,but maybe someone can help me with this issue

http://i99.photobucket.com/albums/l2...6/DSC02297.jpg
http://i99.photobucket.com/albums/l2...6/DSC02300.jpg

I built a custom cage kinda like yours and used thin vinyl to cover the bottom for cleaning purposes and also to cover up the heat pad... I used flexwatt which supposidly never gets higher than 95 degrees so that isnt hot enough to burn the vinyl or the wood... On the other hand if your using like a zoomed heat pad or others you find in pet stores those get like 115+ degrees so thats a possibility... Either way all heating elements should be hooked up to a thermostat to ensure nothing serious happens... a snake burn or even worse your house burning down. Check out my gallery and youll see some pics of my cages...

Good work on making that cage! Looks real sweet and I like what you did with the doors being rounded and what not. Looks like a light bulb in the back?? Might wanna consider getting that outta there cause lil snakies love to climb on stuff and thats a burn waiting to happen... Lemmie know if you got any other questions and Ill try to help ya out... I think im one of the only ones whose built a special cage for thier BPs but I could be wrong.

Can the rock hide idea and get 2 zilla hides... Pending size you can prolly get 2 for the price of 1 rock hide.

That enclosure is not suitable for a baby Ball Python. The space would be overwhelming and the snake would be stressed beyond belief.

Try a 15qt-32qt plastic tub for a year or more and then move the snake to that enclosure. Or get a larger snake that would appreciate the space.

I would recommend reading the caresheet so you will know what the husbandry requirements are so your snake will thrive in your care, and not just survive(maybe).

To set up that cage to actually use it in the future(not now, as the snake would not do well at all in that cage, WAY too big)
You're going to need a high quality thermostat, flexwatt or a radiant heat panel to get the temps on the warm side up to 92-94, and the cool side to 82-84. You'll need many hides, a digital thermometer/hygrometer.

To set up a tub for the hatchling Ball you'll need:
-15qt tub
-HIgh quality digital thermostat(johnson controls, ranco, helix, herpstat)
-flexwatt
-digital thermometer/hygrometer
-two small, low to the ground, dark hides that are IDENTICAL
-small water bowl
-hobby soldering iron for making air holes in the sides of the tub
-binder clips or a small bungee cord to hold the lid on

And Josh, flexwatt WILL get above 95 if left off of a thermostat, it will actually melt itself. It REQUIRES a thermostat or you will burn the house down.

As I said above, your little snake isn't going to thrive in that huge enclosure. Ball Pythons prefer small spaces and too much space will cause them to be very stressed, go off feed to an extreme, not properly thermoregulate which will cause illnesses such as respiratory infections. Definitely go with the small tub set up until the snake is older or just get another snake such as a boa that is more active and would appreciate the space. With the Ball, you would be looking at an empty cage 24/7.

i keep reading about this flexwatt but im also reading that you have to make it yourself....can you give me some pointers or point me in the right direction?

as for the light its basically a rounded off and isnt even an inch thick or wide. while i was working on it the other night i left the light on all night from about 8pm til about 11am and it never got hot...i just have it in there for a luxury for me whenever i want to turn it on and watch her at night

Thanks on the compliment on the cage...i think i did an awesome job for my first one....ive only had the snake for a two weeks but i feel an addiction coming on.

Reptilebasics.com is a great place for heating supplies. Rich has amazing customer service and will even pre-wire the flexwatt for you. He has a heating FAQ on his page that should answer most of your questions. A good thermostat is essential for stable temps, proportional would be ideal, but a Ranco or Johnson is the next best thing.

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Originally Posted by SatanicIntention

That enclosure is not suitable for a baby Ball Python. The space would be overwhelming and the snake would be stressed beyond belief.

Try a 15qt-32qt plastic tub for a year or more and then move the snake to that enclosure. Or get a larger snake that would appreciate the space.

I would recommend reading the caresheet so you will know what the husbandry requirements are so your snake will thrive in your care, and not just survive(maybe).

To set up that cage to actually use it in the future(not now, as the snake would not do well at all in that cage, WAY too big)
You're going to need a high quality thermostat, flexwatt or a radiant heat panel to get the temps on the warm side up to 92-94, and the cool side to 82-84. You'll need many hides, a digital thermometer/hygrometer.

To set up a tub for the hatchling Ball you'll need:
-15qt tub
-HIgh quality digital thermostat(johnson controls, ranco, helix, herpstat)
-flexwatt
-digital thermometer/hygrometer
-two small, low to the ground, dark hides that are IDENTICAL
-small water bowl
-hobby soldering iron for making air holes in the sides of the tub
-binder clips or a small bungee cord to hold the lid on

And Josh, flexwatt WILL get above 95 if left off of a thermostat, it will actually melt itself. It REQUIRES a thermostat or you will burn the house down.

As I said above, your little snake isn't going to thrive in that huge enclosure. Ball Pythons prefer small spaces and too much space will cause them to be very stressed, go off feed to an extreme, not properly thermoregulate which will cause illnesses such as respiratory infections. Definitely go with the small tub set up until the snake is older or just get another snake such as a boa that is more active and would appreciate the space. With the Ball, you would be looking at an empty cage 24/7.

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thanks for the info...i dont know how much of a baby it is, its about two feet long...how big do you think i would have to wait for it to get before it goes in there?

Kind of along the lines of what becky said... The cage isnt too big as of now... Its only too big if you snake has problems eating and what not... My cage size is 4x2x1.5ft and the smallest snake I have in there is 600g. If your planning on using that cage for a baby your going to need to make sure you got some nice small tight hides for them. I have yet to run into an issue with a cage being too big but I havent put a baby in a cage that size so you may run into an issue. Most importantly is making sure you have the right temps and right humidity. Thats the most important part of keepin BP's. Your humidity looks good your just going to need to work on getting the temps up.

Thats a very large enclosure for a bp, I don't think I would even attempt to keep one in there. Looks better suited for a boa in my opinion.

Yep, 2ft is still a juvie. How big is the cage?

If the snake is 2ft, I would try a 15-27qt tub.

Flexwatt you don't have to wire yourself. www.reptilebasics.com will wire it for you for free. It lasts longer and is more reliable than any "reptile" undertank heater. They use it in houses to heat the floor, so it lasts a LONG time :)

For properly heating the big cage, flexwatt likely won't work as you'll have to take the linoleum out, put flexwatt down, and put the linoleum back in. Flexwatt also won't heat the air. I would get a radiant heat panel from Pro-Products(www.pro-products.com). Just tell him the size of the cage and he will get you the right size panel. They also aren't dangerous for the animal to touch and they don't dry out the air.

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Originally Posted by JoshJP7

I used flexwatt which supposidly never gets higher than 95 degrees so that isnt hot enough to burn the vinyl or the wood... On the other hand if your using like a zoomed heat pad or others you find in pet stores those get like 115+ degrees so thats a possibility... Either way all heating elements should be hooked up to a thermostat to ensure nothing serious happens...

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Flexwatt will most certainly go above 95, but the manufacturer warns that anything above 95 is dangerous. Glad you clarified that you are in fact using a thermostat to regulate the temp of your flexwatt.

And, just for the record... I've recorded 140 degrees surface temp with a zoomed pad.

Rich I'm not too sure if theres such thing as "too big of a cage"... His looks pretty close to the same as the ones Ive built and I have 4 snakes in cages like those with no issues. The cage may be a little large for a baby but I wouldnt rule it out just yet... Every snake is different so you dont know until you try it out. Since he already has it built I would give it a shot... worse comes to worse you spend 10$ on a tub and move him over... I house my babies in 66qt tubs and they work just fine... again I have pics of my setups in my gallery if you wanna check em out...

Like becky said the heat panels are a great idea... I was going to go the same route but I have 10 snakes so 10 heat panels at 80$ a pop isnt worth it... I just heat the whole room to 79. If you only have one and dont have the option of heating a whole room id go with a heat panel.

the cage is 40L x 18W x 12H.

what if i put alot of hides in there would its still stress out the snake?

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Originally Posted by JoshJP7

Rich I'm not too sure if theres such thing as "too big of a cage"... His looks pretty close to the same as the ones Ive built and I have 4 snakes in cages like those with no issues. The cage may be a little large for a baby but I wouldnt rule it out just yet... Every snake is different so you dont know until you try it out. Since he already has it built I would give it a shot... worse comes to worse you spend 10$ on a tub and move him over... I house my babies in 66qt tubs and they work just fine... again I have pics of my setups in my gallery if you wanna check em out...

Like becky said the heat panels are a great idea... I was going to go the same route but I have 10 snakes so 10 heat panels at 80$ a pop isnt worth it... I just heat the whole room to 79. If you only have one and dont have the option of heating a whole room id go with a heat panel.

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Josh,

With all respect you also advocated using a ZooMed 500R as a reliable thermostat in another thread. He asked when we thought the snake would be big enough to use that enclosure; going off the size of the dvd player on top of it I think its way to big for a bp. He would have to ensure proper temps and humidity first and then run the risk of the snake still not doing well.

What do you mean by reliable? If you mean it works... then yes your right i did... Did i say it was the best? no I didnt.. either way what does my advice on a thermostat have anything to do with cage size? Until youve tried to use a cage that big and failed... id hold off on making comments such as "its too big." Just because others tell you "its too big" doesnt mean it wont work. Ive proven over and over again that size of the tank isnt as important as proper humidity and temps... Another falicy is that larger cages are harder to maintain temps/humidity... this is true with GLASS... but not with wood enclosures... With just a heat pad and a water bowl I was able to maintain temps just fine until it got cold here in NY. I dont want to come across as rude but you cant knock anything until youve tried it...

OP you can throw in a couple extra hides... wont hurt... I said before you can try to put your baby in there and see what happens... I kept my first hatchling in a 40gal tank and never had any issues so its worth a shot as long as you know you may have issues.

Josh,

I gave advice based on my own experience not what others have told me. I kept my snakes in 20g long when I had two of them, temps and humidity were perfect and I still had a heck of a time getting them to feed consistently. I spent a ton of money trying to make it work only to buy a rack and stick the tanks in the attic. Just because he has built this cage already does not mean that I'm going to give him the advice to use it, because I feel its not in the "snakes" best interest. This is my opinion feel free to PM if you want to talk further as I don't want to clutter this thread.

The difference is you had a glass tank... I used a 20gal with my first snake and had problems too but the problem isn't the tank being too big its getting temps/humidity right in glass. Unless you live somewhere where its naturally hot and humid all the time or you have a snake room ,a glass tank is always going to cause problems bc its challenging to get temps/humd right. 99% chance the reason you had problems is bc temps/humid werent right on.

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Originally Posted by JoshJP7

The difference is you had a glass tank... I used a 20gal with my first snake and had problems too but the problem isn't the tank being too big its getting temps/humidity right in glass. Unless you live somewhere where its naturally hot and humid all the time or you have a snake room ,a glass tank is always going to cause problems bc its challenging to get temps/humd right. 99% chance the reason you had problems is bc temps/humid werent right on.

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No the reason was not my temps and humidity because they were spot on like I said above. I believe it was security issues, but since I can't sit my snake down on the psych couch and ask it I can only assume so.

I guess im curious as to what you spent tons of money on then trying to fix it? I spent a buttload on heat lamps, CHE, plexiglass to cover the tops of the cages, reptile humidifiers all trying to get temps/humidity where they need to be but I cant see what would cost a lot of money to provide security... hides are like 4$... As long as you got it solved now its all good.

The cage you made looks great. A lot of people are saying you need this and that and you need a tub. These people are just saying whats worked for them. As we well know there are mulitple solutions to problems.

I had a baby ball in a 20 gal which is deemed to big. He was fine, he was eating and shedding well. I have since moved him to a 32 quart Iris tub. I also have my 139g spider female in a 32qt. Most people would say you need a 6-15 qt, but my set up is fine. They both eat every week, shed correctly and poop correctly.

The reason why it is fine is because I add a lot of "things" to make it smaller. Like, fake bushes and extra hides. These add security and also cut down on size.

I would recommend using the cage you have built and just adding branches, extra hides, water bowl, fake bushes. Let him settle in. If he starts having problems I would switch to something smaller, but until then he should be fine.

Good luck and more compliments on an awesome cage!

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Originally Posted by SUDISTIK

Ok here's the deal..me and my wife bought a baby ball python two weeks ago, Ive Decided to build a big enough cage that can be it's perminant home. I built this thing out of MDF board and lined the inside with a stone looking linolium with four 3 inch circular vents. Now this is my first snake of my own and i bought a heat rock the same day i bought the snake not knowing that it was a "Big NO NO" but before i found out it was a no no i set the tank up laying the heat rock on top of some subtrate and and then covering it with more subtrate..right now the snake is still in a little pet container while i get this situated, the temp is at about 75 at night and 80 during the day... but i know thats not good enough yet...now im seriously thinking about changing the heat rock to a heat pad but im worried about it getting hot enought to melt the linolium or burn the wood...is that possible? what do i do? also the humidity stays between 50% and 60%...is that ok?

here are some pictures of my set up..i still have to buy a hide rock,but maybe someone can help me with this issue

http://i99.photobucket.com/albums/l2...6/DSC02297.jpg
http://i99.photobucket.com/albums/l2...6/DSC02300.jpg

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Thought I'd help at least a little- I haven't been much help, seeing how I just got my first BP a month and a half ago myself.

Anyhow- Wood burns at about 450 degrees Fahrenheit. I dont know about linoleum though, but I think I can safely say that it shouldnt be anywhere near hot enough to melt it even.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by JoshJP7

I guess im curious as to what you spent tons of money on then trying to fix it? I spent a buttload on heat lamps, CHE, plexiglass to cover the tops of the cages, reptile humidifiers all trying to get temps/humidity where they need to be but I cant see what would cost a lot of money to provide security... hides are like 4$... As long as you got it solved now its all good.

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If your curious send me a PM; I'm not going to clutter this thread up with anymore of our bickering.

I like being "bickered" at through PMs too.. Especially after giving a negative rep to someone who thinks they have experience when they actually don't.

It's awesome ;)

You May Consider It Bickering But I Dont Mind..it's Actually Helping Me Learn A Couple Different Methods To Try.

Its nice to see someone else appreciate the different ways of keeping an animal... As long as its healthy right? SUDISTIK did you pick your snake up? Send me a PM if you want and Ill show you how I hooked up my heating inside my cage ... its pretty simple.


As far as being bickered at... Some people need to be brought back to reality... apparantly they think a little too highly of themselves and the way they do things... Some are leaders ... others are followers... I know which one I am. Dont hate bc you aint....

PS... my snakes can talk to me... and they tell me all the time...

MOOOOOREEEE SPAAAAAAAAAAAACCCCCCCCEEEEEEEE PLEAAAAAAAAAAASSSSSEEEEE!!!!!!!!

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Originally Posted by SUDISTIK

You May Consider It Bickering But I Dont Mind..it's Actually Helping Me Learn A Couple Different Methods To Try.

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Just because you said so...

This is what I went through as a beginner to where I am now about 3 years later. I'm no expert but my snakes are doing quite well and I'm happy with them.

I started off with two 20g L enclosures with a UTH and CHE run off a dimmer switch. This kept my temps where they needed to be but it killed my humidity.

I then bought plexi glass and cut a hole in it for my heat lamp, this helped a great deal but I still needed to mist the enclosure once a day in the morning.

At this time I also stopped using a CHE and bought another UTH for the cool side of the enclosures, I ran those off another dimmer switch. This practically solved my problem, I was able to maintain my temps and proper humidity without too much up keep. I was using two black hides and some foliage in the set ups and the snakes still fed very inconsistently.

I decided to make the switch to tubs because the glass enclosures were too much work to clean and I wanted to expand my collection. I kept them in tubs run off of a helix and flexwatt for a temporary time until I bought a rack. Cleaning is much easier, humidity is no problem, feeding is no problem, shedding is no problem; its made life much easier. Not only is it practical but its beneficial for the snake.

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Originally Posted by JoshJP7

Its nice to see someone else appreciate the different ways of keeping an animal... As long as its healthy right? SUDISTIK did you pick your snake up? Send me a PM if you want and Ill show you how I hooked up my heating inside my cage ... its pretty simple.


As far as being bickered at... Some people need to be brought back to reality... apparantly they think a little too highly of themselves and the way they do things... Some are leaders ... others are followers... I know which one I am. Dont hate bc you aint....

PS... my snakes can talk to me... and they tell me all the time...

MOOOOOREEEE SPAAAAAAAAAAAACCCCCCCCEEEEEEEE PLEAAAAAAAAAAASSSSSEEEEE!!!!!!!!

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Josh,

My reality is fine, its just a difference of opinion and I didn't want to fill this thread with clutter if it wasn't beneficial to the OP.

I don't think highly of myself at all so I don't know what you're talking about:confused: I'm no expert nor am I claiming to be. Lead yourself wherever you want but at the end of the day I don't care because my snakes are doing fine.

Rich buddy... My post was not in directed towards you at all... I appologize if It came across like that but it was directed towards another poster... Ill leave that guess up to you

It sounds like you went through the same type of process I did when I got my first snake a yr 1/2 ago... Everyone wants a glass set up to display their snake but really no1 ever sees them unless theyre over at night time... In the end we all made the switch to tubs bc humidity is never an issue and heating can always be worked out one way or another. Finding humidity is a pain and getting it to stay inside the glass is even worse... Good to hear the snakes are doing well (I never doubted they weren't)... post some photos of your snakes... Ive never gotta a peek at em.

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Originally Posted by JoshJP7

Rich buddy... My post was not in directed towards you at all... I appologize if It came across like that but it was directed towards another poster... Ill leave that guess up to you

It sounds like you went through the same type of process I did when I got my first snake a yr 1/2 ago... Everyone wants a glass set up to display their snake but really no1 ever sees them unless theyre over at night time... In the end we all made the switch to tubs bc humidity is never an issue and heating can always be worked out one way or another. Finding humidity is a pain and getting it to stay inside the glass is even worse... Good to hear the snakes are doing well (I never doubted they weren't)... post some photos of your snakes... Ive never gotta a peek at em.

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Check out some of my old threads. I posted pictures all the time but now that I'm in school I have no time to really even spend taking pictures. I'm at work but here is one from my computer at work.

http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f1...o/100_1658.jpg

I think there is a middle ground. While it is always recommended to have a temperature controlled climate that is ideal for the species of snake, you must remember that ball pythons aren't very good display animals. Their calm disposition, excellent colors and ease of care make them suitable for beginners. On the other hand, they do have a habit of going off feed when those conditions aren't met. And for most keepers, they have found that keeping the husbandry to par is best found when using a sterilite tub.

We so thoroughly recommend sterilite tubs over large tanks because many of the keepers on here have probably started that way, and all have found excellent results using the sterilite tubs.

Excellent results meant by feeding every week, never regurging, great sheds, tame disposition and constant great husbandry. Ball pythons are happy when they are hiding. I personally don't pull my snakes out to play everyday. We bother them for a daily check, and handle about once a week, and to date haven't had any problems.

Why not try sectioning off half of your tank for now, give many hiding places, make it thick so the snake will feel safe moving back and forth for thermoregulation?

The use of flexwatt and a radiant heat panel is sound advice.

I think large diplay cages are better suited to lizards or arboreal animals.

Actually, I think your set up there would be PERFECT for a bearded dragon.

I guess the big issue here is hes not using a big "tank"... a tank usually is considered a fish "tank" with glass on the sides and the bottom... Hes got wood on all sides but the front. Wood is a much better insulator than glass and holds the humidity/heat much better... With solid wood on all sides the stress is limited bc the snakes cant see past the wood... in a glass tank the snake can see everything and may feel more vulnerable bc of this... I think the OP should try get his temps/humid. where they need to be and try it out... If it works it works... If not you set up a smaller tub and go from there... It takes like 10 mins to set up a tub so its not like its that big of a deal.

Connie pointed out many options to try and make it work... try it out and see what happens... the snakes not going to die or something in a couple days... Let em settle in offer food and see what happens.

No the issue I have isn't so much the tank humidity part, but that the excess room does stress out BP's. I think his husbandry as far as humidity and temps can be met easily with some ingenuity. BUT, ball pythons are notorious for going off feed when stressed, and a large tank will stress out a BP.

Using decorations and many hiding places with a good amount of cover will ease that stress on a BP in a large tank. That's why I recommend splitting it in half, or using it for a better display animal. It's an excellent enclosure, and I wouldnt want to see it go to waste. I just don't think it's suitable for a juvenile BP. Look at ReptileBasics website, they are excellent cages, low but deep and long. More suited for a snake, but many still come with splitters to let the animal grow into the cage. I think in this cage that may be the best route. BP's hide ALL DAY in rodent burrows and termite mounds. They don't like being exposed. It's just their nature. They emerge at night to hunt and feed. If your animal is constantly roaming during the day, it is stressed. A happy and content BP is a hiding BP. Sometimes with their head out of the hide.

I think large enclosures can bring out a snakes natural habits such as basking, soaking, and snake stuff, but I don't think a BP will take full advantage of that in an overly large enclosure like any other diurnal animal would.

I see where your coming where there MAY be an issue... I openly admitted that he MAY have problems... With that said theres nothing saying he WILL have problems... Theres too many people on this forum speaking about "encloures being too big" but I have this feeling those who say this never tried it on their own... If they have they couldnt get temps/humidity right and had issues... Ive been PM by several people who have choosen to take my path and have had no issues and theyve THANKED ME so as ive said... dont knock it until YOU'VE tried it...

NONE of my snakes are out during the day so Im not too sure where you got that impression from... They sleep all day long and come out for a good portion of the night. The hides are meant to keep them "secure" not the enclosure...

Here are some pics of my snakes "Not taking advantage of the extra space, Not liking to climb and being stressed out".... All fallacies ive read on this forum numerous times. Photos are pretty small but if you click on em itll show you larger ones. Im also gonna throw it out there that I recd my 07 female clown this week... Shes in a 96qt tub... Ate like a champ for me already!

http://thumb8.webshots.net/t/68/68/9...8oFOcoM_th.jpg

http://thumb8.webshots.net/t/60/460/...8LxlfLz_th.jpg

http://thumb8.webshots.net/t/55/555/...8YGHmla_th.jpg

http://thumb8.webshots.net/t/30/466/...8udeprF_th.jpg

I'm sorry you feel like I'm attacking you and your enclosure. Please don't jump to conclusions. If someone asks for advice, we give it to the best of our abilities. And since you want to call my experience under fire, I have tried it, but for lack of room and consistency, we went with a rack and sterilite tubs. Please read my posts thoroughly as I don't believe I was knocking anyone with how they house their BP's. I offered different ways to keep the large enclosure comfortable for a BP.

I acknowledged your good advice and I second it... you gave several very good ideas on how he can try to make it work in the larger enclosure

I dont feel like you were attacking me but I just dont think people answered this guys question... He didnt ask if his cage was too big... he asked how to heat it then people jumped him because he uses a larger enclosure than they choose to provide their snake with... Me and Brimstone are the only 2 that actually gave this guy a little support and what he was looking for... I didnt say you have to house your snake in a huge cage I just said he can try it out and see if it works... If not he knows how to fix it.

i thank everybody for their help and their advice on how to situate the snake and its enviroment if it begins to be stressed but i have a question to ask...whe i got the snake it came home with me in this little pet container, and didnt have any kind of hide. the snake would be coiled up in different spots during the day but it would also be active in the space it had during the day,if it was stressed with that space would it go off feed? is it possible to just have an active ball python?

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Originally Posted by SUDISTIK

i thank everybody for their help and their advice on how to situate the snake and its enviroment if it begins to be stressed but i have a question to ask...whe i got the snake it came home with me in this little pet container, and didnt have any kind of hide.

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What sort of pet container?

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the snake would be coiled up in different spots during the day but it would also be active in the space it had during the day,if it was stressed with that space would it go off feed?

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You have to describe the set up. Are there hides available? The ball python will usually try to hide the best it can. But if it needs to thermo regulate, you will see them doing this as well at different periods through the day.

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is it possible to just have an active ball python?

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It's a general rule of thumb when it comes to Balls and a few other snakes, that when they are constantly active, they are stressed. It's pretty different at night, all my snakes come out at night and start cruising their tubs. They will do it all night. If I pull them out during the day, or open there tub for any reason, they will start to cruise around again. That's just my snakes though.

Someone with hundreds of snakes or years of experience will be able to say if it is or is not possible to just have "a more active BP."

Also, how long has the snake been in the enclosure. Usually I let them settle for 2 weeks before we offer food. With the tubs though, I will offer a rat the next feeding day for any new snake, because generally they will take it. Sometimes they dont, but I just throw the rat back till next time.

It's a 11L x 7W x 8H, it has a little water bowl and coconut husk for bedding.

it's a critter keeper, right? The clear plastic poly boxes they sell to keep mice and tarantulas and "critters" in...

As littleindiangirl said, BP's will do the best they can to hide.. If that means coiling up in the darkest corner of their clear cage, that's what they'll do. But, if they're moving around a lot during the day they're looking for a hiding spot, which means they're not feeling secure. In other words, they're stressed.

If it were me, I'd continue with your plans for the large enclosure since you're already so close to finishing it. Flexwatt and a thermostat are necessities, and I would recommend flourescent lights, if you're going to light it. That way the lights aren't killing your temps and humidity during the day... I would, however, get a tub to set him up in while you're getting his big enclosure finished. Just go to wal mart and pick up a 12qt sterilite shoe box from the housewares section, put some flexwatt or a small UTH on it, connect that to a thermostat or rheostat, put in a couple of small plastic hides and a water bowl, and cover the whole thing up in a corner. He'll appreciate it, trust me...