Finalized my list for my new and upcoming Red Tail BCI! corrections?

Red-Tail BCI Husbandry List

- 2x4 Cage-12'' High (45.5"x23"x11.5) *Kept for most of his adult life until size permits otherwise*

- 2 RBI Medium Hide Boxs (one on cool end & one on hot end)

- 3 Taylor Digital Thermometers (with humidity reading built in)

- 80 Watt Radiant Heat Panel (which is connected to one of my extra Herpstats set at 94)

- Zoo Med Aspen Bedding (with one layer of packing paper underneath to absorb anything that the aspen bedding cant)

- Macs Creations Jungle Gym Branch (Large Size)

- Exo Terra Xtra Large Water Dish

- Misc fake foilage throughout the cage

Does this look ok to keep my new Boa throughout a good part of his life until i have to switch him to something bigger? And my only other question was about the medium hide boxes from RBI, will that sustain a 2 month old for a lil while or should i just get the large? Thanks everyone, you are great! :gj:

And I will be talking to Jimi real soon to see if he has any of those beautiful blonde pastels! :D

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Originally Posted by ndizzleg

And I will be talking to Jimi real soon to see if he has any of those beautiful blonde pastels! :D

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All sold out of Blondes.

Mediums will be way too big for a two month old. My advice is to use foilage and branches to "fill up" the space in something that big instead of using hide boxes. Remember, the more stuff in an enclosure the more you have to clean regularly. My advice is to get a tub that's relative to the boas with heat tape until the boa you decide on is big enough to not get lost in such a good sized enclosure.

Just to let you know how I do it-

Males- start out in shoe box rack, 2nd home is 32 qt rack, final home is cb-70 or ballroom rack tub.

Females- start out in shoe box rack, 2nd home is 32 qt rack, final home is 421D.

But remember Jimi, I have all of mine in 2x3x1 RBI enclosures- even Niah and she is very comfortable: eating, shedding, pooing, etc. She stays up on a branch lounging under the RHP, but also cruises around in the evening. She does not appear to be at all stressed and has never used a hide. However, she is, in fact, an amazing snake ;)

I fully understand that on this forum tubs are widely touted as the best and I will also say that they have an important role. I also believe that reptile cages that provide space and height to some snakes are called for.

My yearlings will have about another 6 months (I'm guessing) in their 2x3 cages and then I'll move them up to AP T20's. Some might say that this is not needed, but I believe that a 6ft snake might use a 6ft cage......

What do you think Jimi?

Also, medium hides will be way toooo big and if you're getting a snake from Jimi, the snake will probably never see the inside of it! ;) Just get something little since they are such little noodle snakes for a while!!

Hahah..noodle snakes.. And yes tubs are excellent. I have my 10 month old BP in one and heat and humidity are awesome, and it's also very easy to maintain, and my BP loves it! :) But this cage idea from RBI with the RHP sounds like a good plan, until he gets to be close to an adult, then I was going to switch him to the VE Series 175 Tub from Reptile Tubs. But for right now im trying to set up another room for quarantine when I decide to buy me my boa.

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Originally Posted by ndizzleg

- 2x4 Cage-12'' High (45.5"x23"x11.5) *Kept for most of his adult life until size permits otherwise*

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Originally Posted by starmom

But remember Jimi, I have all of mine in 2x3x1 RBI enclosures- even Niah and she is very comfortable:

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There is still a foot difference there, which is a lot for a boa. I don't really think the extra room will cause any stress problems though. I guess I was just stating what I do is all. :P

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Originally Posted by starmom

What do you think Jimi?

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I think I need a vacation...

Oh boy Jimi~ so do I :P

So i'm guessing that if i fill the RBI cage up with enough foilage/decor/etc then the boa should be pretty stress free? And starmom, could you post a picture of your RBI cage? Pleasee :D

Yup, I'll post a picture today. But, I'm wondering something....
You have a ball python right? Can you consider the 2x3x1 cage and then give it to your ball when the boa outgrows it? Just wondering since a foot of additional space IS a big jump....
But, Jimi's boas are so awesome I also bet you can fill up all the spare space with plastic plants, an aspen burrow area, etc....!
Anyway, I'll get the pictures up for you soon!

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Originally Posted by starmom

Yup, I'll post a picture today. But, I'm wondering something....
You have a ball python right? Can you consider the 2x3x1 cage and then give it to your ball when the boa outgrows it? Just wondering since a foot of additional space IS a big jump....
But, Jimi's boas are so awesome I also bet you can fill up all the spare space with plastic plants, an aspen burrow area, etc....!
Anyway, I'll get the pictures up for you soon!

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Awesome, I appreciate the pic's :D. Yes I have a 9 month old BP. And thats what I was thinking, when the boa grows out of it, then I can switch the ball over. It's just that I have my ball in a 32 qrt steralite and it's been nothing but awesome, and I kind of worry about the temps not being like they are in the tub, because right now the temps and humidity are awesome! But I will definitely consider the 2x3x1 cage instead, then probably switch over to the huge VE tub from reptiletubs when he gets to be a monster lol :snake2:

Here's a picture of the three RBI 2x3x1 boa cages. The middle one has nothing to climb on as K' la prefers to be in the aspen or under the paper! The plastic cups are filled with long fiber moss as our humidity in the summer is about 20% and the temps are, right now, about 95F outside. The RHP's in each cage work great and the Helix is set at 88:
http://i259.photobucket.com/albums/h...0/DSCN5726.jpg

A picture of Niah in her cage. She's a few months old and weighs a whopping 100g :)
http://i259.photobucket.com/albums/h...0/DSCN5723.jpg

A picture of Zelda, in blue, in her cage. She weighs 500g and is a yearling:
http://i259.photobucket.com/albums/h...0/DSCN5721.jpg

For contrast (or not) here's the three ball python 2x3x1 RBI cages. Each cage houses a 1100+g female:
http://i259.photobucket.com/albums/h...0/DSCN5727.jpg

A picture of my 4 RBI racks...dusty and so it is cleaning day!
http://i259.photobucket.com/albums/h...0/DSCN5728.jpg

Wow, alot of snakes compared to my one, and soon to be two snakes. haha Those RBI cages are nice though! I noticed in the one picture the AcuRite read 82.2 IN/82.4 OUT. Where did you put your probe at for the OUT reading on the AcuRite? And i know most boas would just use the branch to regulate their body temp by getting closer to or farther away from the RHP. I guess what i'm trying to say is what do you use to measure your basking spot for your boas? Thanks once again for the help and the pics! This helps alot :)

Or should my question be .."Do ball pythons thermoregulate differently from red tail bci's?" :confused: lol

I use the temp gun to measure ground temps and the Accurite to measure ambient temps and humidity. I don't use the probe on it at all ;)
Also, I think you can see what Jimi was getting at: Add another 12 inches to these cages and you've got a pretty darn big space for a little bitty boa!

Ahhhhhh. i see. A temp gun would be a nice investment lol :gj: And yeah another foot for a baby boa, ..that would be an awfuly big cage :)

Don't waste your money on the Zoomed Aspen. Same stuff as what is in the small pet section for 1/4 of the price. You can get a 4.5 cu ft bale of it at Petsmart or Petco for $12 I believe

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Originally Posted by SatanicIntention

Don't waste your money on the Zoomed Aspen. Same stuff as what is in the small pet section for 1/4 of the price. You can get a 4.5 cu ft bale of it at Petsmart or Petco for $12 I believe

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If they have that, ill just get that instead of the zoomed. I really wasn't going to turn the whole cage into aspen substrate, I was just going to make a section in the cage where the boa could go if he wants to burrow,etc.