Room issues, need advice from experts!

Ok, so i have two small BP's, maybe 1-1 1/2 ft long. They are great. I need to change their cage, they are both in a 20l together, which is fine for now...
I have a custom reptile cage which is shorter and narrower but MUCH longer. I think it's maybe 1'x1'x4'6". I would love to move them into it, concidering it's an aluminum with tempered glass and magnetic lids, very breathable, and easy to clean, but about the same weight as a glass 'fish tank'.
I was wondering a few things:
1) would they need much height or would it be fine if it's only 1' tall?
2) can i temporarily beep them enclosed with my red tail.
3)What kind of substrate do you guys reccoment which is aethetic as well as usable?

1 foot tall is fine.
Keep them with your Bci?? That is a seriously bad idea.
Aspen is commonly used as a substrate that's good for the snakes and looks good to the keeper.

Will you be dividing this larger cage? It would be a good idea.....

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by whytepizza

Ok, so i have two small BP's, maybe 1-1 1/2 ft long. They are great. I need to change their cage, they are both in a 20l together, which is fine for now...
I have a custom reptile cage which is shorter and narrower but MUCH longer. I think it's maybe 1'x1'x4'6". I would love to move them into it, concidering it's an aluminum with tempered glass and magnetic lids, very breathable, and easy to clean, but about the same weight as a glass 'fish tank'.
I was wondering a few things:
1) would they need much height or would it be fine if it's only 1' tall?
2) can i temporarily beep them enclosed with my red tail.
3)What kind of substrate do you guys reccoment which is aethetic as well as usable?

---

Uh, well.. lets see..
First of all, your ball pythons should be in separate cages. There is no good reason to keep them together. A 20g Long is a perfect cage for an adult bp. One of them could stay in it easily, while the other could move to another 15-20g cage. If your heart is set on the larger cage, you would definitely need to divide it. Maybe even into 3 parts. That cage is wayy to large for a ball python of any age, but is perfect for an adult red tail.

It is a verry bad idea to house the ball pythons with a BCI. It's bad enough to have them together.
A nice looking substrate is aspen, and is usable. You could also use paper towels, newspaper, or repti-bark.
Stay away from pine, cedar and sand.

Ball pythons do not need height. They are not arboreal like boas are, so they can be fine in a 5-6in tub which is what most rack systems have them in. Tall climbing branches are also a bad idea because they are clumsy climbers and could easily fall and hurt themselves. Give them hides on the ground and some low branches (ground laying ones) and they will be happy.

Good luck!

You know, i was thinking of dividing the cage. It has slots to divide it into 1, 2, or 3 sections. I wouldn't keep my BCI in this new cage, he has a 30 gallon which is much better suited until he reaches a nice size. I was just wondering if i needed to put my BP's in the 30g for a short time if that'd be alright, but i know there is that virus in the feces that is fatal to BP's but not to BCI or BCC.
If i divide the new cage up the smallest section will be too small (slightly smaller than a 10g), two sections would be about the length on my 20g, and the three sections together would be very nice for length. I know they like to climb so i wanted to make sure a shorter cage is alright.
Do you think divinding the cage until they grow a little more is a good idea? They're still very small.
Just to give you an idea of the size of the cage; this is the same exact cage that Petsmart uses for their snakes. It just isn't in that big giant display. I bought them from a petstore who bought them from a machinist a few years ago. There are two sizes, one tall, and one short. The tall one is only 6" higher but i'm using two of those for my hognoses who all think they're aboreal. The shorter ones were for my baby bearded dragons and baby Russian Tortoises, now the cage has been sitting for a few years... Totally worth using some of them, if i can.
The one reason i want to do this is to maintian humidity. A glass aquaria is a pain in the arse to maintain proper heat and humidity. The other is that they will grow very fast and i want to make sure i have the proper setup, otherwise i have to sell these custom cages and buy something different.
I've been using carpet for the bedding so far with one end having a bowl with some crushed walnut shell in it. If the cage is hot or cold they lie on the walnut shell because it keeps a good constant temperature. But, it's all very messy and the walnut shell has to be changed frequently to avoid mold not to mention the risk of impactation. The carpet just gets nasty after a while. I will try the aspen bedding, thank you!
I'll try and get pictures if my camera will work. Sorry, i know i'm being vague without pictures! Any help would be greatly appreciated!

If you use the long cage for them I would definitely divide it up. Just make sure they each have a heat source that they can use and multiple hides. House them apart for sure, and I would not put them with a bci for even a minute. Good luck, and I hope you find a way to make it work.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by waltah!

If you use the long cage for them I would definitely divide it up. Just make sure they each have a heat source that they can use and multiple hides. House them apart for sure, and I would not put them with a bci for even a minute. Good luck, and I hope you find a way to make it work.

---

Awesome, thank you!
How would you suggest diviging it up? I'm limited to the ways it can be divided because it has slats already built in. I can do one large space, one large one small space, or three small spaces...

how small is a small space? If it's about 16 inches or so long and 12 inches wide it would be pretty tight unless they are pretty young snakes. If one is quite a bit bigger then give it the larger space. If they are really small then I would go with 2 smaller spaces. Someone else may chime in here with an opinion as well:)

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by waltah!

how small is a small space? If it's about 16 inches or so long and 12 inches wide it would be pretty tight unless they are pretty young snakes. If one is quite a bit bigger then give it the larger space. If they are really small then I would go with 2 smaller spaces. Someone else may chime in here with an opinion as well:)

---

Great! This is the first time using a custom cage and i'm only really knowlegable with 20l. Thank's for the advice! I may have to pull out one of my other custom cages and set that up as well... I know the small space will be too small, it's surface area is less than a 10g and i want the snakes to grow well and not need too many cage changes. It's too expencive to buy tons of cages! lol. Maybe i should just learn to buy supplies and build one on my own eventually!
Anyway, i will give that a shot for now, anyone is more than welcome to keep offering some suggestions for me.
These cages also have a plastic currogate bottom so i'll stick with my flexwatt for now.

I have one word for you my friend....rack:)

Quote:

---

You know, i was thinking of dividing the cage. It has slots to divide it into 1, 2, or 3 sections. I wouldn't keep my BCI in this new cage, he has a 30 gallon which is much better suited until he reaches a nice size. I was just wondering if i needed to put my BP's in the 30g for a short time if that'd be alright, but i know there is that virus in the feces that is fatal to BP's but not to BCI or BCC.

---

I don't know what virus you are talking about, but I wouldn't recommend putting them in the same tank at the Boa.

Quote:

---

If i divide the new cage up the smallest section will be too small (slightly smaller than a 10g), two sections would be about the length on my 20g, and the three sections together would be very nice for length. I know they like to climb so i wanted to make sure a shorter cage is alright.
Do you think divinding the cage until they grow a little more is a good idea? They're still very small.

---

Ball Python are not arboreal(not climbers) so a lot of height isn't necessary. They sound like they are just babies so a room the size of a 10 gallon should be fine. But you can divide the cage into two sections and that would also be fine. Just make sure they each have two nice fitting hides.

Quote:

---

The tall one is only 6" higher but i'm using two of those for my hognoses who all think they're aboreal

---

You said you had six hognoses, are you keeping all of them together also?

Quote:

---

The other is that they will grow very fast and i want to make sure i have the proper setup, otherwise i have to sell these custom cages and buy something different.

---

Ball Pythons can live in a 20l for their whole lives. Some people like to go with a 30g though.

Quote:

---

I've been using carpet for the bedding so far with one end having a bowl with some crushed walnut shell in it. If the cage is hot or cold they lie on the walnut shell because it keeps a good constant temperature.

---

What are you using to heat their enclosure and what are you using to measure temps and humidity?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by JayBP

I don't know what virus you are talking about, but I wouldn't recommend putting them in the same tank at the Boa.



Ball Python are not arboreal(not climbers) so a lot of height isn't necessary. They sound like they are just babies so a room the size of a 10 gallon should be fine. But you can divide the cage into two sections and that would also be fine. Just make sure they each have two nice fitting hides.



You said you had six hognoses, are you keeping all of them together also?



Ball Pythons can live in a 20l for their whole lives. Some people like to go with a 30g though.


What are you using to heat their enclosure and what are you using to measure temps and humidity?

---

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by JayBP

I don't know what virus you are talking about, but I wouldn't recommend putting them in the same tank at the Boa.



Ball Python are not arboreal(not climbers) so a lot of height isn't necessary. They sound like they are just babies so a room the size of a 10 gallon should be fine. But you can divide the cage into two sections and that would also be fine. Just make sure they each have two nice fitting hides.



You said you had six hognoses, are you keeping all of them together also?



Ball Pythons can live in a 20l for their whole lives. Some people like to go with a 30g though.


What are you using to heat their enclosure and what are you using to measure temps and humidity?

---

Alright, sounds good. I'll have to pull one of the extra cages i have out of the basement because i cannot divide the cage up evenly into two parts. The smallest size i can make is waaaay too small for them. They're young, but not quite babies. Maybe 9 months old or so. A little over 1 ft mark.
As far as my hognoses go, no, they are not together, for the most part. I have two breeder pairs who stay together 5 out of 7 days of the week (i seperate for 24 hours after feeding them). The other two are too small to breed. I do have other hognoses, but they are set up in neonate rack systems throughout my house dependent on what kind they are (neotropical, western, southern, etc.). I sold most of my breeders at the beginning of the year when i moved.
As for the heating of my cage, i use flexwatt on a dimmer which is also plugged into an on/off thermometer connected to the Flexwatt itself. I use the wet/dry aquatic themotmeters/hydrometer with a probe and external display to check their temps. Currently, because of room issues, i have my bp's over my Dragons' (dragons's?) cage. I use the heat from their ceramic heater to filter up and heat the BP's one end of their cage pretty well. I covered the bottom with aluminum foil on the hot end to disperse heat so it's not focused on just one spot. More like a ghetto radiant heat panel on one half of the bottom of the cage. Works well, keeps my heat around 92 on the hot end and 80 on the cold. They stay on the cold side, primarily, because the largest hide is there. At night it drops to roughly 75 on the cold side but still keeps a good 87 on the hot. Pretty much splits the cage into two 10 gallon tanks put together with different heat instead of doing it in the back.
With this new cage it will be flexwatt only. It'll be run the 4' length of the cage on the back bottom 3" (i don't like rear heat, it escapes to easily unless it's in a rack). Reverse of what i am doing now, but more affective to heat especially since it is a heavy plastic currogate bottom (waterproof and heat resistant!). Everything i have is set up on two metal wire set of shelves. One is 3' long and the other is 4' long.
My first BP (which was rescued from an idiot) was kept in a 29 for its entire life. Poor thing was on a basement floor with only a heat rock. When i got him i used a ceramic heater for the day and a red light night heater at night. Kept the temperature normal but i had to give him up when i moved (GREAT snake and i miss him :tears: )
Anyway, i cannot use a ceramic heater with this new cage because the top is aluminum and the magnetic lids are made of a coated 'soft' metal. The coating can melt very easily so i don't want to risk and damage, otherwise ceramic is my first choice.
Waltah! I would love some rack systems! Got some lying around? Lol.
Sadly, i can't afford a rack system right now, i want to build my own but i want to make it furniture quality with prewired flexwatt. My idea is for 6 small tubs on top, two rows of 3 coulibrid in the middle, and two larger(er) aboreal on the bottom. I wanted to have a little 'kubbie' on the side to run all the wiring into so it's not visible and have the dimmer switches permemently mounted. This way it hides all wires. (i can tend to be a neat freak).
But, i'm not picky with racks, just the ones i make, so if anyone feels the need to donate! :gj: :D
I was thinking of selling these cages i am using to buy a rack system. With the way the economy is right now, i doubt that is possible. And besides, i can't ship a 50lb piece of metal and glass.
So, that's the jist, sorry for the long reply. I hope everything is spelled correctly. I'll try and get pics up of the cages if i can get my camera to work (darn hp's).

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by JayBP

I don't know what virus you are talking about, but I wouldn't recommend putting them in the same tank at the Boa.

---

I'm sorry, it was IBD. Boa's can carry IBD their whole life with no symptoms and transmit it quickly to other species. Thought i'd clarify on the lack of information i gave before. Sorry!