One tank size for life?

If I wanted to keep a Ball Python in one glass display tank its entire life, from hatchling to adulthood, providing all the other requirements are met, what is the best size?

20, 30, or 40 gallon?

Thanks in advance!

(Ideally, I want a larger tank for the purpose of display.)

20 long is the smallest you get away with from what I hear

20 gallon long will be perfect for a ball pythons entire life. You might need to move to something a bit larger if you have an extra huge breeder female.

Just so you know, ball pythons aren't the best display snakes so you will most likely be staring at a bunch of fake plants and no BP. :giggle:

Lol yeah, my tank has all sorts of decorations in it and that's all I ever get to see except for rare occasions at night when I'll wake up to get a drink or something and she's out crawling around. I will be putting her in a rack when I get the room and buy a baby boa to display in my 20L until it outgrows it and then I dunno...maybe a few geckos or something...

Thanks guys, I've been leaning towards a 20L, just wanted to double check. Although, if i had a large female, a 30 is also a good option too.

I know that Ball Pythons aren't really "display animals." What I meant by display tank is that I just want a enclosure where I can check up on it whenever I felt like without having to open a lid or slide a tub. Peeking at it from the opening if its hides and catching it roam around a little bit at night is all I hope to see.

My principle is that I want to keep things as simple as a tub but with the viewing capability. I don't plan on having anything inside the tank except two identical hides, a water bowl, aspen bedding, and a thermometer/hydrometer. Maybe a few branches. Would that be okay?

Sounds like a winning setup, just make sure to cover the sides and back of the glass tank with a background or insulation for added security for the animal.

the 30 gallon sounds like a winner for me.

I would not recommend a 30 gallon for a hatchling. Some will be just fine, but many appear to be intimidated by the open space and can go off feed. Also, the bigger the enclosure, the harder it is to maintain stable temps and humidity at least with glass tanks), so that can be a factor as well.

If you do decide to keep a young BP in a 30 gallon, or even a 20 gallon, make sure you have adequate hides (consider more than just 2), make the open areas less open by covering the sides & back of the tank and adding fake foliage or other stuff, and also keep a close eye on temps & humidity.

I was told a 30 long would be good for life. Mabey a 40 if it gets a little above average in size. But also babies and young balls are also afriad of open spaces, so a divider should be put in the cage. A little less then half or so. Once it is older (I am not sure about what age, I think mabey around 10-12 months) you can start to move the divider back a couple inches every few months. I got a cardboard divider in my tank. Make sure it is wedged tight so he can't move it and make sure it goes all the way from the top to bottum. I left 1 inch open from the top and one day I found him stuck on the top of the cardboard.

I'm honestly not sure if you can get away with one tank size for life with Ball Pythons.

A 30/40 Gallon is too large for a neonate, and a 20 Gallon is too small for an adult. Especially for an adult female.

Personally, I'd get the 20 Gallon for the neonate/yearling. You can wait until it gets a little size on it, and then replace it with a 40 Breeder.

The 20 Gallon doesn't have to go to waste in this hobby! You can get a Corn Snake, Crested Geckos, Leopard Geckos, etc. :D

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Originally Posted by Michelle.C

The 20 Gallon doesn't have to go to waste in this hobby! You can get a Corn Snake, Crested Geckos, Leopard Geckos, etc. :D

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That's exactly what I'm trying to avoid. I want to limit myself to only one reptile, because I will be living in Taiwan, where the pet industry, in terms of reptiles is not very developed. If I want a captive bred I might have to import one from the states. All the specific equipment such as thermostats and heat pads will also have to be shipped overseas. Having a spare tank around is just too tempting, lol.

The funny thing is I will not be actually getting a Ball Python for another two years. I am just doing the research not since I'm bored at university.

I had my heart set on a 20 but I think 30 sounds pretty good. An important factor about Taiwan is humidity. Unlike here in North America, the humidity there is very high all year round, so thats one less thing to worry about in terms of a big tank.

In terms of the sense of security, I will be using two identical hides, most likely from Reptile Basics, and I will cover the back. The tank will be placed in an apartment that only I will live in, with no other pets in that room. So a very low-traffic area.

I'd place plenty of tight places for it to hide. Fake plants, hides, branches, etc. You don't have to limit yourself to two hides. As they get older, you'll remove them because the animal will require more room to move about. As hatchlings though, large enclosures can be overwhelming and stressful.

Another suggestion would be a plastic container while it's young and becoming acclimated. For a relatively low price you can give it several appropriate sized enclosures, and then as a sub-adult you can move it to the 30/40 Gallon.

It's wonderful that you are doing research so far ahead. I'm sure you'll get everything worked out! :D

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Originally Posted by Michelle.C

It's wonderful that you are doing research so far ahead. I'm sure you'll get everything worked out! :D

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...yah, I kinda get made fun of for that. I've been wanting to keep a snake as a pet for as long as I could remember, but I have one of those Moms, who are like "you can get a snake when you have your own place!" And thats exactly what I'm going to do.

Actually in terms of the type of snake, I've had my heart set on a Ball Python since middle school, which as the first time I've ever saw one. Around that time when I saw snakes in pet stores I always made myself look away, not because I dislike them, but the exact opposite, because I knew they were my favorites and yet there was no way I could get one, so looking at them was simply too painful. The Ball Python however, I just couldn't help myself. Everything about them was so attractive.

Anyways, that was a long time ago, and I've been doing research ever since. I'm in university now, and only have two more years to wait before I actually get one. It shall be a glorious day!

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Originally Posted by Kaorte

20 gallon long will be perfect for a ball pythons entire life. You might need to move to something a bit larger if you have an extra huge breeder female.

Just so you know, ball pythons aren't the best display snakes so you will most likely be staring at a bunch of fake plants and no BP. :giggle:

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You don't know my bp, then. lol. He's all over the place.

I wouldn't keep one in anything less than a 30. Bigger is better of course. Mine is in a 50 gallon. Bps love to stretch out and given the chance, will be fairly active snakes.

I have mine in a 50 gallon so he has plenty of room to play hehe

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Originally Posted by demonicchild

You don't know my bp, then. lol. He's all over the place.

I wouldn't keep one in anything less than a 30. Bigger is better of course. Mine is in a 50 gallon. Bps love to stretch out and given the chance, will be fairly active snakes.

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An over active BP is usually a stressed one. A happy BP is a hiding BP. Bigger is in fact not better with ball pythons.

I have two 1100gr+ adults in 40g breeders and one juvie in a 20g. I have two hides, their water bowl, a large log and loads of plants taking up the vertical space. They aren't stressed, eat well, and can stretch at will which helps with that one lung thing. I don't see them often, usually only before feeding day and when they move to the other hide. I can't see fitting the hides and water bowl in a 20g and them having any room at all to move when they need to. I've tried it, went back. Just what works for us.

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Originally Posted by Kaorte

An over active BP is usually a stressed one. A happy BP is a hiding BP. Bigger is in fact not better with ball pythons.

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Beat me to it. From what I've seen, unless you have some porker of a female a 20L WILL be fine for the life of the snake. If you are worried about one growing out of a 20L then just get a male, they're probably better for people who want a single animal as a pet since they stay smaller. If you have multiple animals then tanks should not even be a discussion unless you have something really nice you want to display and even then you'll probaby never see it since they love to hide.

IMO if you want a snake that'll be active and crawl all over the place then get something other than a BP. As soon as I get into base housing I am getting a Boa for this exact reason and putting my female in a rack.

L X W X H
20gL: 30" x 12" x 12"
30g: 36" x 12" x 16"
55g: 48" x 12" x 21"

Here is the thing, the floor room for these tank sizes barely changes when you increase gallon sizes. For the most part, it is the height that changes. Extra height is next to useless to a BP as they are terrestrial snakes. This extra 27 gallons of height is also a pain in the booty to heat and keep proper humidity. If you are up for the challenge of keeping a 55gallon tank then by all means, have at it.

Yup, I was all set to buy a 40 gallon tank at petco until I put it next to a 20 gallon. It was way taller but not much longer or wider.

The proportion in relation to height is a very good point, thanks for bringing that up!

I guess I got a lucky break here, because I don't have to worry about humidity. :)

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Originally Posted by Kaorte

20 gallon long will be perfect for a ball pythons entire life. You might need to move to something a bit larger if you have an extra huge breeder female.

Just so you know, ball pythons aren't the best display snakes so you will most likely be staring at a bunch of fake plants and no BP. :giggle:

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I deffinatly got got one like that. The only time I get to see it move around in it's tank, is if I come home later at night I'll leave the lights off and check out the tank. Once Daken notices me he's freeze a for a few seconds then scoot back into a hide. Tonight I think I miss him getting a drink. When I walked in his head was over his water dish, but as soon as I was in the room he recoiled then went back to the hide.

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Originally Posted by demonicchild

You don't know my bp, then. lol. He's all over the place.

I wouldn't keep one in anything less than a 30. Bigger is better of course. Mine is in a 50 gallon. Bps love to stretch out and given the chance, will be fairly active snakes.

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About how old is your BP? Does it move around lots while you are in the room? Mine will be out and about but always hide once I get in the room. I don't really expect it to change but it is still young, so can it be age that makes it more active or do you just got a lucky one?

I'm not sure how that gallon measuring convert to cubic meters... So not sure if helps I have tank (and I plan to keep it for entire BP's life) 1000x500x500 mm (so 1/4 m^3)

edit: I got it! (1 Cubic Meter = 264.172052 Gallons) -> it's 66 Gallons :)

Heck, I'm considering moving my 220g girl back down to a 10G and getting a baby boa for the 20L I have. She's never out of her hides anyway and they'll both fit in a 10G with her water dish easy. Plus that 10G fits anywhere so I'd have room...

20l for a male, and 30l for a female.

You will have trouble trying to keep a hatchling in that size though.... this is easily fixed though by dividing the tank while it is small.... in other words, only give it access to a part of the tank in the beginning... just make sure it has a temberature gradient.

If you are dividing a larger tank should you use a smaller UTH?

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Originally Posted by van_garret2000

If you are dividing a larger tank should you use a smaller UTH?

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depends on the size of the UTH and how you plan to divide it. you can always divide it on both the left and right sides... so the snake is in the middle of the tank... however you do it, you want the UTH under no more then half of the livable space.

this pole is hard to answer. for a male id say if i had to buy only one itwould be a 30gal. but for a female. they can put some junk in the trunk so id haveot go with a 40gal.

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Originally Posted by JeffJ

this pole is hard to answer. for a male id say if i had to buy only one itwould be a 30gal. but for a female. they can put some junk in the trunk so id haveot go with a 40gal.

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No need for bigger then a 30gallon long for a female. it is almost identical in floor space to a 41 quart tub and that is what the majority of breeders use for their large females.

I voted for the 40 gallon, only because the OP said he would prefer something larger for a display. I think a 20L would be fine for any male, but a big female might be cramped. If you do use a 40, I would divide it for a while.

I'm going to actually be putting my BP in a tub soon. I am surprised that so many people are putting 30 and 40 gallon. I guess if you have a big chunker of a female you might need one...

Thanks everyone for your response. I have taken every post and all your suggestions under consideration. I hope I don't offend anyone who voted otherwise, but I think I am going to go with the 30 gallon. If I do start with a small hatchling, I will divide the tank.

Don't know how this thread slipped by me....

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Originally Posted by demonicchild

Bps love to stretch out and given the chance, will be fairly active snakes.

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Say WHAT :omg: :no:

Here ya go, Zhang...this solves all your problems ;)

http://www.reptilebasics.com/Mini-Cage-p-16232.html

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Originally Posted by Slim

Say WHAT :omg: :no:

Here ya go, Zhang...this solves all your problems ;)

http://www.reptilebasics.com/Mini-Cage-p-16232.html

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WHOA WHAT! AMAZING! thanks Slim

but after seeing that, a whole new set of questions came up, I think I will start a new thread, I hope thats okay

I agree with the others about BPs not being a good "display" animal. If you are a new BP owner I would not suggest getting a tank unless you are getting an older BP. Yound BPs are especially hard to care for in a tank.

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Originally Posted by Michelle.C

I'm honestly not sure if you can get away with one tank size for life with Ball Pythons.

A 30/40 Gallon is too large for a neonate, and a 20 Gallon is too small for an adult. Especially for an adult female.

Personally, I'd get the 20 Gallon for the neonate/yearling. You can wait until it gets a little size on it, and then replace it with a 40 Breeder.

The 20 Gallon doesn't have to go to waste in this hobby! You can get a Corn Snake, Crested Geckos, Leopard Geckos, etc. :D

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Or better yet, you can get another young BP! :)

Quick question on this subject. I put my 6 month ball in a 100 L /106qt(26 gallon) rubbermade storage tub. During the day she hides in either of her hides, and at night she always roams around, crawling around the tub, over the logs and the hides etc. Do you think this is too big and she is stressed? I can get a smaller tub if needed.

The more I am looking at your guys rack systems, my tub seems WAY too big. Maybe not length wise..but the up and down area seems too large. I'm going to have to check somewhere like walmart for the lower tubs. Mine seems more for holding clothes or something.

All of ours are in 10s (the babies) or 20Ls (the adults)

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Originally Posted by zhang317

If I wanted to keep a Ball Python in one glass display tank its entire life, from hatchling to adulthood, providing all the other requirements are met, what is the best size?

20, 30, or 40 gallon?

Thanks in advance!

(Ideally, I want a larger tank for the purpose of display.)

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Well... .lets see here do you want to allow your snake to grow to it's full potential or are you going ot stunt it's growth by keeping it in a tank that is as small as a 40 gallon. I have my two itty bitty garter snakes in a 40 gallon tank and currently have my baby ball python in a 55 gallon and when it gets older I will most likely up grade it to a 100 gallon tank. But see I have a mover a shaker for a baby and I do not want to limit too much the amount that my snake can move around, and I am not planning on limitting how big it can get.

Hi,

The size of the tank absolutely will not affect the size the snake will grow to.

Ball pythons can be nervous in large spaces if care isn't taken - though every snake can react differently.

Starting nervous snakes in shoebox tubs or 10 gallon tanks will help with the security issues if they suffer from them.

If you feed it correctly it will grow to the size it will grow to - dosn't matter if you start it in a 10 gallon or a 1000 gallon.


dr del

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Originally Posted by Michelle.C

I'm honestly not sure if you can get away with one tank size for life with Ball Pythons.

A 30/40 Gallon is too large for a neonate, and a 20 Gallon is too small for an adult. Especially for an adult female.

Personally, I'd get the 20 Gallon for the neonate/yearling. You can wait until it gets a little size on it, and then replace it with a 40 Breeder.

The 20 Gallon doesn't have to go to waste in this hobby! You can get a Corn Snake, Crested Geckos, Leopard Geckos, etc. :D

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I agre with 20 gallons but in my opinion 40 isn't necessary because floor plan is exactly the same like 30. 36x18 in. The four inch difference in high is not necessary because ball rarely climb

Wow seriously? 20 gallons for an adult ball python? Wow, I guess I have much to learn.

Isn't that too small for an adult BP thoguh? I know they aren't active snakes, but shouldn't it get more space to stretch out? I was planning to get a 40 eventually when my bp grows. I guess 30 is better?

Anyway, sorry to derail. My opinion is 30 or 40 for an adult.

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Originally Posted by Kaorte

20 gallon long will be perfect for a ball pythons entire life. You might need to move to something a bit larger if you have an extra huge breeder female.

Just so you know, ball pythons aren't the best display snakes so you will most likely be staring at a bunch of fake plants and no BP. :giggle:

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ya i have my female in a 20L and i am still wondering whether shes gona get big enough for a 30 or 40. its a waiting game lol

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Originally Posted by omnibus2

Wow seriously? 20 gallons for an adult ball python? Wow, I guess I have much to learn.

Isn't that too small for an adult BP thoguh? I know they aren't active snakes, but shouldn't it get more space to stretch out? I was planning to get a 40 eventually when my bp grows. I guess 30 is better?

Anyway, sorry to derail. My opinion is 30 or 40 for an adult.

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The largest I would go with is a 30g breeder. They have a good amount of floor space and aren't very tall.

They don't really "stretch out" much. Ball pythons just stay in their hides most of their lives.