Zilla Deluxe Snake kit

its a 20 galon "long" 30x12x12.

i hear some say 20 gal is enough for some adult Bp's. who here agrees?

http://www.petsr4u.com/proddetail.asp?prod=75366002

It should be OK I think. Depends on the snake. I've seen some monsterous females. They might need a little more room.

Yes, the dimensions of a 20g can be big enough for some adults.

i voted the "no" option.

the snake kit is full of stuff you don't need for a BP. just look at what it includes and you'll see that its totally inappropriate for a ball.

You can get all the necessary equipment and enclosure for the same price or less without having any of the useless junk that comes with it :)

20gal L is fine for a BP. No log hides, no sand substrate (i cant remember which substrate the kit comes with). A 32 or 28 quart tub is also fine if you want to go that route. You dont need the lights, you dont need a water dish like that. those analog thermometers/hydros are useless. etc.

Looks like you get a ton of useless stuff in that kit..

The thermometer/hygrometers are not digital, and the non-digital ones are notorious for being very inaccurate(up to + or - 15 degrees, + or - 40% humidity)

Some people use heat lamps. I stopped altogether because it ruins humidity and I better managed my ambient room temps while providing a hot spot of 90F with a UTH.

The water dish is way smaller than what I'd give a ball python. From the looks of it, it looks like one of those ultra shallow dishes I use for my crested geckos.

As for substrate, it seems most people use coco fiber of some sort(shredded or from brick form), aspen, or newspaper. That doesn't mean douglas fir is bad, but I don't have any experience with it.

There is only one hide in that kit, and you can make your own from tupperware or other goodies for real cheap at a wal-mart.. I suggest 2 hides for BPs, especially younger ones.

Just about the only thing worthwhile there are the 20G long which you can pick up new for $50 or less, used can be as cheap as free off of craigslist.

A 20G long is not big enough IMO for a large adult BP. Smaller adult males might be alright in one but might also grow out of it.

That said, it takes a while for a young BP to outgrow a 20G long and I recommend one as a starter cage for anyone buying a BP that is a few months old.. some hatchlings available for sale might need something smaller than a 20G long but not after they've done a bit of growing. Most younger snakes that breeders will sell you are already big enough to do fine in a 20G long.

Are we talking about the size of the tank? Or everything else included? I thought the question was geared towards tank size, not it being a good kit for a ball.

I did not vote and here is why

Yes it would work for an adult male however this kit is pricey and sadly does not contain what you REALLY need.

Get an enclosure and the rest of the supply separately.

You will need a UTH, 2 identical hides, a thermostat, a digital thermometer/Hygrometer etc.

Also remember if you start with a young BP get a small enclosure 10 gallons tank or 15 quarts tub and upgrade as/when needed. Hides will also need to be upgraded as needed.

The OP only asked if the tank size was suitable for some adults, which the dimensions ARE. Now is a tank the best or an easily maintained environment, maybe not.

I will say I bought that kit when I got my first snake, the kit is complete junk and now worth it at all.

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Originally Posted by 2kdime

The OP only asked if the tank size was suitable for some adults, which the dimensions ARE. Now is a tank the best or an easily maintained environment, maybe not.

I will say I bought that kit when I got my first snake, the kit is complete junk and now worth it at all.

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ye i dont care about the stuff it comes with, i shoulda made that clear..

i have my 2 year old female in a exo terra 18x18x18 at the moment, but i want a male pastel.

i also need a bigger tank for her, she is nearly 2 years old but around the 30" mark lol.. she is breaking the 1ft per year rule here..:colbert:

that water dish it comes with is tiny, her head would just about fit and thats it lol..i was also thinking of getting the 30 gallon for her its like 36x18x12 or something.. its 120 bucks, but then i need to go buy all the heaters and stuff for the males new enclosure.

if i get the big cage for her, ill just keep the male in the exo terra i have her in now.

and i use zilla bark for her, not sand.. its no good if it gets wet and in to the cracks between scales..

i have had snakes in the past, including a near captive kept record breaking boa lol.. he was just over 14ft.. but that was about 9 years ago.

20G long is just fine for a 30'' BP.

Any idea on her weight?

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Originally Posted by mainbutter

20G long is just fine for a 30'' BP.

Any idea on her weight?

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nope lol, plus she is 30" now but she is not even 2 yet.. she will out grow it.

I say its big enough certainly for males, and SOME females. But I wouldn't get a 'kit', just buy a 20L on its own and everything else separately, so you can get everything you really need.

A 20 L is definitely big enough for most adult males and small adult females. If it were me, I would just simply upgrade to a large tub or a 30 L if she reaches over 1000-1200 grams. But for now it is cheap and will last you quite a while. :)

Like everyone has mentioned, don't get the kit. We have the same kits at the Pet Store I work at and I would never try to sell someone one of those.

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Originally Posted by wuldier

nope lol, plus she is 30" now but she is not even 2 yet.. she will out grow it.

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Yup they do that :D I was just saying that for now a 20G long is probably a great size cage for her, and will last her quite a while. She probably isn't ready for a full size cage large female adult cage yet.

I am a fan of craigslist & freecycle, I have 12 tanks, 9 were free thru freecycle. check out these two sites, before spending your money.

i should of kept you guys updated, didnt think anyone was still posting here on this subject haha.

i got one of them Vision Snake cages.. its 28x24x12 and totally awesome!

Good choice! I like the vision cages.

I didn't vote because I don't have the experience to give an educated answer.

In regards to what comes with it, we have a Western Fence Lizard that happily took the larger than what he had water bowl and because of inaccurate in store descriptions we ended up with a free UTH with our kit.

I liked the locking screen top and the hide. We purchased a larger water bowl and another hide as well as a plant to clutter it up more.

I might keep smaller males in a 20gal, but IMO, any ball over 4' should be kept in a 40gal.

thats actually pretty expensive for a setup and lights make the environment dry. its big enough but not the best way to go. :)

:rofl:
I actually received that exact kit when I got my BP for Christmas. He is 6 years old and about 3 ft long, but I upgraded to a 40 gallon breeder tank, which will be his tank forever. I think it is big enough to hold a bp, except for big females, for up to 5 years. I got my 40b because I found it on craigslist for 20 dollars and new he would eventually need a new tank. As for the other stuff in the kit:

The mist- SMELLS BAD, VERY BAD!!
The bowl- tupperware containers are better- a baby bp could barely soak in that one
The reptile carpet- I think newspaper and aspen is better
The rock hide- The only thing literally that I am still using- its a pretty good hide

So all in all I wouldn't recommend buying it- and I do speak from experience

I got that one...the only thing I used out of it was the tank...so paid two hundred something for a 20 gallon tank....lol

$200?!?!? I paid about $150 for that setup and when I got home I felt completely ripped off. Get a 20 G off of craigslist for 20-30 or free if you're lucky. The best thing about that tank is the sliding lid. You can have your petstore order just that tank, should be around $60. Spend the rest of the money on two hides, aspen, UTH, accurite indoor/outdoor and some mice.

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Originally Posted by mainbutter

As for substrate, it seems most people use coco fiber of some sort(shredded or from brick form), aspen, or newspaper. That doesn't mean douglas fir is bad, but I don't have any experience with it.

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You want to avoid coconut because it can get between there belly scales and cause an infection. Avoid Douglas fir and ALL pine tree wood. The sap can be deadly to your snake.

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Originally Posted by Raverthug

You want to avoid coconut because it can get between there belly scales and cause an infection. Avoid Douglas fir and ALL pine tree wood. The sap can be deadly to your snake.

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Do you have any facts supporting your statement reguarding the coco fiber getting between their belly scales and causing an infection? I can't find anything online. I was contemplating on using coco fiber for my BRB and never read such a thing.

Also from what I remember, kilned pine is OK.

No its just something I have been told by several people.

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Originally Posted by wuldier

its a 20 galon "long" 30x12x12.

i hear some say 20 gal is enough for some adult Bp's. who here agrees?

http://www.petsr4u.com/proddetail.asp?prod=75366002

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i have mine in a 20 gal hes not an adult yet....had him for maybe a little over a year but he seems to be more than happy!

way to much money u could buy essential stuff for under 100. tank, cheap thermo, Uth, substrate and water bowl

petco had a 30" tank with top included (and it locks, great for snakes!) for $50!! I think I spent about $150 on my Mayhem! Not to bad!:banana: