In need of some help.....

[Delco Baller]

I have a 55 gallon fish tank which is 4' long, 20" high & 12" deep. How many watts is good as an under tank heat pad ? and what size would you recomend? Went to the All Maryland Reptile show today, it was pretty tight. 8ball pythons had some awesome BP's for good prices, All I bought was a shirt from them. Wanna get the tank set up first, with good temps night and day. I wanna get a sub adult. Is this tank even good enough?
the BP will be a pet thats why the glass tank and not a rack.

Thanks in advance,
Delco Baller wait 2 secs to reload the image

[Swingline0.0.1]

The tank is waaay too large. 20 gallons would be a better size.

[stevepoppers]

I would get something much, much smaller than a 55 gallon. Any ball python dropped into that big space will be terrified. Idk if you know, but most of us keep ours in some variation of plastic tubs of various sizes. Whatever you get for heating, it won't need to go over 95 degrees Fahrenheit. You'll also need a thermostat to ensure that it doesn't no matter what you get.

How much do you know about ball python housing? Have you read the caresheet? All the stickies?

To directly answer your question, something about 1/3 the size of the total enclosure, and no more than half. They need to be able to get away from the heat if they want. For cost effectiveness, I recommend Flexwatt bought from reptilebasics.com. With the wiring clips and shipping, the four feet I bought were still less than a small/med Zoomed UTH. A roll of foil tape to attach it costs a few bucks, but can be pretty useful.

[Delco Baller]

Stevepoppers:

My enclosure is 48x20x12 that is only 12" longer and 2" higher than what the care sheet says is good for an adult. Care sheet says: For juvenile BPs up to 2’ a 10 gallon (or equivalently sized) enclosure is adequate. For adults an enclosure 36x18x12” should provide them with enough room for the duration of their lives.
I dont see a big problem there as long as i offer enough hides for the snake to feel safe and secure. My question was on the heat not the size of the enclosure. I do thank you for the much needed response, however the way in which you answered was not needed. I did read your profile and seen that you are also new to this site as are alot of others, and the way in which you answer peoples questions with questions of your own is not needed. My post is not the first that I've seen you have something smart to say about.
How much do you know about ball python housing? Have you read the caresheet? All the stickies?
Maybe I'll move my beardie to the 55 gallon and put the BP in the 35 gallon tank.......Hmmmmm.

Thank you all for the help.

[Vypyrz]

The tank that measures 36L X 18W X 12H is a 30 gallon breeder. The 40 gallon breeder has the same 36 X 18 floor space but it is about 14-15 inches tall. The tank you are planning on using (48L X 12W) will have approximately the same amount of floor space as the other 2. The main problem I would forsee is the height. It seems that BP's tend to stress a little when there is more than about 15 inches of height. If you decide to use your longer tank, I would suggest putting stuff like fake vines and stuff to fill in some of the dead space.

Depending on which brand of UTH you get will determine the size of it, but I wouldn't go any bigger than a 11 X 17 for either tank. That would cover almost half of the 36 X 18's and a little more than a third of your 4 foot tank...

[stevepoppers]

Like I said, I don't know how much you know. I asked because I was willing to offer you information based on what I've read since I've joined. I have way too much free time and read almost everything on here. I'm just trying to help anyone who may need the information. I wasn't trying to be a smartass, but yes, I occasionally can be. I honestly just want to help and I hope I get corrected anytime it's necessary.

Now, most people say that a 55 gal is too big. Even a subadult ball may be nervous in there. Sorry you didn't want the advice, but if you hadn't already gotten it, you might have appreciated it. In all honesty, I just realized I didn't read your entire post. I'm really sorry for that. I keep my pet balls in tubs, because tanks are kind of a pain, and you almost never see the snake out of it's hide. The tank might look nice, though. Your call. I advocate tubs for my mentioned reasons.

For heating, I recommend Flexwatt because it's cheap. 11" wide will give you the coverage you need. It gets up to heat, so wattage isn't really an issue.

There are so many people who have no idea what they're doing. I couldn't tell with you and the large tank seemed a little off, so I asked if you needed more help. I really feel bad. I hate bumping heads with people and will work on how I come across. I like your directness, though.

[BallsUnlimited]

20 gallon if your going to use a tank, 28qt if ur going to use a tub if your not gonna use either please give the snake to someone who will properly take care of it. I can always use another in the collection even if its just a normal. That would put me somewhere around 45 bps....

[angllady2]

To be honest with you, you CAN use a tank that big for a ball. You will also tear your hair out in frustration at how difficult it is to keep the temps and especially the humidity correct.

One other thing to consider, since ball pythons spend 95% of their lives hiding, mostly all you'll be looking at is a big ol' decorated and empty tank, provided you do things right.

In my opinion, you and your ball would be happier with a smaller tank. It will be easier to properly maintain, and I think they look better as well. You can of course turn a 55 into a magnificent showtank, but honestly it will be wasted on a secretive ball python. However, you can create an equally stunning mini-showtank out of a 20-30 gallon, and you and the ball will be happier for it.

I don't know how big an adult beardie gets, but I think if you are going to go with a showpiece out of the 55, it makes more sense to do it for the beardie, and least you'd SEE the beardie!

Now, as to your heating question. If you decide to go with the 55 for a ball, you'll need a pretty good size heated area at one end. I'm sure a UTH will work fine, but it will need to be a big one. I'd go with the 24 watt size. You will also need a good thermostat to regulate it, and preferably a digital thermometer to tell you if your temps are correct. With a tank that size, depending on how warm/cool your house is, you may be forced to use a CHE as well.

Humidity will be your biggest challenge however, and it might take a couple of weeks to figure out how to get the level where you need it to be and stay stable. And don't waste time with those cheap dial-type humidity gauges, they are useless, go digital. Most people here favor the Accurite digital weather station, which is cheap and effective.

I wish you all the best.

Gale