Help!

[madelinekoze]

hello, I'm trying to convince my parents to let me get a ball python.

I've been doing some research on what I would need and getting prices and getting everything together, but I can't find anything with good reviews.
So I was wondering if the lovely community on here could help in the research and give me a list of everything you all use for your beautiful scaly friends.

[PitOnTheProwl]

That list could be a mile long.
Best to sit down and research WITH your parents.

[madelinekoze]

My parents are the kind that wouldn't help me, and I don't mind if I have to read a list that is 3 miles long; doing research on your own is a little difficult so it's nice to have a little help.

[hazzaram]

I started off with a glass tank and quickly switched to a tub because it's much easier to maintain humidity/heat. I got a 5 pack of locking tubs for like $15 and what I did was get a stand and tape down a UTH to it (an ultratherm, the best for sure) and I just set the two tubs on top of it (not covering the whole bottom). Along with the locking tubs, I got a luggage strap from the dollar store and wrap it around both and buckle on top. Keeps both tubs secure and my two snakes safe.

For bedding, I just use a thick, soft paper towel sheet. I don't have hides in right now because I'm treating for mites, but my yellowbelly girl actually goes beneath the paper towel and uses that as a hide, lol. But when I do have them in, they're just tupperwear containers from the dollar store with a U shape door cut into them.

IMO, you can do everything cheap except the real equipment. The ultratherm was a little pricey (only because of shipping to Canada. Shipping was more than the unit!!!) but it's totally worth it. The thermostat was a little pricey here, too, coming to around $60. You can get some decently priced thermometer/hygrometers.

This thread really helped me!! http://ball-pythons.net/forums/showt...e-Basics-*DUW*

[Mr. Misha]

Check these threads out. They will give you an idea of what you need. They will also give you an idea of how you can keep your Ball Python. Each way has it's own advantage and disadvantage.

Glass Tank - http://ball-pythons.net/forums/showt...-With-Pictures!

Tub - http://ball-pythons.net/forums/showt...e-Basics-*DUW*

PVC Enclosure - http://ball-pythons.net/forums/showt...-With-Pictures!

[JoshSloane]

What about having a snake don't your parents agree with? Is it simply having an animal, or is it the idea of having a snake specifically? Ive convinced parents, friends, girlfriends, fiancee to have bps, boas, retics, tegus etc in my home. Persistence and patience is the key. Maybe if you come up with a care plan and put it on paper, with bullet points describing each step of the process they will come around. You could also bring them to a local reptile show or store and have them interact with the animals to see how calm and unaggressive they can be.

[magicmed]

Tank/tub setup can be as complex or as simple as you desire. There are many different ways to accomplish setting up a good enclusure. One thing to keep in mind is that certain items some people will swear are necessary may not really be. for example A uth(under tank heater) is one item a lot of people swear by, personally I prefer overhead infrared lighting, and some others don't use any lighting or heat on the tank at all, but prefer to keep the room itself at around 84 and have perfectly healthy collections. getting your tank/heating/decor on craigslist can seriously drop what you have to spend, but if this is your first ball python I would recommend getting the snake itself from a reputable breeder, or at least take someone with you who is personally knowledgeable about bp To examine the snakes health. And don't go spending hundreds of dollars on stuff you dont need until you've done a bunch of research

[JoshSloane]

As stated previously there's a lot of information out there for first time snake keepers. A lot is bad, some is ok, little is great. The reality is that in the US we have such variable climates that you need to tailor your set-up to your unique situation. That being said, the most important thing in my opinion is to have a setup that allows you to adjust heat and humidity levels to adapt to the ambient condition in your home.

For a bp starter setup I would go with a 10 gallon aquarium. Some on here will disagree with me, but in my experienced I have found a 10 gallon with some small modifications is perfectly suitable and cost effective for a first bp. For a hot spot you can purchase an appropriately sized Zoo med heat pad. You will also need a lamp dimmer to modulate the heat output from the pad. These are available at Home Depot for 11$. It has a toggle switch to fine time the temps. To accomplish this an infrared heat gun is useful, but you can also use a digital thermometer, it will just take longer to gauge temps. Using your heat measuring devices adjudt the dimmer to get ~90deg hot spot over the pad, which should be situated on one side of the tank or the other. Place a hide over the warm spot, and one on the opposite end in the cool side. I do the water bowl in the middle. Newspaper or paper towel substrate to start with. Cover 3/4 of the screen lid with a small peice of melamine or aluminum foil to retain hear and moisture. If humidity is an issue in your locale you can use a damp humid hide. Basically you can use a tipper ware container with a lid, stuff with damp sphagnum miss and cut a hole for the snake to enter.