Ball python in tub set up?

[slitheryaugust]

I have kept my animals in tubs before and had good luck with my colubrids. I want to house my baby red tail boa and baby ball python in tubs eventually until they grow out. The reason for this is so that I can regulate their temps and humidity more easily. I have housed my baby red tail boa in a tub before and it didnt work out so well, as she developed a URI. This is completely my fault and I made many mistakes. I never hooked the heat mat up to a thermostat or had a hydrometer to monitor the temps and humidity. I am very regretful of this decision, I learned the hard way as some of us do. But now that my boa is completely healthy again I would like to try this housing method again. Its much easier to get your desired humidity levels this way instead of glass enclosure with a screen top. I would love some advice from people who house their snakes in tubs, and anyways I can get this to work. If not, some tips on how to keep the humidity high enough in a tank with a screen top would be lovely. Thanks!

[artgecko]

I housed my male BCA in a tub until he was large enough to move into a pvc cage. I use a large tub...probably 3' x 1.5' footprint x 18" tall. I used a soldering iron to add ventilation holes around the top of the tub and on the sides.

I used a UTH and thermostat for belly heat under one end of the tub. For ambient temps, I used a metal lamp stand, hanging dome fixture, and a CHE. I hooked up the dome fixture to a rheostat (lamp dimmer switch) so that I could adjust it.

This lamp fixture was placed over the center of the tub with the dome fixture hanging about 6" above the lid of the tub.

I used the readings from my thermometer to go by and adjusted the CHE as needed.

The inside of the tub had the standard setup.. 2 hides, a large water bowl, a branch for climbing, and aspen bedding.

For a boa, you don't need super high humidity. I kept mine around 55% and that was fine. The bowl was deep and large enough for him to soak if he felt like it, so I never had any shedding issues.

[Newbie39]

HI,

I house my baby ball python in a tub. The temps are bang on. Humidity very easy to control. I also keep the room at 80 which makes it much easier.

She is in a 15 gallon tub w/ two identical hides and a water dish. I have a UTH covering just under half the tub. Its controlled by a stat. I have a humidity gauge in the tub at all times. I spot check my temps everyday or two with a temp gun. I plan on upgrading to a PVC w/ RHP panel down the road. I had the tub set up and running perfect within a couple of days. With everything spot on it makes feeding much easier as well.

I have not experience with glass enclosures but have read on here how much of pain it is. This was my main reason with going with a tub.

[slitheryaugust]

Thank you both so much! This was very helpful, I will gather the supplies I need soon and hopefully have success with the tubs