potential bp owner, please help

[devinrw]

i have about 700 dollars to spend so what should i buy. also can i bypass the small tank and go for a large one if i am putting a juvenile bp in it

[mainbutter]

the great thing about BP caging is they DON'T need a ton of space.

A ball python in a cage that is too large can sometimes get a little stressed out(and with BPs stress usually means that they stop eating).

Also, the larger the cage the harder it is to keep humidity and temps up.

I have a 3 month old in a 20 gallon long tank, and I'm thinking when she needs a cage upgrade, whatever I get for her next will be good enough for her lifetime.

General rule of thum is that the length of the cage should be at least 2/3(some people say 1/2) the length of the snake. I've never heard a rule of thumb for a cage that is "too big", but I know that my 20 gallon long is a big longer than my snake.

You can get a cage for a snake to "grow into", just don't overdo it. How big of a "juvenile" are you looking into? a 20 or 30 gallon long tank with a locking top will probably be what you are looking for unless you look into sterilite tubs(cheap but great at keeping BPs happy) or a more expensive option such as a Reptile Basics cage.

As for what you need, read the caresheet on this website. You'll need your cage, hides, substrate, heating, water bowl, thermostat/rheostat, hygrometer, thermometer, and possibly a little more.. that's just what comes to mind. Read the caresheet it should answer all your basic Qs

[Wh00h0069]

You could get a 2x3 cage from reptile basics, a johnson controls thermostat, and a spider, ghost, mojave, pastel, cinny, or a number of other morphs. If I were you though, I would save up another hundred, and go with an albino.

[anendeloflorien]

I think the first thing to do is to read carefully through the caresheets available here. Pick yourself up a copy of "The Complete Ball Python" by Kevin McCurley, it will answer just about any questions you may have about keeping ball pythons and the health and care sections are priceless for anybody keeping ball pythons from the beginner to an experienced breeder. Plus it will give you a good idea of the morphs that are out there (though it's a couple years old and there are now more morphs available than are listed but not much).

I'm with Wh00h0069 Reptile Basics has some of the best cages available plus they carry just about everything you'd need to get started with a BP. Send Rich (the owner of RB) an email and he will answer any questions you may have about the cages, what supplies you may need etc......

As far as what to get, an older BP is much more forgiving of beginner mistakes with husbandry etc... I would look for a snake that's at least 400g and be sure to ask what they are eating since if you plan on feeding f/t you want to make sure that the animal is already eating that since they can be difficult to switch prey types ocassionaly (sp?).

Do your homework! Good luck with whatever you go with!

P.S. If you do get one make sure you take lots of pictures! We love those around here!