55 gal vs tub

[DMTWI]

Well, I'm thinking after reading through the forum posts on how easy it is to set up a tub for a BP that my 55 gallon aquarium idea isn't the best? Is it really that hard to get the right temps, humidity and keep them stable in a tank this large? Let me ask it this way, if those of you with experience using both glass tanks & tubs had the option of using either, which way would you go? This will be for just one snake, otherwise I'd go with a rack/tub type setup.

[771subliminal]

Well, I'm thinking after reading through the forum posts on how easy it is to set up a tub for a BP that my 55 gallon aquarium idea isn't the best? Is it really that hard to get the right temps, humidity and keep them stable in a tank this large? Let me ask it this way, if those of you with experience using both glass tanks & tubs had the option of using either, which way would you go? This will be for just one snake, otherwise I'd go with a rack/tub type setup.

i use a few diff types around here, i have 3 in tanks (70gal,20gal,and 10,gal) and 2 in tubs. if you are willing to spend the money for the setup and take your time to work with it for a while you can get the temps and humidity right. i wouldnt say its "hard" but it can be a little time consuming, checking the temps and humidity several times a day at the begining to make sure they are right all day. after that its done just the normal cleaning and checking. with the humidity you will have to play with your set up a bit (how much screen to cover) i cover the whole top with plexi glass and then drill holes. on one i put a big hole in and cover it or uncover it depending on how much humidty there is. like i said you have to play wiht your own tank.

i cant say personaly tubs were easier for me to get the humidity right. i had to play with those for a long time b4 i got it. kept drilling holes and then taping them up, but that could of been just me.

if you do go with the 55 gal just make sure you have lots and lots of hiding places, i use fake plants and vines so my bp can move from one side of the tank to the other and be covered the whole time, she seems to like it.

just play with what you have and if you cant get it try the other, just make sure what you end up with doesnt come down to what you were able to get but what is right for the snake.

good luck

[FatBoy]

A 55 gal is way too big for a bp.

[rabernet]

Let me ask it this way, if those of you with experience using both glass tanks & tubs had the option of using either, which way would you go?

I do have multiple ball pythons now, but I did keep my first ball python in a tank. If I ever reduced my collection down to just one - I'd still pick a tub over a tank. I observed that the one that was kept in a tank became a much more reliable feeder in a tub than in a tank, and I'm not always fiddling with the tubs like I had to do with the tank.

I agree with Fatboy - 55 gallon is big for any ball python.

[starmom]

I would go, and do go, with a reptile cage from RBI!!
For my over-flow and smaller and/or less secure snakes, I use a RBI rack system.

[llovelace]

I am in So. Fl so I may not be qualified to answer, I have 3 tanks but being in So. Fl I don't ever have a problem with humidity, I am going to be building a rack system just because they are easier to maintain

[WizzySRT10]

As for tanks the biggest I'd go with is 40 gallon breeder tank as what I keep my Pastel male in. I'll probally go with tubs at a later time and have tubs and a tank or two.

[Gloryhound]

Tubs are easy to get right. Aquariums have a lot of issues as well as a lot of un-used space. The only reason the ball python will use the height is becouse it is looking for a way out. Pretty much anything more than 7 or 8 inches tall is wasted space which results in a lot of wasted heat. before I went with an aquarium I would look into a display case type enclosure. With this at least you don't have to worry about glass on 5 sides. glass is a really good conductor of heat or cold. If I went to aquariums the one requrement I would have is having the room temperature at 80 degrees and a humidifier going in the room to maintain a room humidity of 50% to 60% to help keep the humidity right in the aquarium.