New to forums. Need some advice on BP.

[Zoomie]

Ok well as the title says hello to everyone as I just registered today. Thank you for hvaing me here and all that stuff . I heard this site is top notch for getting help and info when dealing with snakes and that the members were very friendly so I hope to find a home here.

A little bit about me. I am a 29 year old comcast phone and internet support tech living in Salt Lake City Utah. I have had past experience with BP up to 3 feet long.

The reason I am posting is not only to say hello but also to ask some advice as I am in the situation where I have the chance to get two normal BP who are 4-5 feet each. Normally I would be alright and just go business as normal but as far as I know (And this may be wrong but good source says it is right) these snakes are not being handled and have not been for a very very long time other then when they get fed. The previous owner went to prison and his mother has been caring for the snakes and she is not a snake person at all. My hopes is that nothing is wrong with the snakes but if there is my work has pet insurance that I will be getting on them when I get them for health upkeep and emergencies.

I am going to build a setup for the glass tanks they are int o keep them from escaping and such but what I need to knwo si how much strength can a 5 foot push up with so I know how to build it and any advice in general that can help me in getting these possible foul natured non handled snakes back to being able to handle without worry.

Thank you for reading this and any advice is defiently taken 100%.

[Zoomie]

I should probably also mention that I have always done a glass tank enclosure setup so any advice on how to do plasic tubs for snakes this large is also appreciated.

[llovelace]

Tub set ups are quite simple, uth 1 or 2 hides, water bowl, substrate, oh and weights or locks to prevent escapes if they are not going in a rack system.

[snakecharmer3638]

Welcome!!

In general Ball Pythons are not aggressive animals and I don't think you will have much of a problem getting them used to being handled again.

It does not sound like they are being very well cared for at the moment and you may be taking on sick snakes that need a lot of care. But it sounds like you have already taken that into consideration.

As for the cage build information and requirements check out the DIY section of this forum there are a lot of good cage builds you can look at.

WELCOME TO THE ADDICTION!!!!

[llovelace]

Depending on the weights you will probably need a 32qt for them, or if the female is a big girl over 1600g put her in a 41qt

[Zoomie]

Well what I was wondering about was what size was good and if airholes drilled into side should be certain measurements and all that. Also if heat had to be diff for a tub setup and substrate requirements. I knwo I sound like a noob when it comes to tubs and I kind of am lol. I always used glass before but heard tubs are better to use and easier to upkeep. Thank you for the post by the way.

[pavlovk1025]

Hey man, I live in SLC as well. I work at the capitol as a computer support specialist. PM me, I can help you out in person, get you set up and what not.

[llovelace]

Hey man, I live in SLC as well. I work at the capitol as a computer support specialist. PM me, I can help you out in person, get you set up and what not.

Zoomie, you should be all set now , it's great to have members close by

[pavlovk1025]

Zoomie, you should be all set now , it's great to have members close by

If I had people close by when I started, I never wouldve found this awesome site.

[frankykeno]

Tubs are a great option. Personally I prefer the Iris brand because you get all the benefits of a tub but they are also glass clear. They aren't as easy to find as Rubbermaid or Sterlite but usually all the major office places have them (OfficeMax, etc.) as well as Bed, Bath & Beyond and some Targets. They also have the benefit of being totally smooth inside and once you've chipped some rock hard urates from a tub that isn't smooth, you'll get why that is so important. All tubs require supplimentary security though. Any give and you've got a loose snake. Things like large binder clips, C clamps, bungee cords work very well.

If you are the handy sort, you could also build a very easy two tub rack and avoid the whole lid escape issue altogether. There's tons of rack plans here.

As far as the snakes I would get your enclosures set up and dialed in first if possible. I would go with a pure white paper towel layer substrate so you can watch for mites or even do a preventative mite treatment since they may have a history of poor husbandry. I would place the snakes in a very quiet part of your home and leave them for at least 1 or 2 weeks with no interactions other than basic cage sanitary care. No handling, no attempts to feed. Just provide a quiet, appropriate home and fresh water and call it good for the first couple of weeks.

After that time I would focus on getting them feeding regularily. Then I'd worry about issues of handling.

It wouldn't be a bad thing to do fecal floats on both snakes. Again, because of information about possibly poor care that's a smart and relatively inexpensive thing to do.