noobie aquarium/size question

[eternalfrost]

im looking to get my first snake, a BP. i currently live in a rather cramped apartment room. reading around seems most people say about 5gal for babies 10gal for older ones and up to 30gal for full grown.

ill only be living here untill the end of the school year, about 7 months. would the BP outgrow a 10 gallon tank before then? talking about a 1X2 - 2X3 foot tank

[Purrrfect9]

The average adult BP can live in a 20 gal long tank for life. But if you want something that is lightweight and easy to maintain temps/humidity, I would suggest getting a tub set up. all that you need is a 32qt tub for males and smaller females, or a 40qt tub for large females. Visibility isn't as good as a glass tank with sterilites, but I believe that the Iris tubs have very good visibility.

[eternalfrost]

thanks for the quick reply. thats a good idea. i might be able to get a glass one for free this weekend we'll see.

but what would be the square footage to aim for here?

and how big to expect a male BP to be at ~9 months old?

[Purrrfect9]

Oh gosh.. umm, I think the area of a 20 gal long is 18"x13" (L x W). As for the length of a 9 month old male, it really depends on the genetics of the snake. My male pastel just turned a year old, and he was arund 25". I would expect anywhere from a foot and a half to 3 feet, since you really can't tell with an individual snake.

[kc261]

A 20 gal long is about 30"x12" LxW. And about 12" tall.

A 10 gal might be roughly 18"x12"?

[lookout4theyeti]

A 20 gal long is about 30"x12" LxW. And about 12" tall.

A 10 gal might be roughly 18"x12"?

Yep, my 20 gallon is 30x12

[Jonny2184]

I've never heard of a full grown ball python living in a 20gallon tank before.
I've heard of corn snakes in a 20G but balls I was told when full grown need to be in a 40G tank.
I've heard the tank needs to be long enough for the snake to stretch right out??? Now Im really confused???

[Argentra]

No. The tank should be long enough for HALF the length of the snake...or so I believe. No cage really ever has to be long enough for any snake to stretch to their full length, that's more for large lizards.

a 10gal is 22"x10"x12". A 20L is 30"x12"x12". A 9 month old snake would be too big for a 10, as my 4 month old is just right in her 20L. Adult BP's should be housed in a cage no smaller than 36"x18"x12" and a good adult cage would probably be around 48" long.

As for your cramped apartment situation, it would be best to pick up either a 20L tank or a @32q tub. Neither takes up much room and I don't think the snake will seriously outgrow either in the time you mentioned. Though they may be a bit cramped, they tend to like it that way and won't mind as long as it isn't that small allways.

[Purrrfect9]

Ahh, my bad on the sizes. I didnt have a tape measurer with me, so pretty much guestimated. That and the fact that all of my BP's are in tub enclosures but yes, your BP should be fine in a 32 qt. tub or 20 gal long tank. I have a friend that has a year and a half old, 1000g+ Female that is still in a 20 gal long and is doing just fine.