Hello , I'm new here and looking for some advice.

I keep many animals, including fish, frogs, insects, snails and I also used to keep mice (as feed for my friend's milksnake) and budgies. I've always been interested in reptiles but I never really had one myself, especially a snake.

So I have these questions for a start:

1) What size should the tub for a young specimen be and how long could it be housed there?
2) Would it be possible to use a big (240 litre) aquarium as a housing for an adult snake?
3) How to place a heatpad into a small enclosure to create a basking/cool end?
4) Is a male or a female better for a begginer?

Thank you for any answers!