Hello everyone, I have been away for quite a while now, huh? Asriel has been doing amazing these past few months. He is now completely on f/t and eats like a champ, and is growing like a weed. He's nearly 2 feet! Because he's getting larger, I don't feel that he is thriving in his current tank.
He currently resides in a 12x12x18 locking terrarium on Eco Earth with a heat lamp, UTH, two hides, water dish, two small branches and some faux plants for cover. As you can imagine, all that stuff takes up a lot of space! While I know that ball pythons don't really explore and such, the issue is the temp gradient-there's basically none. With such a small terrarium, the lamp combined with the UTH really heats the tank completely evenly, which I don't want. I would like to upgrade him in a way that he has a comfortable temp gradient, has enough room and just somewhere he can thrive. However I am on a budget, so I can't really spend a whole lot on a new cage.
I can't do an aquarium with a screen lid and clips as that was how my past snake escaped and trust me, I'm not reliving that nightmare. Also, humidity is impossible to keep in check. However if there is a way to make this work please let me know, I have an extra 20 long that can be used.
I can't do a DIY snake cabinet. While I am a very crafty person, I'm not too fond of working with wood and glass.
I can possibly do a plastic tub/bin but I am very afraid of the plastic heating up.
If anybody can please help me find a suitable tank for Asriel that is in a low price range please do. I feel bad keeping him in a tank with pretty much no temp gradient, I know I certainly would hate having to live in a hot room with no way to escape it.

Thank you in advance!