Hello All,

I am totally new to snakes! However, I am not new to building habitats.

I have tons of experience building aquariums in both freshwater and saltwater.

I am planning on starting with a ball python. I was told that when mature they generally do not get bigger than 5 ft. I was told that it is best to buy the largest accommodation that I can afford so that the snake will be comfortable as it grows.

I have seen a reptile terrarium that is 18"x18"x18" with doors that open on one side and a plastic rock face on the back. The PetCo employee told me that this should accommodate a ball python for its entire life.

Is this terrarium a good purchase?

I am still debating on substrate. I will probably start with astroturf. Is it really that difficult to take care of?

If I mount driftwood to the sides how high from the "floor" can they be? I want to have at least 1/2" of clearance to put in the astroturf. Is that OK?

This site is great. I have printed off a bunch of stuff already, but I could not find these addressed.

Thank you, Akiva.