If starting out with a young Ball (because I prefer aquarium heavily over shelving type housing) I recommend a 20 gallon long however some BP are shy or easily stressed by environments too large or too open but that's what I started my current BP in. No undertank heater they can easily burn your snake well more so the heat rocks are dangerous. All I used was a 50 watt heat bulb with a UVB lamp during daylight and night glo about 50 watt cuz it burns cooler than the day bulb. A snug hide box I put mine on the warm side because my BP likes to chill in his water bowl (not sick just loves swimming.) I don't feel multiple hides are a necessity but mine is just very social. Never use softwood bedding as many are toxic to snakes cedar is the very worst, aspen is the way to go. It's gentle to snakes inexpensive and easy to spot clean. Lastly of the essentials a metal screen for the top and compatible clips to hold down the screen. The heat lamps will not bother a metal screen I have never had an escape out of an aquarium. And for when u get your python they are picky eaters if they eat frozen consistently keep doin it but everyone pushes frozen and there isn't an advantage to it and there's no disadvantages to feeding live if you do a few things: feed in a separate feeder cage so then won't become cage aggressive because they don't associate you're hand going into the cage for dinner time, DON'T LEAVE UNSUPERVISED WITH MOUSE OR RAT! they can harm your snake. When my BP was 6 months old he quit eating frozen for months and vets said push it for awhile if they're hungry they'll eat. Fed him live ate immediately and has not missed a feeding in a year and a half and eats all the way through winter. That's the best advice I can give I've read dozens of books and spent hours online I know how it is tryin to find info for pet BP and no 2 ppl agree on anything live/frozen, aquarium/beware, undertank/heatrock/heat lamp. Once you get to know you're snake he'll tell u what he wants
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