Need Help

[angllady2]

If you want the truth hon, ditch the tank altogether.

Tanks are impossible to heat properly, they suck for holding humidity, and will eventually cause baldness due to you tearing your hair out in frustration. Trust me, I know.

As much as you won't want to hear this, just like I didn't, a plastic tub really is best. They are easy to heat, easy to clean, great for humidity. Of course, they aren't really that nice to look at.

I spent months trying to keep a couple of tanks as "ideal" habitats, before conceding they were more of a headache than they were worth. Plus, ball pythons make lousy display snakes. If you do everything right, you'll end up staring at an empty tank 99% of the time. Now I know better. I house my ball pythons in sterilite or iris tubs in my homemade rack system. They eat great, shed perfect, grow like weeds, and are breeding for me right now. They are happy, so I am happy.

Best bet, even if you only have a single snake, is to invest in a nice tub with a locking lid. Get rid of the lamp since you won't need it anymore. Put the tub on the UTH, hooked up to your Rheostat set to keep the hot spot at about 92. You'll need to put a few holes in the ends of the tub to regulate humidity. Start with a few, and add more if needed.

I know they aren't pretty to look at like a fancy tank is, but for me a happy, healthy snake is way more important than a fancy-schmancy tank the snake could not care less about anyway. If you really like the idea of a display tank, I suggest looking into another species of snake that is semi-arboreal and will make a good display animal. Besides, you can never have too many snakes.

gale