is a 20l good for a ball python?

[skelator]

hello im thinking of getting a ball python. i have a spare 20l tank sitting here. i also have an adult cornsnake that i keep in a 20l tank. im not completly new to snakes but i really cant afford to buy a bigger tank if its needed for the ball. thanks

[Skittles1101]

That would be fine for a male, you may need something smaller for a baby, and a full grown female would need something larger than a 20 long.

[Inknsteel]

That would be fine for a male, you may need something smaller for a baby, and a full grown female would need something larger than a 20 long.

+1 to that. Also if money is a factor, make sure you have everything necessary to properly care for the snake before you bring one home. In addition to the tank, you're going to need some way to heat it, some way to measure the heat, a way to regulate the heat, a water bowl, two hides and substrate.

You can make the 20L work for a hatchling if you set it up right. You'll need to provide a hot side (88-92 degrees) and a cool side (78-82 degrees). To achieve those temps, I would recommend an under tank heater connected to a thermostat. You can use paper towels or newspaper as a substrate to keep costs down there, and you can usually find cheap plastic dollar store bowls to make hides out of. Just don't try to cut corners where your heating elements are concerned because temps and humidity are the most important components to an ideal environment.

EDIT: Bah, I forgot to mention... BPs prefer smaller, tighter enclosures. A 20L is going to be pretty big and open for a hatchling, so you may want to offer more than two hides as well as blacking out the back and sides of the tank, or filling it with a lot of decoration to clutter up the space to make the snake feel more secure...

[skelator]

That would be fine for a male, you may need something smaller for a baby, and a full grown female would need something larger than a 20 long.

ok thank you, do the females get much larger than the males?

[skelator]

all i would really need is a new uth and maybe a new lamp. i copuld steal one of the two from my corn snake as at night i dont use his night lamp anyway.

i have the uth on my corn snake set to 85 degrees. is that ok for a ball or do they need it hotter?

[Inknsteel]

all i would really need is a new uth and maybe a new lamp. i copuld steal one of the two from my corn snake as at night i dont use his night lamp anyway.

i have the uth on my corn snake set to 85 degrees. is that ok for a ball or do they need it hotter?

You want the hot side of the tank at 88-92 degrees, the cool end at 78-82. With ball pythons you need to offer a temperature gradient so they can move around to regulate their body temps as needed.

[Skittles1101]

And you need a thermostat. Females can get much larger than males. But some males can also get as large as females. Just in case this is the next question, keeping the snake is a smaller enclosure will not keep it from growing to it's full potential. The only thing that can stunt a snakes growth is if it is underfed, which is not healthy and definitely not a good idea.

[skelator]

ok my corns like that too but his temps are a tiny bit cooler. 85 is usually the tops for a corn. they require no basking light but i usually run a light bulb to warm the air on the cool side, it just makes me feel better during the winter.