Welcome to the site! We would love to see some pics of your snakes! Also, just thought I would mention it because you said you were interested in breeding, but please try to pick out the best examples of morphs that you can. Especially when you will be producing more common morphs like pastels, spiders, and bees, you want to make sure that your breeders are good examples of a morph, as it will carry over to your babies. The market is flooded with crappy pastels and bumblebees, and it is hurting the breeders who strive for quality over quantity. Give this thread a read, I think it has some fantastic points http://ball-pythons.net/forums/showt...breeding-stock

Also, I think that it would be a good idea to go with a double gene male instead of a pastel. With the market the way it is, double gene males can be had pretty frequently for less than $500. With 2 genes, you could make some awesome combos! I would try to pick up a firefly, pastel lesser, pastave, pastel spotnose, or maybe even a pastel enchi!

Sorry to flood you with stuff, but when I got started, I got a pastel male as well. I love him to pieces, but he is not the most amazing example, and he doesn't give me much genetic diversity for breeding.

Best of luck on whatever you decide to get!