Empty tank, ideas on what to get?

[valhalha30]

This starts off on a really sad note.
I lost my little baby Satruday night. Mopar, my Mexican Black King, succumbed to something that took his life in the middle of the night. I bought him as a hatchling, and he didn't look exaclty tip top healthy, but he didn't look sick or anything either.. he just looked, undersized. I got him, in hopes that I could bring him back to excellent health... which I thought I did. I had him for a year and a half, I fed him well, watered him well, and kept his temp and humidity at the proper temps. I don't think it's anything I've done, and I don't believe I could've done anything differently to prevent this unexpected death. I have been told in the past when buying young snakes that when they mature and grow, they may not develope properly and a seemingly healthy snake will pass way without any warning. I disregaruded this information cuz I would've never thought in a million years that this would happen to me. Well, it did. And boy does his passing feel worse than any break up. Mopar's loss is equivelent to losing a family member.
As I'm very upset and uncertain of what I want to do now, with his empty tank in mind... I wanted to ask the BP public for suggestions on what I should get to replace him. I may just end up getting another MBK to replace him, but I am not dedicated to this decision.
So you know what size of tank I have, it's a 29 gallon tank, it's about 18 inches high, and about a 15 inches wide. I am open to the idea of getting a lizard, no monitors... or some type of colubrid. I'm not interested in getting any big constrictors, like pythons or boas... I would be most interested in some type of kingsnake or colubrid. I am really interested in Taiwan Beauty snakes or Blue Beauties, and False water Cobras..... but they are hard to come by up here... I woud appreciate any suggestions, with or without a picture included... I'm open to just about anything.

[TheSnakeGuy]

Sorry for your recent loss. You should use the height of the 29 gal and get an Amazon Tree Boa. Like many colubrids they only reach 4-5 feet, come in many crazy colors, and are very slender. Like Green tree pythons, they need lots of branches and make great display animals. My two cents.

[valhalha30]

yeah, I would consider the Amazon Tree boa... thank you.

OH, crap I forgot to mention that I have a pair of colubrids that are ready to breed soon... I'd like to find a "stud" colubrid to pair the female with instead of breeding her with her brother. I could... but, I'd like to make a cool hybrid mix. Something colorful would be nice

[Annarose15]

I'm not a fan of standard glass tanks for anything but fish. My condolences on your loss, and no matter what you choose, make sure to disinfect the bejeezus out of that tank. Unless you get a necropsy and determine cause of death, you have no way of knowing whether you might just be dooming the new animal to "catch" whatever was wrong with Mopar.

[valhalha30]

Oh absolutely! I have no idea what happened.. but I will not risk the life of whatever takes his place in that tank. It's gunna have some scadling water put in it soon, with some diluted bleach added. And then rinsed out 10 times with hot water. I'm not taking any chances.

[valhalha30]

So, I fell in love instantly with a leucristic Texas Ratsnake...... I'd like to know if there any breeders in my area, or wherever, that are trusted by this site or if someone wants to refer them to me. I'm so very interested in getting one. I'm not sure I'd buy one over the web, but I would buy one at a reptile show if a certain vendor sells them that may participate in a show local to me. I am probably gushing a bit too much lol, but I just adore the look of a leu. TX rat. I'm probably going to post a thread about looking for one in either the General Colubrid section or Ratsnake section to broaden my search a bit