Share your ideas for Perfect Habitat

[Lisn123]

I love my T8s - I consider them the perfect display habitat and have two of them. I would never buy anything else (except a rack in the future) and am glad I chose them for my first BPs:


As you can see, the lights on the inside are plenty bright for display purposes. From a weight perspective, I would consider them more awkward than heavy. I can easily lift one myself, but I prefer to have someone on the other end for simplicity's sake. Size wise, they are a little large for a small BP - even divided they were still large for my baby girls, so I added the newspaper. A big female would do great in an undivided T8 though. Just in case Medusa isn't quite up to size yet, you can just pop in a divider and add a friend for her on the other side. Also, they are incredibly easy to clean. I do the majority of the work with a Clorox wipe and paper towels after each pee/poop.

THANKS for the informative & thoughtful reply. Did you buy the lights & heating from AP as well? and have them arrive all ready to go? Also, had question about the Clorox wipes-- is that safe?? Im so paranoid what we use to clean out her tank. We've been using F-10 But sometimes I tell my daughter she should have named her piggy or stinky. Sheesh, that snake can make some smelly poops !!
thanks again for the info!

[Lisn123]

I don't know if I would consider getting a AP "jumping on the bandwagon". Keeping the correct temperatures and humidity are very important to a Ball Pythons health and survival. Can it be done with glass, absolutely, is it easier with PVC, I think so. Are there other options besides AP, of course, Cages By Design, Vision, Boaphile, NPI... just to name a few.

I think why Animal Plastics are highly mentioned is on this website is for a couple reasons. One of our members (The Serpent Merchant) has a very detailed write up on one of the model's the AP sells (T8), I think it is always nice to see in detail what your getting before you purchase it, unfortunately AP's website does not do them justice (according to FB they are getting a new website). Another reason I think they are so popular is because of the customer service they provide. I have never dealt with any of the above companies but, AP as always treated me great, and also with my T8's that I have purchased (2), they have shipped out in a very reasonable amount of time. I think when all said and done, their product does the job and works perfect for a display cage.

As far as cleaning and size, I would say cleaning is breeze, nothing stands out in my mind that would prove this cage to be difficult to clean. I have heard from one poster, (don't remember who) that this particular PVC has very small "pores" and over time they tend to smell, I have had my first T8 almost a year, if not a little more, smells the same as they day a I purchased it. For size, I would still say go with a T8 just because you can get a divider that will allow 1 T8 to house two adult Ball Pythons. Ball Pythons are like Lays, can't have just one.

Hope this helps...

Thanks for all the great info. and other sites. I've heard before that a T8 can hold 2 adult ball pythons. I just can't believe that- seems like one side wouldn't be big enough?

[Eric Alan]

THANKS for the informative & thoughtful reply. Did you buy the lights & heating from AP as well? and have them arrive all ready to go? Also, had question about the Clorox wipes-- is that safe?? Im so paranoid what we use to clean out her tank. We've been using F-10 But sometimes I tell my daughter she should have named her piggy or stinky. Sheesh, that snake can make some smelly poops !!
thanks again for the info!

You're welcome! I did buy the lights (x2 - one for each half) and heat from AP - along with the cage locks and divider. They don't come put together, but all it takes is a screwdriver to get the job done.

I did a search about cleaning methods on here, and found several threads with people using Clorox wipes with no ill effects and no one with actual safety concerns beyond making sure it's dry and residue free before putting anyone back in their home. Honestly though, I will be switching to F10SC next time I need to place an order with RBI - it's just a better cleaning product for our purposes. I can't imagine my cleaning routine being any more difficult with the F10SC.

In regards to your size concerns, here's the reality:

• 41 quart tub = 34.5" x 16.5" = ~580 square inches
• Divided T8 = 24" x 24" = ~576 square inches

A divided T8 has pretty much the exact same floor space as the tubs most commonly recommended and used for adult ball pythons.