First time BP owner setup + ordering?

[RedCloud]

Hello everyone In a week or two I should (hopefully) be getting my first ball python. I'm not looking to breed or anything (not yet ) so this snake is just to be a pet. I have had a corn snake now for a few months so I'm not completely new to snake care, and I've done all my research and read all the care sheets and such. I'm really just hoping some of you can point me towards some affordable products and give me some advice. First off, I'm looking for a good tub to house her in. I've went tub shopping (haha) but I'm always afraid I'm gonna buy the wrong one cause with my luck I'll buy that one tub you should NEVER use xD The snake I'm getting *should* be a baby female. I've looked at quite a few of the name brand "locking" tubs and not only am I having trouble finding a suitable size, but they don't seem very secure. I'm terrified at the idea of an escape as I have a cat in the house and radiators she can get lost under. For my corn I'm using a glass tank w/ locks AND bungee cords even though he's never tried to escape yet. So, any ideas on a tub? I know I'm gonna have to upgrade which is another reason I'm going with tubs over tanks aside from the fact I don't have the space for anymore tanks lol. Links are particularly helpful, i'm willing to buy online as long as the price is decent. My budget for this is $420 max. I can't really spend a dollar over that at the moment. Secondly, I wanted to ask about ordering. I'm looking to get my snake from BHB Reptiles as they seem to be very reputable and I haven't heard any complaints. I also watch they're little youtube series and they seem to really care about their animals/know what they're doing. Their price for a normal ball python female is $70 w/ shipping. My big question is does anyone know what they feed their baby balls? Live or frozen? I do NOT want to be feeding live unless its absolutely necessary as I live in an apartment w/ my mother (I'm 18) and having live mice (or especially rats!) in the house is a big no-no. If she were to go off feed for a while and it was a necessity then, sure, that'd be fine, but every week won't work haha I also had a question about heat tape. I know its supposed to be a whole lot cheaper then heat mats and I'm really looking into it as I don't want to have to buy another heat mat every time she moves up a tub size. I'm just not very sure on how to set it up. I know it requires a thermostat, and I already have one for my corn setup so I know how those work, but not sure how I'd hook one up to heat tape. Also, I use one of the cheap hydrofarm ones. Would that be ok with heat tape? Last thing, I will be keeping her in the same room that I keep my birds (parakeets) in. The birds are all tucked away, so I'm not worried about them escaping or the snake being able to get to them. Would there be any other issues with keeping them in the same room? Thanks in advance! Sorry for such a long post full of noobish questions xD

[CORBIN911]

Purchasing your first BP.. make sure you have spot on husbandry Then worry about snake.. Get a good Thermostat first of all, and go from there. 10$ for THG tape/buy a glass aquarium from craigslist with locking lid (50$ give good clean) but like i said BIGGEST thing would be ur thermostat. make sure you get a good one of those!

As for a Snake, IF you can wait be worth your time to visit a local reptile expo! you can find number of snakes, see them and talk to breeders! most small breeders are just as good if not better then the biggers ones Simply bcz less snakes to look after so more time, holding/cleaning/maintaining!!! aswell you can see many styles you want, and well. They will be alot better $$ as Cash is king!

[BrianDallek]

I started with a locking tub from office max and a simple zoomed heat pad and thermostat (everything is cheap on Amazon). The tub was an iris brand and I chose it because it had a flat bottom and sides. Easier cleaning having no ridges. Drilled a bunch of holes in the lid and a few in the sides till the humidity was staying just right. I since moved on to a rack system. If you feel you may get more than a few snakes down the road just start saving for a nice rack system. There are relatively cheap options from great company's like Animal Plastics. If you think you may just keep the one snake then a Vision cage is a great option. They hold in the humidity very well and look nice. As far as where to get your ball Python from. BHB is a great reputable breeder and probably the biggest in the world?? There are many many other great breeders out there too though. I think you should step up to a single gene ball that will hold it's color for you. Something like a lesser or butter. Here is a great looking black pastel male that is a steal and from a great breeder as well for the same $75. Black pastels are a great gene to get into now too

Great first snake:
http://www.boabarn.com/2012-Liesen-L...stel-Male.html

Great cheap thermostat:
http://www.amazon.com/Zilla-11403-Co...mostat+reptile

Good heating pad:
http://www.amazon.com/Zoo-Med-ReptiT...le+heating+pad

[KMG]

I started with a locking tub from office max and a simple zoomed heat pad and thermostat (everything is cheap on Amazon). The tub was an iris brand and I chose it because it had a flat bottom and sides. Easier cleaning having no ridges. Drilled a bunch of holes in the lid and a few in the sides till the humidity was staying just right. I since moved on to a rack system. If you feel you may get more than a few snakes down the road just start saving for a nice rack system. There are relatively cheap options from great company's like Animal Plastics. If you think you may just keep the one snake then a Vision cage is a great option. They hold in the humidity very well and look nice. As far as where to get your ball Python from. BHB is a great reputable breeder and probably the biggest in the world?? There are many many other great breeders out there too though. I think you should step up to a single gene ball that will hold it's color for you. Something like a lesser or butter. Here is a great looking black pastel male that is a steal and from a great breeder as well for the same $75. Black pastels are a great gene to get into now too

Great first snake:
http://www.boabarn.com/2012-Liesen-L...stel-Male.html

Great cheap thermostat:
http://www.amazon.com/Zilla-11403-Co...mostat+reptile

Good heating pad:
http://www.amazon.com/Zoo-Med-ReptiT...le+heating+pad

That is NOT a "great" tstat. Search here and see how many have failed, plus they are analog. We are in the digital age, they are best. I would rather a Hydrofarm before that one. I have had both and both failed. I was only using them for quarantine so the use was minimal yet they failed. Plenty of people here still use the Hydrofarm but I no longer feel comfortable recommending it. Mine failed in the months.

A tstat is the most important thing you are going to buy. Do not get cheap. Herpstat is what I use. I have a 1, 2, and 4. I have never had an issue with them. The intro is only $100 so I would get that and a $8 tub until you can get a nice pvc cage.

http://www.spyderrobotics.com/home/products.html

[RedCloud]

That is NOT a "great" tstat. Search here and see how many have failed, plus they are analog. We are in the digital age, they are best. I would rather a Hydrofarm before that one. I have had both and both failed. I was only using them for quarantine so the use was minimal yet they failed. Plenty of people here still use the Hydrofarm but I no longer feel comfortable recommending it. Mine failed in the months.

A tstat is the most important thing you are going to buy. Do not get cheap. Herpstat is what I use. I have a 1, 2, and 4. I have never had an issue with them. The intro is only $100 so I would get that and a $8 tub until you can get a nice pvc cage.

http://www.spyderrobotics.com/home/products.html

Hmm, yea I would def only go with something digital, analog ones just don't cut it for me. If and when my hydrofarm fails (I'm currently using one for my corn) would it be harmful to the snake? What I mean is, would it jack up the temps really high, or appear to be working when it's really not? I always keep an eye on the temps in the tank, but now you got me worried. I'll def look into the Herpstat. I'm willing to pay the extra $70 to prevent burns haha
Also would a 15qt be ok for a baby? And how long would that last till I have to move up? Later on when I get the money I'm looking to maybe build some sort of small rack or something like that. But as of now I'm fine with using bins. Don't care if they're ugly as long as they do their job! Thanks


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[RedCloud]

I started with a locking tub from office max and a simple zoomed heat pad and thermostat (everything is cheap on Amazon). The tub was an iris brand and I chose it because it had a flat bottom and sides. Easier cleaning having no ridges. Drilled a bunch of holes in the lid and a few in the sides till the humidity was staying just right. I since moved on to a rack system. If you feel you may get more than a few snakes down the road just start saving for a nice rack system. There are relatively cheap options from great company's like Animal Plastics. If you think you may just keep the one snake then a Vision cage is a great option. They hold in the humidity very well and look nice. As far as where to get your ball Python from. BHB is a great reputable breeder and probably the biggest in the world?? There are many many other great breeders out there too though. I think you should step up to a single gene ball that will hold it's color for you. Something like a lesser or butter. Here is a great looking black pastel male that is a steal and from a great breeder as well for the same $75. Black pastels are a great gene to get into now too

Great first snake:
http://www.boabarn.com/2012-Liesen-L...stel-Male.html

Great cheap thermostat:
http://www.amazon.com/Zilla-11403-Co...mostat+reptile

Good heating pad:
http://www.amazon.com/Zoo-Med-ReptiT...le+heating+pad

Thanks for the links, I'm actually looking at all the cool morphs now and am considering getting either a pastel, super pastel or spider. Especially hearing that typically spiders are heartier eaters and have that cute head wobble xD can't decide now xD


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[jdhutton2000]

I agree with Corbin, which I am coming to find I normally do..., Get the enclosure set up first. Ensure it is stable. Play with the thermostat in your house and see if it can hold temp/humidity based on that fluctuating. Take it from me, WAIT until a reptile show in your area. Small breeders are the way to go. I found a guy here in Denver and I will probably be going to him for everything. Great prices, more personal service and more willing to work one on one.

Congrats and good luck!!

[BrianDallek]

That is NOT a "great" tstat. Search here and see how many have failed, plus they are analog. We are in the digital age, they are best. I would rather a Hydrofarm before that one. I have had both and both failed. I was only using them for quarantine so the use was minimal yet they failed. Plenty of people here still use the Hydrofarm but I no longer feel comfortable recommending it. Mine failed in the months.

A tstat is the most important thing you are going to buy. Do not get cheap. Herpstat is what I use. I have a 1, 2, and 4. I have never had an issue with them. The intro is only $100 so I would get that and a $8 tub until you can get a nice pvc cage.

http://www.spyderrobotics.com/home/products.html

Well I said "great cheap thermostat". If your going to quote, you can't take half. From her original post it appeared that she was on a very tight budget. For $20 it is the best option. I've had that exact thermostat on one of my racks for over 4 years and the temps have remained perfect. I agree with what your saying, I was just giving my opinion based on what I read. My advice would be to get an ARS rack with a herpstat 4 and start filling it with Banana pins and GHI's. Now in her posts she is looking at Super pastels and $100+ tstats so I guess the budget just got bigger.

[KMG]

Redcloud,
When mine failed the readout was jumping around flashing and blinking. It was not delivering enough power to warm the uth so I was lucky my snake was not harmed. I can't say that this is how they will all fail.

A 15qt should be fine. Its hard to say when you would need to move up but that's what great about tubs, they are cheap and readily available. Saving up for a rack or nice cage is a great idea. Also scout Craigslist for them. People upgrading or getting out of the hobby will list them from time to time.

Well I said "great cheap thermostat". If your going to quote, you can't take half. From her original post it appeared that she was on a very tight budget. For $20 it is the best option. I've had that exact thermostat on one of my racks for over 4 years and the temps have remained perfect. I agree with what your saying, I was just giving my opinion based on what I read. My advice would be to get an ARS rack with a herpstat 4 and start filling it with Banana pins and GHI's. Now in her posts she is looking at Super pastels and $100+ tstats so I guess the budget just got bigger.

It doesn't matter if cheap is in front of great or not. That tstat is in no way great. Its old technology and much harder to dial in than digital ones.

What is cheap usually turns out to cost more in the end. If you buy cheap you get cheap. When I think of cheap in regards to a tstat, I think $100 is cheap. Spending alittle extra to have piece of mind is worth it to me. Maybe that is because I had two fail and that I have been on here long enough to see the results of run away uth. Search the forum and maybe some of the burns, melted tubs, and animals lost will change your way of thinking.

No matter what animal a person decides to keep they should be able to afford it. That does not mean that you have to spend a ton of money but that persons money should be used wisely on the things that matter most. Tubs are super cheap, easy to clean, and easy to upgrade. With the money you can save using these instead of a glass tank that is going to need more work to keep proper husbandry you can spend more on a better tstat. There are plenty out there that will last a lifetime.

Take my naturalistic bp tank in my living room. Its a 40gal glass tank in a room that stays 68. I have a uth, a 100 watt che, and a 60 watt bulb for the cool side. I had to cover the sides and back to add security and insulation. I had to make a cover for the screen to keep the heat and humidity in. Plus I have a mister set up to water the plants and keep me from misting every day. Then to do that properly it takes two fixtures, two lamp stands, bulbs, spare bulbs, uth, mister, locking lid tank, then all the plants and supplies inside. Sound cheap? Nope. I do it because it looks good and I enjoy it, but its not necessary. If I was on a tight budget you can be assured all my snakes would be in tubs and not naturalistic glass tanks or custom PVC cages.

[CORBIN911]

Hmm, yea I would def only go with something digital, analog ones just don't cut it for me. If and when my hydrofarm fails (I'm currently using one for my corn) would it be harmful to the snake? What I mean is, would it jack up the temps really high, or appear to be working when it's really not? I always keep an eye on the temps in the tank, but now you got me worried. I'll def look into the Herpstat. I'm willing to pay the extra $70 to prevent burns haha
Also would a 15qt be ok for a baby? And how long would that last till I have to move up? Later on when I get the money I'm looking to maybe build some sort of small rack or something like that. But as of now I'm fine with using bins. Don't care if they're ugly as long as they do their job! Thanks


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It will be Lethal to the snake, as they Dont have fail safes Down they just fail... which means a unregulated heat source, and with 2-3 hours of no regulation it can jump from 80-130+ which is enough to burn your snake, and if left over night, could cause much worse issues.... As said an intro herp is only 100$ (being in states you dont have to pay duties and massive shipping) Another company JUST as good would be Vivarium Electronics VE-100 or Ve-200 Reptile basics i believe! I currently use Herpstat 2 with each probe connected to diffrent rack.

There are many people WHO also sell them used simply because no need or lowering collection. I purchased a VE-100 for 50$ of my local Reptile forum, You can always search there, Just ask them to plug it into a piece of heat tape 1-2 hours prior to you going and have a heat gun handy make sure its within 1-2 degrees (temps are never 100% EVEN with new! i set mine to 90, heat tape is 91.2+/- so just always make sure its within a degree or 2 and work with that!


As for snakes You can always buy from BHB they are extremely good, i wish they were in canada! But a good place for starter snakes when your not 100% sure what youd like, is a reptile expo i 100% wish i got my first snake from there vs a pet store (stupid me 120$ for a normal baby male "which was a female so not so bad" at 89g) This is because you will have all sorts of visual arrays in front of you, the actual snake sometimes pictures dont do a snake justice or others give them too much justice, And as always, small breeders cash speaks! they dont have 100,000's of dollars like others so you could pick yourself up a nice well started mojave/butter/lesser for maybe 200-300(500+g) or a pied for 350$ for a male! expos are just fun aswell get to talk to breeders and meet the snakes in person!


Aswell IF YOU do plan on getting a collection Buy a rack! 100% you will save money, when i first started i paid 180$ for a aquarium... again pet store ... i then moved to 2 pvc cages like animal plastics t8.... 340$ per (in canada as they were semi newish here) so now im out 680$ (pvc) $180(snake aquarium) 68$ cheap reptile thermostat... so if we add all that up thats almost 1000$ i was able to sell it all for maybe 300$ in the end.... im kicking myself now, ended up saving up for a bit and purchasing a ARS rack (used a hand made melanin till i could afford) but always plan ahead with this stuff, your thermostat will last, and will be there no matter what enclosure! So if you do plan on gettin 3+ snakes, a nice AP/Boaphile/C-serpants 5+bin rack will do you justice, and youll save money in the end and LOTS of time, The rack systems are soo easy to maintain and its never a hassle/chore to clean them with any substrate you choose!