Newbie tank setup and Vision or Showcase? Long!

[Writenumb]

Hey everybody! So this is my very first post after spending a few weeks being a "lurker" lol. Anyway, I got my first ball python, a gorgeous male Super Pastel whom I've named Phoenix, at a local Reptile Expo about a month ago. He's my first snake and, like a lot of new owners to the hobby, I didn't know anything about professionally built reptile specific PVC cages (or how many different companies manufacture them!). So I put my little guy (he's around 25 inches long and weighed 314 grams or so when I bought him a few weeks ago- the breeder weighed him for me, I have yet to buy a scale myself) and is around a year and a half old I was told, so I guess that would make him a juvenile.


I currently have him set up in a 20 gallon long aquarium (reptile specific with sliding screen lid) with a ZooMed 10-20 gallon tank sized UTH hooked up to a dimmer switch (am going to buy a Hydrofarm Thermostat online as soon as I'm finished posting this), a half log hide above the UTH with my thermometer probe under his cypress mulch Forest Floor substrate attached to the bottom of the glass tank with a little suction cup. My Acurite thermometer/hydrometer is attached to the glass wall, about mid-way up the glass and right in the center of the tank, with the probe going under the cypress mulch inside his cool side hide (a little Exo-Terra fake half-rock hide). His water dish sits right in the middle of his two hides, and I've got a couple of rubber plants suction cupped to either side of his tank. He loves to hide under his fake plant, with the leaves coming down over him, directly on top of his UTH in the back corner. I also have a 75 watt ZooMed red heating bulb lamp (not sure if it's a CHE, but the lamp came with the aquarium- it was a ZooMed package deal I bought at Petsmart) sitting directly on top of the screen over his UTH. I went to Loews and bought a piece of plexiglass, had it cut to size with maybe 1/4 of it open over the cool side, took it home and soldered out a hole big enough for my lamp, and placed it on the screen top to keep in humidity and heat.


My temps on the Acurite thermometer/hydrometer read:
82.6 degrees "In", so that's on the floor of his tank inside his cool side fake rock hide with his cypress mulch on top of the probe
77.7 degrees "Out", which is the ambient temp inside the tank
57 % Humidity


My ZooMed temperature probe reads 101.9 which I KNOW is insanely high and I just turned down the dimmer a bit. I'll check it again in a few minutes to see where it's at. Usually it's between 88.9 or 94. That's why I'm buying a Hydrofarm on/off thermostat!


SO, FINALLY the question at hand! I'm debating between two different used cages I found online: The one cage is a Vision #332 (36" L x 28" D x 18" High) with a lock and key on the front glass doors. The other is a black granite Showcase cage (36" L x 24" D x 24" High), which retails for much more than the Vision, but is only $50 more in this scenario. I've read all about Vision cages and the pros and cons: bowing if they're stacked too high, hard to keep humidity in, etc. The only negative thing I've read about Showcase cages is that they're insanely expensive (but beautiful cages though). The one thing I'm worried about is that the Showcase cage has a big cage-wide vent in the front for the fluorescent light, which would be awful for keeping humidity in. I think Vision has something similar though, too. I only have one snake right now (I know, I know- they're super addictive- but I can't really afford more than one right now, because I want him to have the best set-up possible in a visually appealing cage that's ALSO specifically made for reptiles so he's happy).


So, which one do I go with: Vision or Showcase? Oh, and thanks soooo much for reading all this- I'm typing it all on my iPhone and it's seriously taken me like an hour and a half to type all of this! Whew!

[Navaro]

Hey! and Welcome!

Most display setups will always have some difficulty with humidity.

However with the Vision's, I beleive the area for the lighting is option. As in you can fill it in with a peice that's provided. At least it used to be the case.


However there's many ways to help regulate Humidity if your concerned. Alot of people using Tanks or Terrariums put aluminum foil over 3/4's of the screens or vents, or even regular silver duck tape (outside only).

Also your choice of substrate will change things up too. For humidity issues it's hard to go past Coconut Fiber based substrates, like eco earth, for maintaining and holding humidity.

The choice is really yours, but be prepared to do a little tinkering regardless of what you choose. I always say that's half the fun!


Here's mine, and how I deal with my screen on top.

[Writenumb]

Thanks for the warm welcome :-). What a pretty set up you have! I like the big fat tree on the right hand side. I used plexiglass on top instead of silver duck tape (duct tape?), which I think accomplishes the same goal (in theory anyway). My glass tank setup is working now in the summer, but I'm just worried about the winter when it's colder (I live in Pennsylvania). I find temps are hard to hold in with glass tanks, and I can't really afford to heat the entire living room during the winter. I COULD get a small space heater though...so anyway that was why I was considering getting a PVC cage instead.

[Mr. Misha]

If you have the money, i'd do a Animal Plastic terrarium. You can always split it with a divider that they sell and get another snake

[Navaro]

Thanks for the warm welcome :-). What a pretty set up you have! I like the big fat tree on the right hand side. I used plexiglass on top instead of silver duck tape (duct tape?), which I think accomplishes the same goal (in theory anyway). My glass tank setup is working now in the summer, but I'm just worried about the winter when it's colder (I live in Pennsylvania). I find temps are hard to hold in with glass tanks, and I can't really afford to heat the entire living room during the winter. I COULD get a small space heater though...so anyway that was why I was considering getting a PVC cage instead.

Plexiglass is better, but more expensive. Living in Florida I'm forever adjusting things seeking the perfect balance in temps and humidity so the tape is an easier (to tweak) solution, but less attractive.


and hahaha on the Duct tape. You know, I was born in Australia, and lived there for 30 years, and always knew it as Duct Tape. I just moved to the states, and bought some the other week at Walmart, and was stunned that the brand name was "duck tape" rofl, so I assumed that was the American thing to call it? =P now I feel foolish.


Welcome again!