Will this work for a cage???

[EWC88]

A pet store shut down a location near by and I noticed in dumpster (my company is taking there location) that they have there old fish tank display tanks (acrylic) in there. Some broken yes but others in complete perfect condition just need cleaning. Some of them are pretty decent in size so I was wondering if I could use one of these to hold a ball python after cleaning and doing some mods?? Want to make sure it'll hold heat and humidity good and all?

[LittleTreeGuy]

There are some sticky's in the BP Husbandry section of this site... one in particular for setting up a tank for a BP. Is it the easiest cage to setup and regulate? Maybe not. Can it be done? Most definately. I think the biggest issue folks with a tank face is keeping heat and humidity at the ideal settings. I think getting a piece of plexiglass to cover a large portion of top of the tank is what a lot of folks do. I'm sure those with tanks or that have had tanks will chime in with what works best for them. Until then, check out that thread, it will help out a lot.

[alphahippo]

i used one for a while and have no problem....changed to a open front cage, now i have too much humidity any ideas why? what can i do to fix it?

[EWC88]

Well these tanks are made of acrylic and not glass. The top does have a piece cut open but I was going make a sliding door for top.

That's why I didn't know if the acrylic will hold the heat better?? Or is even safe?

[EWC88]

Brought one home just in case you guys say it'll be good, measurements are 4' wide, 15" high, 14" front to back.

[EWC88]

Any insight from anyone about this? I did see the sticky mention above but noticed it was for glass tanks so I didn't know if this would apply to a acrylic tank or not?

[Reinz]

It will work as well as a glass tank.

One advantage over glass according to the warning label with my Zoo Med UTH is that glass may crack using the UTH in presence of water.

For me to keep good humidity levels I poor s few quarts of water onto my layered combo substrate every 2 weeks. Thus, I don't use an UTH in any of those setups.

One possible disadvantage, being that Acrylic is a plastic it has the potential to scratch easier than glass so be careful with cleaning and moving. Also harsh cleansers can discolor it as well.

[EWC88]

Hm debating now. Is the size good enough for a ball? You think a RHP would perform better and help with humidity more?

[Reinz]

That size is fine for most adults. For a hatchling or juvie you should clutter it up to make them feel secure.

I've never seen a RHP in a tank before. I read one post by someone concerning a tank RHP, but I could not find it available at Reptile Basics as indicated. Regardless, is it better than an UTH? I don't know. There are a lot of UTH advocates here. For the safety of the snake, the key with either is to have them regulated with a quality Thermostat, a MUST!

For humidity, I found my success experimenting with subtrates and proper covers over the screen.

[EWC88]

Yea his enclosure would be for my adult BP, she has outgrown her current tank and I've been a poor parent by not upgrading fast enough. That's why when I saw this I thought wow this is perfect sizing almost and if it can work it says me cash from a T8, but now debating if I should just do T8 or try and make this thing work.