My birthday was last month and I was surprised with a ball python. I had been doing a lot of research before hand and had wanted one for a while. My mom is awesome but she didn't realize the care they needed before she purchased the little girl, she had everything we needed for the most part but trying to get the tank set up with the right temps and humidity while Trying to keep the skittish little bp stress-free was a little overwhelming at first. I finally got it right after the first couple weeks and now I can worry about other things.

So my first question(s) has to do with her size, I've been weighing her every week the day before I feed her, She's a little under 200g and has been staying at that weight since I've had her. She's 8-9 months old, a great eater, and to me, looks to be a healthy weight for her length. However, Ive seen people with bp's around 10-12 months old more than twice the size of my baby. Is she underweight or will she catch up to that in time? Am I weighing her too often?

My other question has to do with her cage and set up. I'm planning on building my own stackable terrariums (I plan on owning more reptiles in the future) 40L by 24W by 18H. Would this be sufficient for her as an adult? If I'm doing my math correctly (Probaby not Lol) I think it would be around a 75 gallon. Also, when would she be big enough to move her into something like this? And if anyone has any advice for me on making this terrarium that would be great, I've already got a basic design going but am going to need a little help with heating and such.

Okay, one more question, I'm having a hard time finding just the right substrate. The first stuff I had was aspen, it didn't seem horrible but I just wasn't pleased with the look. Then I tried eco earth but found it to be too loose. Does anyone have a good substrate or mix of substrates that work for them? I'm looking for something that'll look nice/realistic but won't harm her and will help with humidity and such.

so that's it, I know this is long. Thanks to whoever reads through it and helps me out. I've had guinea pigs, hamsters, rats, fish, and frogs but reptiles and snakes are a new for me and I appreciate all the help I can get I've really found a love for these guys and I just want to make sure I'm doing things right