Best set up when keeping a single ball

[Ashleigh91]

I built my own PVC cage and have been very pleased with it. Even though it's 24" high and my living room gets down to 55 degrees, I have no trouble heating it. I use a 80 watt rhp mounted under a platform instead of on the ceiling, which let's the heat make it all the way to the floor, results in less loss out the top, and turns the platform into a nice basking area. There's insulation between the platform and the panel so the platform surface never gets dangerously hot. The platform is large enough to have substrate and hides on it, and it gets used quite a lot. I also have quilted panels covering the whole viv except the front, and I use acrylic doors instead of glass because they retain heat a bit better.
If you're only keeping one snake, you might as well give it a nice big enriched viv. Heating doesn't have to be an impediment.

Do you know off hand what the prices for rhps are/where they're ordered from?

A pvc enclosure would be great, and I would love to have one in the future, but price is a bit of a factor right now. I'm a college student, so not a huge ton of disposable income lol. I'm of course going to spend the necessary money to give him a set up that meets his needs, but I don't have a huge amount extra.

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[Stewart_Reptiles]

The best way is the one that work for you and your animal keeping in mind that you want to provide adequate security, proper temps gradients and proper humidity.

PVC and plastic in general will be better when it comes to heat and humidity, it's just a fact that glass is not an ideal material.

I don't recommend light with tubs if that is the route you want to go, with tubs you use a UTH or 2 depending on your ambient temp.

With a PVC cage you can use a UTH or heat panel.

I don't recommend CHE in general as they suck out humidity.

[Ashleigh91]

The best way is the one that work for you and your animal keeping in mind that you want to provide adequate security, proper temps gradients and proper humidity.

PVC and plastic in general will be better when it comes to heat and humidity, it's just a fact that glass is not an ideal material.

I don't recommend light with tubs if that is the route you want to go, with tubs you use a UTH or 2 depending on your ambient temp.

With a PVC cage you can use a UTH or heat panel.

I don't recommend CHE in general as they suck out humidity.

As much as I would like a pvc cage I don't really have the extra cash for a pvc enclosure and rhp right now.

A tub does look like the way I'll be going, but my ambients are far too low for only using UTHs so I think I'll be trying something like starscream's setup

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[Ashleigh91]

I appreciate all the advice!

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[Coluber42]

I got a reptile basics rhp. I used it on a glass tank before I built the viv, and I think you could use it on a tub too with a little work - basically, put a piece of wood over the lid so the screws have something to go into. You'll need a taller tub than you otherwise might because the panel will take up some head room. I think RHP's are a great way to heat anytime, but especially when you have low ambient temperature in the room. The reason is that for the same wattage, they spread the heat over a larger area and therefore nothing needs to get to as high a temperature in one place. And since the panel is entirely inside the enclosure, it loses less heat to the room than a lamp from above, whether it's a che or incandescent. It's initially more expensive, but once you have it you're good for a long time.