The adventures of Dad and Daughter snake keeping

[artgecko]

Congrats on your (her) new pet snake.

I'd go for the AP cage if you are looking to upgrade. Keeping heat and humidity stable and correct in an all glass exo is not fun.. I use them for heavily planted terrariums with frogs and geckos, but my snakes are housed in AP cages . The PVC cage will hold heat and humidity better and will end up costing about the same as an equivalent sized exo. Plus, you won't have to modify it like you would an exo to make it work. I get the sliding glass doors, the optional door lock, heat tape, and recessed LED lighting (that option isn't on the site, you have to call and ask about it) for all my AP cages. Because I have boas and snake that climb, I usually opt for the basking shelf as well. I would not attempt a shelf in anything shorter than 15" though (all of my cages are 4'x2' x 15" tall or 18" tall).

If you are feeding frozen / thawed, you might want to consider ordering in bulk online. You can save yourself some serious money that way, but you have to consider shipping costs. I order about 6 months worth at a time, but some people order a whole years' supply. If you are interested in looking into it, check out perfect prey or big cheese rodents. Both are good suppliers with fair prices and quality packaging. If you are on the west coast, layne labs had good feeders at a good price as well.

[DandD]

Congrats on your (her) new pet snake.

I'd go for the AP cage if you are looking to upgrade. Keeping heat and humidity stable and correct in an all glass exo is not fun.. I use them for heavily planted terrariums with frogs and geckos, but my snakes are housed in AP cages . The PVC cage will hold heat and humidity better and will end up costing about the same as an equivalent sized exo. Plus, you won't have to modify it like you would an exo to make it work. I get the sliding glass doors, the optional door lock, heat tape, and recessed LED lighting (that option isn't on the site, you have to call and ask about it) for all my AP cages. Because I have boas and snake that climb, I usually opt for the basking shelf as well. I would not attempt a shelf in anything shorter than 15" though (all of my cages are 4'x2' x 15" tall or 18" tall).

If you are feeding frozen / thawed, you might want to consider ordering in bulk online. You can save yourself some serious money that way, but you have to consider shipping costs. I order about 6 months worth at a time, but some people order a whole years' supply. If you are interested in looking into it, check out perfect prey or big cheese rodents. Both are good suppliers with fair prices and quality packaging. If you are on the west coast, layne labs had good feeders at a good price as well.

yep he definitely eats f/t and after what I payed for 6 fuzzies I immediately started to look online. I am for sure going with the ap cage after some more research the t10 I believe( the same as t8 only taller right?) but is the flexwatt belly heat enough? Or do I need to install a RHP As well. I'm so use to just seeing light fixtures on top of screens that a enclosed plastic cage seems weird to me. But I'm a noob and I'm for sure open for criticism and ideas. Thanks guys

[Starscream]

It depends on your ambient room temperatures. If they drop below 75 degrees you'll need supplimentary heat, such as the RHP. And if you want a light you can do LED lights or a low percentage (2-6%) UVB light housed inside the cage. Not necessary for ball pythons, but they will utilize it if given the chance and opportunity to hide away from it in their own enclosure.

Also, wish my dad wasn't terrified of snakes. I mean, it's ironic to me but also a bit frustrating. I got him to let my BP tentatively crawl on his hand (turns out she was pretty scared of new people too, but shes always curious and brazen with me alone lol). Never really found a way to connect with him. He is in love with cars. I just want to get from point a to point b without my car dying. Everything I've wanted to do he's supported but he's just never been interested in it beyond that. And now he's scared of something I love deeply. Not saying it's bad or anything, just kind of wish we'd had something like you and your daughter do.

I'm glad you two are enjoying your new snake baby, and being joint snarents! lmao.

[OneEyedFox]

yep he definitely eats f/t and after what I payed for 6 fuzzies I immediately started to look online. I am for sure going with the ap cage after some more research the t10 I believe( the same as t8 only taller right?) but is the flexwatt belly heat enough? Or do I need to install a RHP As well. I'm so use to just seeing light fixtures on top of screens that a enclosed plastic cage seems weird to me. But I'm a noob and I'm for sure open for criticism and ideas. Thanks guys

You definitely need some form of heat for the ambient temperature, so an RHP would be great. I was told 75 watt for a t8 though I might be wrong lol.


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[OneEyedFox]

I agree whole heartedly. I lost my father at a young age and I was in Iraq when my son was born. So between football and snakes quality time comes in boatloads at my house.

Yeah, I lost my dad when I was seven thanks to a car accident (one huge reason I'm terrified of driving) and him and I were super close. My mother wasn't the best parent, being in and out of prison as I grew up (she's much better now and think Calliope is cute), but he gave up a life of drugs to be my dad and he spent all of his free time with me. I only wish he was here now so I could show off my knowledge and love for snakes and reptiles. At least I know he's somewhere better now, and ofc if he was here, I probably wouldn't be the person I am now, might not even have a BP (and working to get a Suriname Red Tail Boa). I don't have any family that's really into snakes or reptiles, but my best friend and I bonded over picking out another snake for me (the Boa) and have found so much more in common since then lol.


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[Quahog]

I don't have anything to add except, the name of your new baby is A-MAZING!!!! LOL!

[DandD]

I don't have anything to add except, the name of your new baby is A-MAZING!!!! LOL!

Thanks quahog I ment to spell it mike tythin in the original post but the everyone got the joke anyways. Once again I can't thank you all enough for the warm reception I have received. We are both new at this and mistakes will be made. Butt we put in the time and research and we are doing good so far.

[artgecko]

yep he definitely eats f/t and after what I payed for 6 fuzzies I immediately started to look online. I am for sure going with the ap cage after some more research the t10 I believe( the same as t8 only taller right?) but is the flexwatt belly heat enough? Or do I need to install a RHP As well. I'm so use to just seeing light fixtures on top of screens that a enclosed plastic cage seems weird to me. But I'm a noob and I'm for sure open for criticism and ideas. Thanks guys

The T10 is what my BRB and one of my boas is in. It is tall enough (15" I think) to add a basking shelf if you want to give the BP climbing space. My boas use it all the time to stretch out.

Heating depends on ambient temps. I keep my reptiles in a dedicated room and heat the room to 75f, so I only need to provide hot spots for them. If your house stays cold, you might want to add an RHP. AP does not install them, but I believe they work with pro products and you can order one through PP and they will ship it to AP who will install it (you need to let AP know too).

For ordering frozen, I'd figure out how many feeders you use in a month and get enough for ~2 months (or more) of your current size and then a package of the next couple sizes up (or at least 1 size up).

[The Night King]

Very similar scenario here. I have a 6yr old that has gravitated towards my love for snakes and we got an awesome piebald from Bob's Balls a few months ago. We started with a nice exo-terra tank but realized immediately what a chore the humidity upkeep is. We just ordered a t10 from AP several weeks ago. Can't wait to get it!

We also feed frozen rat pups and bought in bulk from perfect prey. It takes 30 min to thaw and he eats like a champ. Sitting at about 325g. My little girl loves this little guy

[artgecko]

Very similar scenario here. I have a 6yr old that has gravitated towards my love for snakes and we got an awesome piebald from Bob's Balls a few months ago. We started with a nice exo-terra tank but realized immediately what a chore the humidity upkeep is. We just ordered a t10 from AP several weeks ago. Can't wait to get it!

We also feed frozen rat pups and bought in bulk from perfect prey. It takes 30 min to thaw and he eats like a champ. Sitting at about 325g. My little girl loves this little guy

Bob as in Bob Vu? If so, he is great! Congrats on your little one.