Quote Originally Posted by JRLongton View Post
I say stick with the divided T8. You want a hatchling? Well the divided T8 will serve you life long. You can start in just the half. When ready you can move them up to the full. Plus a divided enclosure will give you flexibility in the future.

Since nobody else has chimed in, substrate. Expect to need to experiment with this before you pick up your first noodle. PVC enclosures hold humidity really well. I use aspen and find that I can regulate humidity with water bowl placement. I tried coconut (Eco-Earth) and Forrest floor, but it was WAY too humid. Within hours it was practically raining inside the enclosure. For a few days, during a shed cycle, that'd be great. But everyday? No, you'd be asking for an RI or scale rot. But you may find things are different in your area. Try different ones for a few days before hand and see what works.
I'd like to start with a hatchling. I feel like the T8 is too large for a hatchling so that's why I opted for the divider. The plan is to house the adult snake in a full T8 or similarly sized enclosure (perhaps with more height).

Good point about needing to experiment with different substrates. I'll see what the general consensus is locally - we'll share the need for similar adjustments based on local conditions. A co-worker of mine uses aspen, but she says she has to change it out a lot because it gets moldy. She has to spray it a lot to keep up the humidity. I should also note that she is using a fish aquarium with a screen top and a moist towel covering about 80% of the mesh. Due to this setup, she likely has to wet the substrate more frequently than in a plastic enclosure. Have you personally experienced any issues like this when using aspen? Humidity inside my home is usually around 15-20% in the colder months and anywhere from 25-50% in the warmer months. It may be necessary for me to use a substrate that can easily boost my humidity levels inside the enclosure. Hopefully someone from Colorado can chime in!