Quote Originally Posted by Jakemh91 View Post
For a young Ball, that tank is WAY too big. If you insist on using the 30 gal then I would clutter the crop out of it, with hides, rocks, fake plants, branches, etc. Ball Pytbons like to hide and and big open spaces can stress them out. Highly recommend getting a smaller terrarium and work your way up.

I'll let someone else handle the temp and humidity questions. As I use a heat lamp, which is a less popular option. I have a basking bulb and UVA bulb set up with a timer, to give it adequate heat while maintaining a day/night cycle. The problem with heat lamps is that they fry up the humidity. So I lightly spray the tank a couple times a day as well as cover about half the lid with foil. Seems to work.
Just so long as you have a heat gradient of 84-88 on the hot side and 78-83 on the cool side, with a 60-65% humidity.

With the feed, it depends on what age snake you end up getting. If you buy a young ball I wouldn't buy a LARGE supply, as they'll steadily need to have larger and larger prey (or feeding them multiple prey items). If you can get them to eat F/T then definitely do that and keep them on it. Whatever prey you start feeding them, be sure to keep feeding them the same thing. So if you start feeding them rats (or if the person you get the snake from was feeding rats), keep feeding rats. Balls are notoriously picky eaters and likely won't eat a different prey item that's different from what they normally eat. Honestly, sometimes even different COLOR prey items can make a difference.
I do have a 10 gallon as well in that case if it isn't too far the opposite direction and too small (though again I'd need to get a lid for it). With that in mind, how do I secure it properly since it wouldn't be the horizontal sliding type lid? Are their special clamps I can get to hold it down or do I just put something heavy enough on top?

And yeah I rather figured if I get a young one to get food in small amounts since the size will change. Will definitely try to get one that's already eating rats at any rate, seems silly to start with mice since they won't be big enough for adulthood and I'm more than aware of their pickiness.