Might be getting back into the hobby - need advice

[Panick]

Years ago, I kept ball pythons, corn snakes, and a few other species. I bred them and housed them in rack systems. After a change in living situation, I could no longer have them and sold my entire collection. I miss breeding snakes so much but the hobby seems oversaturated with breeders and it looks like it would be hard to get back into it. (correct me if I'm wrong though ) I've been out of the hobby for a little over 10 years now.

That said, I work for an animal shelter now. We have a ball python that came to us with two other ball pythons as an abandonment case. They had been kept in broken glass tanks in a shed, with no heat source, since March (we got them in April). Two snakes have found homes (one went to live with my co-worker). I have toyed with the idea of adopting this last ball python. I would love to get back into the hobby but I don't want to go with a rack system anymore. While it saves space, I just like the idea of giving them more living space. But because I used racks in the past, I am completely clueless on other reptile enclosures. Do yall have recommendations on stackable (because I might get a few more snakes......) enclosures that either come with heat, or have spots for heating elements? I've been trying to Google some but I just don't want to end up with something that is overpriced and not worth the money, or potentially something that will be hazardous. I'm also open to the idea of racks that provide more space (I'm looking for roughly a 4x2x2 as an enclosure size, so something similar might work.) I want to be able to provide them hides, climbing surfaces, decor to make them feel more secure, etc and that might not be workable with a rack. But again, correct me if I'm wrong.

[Panick]

I was thinking maybe something like this?

Amazon.com : PVC Reptile Enclosure 48" x 24" x 24" Space Efficient Reptile Terrarium 120 Gallon Large Tank for Bearded Dragon Lizard Snake, Wide Breeding Vivarium Area with Sliding Doors Lock (2pcs-Black Panels) : Pet Supplies

[bcr229]

I have quite a few Animal Plastics enclosures and love them. I can't recommend the T8 though as the 12" height can make it difficult to get into the back corners for cleaning. The T10 and T11 would work for a lot of smaller snake species. You would use a radiant heat panel (RHP) and/or heat tape which are more efficient and safer than the heat lamps. https://apcages.com/collections/terrestrial-cages

I recently purchased a Pro-Line trap/shift enclosure for my rattlesnake and I'm very pleased with the overall quality and ease of assembly. It also disassembles quickly if you're in a situation where you will be moving a lot and need to break it down often.

Boaphile makes nice enclosures but mine doesn't disassemble so it would be expensive to ship.

If you can find a used enclosure near enough to pay cash and pick it up, grab it.

[Panick]

Thank you so much for the suggestions!

[Lord Sorril]

I miss breeding snakes so much but the hobby seems oversaturated with breeders and it looks like it would be hard to get back into it. (correct me if I'm wrong though ) I've been out of the hobby for a little over 10 years now.

The real question is: Why you breed them? Money? Looks? Fun?

For ball pythons there are over 30,000 listed on Morphmarket alone.

I breed them for fun and I operate purely in the Red (because I keep all the nicest ones for myself).

But because I used racks in the past, I am completely clueless on other reptile enclosures. Do yall have recommendations on stackable (because I might get a few more snakes......) enclosures that either come with heat, or have spots for heating elements?

If you are keeping adult ball pythons as pets then the Animal Plastics T10 is your best friend. If you are planning on breeding snakes in the future: you will need a lot more enclosures and I would recommend trying to engineer something yourself to keep cost down (good luck these days).

Just FYI: The last T10 I order from AP (6 years ago?) took them 7 months to get it to me, and that was after I started calling them every week past their 3 month estimate. Hopefully they are better about it now.

[Homebody]

I was thinking maybe something like this?

Amazon.com : PVC Reptile Enclosure 48" x 24" x 24" Space Efficient Reptile Terrarium 120 Gallon Large Tank for Bearded Dragon Lizard Snake, Wide Breeding Vivarium Area with Sliding Doors Lock (2pcs-Black Panels) : Pet Supplies

Like that, but not that. Too much ventilation. People in the comments called it flimsy. Also, I've never heard of the manufacturer. It's better to go with a reputable company. In addition to those mentioned above, you should consider Focus Cubed Habitats, Black Box Cages, Toad Ranch and Zen Habitats.