Quote Originally Posted by digcolnagos
Out of curiosity, anyone have any experience in maintaining a 55-gallon? I'm guessing I'd need a bigger UTH mat, maybe two, plus a heat emitter bulb. Summer times here aren't a problem, but it regularly gets below freezing in the winter and we keep the house below 70 degrees (and still get stuck with $150 monthly heating bills).
I think with room temps getting that low, a 55 gallon is going to be a big challenge to heat properly. I've only ever used a 20 gallon long, but got so tired of trying to maintain proper temps and humidity in it, that I moved him into a tub set up with the rest of the gang. He was my first ball python and I held out for the longest to keep him in a tank.

He's much happier in the tub set up, and I worry less because everything is much easier to maintain.