Well, I don't own any Ball Pythons. But, I do own Burmese Pythons, Retics, Rock Pythons and large RTB/BCC.

Skip the 4x3, its a waste of cash and will only be out grown. Also, save your money, it may seem like an 8x3 is better. Most breeders and owners, even the big name guys will agree, that a 6x3 is plenty big. Even for a 20 foot monster.

I'm going to give you some info that is used and has been used by me for along time and others for even longer. Take from it what you would like.

Heat 1/3 of the floor to 95*F, leave the other 2/3 unheated. There is no need in heating using bulbs or lighting. Ambient temps can stay 77-80*F safely and humidity can be in the 40-50% range safely.

Use news paper, these guys pee, a lot, and as adults it can be many gallons at a time and cover every inch of a 6x3 cage. Paper makes this easy. That and the fact that they will crap 10 pound turds.

Expect to see a larger snake then you may be used to, in the 12 foot adult range. don't worry about having a 17+ foot snake, even in Retics these are less common the you might think. It takes a lot of food and knowledge to push these snakes to the 17-20 foot range.

You can feed every week, or every two. If your not worried about size and having a large snake, and with a male I don't know why you would be. A proper size meal every 14 days is fine. I like to feed 20-25% of their body weight at this age and size. So, if your feeding every two weeks that 1/2 their weight in food every month.

Also, its a good idea to try and get him to take FT/PK food that he will just take off of the cage floor. Trust me, dangling 10 pound rabbits is not fun from 2 foot hemos and over a 12-15 foot hungry snake.

Also, ditch the hide boxes. These are not Ball Pythons and don't need them. In my opinion and the opinions of other Reticulated Python owners is that hide boxes promote cage aggression and a skidish animal. That and as adults you will need a hide box larger then most people whole snake cages for them to stay in. The sooner you get them off hides the better.

Retics are not for every one, they are not for most people. The are the longest and in 99% of the cases in captivity the biggest snake you can own. They grow to fast for most people, mine grow 10-13 inches a month as babys. They are the most exotic snake you can own and take massive responsibility, but at the end of the day, if you are passionate about them, they are awesome fun.

Also remember that, there is no market for plan old Tiger adults, shipping big snakes cost a lot of money and time and these snakes are not easy to sell when they are very large. So, if you get this guy, make sure your ready to handle a large snake for the next 15-25 years.

Good luck.

David.