20 gallon tank/IJCP

[RaVeNo888o]

at the moment i have my ijcp in an 11 gallon rubbermaid (approximately 18"x 12") and I am thinking of getting him a 20 gallon tank so that i can put him beside my cal kings 20 gallon on my dresser..with the rubbermaid set up hes kinda off to the side of my room and i never really get to see him that much, so i would like to do the 20 gallon tank and make a bit more natural looking display for him.
my main question is how long can an ijcp live in the 20 gallon tank (up to what size and generally how old are they at that size) I realize that he will eventually need a larger enclosure, but if can stay in a 20 for a decent amount of time i would like that so that i can have the 2 matching tanks (i eventually planned to build an enclosure which sites ontop of my dresser flush wiht the sides (approx. 4 feet by 18 inches).

[Big_V]

Sorry to say but that carpet wont last very long in that 20 gallon tank. Maybe 3 or 4 months at most if it isnt growing like a weed. And you have to make sure you somehow make it so the snakes cant see eachother or else there will be alot of undue stress. A 20 gallon tank is something like 24x12x18 so once the snake is over 2 feet you should move it up. The more room you can offer the better once the snake is well started and eating frequently. Plus you dont want to be changing enclosures alot of time as that it stresses them out alot.
Cheers, RYan

[RaVeNo888o]

alright, cool..glad i asked before going out and buying it :p what would be a more appropriate size tank to get that would last a while b4 stepping up to the final enclosure?

[Big_V]

It depends on how big he is now. If your final tank is gonna be 48x18 you may want to go to a 33 gallon tank which is 36x12x18. Gives another foot length same width but lots of climbing room and such for the little guy to grow. Since they spend alot of time off the ground you want to make sure there is height to the tank in which you can let him move around freely and comfortably. I use a 33 from my ball python and it works well because there is good ground space but also is tall enough to put some decent decorations and climbing branches. But once the guy is around 3ft or 3.5ft you would have to move him into his more permanent enclosure.
Cheers, Ryan

[RaVeNo888o]

hmm, i guess i should re measure him, he just shed, but im waiting for him to digest before i handle him. i would really like to have him on display instead of tucked in a rubbermaid between my bed and my desk lol.
i know snakes grow at different rates, but typically how old are ij's when they reach the 3-3.5 foot range?

[RaVeNo888o]

ok i just took him out and measured him. He was born late may '03, he is approximately 29 inches long, and about 3/4-1 inch thick (hard to tell with the way they flatten themselves out)

is it really too early to be putting him into his permanent enclosure?

[Big_V]

They are usually a year when they are that size in my experience. If he is 29 inches long a 33 gallon should work for at least 6 months for you.
Cheers, RYan

[RaVeNo888o]

haha i edited my post to ask about putting him in the permanent enclosure at the same time u posted..
is it too early to be putting him in a permanent enclosure? which would probably be a foot longer and half a foot wider than the 33 gallon going by the dimensions u posted for 33. (and i was thinking 2 to 2.5 feet high?)

[Big_V]

It depends. If he is really small its gonna be alot of open space in which you must make sure the temps are right on the money. In my opinion you may want to buy another larger rubbermaid and let it grow just a bit more. This way you dont spend a ton of more money and gives you lots of time to make the permanent enclousre perfect. Its really a craps shoot with taking it right to the permanent enclosure because that carpet is still small. Id make it at least 2 feet tall if you want to decorate the tank a little more and really make it look cool.
Cheers, Ryan

[stkkts]

My male IJ was born in may, and he is in a 20 gallon long tank. Its fine for him. He takes up almost no space during the day, and at night, has plenty of room to explore.