Aqairium For balls????

[snakebeginner]

Hello everyone. I am getting some ball pythons in the future but like to always have the enclosure setup and ready first. I plan on getting a 50-60 gal. Anyways I know that aqauriums lose alot of humdity and heat. So I was wondering if you could have something else for a lid that will help keep in the humidity and heat? Because I dont want to get a big ugly tupperware container, but I will if I have to.

One more question too, I have heard so many people say to use a heat lamp and UTH (under tank heater) but I have also heard the same amount of people say to just use a UTH. Which idea is better to do? Well thanks for looking and i hope some can help me out.

If anyone has any pics of there balls enclosure I would love to see it. Thanks again

Aaron :)

[rockney]

I would just use a peice of plexiglass insted of screen to make the lid , with air holes of course .Make sure it is escape proof . What size of snake are you getting , a fifty or sixty gallon tank might be a little overwhelming to a little baby .

[BoidKeeper]

I use 27g and 33g laid on their sides. It works well for me. There are pics in my gallery of some of the ones I had set up last year just to show as an example.
Cheers,
Trevor

[snakebeginner]

My Ball is going to be an adult. I just need to find someone in alberta that will sell me one. Thanks for the advice guys!!! :)

[BoidKeeper]

Some times adult males are so cheap you have to give them away. Since I've been in the hobby I've been given two and given one away.
Cheers,
Trevor

[snakebeginner]

I wish someone would give me a free ball :) lol
No one seems to have any male balls for sale in alberta though it really sucks!!!owell just have to wait till soemthing comes up I guess.

[Manitoban Herps]

I keep my adult male ball, 3.5 footer in a 50 gallon aquarium with a melamine top with aroun 25 penny size holes drilled through it, I had bark mulch as a substrate and every morning I woke up there would be condenstation on the glass, so I had to switch over to pine shavings.

[snakebeginner]

Do you have any pictures of your cage setup that I could see please? :)

[Slannesh]

I had bark mulch as a substrate and every morning I woke up there would be condenstation on the glass, so I had to switch over to pine shavings.

You do know that the oils in pine are toxic to reptiles I hope?
Aspen or Cypress are safe choices for substrate, Pine and Cedar both have toxic oils that very well may harm your snake.

As for using an aquarium I find boidkeeper's method the most effective, lay it on it's side and get one of those wire screens for it. I use an 'aquarium' as well but it's one of those reptile ones with the vents in the sides and back with a full glass top.

[snakebeginner]

Having a wire screen on the side wont make it lose any humidity? When the tanks on its side......

[Slannesh]

It will still lose some yes, but much less than if the screen is on the top.

[snakebeginner]

Thank you slanesh for the help. I will use your idea. It sounds like the best way to go for an aqaurium.

Whats a good way to make a humid hide?

[Tim_Cranwill]

You could muck around with an expensive, breakable, poor insulating, un-ideal, aquarium that needs to be modified to be even REMOTELY useful just because you have one sitting around OR you could just get a nice clear bin. They don't have to look like storage bins. Shop around...


P.S. I try not to use "fake" words often but this time it just seemed appropriate. :D

[snakebeginner]

I think I am just going to get a good tupperware container instead, because ive heard it from so many people that it is better for you snake. And I want whats best for my snake so thats what im going to do. I just wanted to get an aqurium to make a good looking home for my ball. But like I said I want whats best for my snakes. Thanks again

[Brent Strande]

There's always the option of custom building. If you buy the melamine shelving that's in 2', 4', 6', and 8' sections, you could make a minimum amount of cuts and build a very nice enclosure.

[Oni5000]

Yeah, there's always that option. I just built two racks and have a bunch of scrap melamine left over. I'm gonna try to build an enclosure out of that and see how it turns out.

[Slannesh]

Really I think 'best' is a subjective term here.

Lots of people very successfully keep balls in tanks and many people very successfully keep them in rubbermaids. I keep most of my geckos in rubbermaids myself because at the end of the day, yes it is easier.

My snake's enclosure takes more time and attention to maintain but in my opinion is no less 'healthy' for him. I've had him for almost 9 years now to no ill effect, heck he's never even gone off feed for more than two consecutive feedings for me.

I'm the first to admit that a glass tank is more work, there's no denying that. But there's a little more to the issue than tanks suck rubbermaids are flawless as well :)

I'm sure your Ball will be very happy in whichever enclosure you choose for it snakebeginner, doing the research beforehand is definately a big step in the right direction.

[joebagadohnut]

I use an aquarium. My water source is ontop of my UTH, and I have saran rap directly above the hot side of the tank....the humidty levels are easily maintained by adding or removing saran rap......just make sure there is enough air flow!!
Another way is to have a humidifier in the room as well.

I tried using a heat lamp, but it just dried the heck out of the tank.,......


JEremy.

[jazzmachine]

Hey Snakebeginner. What part of Alberta are you living in? I'm in Calgary, and know of a few people that breed, so I might be able to help you find someone if you need assistance. Reply to this, or just PM me back, and we can take it from there.