20 Gallon Aquarium, and questions

[jpsteele80]

Ok, your on the right track but just a few pointers here, first the snake isn't going to give a rats a$$ if you paint the tank any color, what's going to make it feel secure is a place to hide, one on the cool side and one on the warm side but with only 10 Gallon aquarium you may not have that choice. Secondly yes you want to make it secure to make sure it doesn't get out, you talked about keeping the humidity in, as long as you have any part of a screen top open, where do you think your humidity is going to go? And as long as your using heat tape your right not to add a light, no need for it. I'm thinking a boa would almost be outgrown in a 10 Gallon tall, if you want a boa I'd start With a 20 gallon long but I think a ball would be a better starter snake. Just my 2 cents

[Mikoh4792]

Originally Posted by jpsteele80

Ok, your on the right track but just a few pointers here, first the snake isn't going to give a rats a$$ if you paint the tank any color, what's going to make it feel secure is a place to hide, one on the cool side and one on the warm side but with only 10 Gallon aquarium you may not have that choice. Secondly yes you want to make it secure to make sure it doesn't get out, you talked about keeping the humidity in, as long as you have any part of a screen top open, where do you think your humidity is going to go? And as long as your using heat tape your right not to add a light, no need for it. I'm thinking a boa would almost be outgrown in a 10 Gallon tall, if you want a boa I'd start With a 20 gallon long but I think a ball would be a better starter snake. Just my 2 cents

Jpsteele I'd have to disagree on the starter snake. Bci are not harder to care for than ball pythons, they just get bigger(colombians that is.) Some can grow to be smaller than ball pythons like mexican locality boas, the island boas around belize...etc

OP, You're on a good start. Painting the sides will definitely help with security if you are planning to keep your animal in a high traffic area. But as Jpsteele said, an enclosure that size will become small very soon for a bci.

The reason people don't like glass tanks is for the exact reason you pointed out. They are not good for retaining heat and humidity, even when you try to cover the top with a solid plane of glass. You would need to let very little mesh be uncovered. It's also inconvenient to have to remove everything ontop of the enclosure everytime you want to open it(for maintenance, cleaning, feeding...etc).

Since you already have the glass tank, try now to keep conditions stable before you get your snake. Then you can use it as a temporary enclosure while looking for a bigger, more permanent home.

[technocardy]

Originally Posted by Mikoh4792

Jpsteele I'd have to disagree on the starter snake. Bci are not harder to care for than ball pythons, they just get bigger(colombians that is.) Some can grow to be smaller than ball pythons like mexican locality boas, the island boas around belize...etc

OP, You're on a good start. Painting the sides will definitely help with security if you are planning to keep your animal in a high traffic area. But as Jpsteele said, an enclosure that size will become small very soon for a bci.

The reason people don't like glass tanks is for the exact reason you pointed out. They are not good for retaining heat and humidity, even when you try to cover the top with a solid plane of glass. You would need to let very little mesh be uncovered. It's also inconvenient to have to remove everything ontop of the enclosure everytime you want to open it(for maintenance, cleaning, feeding...etc).

Since you already have the glass tank, try now to keep conditions stable before you get your snake. Then you can use it as a temporary enclosure while looking for a bigger, more permanent home.

Good to see that I'm off to a good start. I was thinking that I'd get it all set up and monitor it for a while to see if I can keep the heat and humidity within appropriate ranges before actually buying a snake. I know it's not an ideal enclosure, so we'll see how it works before buying a snake. Thanks for the tips!

[technocardy]

Originally Posted by jpsteele80

Ok, your on the right track but just a few pointers here, first the snake isn't going to give a rats a$$ if you paint the tank any color, what's going to make it feel secure is a place to hide, one on the cool side and one on the warm side but with only 10 Gallon aquarium you may not have that choice. Secondly yes you want to make it secure to make sure it doesn't get out, you talked about keeping the humidity in, as long as you have any part of a screen top open, where do you think your humidity is going to go? And as long as your using heat tape your right not to add a light, no need for it. I'm thinking a boa would almost be outgrown in a 10 Gallon tall, if you want a boa I'd start With a 20 gallon long but I think a ball would be a better starter snake. Just my 2 cents

Hey! I have a 20 gallon aquarium, not a 10. Also, I read that the sides and back of the tank should be covered, or wood, or painted dark so the snake can feel safe. If painting it black doesn't make a difference, I wont. Would you suggest another way to cover it up, or just leave it as it is?

[jpsteele80]

Originally Posted by technocardy

Hey! I have a 20 gallon aquarium, not a 10. Also, I read that the sides and back of the tank should be covered, or wood, or painted dark so the snake can feel safe. If painting it black doesn't make a difference, I wont. Would you suggest another way to cover it up, or just leave it as it is?

Sorry I was reading another post before yours and got the size mixed up on the aquarium, if your adamant on covering the back and sides why not go with the reptile wall papers that way if you ever want it unpainted you just take the tape off the wallpaper and your done instead of having to scrape the paint off with a razor plus the wallpaper just looks better?

[technocardy]

Originally Posted by jpsteele80

Sorry I was reading another post before yours and got the size mixed up on the aquarium, if your adamant on covering the back and sides why not go with the reptile wall papers that way if you ever want it unpainted you just take the tape off the wallpaper and your done instead of having to scrape the paint off with a razor plus the wallpaper just looks better?

No worries! Thanks for the advice! This forum has definitely given me a lot of tips on how to get ready for my first snake. Needless to say, I'm getting pretty excited.