Need Ball Info

[Dark_Angel_x322]

Ok so my mom had to replace her 45gal fishtank cuz the top support broke and it can't hold water anymore so I get it. :) My water dragon is going to get the 45 and my 2 leos are going to move into the 30gal long that the dragon has now. So I have a 20gal long that will be opening up and I am thinking it is finally time to get a ball python. Depending on when the tank opens up (when my mom finally switches her fish) I am going to get the ball from either an individually owned pet store or the herp show that is coming to tinley park on oct 11 & 12. I know it would be better to wait until the expo but I am really starting to fall in love with a certain ball at this pet shop ( they seem to be well cared for).

So i am thinking and would like some advice... should I just keep my 2 leos in the 20gal long and use the 30gal long for the ball or have the ball in the 20 and the leos in the 30? If I wait until the show I will probably get at least one more leo. Also the 30 has a slide top lid and I am not sure if the ball would be able to squeeze out any of the edges (probably would). How big of a cage will the ball need when full grown? How large of an uth should I use for a 20 gal long? 30 gal long? what is a good price for a baby ball? (petshop has it for $49.99 usd) What substrate do you use?

This will be my first snake so any info, hints, or tips you want to give on balls will be greatly appreciated. I know they are prone to hunger strikes and that doesn't bother me since I know about it.

Thanks!

[BoidKeeper]

Read a few care sheets first then post questions about the stuff that you don't understand. Getting the Ball Python Manual is a great idea too.
Cheers,
Trevor

[Kappa]

Yea i agree with boidkeeper, The Manual has a TON of info. I would recommend waiting for the rep show and $49.99 seems really low, lowest ive seen captive bred were $125.

[sapphire_moon]

I have both my ball pythons in slide top cages, and they can't get out. If it's a baby BP then you can put it in the 20 gal long until it gets bigger....but then you have to put it in a bigger cage....atleast the min is a 30 gal......And I've heard you can keep atleast 3 leo's in a 20 gal long.......as long as it is a 1.2 trio.

[Dark_Angel_x322]

Ok i plan on getting the book and I have been looking at care sheets. I have a very general plan as to what the tank will look like...

http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2003-7/265826/ball-tank.gif

and my questions are because I have read care sheets. I have read that an adult ball can be housed in anything from a 20 gal long to a 55 gal, and that the heat pad should cover anywhere from half the tank bottom to a 1/4 of the bottom. Also some say to use papertowel, astroturf, mulches, ect.. as substrate. I am just in the gathering info stage.

thanks for the info on the price that makes me thing the petshop one is not the best one to go for even tho it seems sweet and active. :)

sapphire_moon so you think the 30 gal would work for it as a baby and as an adult?

[sapphire_moon]

For a baby BP a 30 gal will work if you have enough hides.....if you don't have enough hides it can stress the little thing out.....but 2-4 hides, with plenty of "plants" should work, it don't have to be anything fancy, just a upside down shoe box. And as an adult if you are in a pinch then a 30 gal should be fine......just have a good heat gradient, hides, and water.

[MontyPython]

I don't understand how having too much space for a ball python would give it stress. They don't stress out in the wild when they have to travel to get to water or hides do they? Or what about when they hunt?

[lilyskip]

i agree with sapphire on the hides issue, and especially since the bp will outgrow the 20gal, you might as well not stress the leos by flopping them back and forth.

i bought my snake from an independently owned pet store, and he was fine. The only trauma i had with him came when i boarded him there and he was not well taken care of, but when I bought him, he was in good health (checked out by a vet), eating pretty regularly, and was (and still is!) extremely, extremely friendly and calm. As long as you really closely examine the animal, things should be fine. I would recommend waiting until the show, though, just because prices are bound to be cheaper, and it will be easy to comparison shop (unless you're REALLY in love with the snake at the pet store...but I was in love with a snake at a less reputable store before I met huxley, so keep your options open...)

As far as snakes not being able to get out of a slide top, don't believe it!!! That's exactly what I thought, so I didn't bother to lock the top--because hey, it's sliding...he can't get out--why go through the trouble of unlocking it all the time? Needless to say, a few weeks ago, he managed to slither out the top (which was CLOSED), and it took me a few hours (and a LOT of stress) to find him. Rig the top so it will lock.

[sapphire_moon]

Oh but I ALWAYS lock the top....it's one of the things I check before I go to bed........"are the snakes in the cage? Are the temps ok? and Are the cages locked?" good habbit to get into!!!!

[lilyskip]

hehe, definitely. i know i was shocked when huxley found a way out...but now it's no chore for me to lock and unlock the tank...I know he needs it!

[Linds]

Unless the ambient temp and humidity in the room is correct (78 degrees, 60% humidity), then forget the tank. With the exception of dry climate species, tank are not suitable for housing snakes because they do not hold heat or humidity.

[sapphire_moon]

Ya Linds is right, it can be work to keep the humidity up in a tank........but personally, it's worth it.....

[BurmBaroness]

I keep my balls in a tank, and have never had a problem with humidity nor sheds. I run a humidifier in my house, for my son, and my thermostat for the heat/AC is always set on 75.

[Dark_Angel_x322]

the humidity and temps aren't too big a problem with me either. My room (where it will be kept) is the warmest in the house and I can personally make it warmer and cooler just by opening or closing 2 vents since my room helps feed the heater/ac. I keep my water dragon in a tank (the tank the ball will be in) and the average cool ambient temp is between 78-80 and the basking/warm side is about 85-88 degree F, and the humidity is kept at about 70-75% with just a couple mistings a day. If i forget to mist then it is about 60%. Now I do know it will be a bit harder to keep up the humidity once i change the substrate from the WD's mulch to the Ball's reptile carpet, but i think with a little innovation and maybe a humidifier for my room it shouldn't be too bad.

Does anyone have a certain manufacture that they like for UTHs? is one a bit safer than another?

thanks!

[BoidKeeper]

I prefer exo-terra.
Trevor

[jparker1167]

hey when i bought my first bp 3 years ago it was 50usd and now i see them for 90usd i have 3 bp's now and they are in a 55 gallon tank and they are healthy and seem to like being together good luck

[tHeGiNo]

hey when i bought my first bp 3 years ago it was 50usd and now i see them for 90usd i have 3 bp's now and they are in a 55 gallon tank and they are healthy and seem to like being together good luck

How do you know this, did they tell you? *sigh*

[BoidKeeper]

I've got ten balls in ten cages. They healthy and they really seem to like it being a lone. Have you tried it the other way? Maybe they'll like it more alone.
Trevor

[tHeGiNo]

LoL, I really didn't want to get into it, if he has had ball pythons for three years and still hasn't learned anything, then there is no point in me directing advice, lol.

[BoidKeeper]

It's the teacher in me. If the student isn't understanding the material when presented in one way, present it in another. If some people belive snakes like stuff, then fine, snakes like stuff. As a matter of fact all ten of mine love being housed individually. I can tell by the way they look at me, not by anything I've ever read or from listening to big successful breeders.
Come on man get with it!
Trevor

[sapphire_moon]

try and house individually...it's healthier for the snake. And in a 55 gall? 3 of them??? Wow that seems tiny. Try a 100-200 gall for 3 of them housed together.....

Slide tops are fine, repticarpet can be work because you have to wash it, and eventually the pee smell just seems to stick. So you have to buy more. newspaper is cheap, may not look good though....the basking spot needs to be atleast 90-95 degree's. And I've seen bp's anywhere from $30.00 usd to $100.00 usd.

Personally on the size of the tank. I would say, the bigger the better....build one yourself or buy one.....but bigger is always better.....especially when your little 1-2ft bp can get to 3.5-6 (someitmes) feet long!!

Just my 2 cents!