is this an acceptable enclosure?

[latazyo]

hi, I finally got this put together

substrate will either be paper towel or aspen shavings (whichever you all recommend)

the lid is held on by or 4 S Hooks

the dimensions are 22Lx16wx12h

it will be heated by 4" heat tape on the shelf that this will be going

http://bitz.net/~latazyo/Pics/Herps/bpenclosuremod.jpg

is this an acceptable enclosure for my new ball python?

[Tim_Cranwill]

That should do as far as furnature goes but....

- What are the temps?
- What is the substrate? Edit... I see you said what your plans were. :)

Looks good so far... :)

[latazyo]

ah yes, as for temps, I ordered my heat tape last night, so it should be here Monday or Tuesday, then I'll know

PS: I haven't even ordered the snake yet...I plan on purchasing a normal female from Alex Hue at www.alexhuereptiles.com based on recommendations in my other thread to buy from a breeder opposed to a pet store

they are in my price range and from what I've seen on b-p.net, he has a good reputation and his snakes are beautiful

and before anyone asks, YES I did eat all of those TWIX bars to get that perfect sized hide

[Tim_Cranwill]

:D Good stuff. Sounds like you have a handle on things.

Post some pics when you get her!

[latazyo]

I"m a pic *****, so be ready

[HetForHuman]

From what i hear you will be a happy herper when ordering from Alex.

And im glad to see you are gonna go with a CB baby from a breeder and not a pet store..

Good decision man, and good luck..

By the way the enclosure looks like it will work ok for awhile anyway..

[Tim_Cranwill]

It's kind of funny, I took almost that exact picture today for a bunch of "How To" and "FAQ" pages I'm making... :)

http://www3.mb.sympatico.ca/~cranwill/net_pics/setup.jpg

Strange... :D

[latazyo]

I have received feedback from another forum suggesting
1. smaller hides
2. heavier hides instead of gladware
3. heavier water bowl to prevent anticipated frequent tip overs

do you agree?

[Jeff_Favelle]

Everything seems to be in order. You are certainly thorough, I'll give you that!! :D

One thing though:

ah yes, as for temps, I ordered my heat tape last night, so it should be here Monday or Tuesday, then I'll know

Wrongo. The temps should fall within a range that YOU have to follow. Don't just stick heat tape under the cage and hope for the best. Knowing what the temps will be when the heat tape arrives should have been a MOOT question, because you will do whatever it takes to get the tank to the pre-determined temperatures anyways.

Right?


:D

[elevation24]

I think it is looking pretty good :) You are definitely on the right track.

As far as the hides go, I used cardboard hides for awhile but I got sick of having to replace them constantly due to feces or urine, or wetness. They do work fairly well and they need not be too heavy, however. Cardboard isn't insanely flimsy and it's not like a juvenile will crush it upon contact. But as I said, I did get sick of replacing the cardboard boxes so often, and I now use flower pot saucers. They come in all different sizes - I have 7 new baby balls on the way next week and the ones I bought for them cost $.73 at Walmart (they are the green ones). They work very well and my snakes seem to like them -- plus they are plastic, thus easy to wipe clean, and fairly durable. I use the disposable Gladware containers like what you have in there for humid hides, though :p I have found that the lids can pop off fairly easily.

The Twix box does look a little large. Security is the key here, and they feel secure when the hide is touching all sides of them snugly, top to bottom, left to right :)

Since you are getting a juvenile I presume, you won't have to worry about the water dish tipping much for now, but as they get older they also seem to get stronger and messier :D I like the Van Ness Crock dishes, which are fairly heavy and not too expensive, and can be found in national and local pet stores, as well as discount stores such as Target and Walmart. I haven't had many problems with these tipping. It looks like Tim is using one of the smaller ones in the picture he posted :)

[sapphire_moon]

Maybe a heavier water bowl. I use dog water bowls.
How will you be measuring the temps once you get your heat tape?

Looks awesome though!

[latazyo]

alright, I have a thermostat and a dimmer (will be using the thermostat) and the same model digital probe I use on all of my enclosures with 2 temp readings and humidity

I plan to keep the hot side 88-90 and the cooler side in the 70s (ambient)

and I will try to find a smaller hide, although it's kind of hard to find one that will fit exactly when I haven't even seen the snake in person!

[Jeff_Favelle]

Hot side 90-92F and the cool side at 80F. 70's is too cold. Might work during breeding season, but not for a growing baby.

[latazyo]

noted...I will keep a close eye on the low temps for a while before I get the snake

[Jeff_Favelle]

Good stuff man!

[Drew S]

Hehe, they always look good until you put the snake in them. Within 15 minutes everything will be shifted around and the paper towels all bunched up into one corner.

[boomfala]

Just one thought.
How is that climb attached to the sides of the enclosure. Looks like there may be holes? just make sure it can't slide over and expose a hole.
I'm sure you have secured it.... but i just wanted to say something.... just in case.
HAVE FUN!!!:)

[latazyo]

there's a screw so that it can't slide

[daver676]

I agree on the smaller hides. My 8 month old 62 cm long, 400 gram female still prefers to squeeze herself into a large bandaid box. She has the choice of a bigger one, but she prefers the smaller. It's literally bursting at the seams with snake. lol!

Also, having a clear hide (the tupperware) sort of defeats the purpose of having a hide at all, doesn't it??

[latazyo]

all tuppermaides are spray painted black

[daver676]

Originally posted by latazyo
all tuppermaides are spray painted black

On the inside or outside?

[latazyo]

haha...what the hell is a tuppermaid, my mind must have been gonzo...I meant that the tuperWARE hides that are in side the rubbermade are spray painted black...so that the hides are dark...the rubbermade that is used as the enclosure is not painted...wow, I must have been drunk or something