Ball's new enclosure. Comments?

[daver676]

Here is Sophia's new enclosure.

In the first pic, you can see the size difference from the old one. The new one is the biggest I could find locally. That is a 15 gallon tank on top. (24x12x12) The new under bed rubbermaid is 30X16X6.

http://www.ssnakess.com/photopost/data/504/2286Sophia_010s-med.JPG

Here is the layout and for snake size comparision. Sophia is around 34" long:

http://www.ssnakess.com/photopost/data/504/2286Sophia_011s-med.JPG

Thanks for looking, and I welcome your comments for improvement

[YummyCdnMale]

it's ok i guess, but i would drill more holes all the way around and maybe al little more larger she can't fit through them lol oh and do it while the snakes out of the enclosure!!!! lolz if your going with plastic enclosures why not get a really more larger one and cut a nice square opening in the top and get some screen and bolt the screen to the opening by the outside so your snake can't get cut by the sharp ends then do the same to that one you just made and put the snake in the bigger one and breed some mice in the smaller one. Use your aquarium for something else! :)

[Vengeance]

Daver676

Cages looks great!

Yummy

Why would you put a screen on the top? I think besides moving into a larger enclousres teh rubbermaid is supposed to help hold in the hummidity. Why would you turn the lid into a screen and let it all out?

[Jeff_Favelle]

Its good. I wouldn't put any more holes. Some of my BP Rubbermaids like that one, don't have any holes at all. The lids are NOT air-tight. Mega-amounts of air escapes in and out. The number of holes doesn't really matter.

Hide boxes are good because they are small and tight, but a wood or ceramic one would be better/tougher/more durable.

Other than that, as long as its 90-92F on one side, and 80F on the other, you're gravy!

Best of luck!

[daver676]

Originally posted by Jeff_Favelle
Hide boxes are good because they are small and tight, but a wood or ceramic one would be better/tougher/more durable.

Well I've been planning to build her a couple of hides out of plywood. What type of coating would you recommend so I can clean it easily?

Originally posted by Jeff_Favelle
Other than that, as long as its 90-92F on one side, and 80F on the other, you're gravy!

Well I am having a problem keeping the cold side up around 78-80. The only source of heat is an UTH. How would you suggest bringing the temp of the other side up on colder days?

Thanks for the suggestions and compliments everyone. :)

[KrokadilyanGuy3]

Awesome looking snake, Dave.

Why do you have Sophia in a box where you hardly see her?
I understand the more room an all and that's great, I have yet to understand why regular hobbyist result to using rubbermaids.
If you were a breeder, I could more so understand but
I'm taking a guess that you are not, being all of your pics are of Sophia. Forgive me if I am wrong.

Though I'm sure to get responses from many keepers, I'm mainly aiming towards Dave's or any other "Non breeder" type people. (buisness breeders) or whatknot..

[rwg]

Well, I dont know about Dave's ball python, but I built melamine display cages with sliding glass doors for my snakes. My bull snake spends 95% of his time hiding in his hides. Aside from the opther benefits (stackable, roomy etc), I may just as well have left him in a rubbermaid. My corn and king display well in the new cages though. I'm not a breeder.

rg

[daver676]

Actually the rubbermaid is just a temporary thing. She just seemed so stuffed into that old tank. I just don't currently have the time to build her the melamine enclosure I would like to. She will have a nice display cage someday, but like rwg said, why build an amazing display cage for a snake you hardly ever see? I'm not such a huge fan of the rubbermaid myself, but it's a good bandaid solution until I can build her something nicer.

[Jeff_Favelle]

Ball Python in a dsiplay cage? What's the point? If you want a display snake, I'd suggest getting something that's not nocturnal or fossorial by nature, LOL!

Might as well get a display earthworm if that's the case. Ha ha.

[KrokadilyanGuy3]

You got me.

[nita]

I agree I have a 33 Gal tank in my living room and guests figure it is empty!! LOL, She will be moved into the rack soon too. The ones in the rubbermaids are doing much better than the ones in tanks. I just don't have the heat tape yet for the rack so I can only have the ones in rubbermaids that already have UTH heating.

[Jeff_Favelle]

The ones in the rubbermaids are doing much better than the ones in tanks.

Exactly nita. That statement is so common, you'd think eventually people would catch on........... Good to hear your stuff is doing good! :D

Go Flames.

[damzookeeper]

wow, I have my corn snake in a 33 gallon but I have a larger floor space rubbermaid container not in use. Actually I have a few of them. Would she be more comfortable in the rubbermaid. Would she get too much humidity in there? In her 35 gallon she has newsprint substrate a hollowed out log for a hide and a water dish she can get her entire body in. Would that water dish cause too much humidity in the rubbermaid? She is my first snake and I want her to be comfortable and all. I've had her since Mother's day and she went into shed when she was due to eat so I had to wait. But she has eaten two mice and shed once in the last 2 weeks. Couldn't get a small rat, that was what she was ate previously or 2 full grown mice. I had to go with the mice. lol. She ate well and has deficated a couple times since I've had her. she is a real doll to handle and everything seems great. Should I leave her in the tank or switch to the rubbermaid? Everyones oppinions are great to hear.

[rwg]

If she's doing well (eats well, sheds well, doesn't seem too stressed), and you're happy with the setup, why change anything? Corns do well in pretty much anything. BPs have more stringent humidity and temp requirements, so it's more of an issue. If she's a large adult, she might appreciate the extra floor space, but you could just as easily put a climbing stucture in the 33 and go vertical instead.

[Jeff_Favelle]

Yeah, I agree. If everything is going good for the corn, then leave it. Corns have such a huge range of requirements (tolerances) that it should be fine.

BP's are a little more tricky that way.

:D

[damzookeeper]

Thanks guys. That was the main reason I went with a corn instead of a bp. They were much easier to care for and have a little room for error since this is my first snake. Plus I just love the color of the okeetees. ;)

[sapphire_moon]

3 out of my 5 snakes are in rubbermaids, and once I can get some racks up, all of them will be in rubbermaids.
(and right now the other 2 are in temporary cages until we get moved and settled down.)

To bring up the cool side on my bloods enclosure I point a regular (about 20 watt) light bulb in the direction of the cool end, and it keeps it about 76-80.