New Snake Owner

[keg_1981]

I just bought a two-year-old ball python on Wednesday and he is doing well. I hold him about fifteen minutes a night. I feed him today the, the store I bought him from has him eating live small rats but I have a couple of questions. I have read many things and they all seem conflicting

1. Is it better to feed him live or frozen thawed? It does not bother me to feed him live.
2. The store told me all I need is the heating pad, no thermometer, no lights, is that true? I have been changing his water everyday.
3. Is the aspen bedding better, or newspaper?
4. He is in a 20 inch long, 10 inch deep, and 12 inch high is that big enough.
5. What is the biggest size place he will finally need when he is full grown?
6. Do I need to have a vet check him and his poops out for disease ( he was captive breed)?
Thank you for any advice you can give.

[DC_Python]

1. I prefer to feed F/T. Some snakes won't accept it and prefer live. Feeding live mice/rats etc is not always a problem, but left alone can cause serious damage to your snake, and could lead to death. I recommend trying to switch him to F/T or fresh killed.
2. You NEED a thermometer. Your temperatures should be kept around 90 for a hot spot, and no lower then 75 on the cool side. You do not needs lights, daylight comming in from a window is perfect. Fresh water daily is good for the health of your ball.
3. It is your choice. There is both cons and pros on each. I like aspen for the looks and it is easy to spot clean.
4. I keep adults in 23" x 16" x 6" tall rubbermaids. It depends on how big your snake is, for a 2 year old male this sounds fine for now, however you may want to update to a 29-30 gallon tank or something of 30 by 16"
5. Answered in #4
6. If he looks healthy and is eating, shedding, and "pooping" he should not need a vet checkup.

[reptiles4me]

I have been told that an adult can be kept in a 40 gallon breeder. I have my adult male (4.5 ft) in a 55 gallon. I found that in order to provide him with two hides and a water dish big enough for him to soak in, I needed the length. My adult female is in a 75 gallon but she's 5 feet and active for a BP so she uses the room. I would never keep a baby or juvenile in something so big unless you partition it off. Smaller BPs stress more easily and definitely prefer tight quarters. It may sound stupid, but eventually you'll get to know your snake and figure out in what conditions he thrives. I would discontinue holding until you get him to eat (at least 2 days after he eats). Getting them to eat can be the hardest part of owning a BP. You'll have a better chance at success if you have a snake that is acclimated to his new home. I agree you need a thermometer. I have a temp gun I use for all my tanks. If you only have the one, you can just go to Home Depot or someplace similar and buy an indoor/outdoor digital thermometer. They also sell them at pet stores but they're usually more expensive. Personally, I use a UTH on a thermostat and a low watt light. During the day, I lower the UTH. This is just a personal preference. As long as you have the right temps, it's up to you how you provide heat, as long as it doesn't harm the snake (i.e., no heat rocks). I would suggest getting a thermostat for the UTH. They can get VERY hot and if he's on aspen he could burrow and get close enough to it to burn himself. Congrats on your new guy. Hope he proves to be a ferocious eater.

[crash666]

congrats on the new ball !

I agree 100% with dc python besides safety of your snakes 'cause they do miss from time to time, its more convenient with f/t rodents. You can keep several in your freezer if your in an isolated area and with a picky snake (shy) you can just leave the food with it over night (f/t), let it grab the rodent on its own.

As for bedding thats your choice most breeders will use paper cheap but not great to look at for a display reptile. Aspen on the other hand looks natural up to you there are also other mixes in the pet shops for $$.