2 in 1?

[Ringo]

I just bought 2 ball pythons about the same age..1 male...1 female..would it be ok to have 1 tank for both?...if so..for how long and i would have 2 hot spots..

[taz19772005]

No you should always house snakes in differnt tanks

[mykee]

What Taz said. No.

[citysnakes]

Ringo, there are many reasons why they should not be housed together. i would suggest purchasing a ball python book as well as searching the internet for care information. once you start reading about them you will clearly see why you should house them in seperate enclosures.

[Ringo]

well...1 is gonna have to do for a lil while anyway..i'll get the other 1 set up as soon as i can..i have read about them...i think there strong enough to handle it..i got faith..there troopers..

[Ringo]

wasn't prepared to get them..i just couldn't say no at the reptile show...such a deal...

[citysnakes]

i kinda figured that your response would be something similar to what was said. its kinda funny how you even asked for opinions on your situation in the first place since you already knew what youre going to do regardless of any advice given or information being read. anyways good luck and i really hope those little guys do well.

[Ringo]

trust me..i want the best for them and i will seperate them as soon as possible..less than a week..but i appreciate the advise...tryin to figure out how to put pics in the reply..



http://c/Users/Travis/Pictures/2008-12-21/001.JPG

[Aaron_S]

Don't give them two hot spots. Ensure there is a cool side. At least make sure that the one enclosure is properly set up.

[johnrandle]

one hot side one cool side. it should be okay for temporary housing as long as they are both healthy, make sure to change the water frequently and that the lid is secure. clean poops out as soon as you see them etc. i have all my balls seperate except the ones that are breeding right now.
the pet store i got my first ball from had 15 in the same tank at least and that snake is still alive. i think the best reason to keep snakes seperate is so that if one gets sick or escapes its only one not a few. plus its easier to monitor poops and stuff too.

[Aaron_S]

Pet stores operate on a completely different level. Most usually do the whole "group housing" because it's the most cost effective. You can't really make money giving all your animals a single enclosure. There are a few reptile stores that tried but failed.

[Chu'Wuti]

Feed them separately.

My son once housed two timber rattlers in the same 55 gallon tank--he made a plexiglass insert to put in to partition the tank into two halves for feeding. That was just to put in for his own protection when feeding, then remove within a few minutes, but it could have been made more "permanent" for a longer partition. Maybe you could do something like that for a temporary divider with some duct tape . . .

[Ringo]

well i appreciate most of you not treating me like a ******...my second setup is almost complete...so here's another question..i made my own hide boxes..does it matter what kind of wood i used? they will be washed very well..again..thank you for all your help..

[Ringo]

wow...didn't know that was a dirty word...

[citysnakes]

i made my own hide boxes..does it matter what kind of wood i used?

yes it can matter.

[Chu'Wuti]

does it matter what kind of wood i used?

Three issues here:
1) if the wood is cedar or pine, it contains a toxic compound (a phenol) that goes all the way through the wood at the cellular level & can poison your snake
2) Washing will not kill or remove any parasites or insect/mite/other parasite eggs that exist under the bark or in the wood. You need to bake it at 200-250 degrees F for at least an hour to kill them. I've heard you can bake it at 400 degrees F for 20 minutes to do it; I would be concerned about it catching on fire, though.
3) Cracks can be a risk. After baking, if the wood cracks, either fill them or enlarge them so the snake can go through and not get caught in them.