Hello....Southern California here

GYMRAT2B · 07-06-02, 10:35 AM

Hey guys, how's it hanging?

Thought I'd let the snake out of the cage and play with a ball or two (heheheheh - get your mind out of the gutter).

Paul-Carlos here. Yep, I own ball pythons. I used to be afraid and in awe of snakes but my best friend (who's now my cousin-in-law) had me hooked. He got me started by having me help him feed his snakes and cleaning cages. In return, not only did he teach me a lot about snake husbandry, but I taught him how to breed show bettas and fancy guppies. He used to also help me show my trio of Shar-Pei until they made their championships. Prior to really getting my feet wet into herps, I started to breed cockatiels and now moved into Indian Ringneck Parakeets (aka Rose-Ringed Parrots). For all those who've visited my little condo, it's obvious that I live in a zoo. Not that it's a mess, mind you (I like the phrase 'lived in'), but I built an indoor fishpond and surrounded it with plants (to hide the hardware), my headboard is a 60 gal. South American aquarium (with Discus, Rams, Tetras and a lot of plants), then the addition of the snakes, the birds and this year I rescued 2 Chihuahuas.

Considering my space limitations, I found cages designed by Showcasecages.com. However, they're charging an arm and a leg for a 4-cage tower so a buddy of mine is building it for me. I'm also having a few more made so that all of my cages will be stackable (including the ones for my birds). Since I don't have much room, I'm getting into specific ball python morphs to keep and have as pets as well as breed. Once the other cages are finished, I'm also interested in Hogg Island boas, Pygmy pythons, Brazilian Rainbow Boas and Blood Pythons. If this condo had a balcony, you can bet I'd breed my own food. As strange as it sounds, with all of the animals in my menagerie, I can't stand handling rodents - at least rats and mice.

I live in Los Angeles, Hollywood to be more exact. I can't wait until Hollywood becomes it's own city once again. I am an artist and my medium is photograpy, paper and stage. To keep my sanity, I work out at Gold's gym. I'm not a major bodybuilder, but that's my goal. My friends gave me the nickname of 'GYMRAT2B'. My gym buddies aren't too keen on my meeting them out of the gym with a snake wrapped around my arm or neck. Have you ever seen huge bodybuilders run from a little snake & screaming like a banshee? Sure....I believe you're big, buff and straight...uh-huh....LOL!!

It would be great to meet like minded people on here - especially if you live in the Hollywood area. :sun:

backdraft1320 · 07-06-02, 10:43 AM

welcome

corr · 07-06-02, 10:51 AM

Hey GYMRAT2B! I'd love to see some pics of your 60 gallon if you have any.

GYMRAT2B · 07-06-02, 11:08 AM

Hey Backdraft! Where in Jersey? I'm from the Voorhees/Cherry Hill area originally. I've been in So. Cal for 14 yrs now so I'm practically a native.

Corr, I love how you did your signature. How can I do that using a snake icon?

As far as a pic of my tank, I can try and take another pic. I wasted a roll before and none of the pics turned out right. The flash kept bouncing off the glass and if I didn't use a flash, it was too dark. Do you know the best way to take the pics using a 35mm? Should I use 100 speed? I've just gotten into photography and there's a lot for me to learn. I've done headshots for friends and other actors as well as for animals (who are also actors). All of them were done with natural lighting though so I still have to master the indoor stuff.

As I've said, it is a planted tank, but it's not a dutch aquarium. Had I had known how to successfully create a dutch aquarium before hand, I would have done it. As it is, I have to use peat moss in my filter, blackwater extract and liquid CO2 just to keep my plants alive (not to mention the importance of lighting). I use a combination of Coralife and Nutrigrow, undergravel filters with reverse-flow powerheads and two Penguin 170 filters (one on each side). Going from a breeder to a hobbyist is so different. I'm used to having sterile tanks for breeding but now that I moved out of my parent's home (they turned my fish room into an orchid & tea room) I only have so much room for fish.

corr · 07-06-02, 01:12 PM

Sorry, can't help ya with the signature. My sister in-law made it for me and I have no idea how, where, or when. I think if there was a snake available should would have used it though, considering I don't have any reptiles.

I've never taken tank pics with a 35mm, only the digital but it can't be much different, can it? If you use the flash, stand to the side a wee bit. I find the best pics are taken at night, when it's pitch dark... just the tank on. If the tank doesn't have a lot of light put a desk lamp on it to brighten it temporarily and cover the top with a blanket. The pic will only show the contents of the tank, nothing else. I would think using 100 would be great for colour rendition but 400 for capturing the fish activity.

Have you found that liquid CO2 does a good job? What brand is it?

wonder_chunky · 07-06-02, 02:18 PM

if you camera has the huge detachable flash? that sits on top of the camera?...if it is just aim the flash towards the cieling (if it's white or a light coloured ceiling) if it is a dark ceiling get a friend to hold a white sheet or something abouve the fllash so the light will bounce off of it and you wont get the glare...

hope that helped.

Grant vg · 07-06-02, 11:29 PM

Sounds like u got a full house there gymrat!

what type pf BP morphs are u working with?

GYMRAT2B · 07-06-02, 11:55 PM

Hey there, Grant -

My bp collection is still in it's infancy. I currently have a adult male which I rescued from a reptile rescue here in So. Cal. He was advertised as a jungle, but I think he's just an unusual normal. I've had someone describe their animal as a 'stonewash' and it's pretty similar to my male. The sub-adult female I have is one I purchased last year at a local show. She's supposed to have been a WC high gold but as she got older (and as I got more into bp's) she's pretty browned out so I'm guessing she's just a reduced pattern norm.

I am excited and at the same time worried about the 2 dozen CH babies that I just got 2 months ago. I got lucky and in that batch I ended up with a pastel jungle, 4 jungle wannabes (aka high yellow), a possible mojave wannabe, a copper colored high banded female with a high gold banded male - both have reduced patterns, 2 light chocolates and 2 dark chocolates of some sort. There were many with bullseyes and one that seems has somewhat of a burgundy head. Overall, I'm very happy with this shipment and I will definitely buy from that dealer again. It was my first time to order sight unseen but the guy promised me 75% females, as many high yellows as possible and that I'd be very happy with the shipment. I really am!!!

The only thing that worries me is that some of them prefer not to eat right now. I know the consequences of assist feeding so while they're still healthy enough, many of the big breeders that I'm in contact with told me to let nature take it's course. So many are advising against force feeding (although, I'm sooo tempted). My bandeds aren't touching anything I give them...mice pinkies, mice fuzzies, rat pinkies....nothing. Same goes for one of the light chocolates and one of the dark chocolates. There's also an awesome blackback with reduced pattern and her sides are very much pastel. She looks like she's got Lakers colors since her black has a burgundy/violet sheen to them. She just shed and I"m surprised she hasn't eaten as of yet. I left her with a rat pinky so I'm hoping to see it gone in the morning.

I just had new cages made so I'm also going after 100% hets. I know I'm gonna start with albinos (hasn't everyone?) and I really want to get the caramel albinos as well as some clowns. I've already made contact with some reputable small breeders as well as some of the big guys. I'm willing to work on some of the projects they don't have time for but I'm gonna wait until my girls grow up.

Grant vg · 07-07-02, 12:21 AM

A lucky catch indeed....sounds like ur on ur way to a big ball collection....
I await the day when someone sells me an albino blood for a $100 ...

...one day i hope...lol

Post pics of the jungle when u can!

GYMRAT2B · 07-07-02, 09:53 AM

Well, it finally happened.

Just as I was anticipating, one of my non-feeders passed away. It was the high gold banded male. Assist feeding did no good after all. At least he didn't pass away while I was sleeping. It's as if he waited until this morning to say goodbye. I had a nice, rat pinkie for him which I placed in his feeding box with him last night. I was hoping it would trigger his natural feeding response and obviously, it didn't. This is why a lot of the big breeders do not advocate force feeding.

As for posting pics, I still can't figure it out in this forum. I can post pics in Kingsnake since I downloaded pics in their photo gallery. I've tried the 'Browse' button on here to attach a jpeg file from my C drive and it won't take.

Well, here's the URL to the baby I just lost.
http://gallery.kingsnake.com/data/2000Chad.jpg

K-DOG · 07-07-02, 04:01 PM

Hey GymRat, Do you own any other snakes? BPs are nice, but Im into ATBs. Glad to have you here!!!:unclesam:

GYMRAT2B · 07-07-02, 05:55 PM

Hey K-Dog -

I haven't gotten into either ATB's or GTP's as of yet and I don't know if I will anytime soon. Not only am I limited in space, but I am definitely governed by my parrots (at least it seems that way). I figured, owning birds would definitely trigger feeding responses in any tree-dwelling boids.

As posted, I only have Ball Pythons at this time. I'm very serious in looking for a trio of 1.2 Hogg Island boas this coming weekend at the IRBA. Dumeril's seem to be more plentiful but for some reason I'm not so attracted to them. I'm sure they're nice snakes but just not my cup o' tea. I will, for the most part, be specializing in ball pythons. Their temperaments are very mellow, the size is perfect and there are so many morphs to play with and still discover. Their only downfall is their eating habits.

I want to get the Hoggs because I think they're attractive, easy to care for and good eaters. As for breeding them, you don't have to worry about incubating eggs since they give live birth and if it's easier to breed them than it is to breed pythons, this will at least help me finance my python breeding efforts.

Thanks for the welcome. Nice to meet you.

K-DOG · 07-07-02, 07:32 PM

Thanks GYMRAT

My ATBs our nasty, I had two Birds around the house and I found that my ATBs bite all the time. So I dont see the promblem with a few Birds, many Birds might be a diffrent story.
Anyways glade to meet you also, and talk to again soon.

GYMRAT2B · 07-07-02, 10:56 PM

Considering I have Indian Ringnecks that are of rare colors and carry important genes to more rare color mutations, I don't think I should chance it. It's pretty risky enough just having ball pythons and small dogs around. At one time, my lutino hen would have cost as much as an albino ball. I have a silver male split to lacewing and he's worth the price of a pastel ball and my turquoise grey is worth the price of a pastel and a ghost together.

I love the colors of ATB's but just can't take the risk.

backdraft1320 · 07-07-02, 11:18 PM

Hey whats up,
Right now I'm back in Salem can't stand it. I'm just making tons of money so oneday we can move back to the mountains. the only good thing in Jersey is the cheese steaks and smog lol we can't see our hands in front of our face right now no help from the huge fire in Quebec, by the way is everybody O.K. up there