starter kit for ball python

DaemoNox · 11-09-07, 04:25 AM

Before you buy anything come here and review it with us so you dont end up wasting money or buying things you dont need. Baby balls like smaller spaces, a big enclosure may be too big and could stress it out so I always prefer and recommend keeping them in something smaller at first. Balls do need heat at night if the ambient temp gets too low, and I prefer not using overhead heating at all with them (bright lights are stressful too, and overhead heating can be a hassle). Undertank heating usually gives them the temps they need with a lot less energy and without drying the air, plus they can be left on all the time. One thing you will need that you probably wont find at the petstore is a good thermometer. A digital indoor/outdoor with probe works the best, and can be found at stores like Walmart for about $15. Dont get the cheap dial ones or the sticker ones, they are all worthless.

BlueClover · 11-09-07, 07:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DaemoNox

Balls do need heat at night if the ambient temp gets too low, and I prefer not using overhead heating at all with them (bright lights are stressful too, and overhead heating can be a hassle). Undertank heating usually gives them the temps they need with a lot less energy and without drying the air, plus they can be left on all the time.

I agree with using UTH, belly heat will help your snake digest its food, but sometimes overhead lighting is necessary. OP, if you find you can't keep the tank warm enough with just a UTH, you need to get a heat lamp with a black or red lightbulb or a ceramic heat emitter. Whichever way you decide you need to do it, make sure your heat source is hooked up to a rheostat or thermostat of some sort.

And I do agree that you should double check what the pet store is trying to sell you. Even the honest ones don't always know what's best.

Good luck with everything and post pics when you get it all set up!

piketpik · 11-09-07, 07:59 AM

Thanks for your replys.

Just to clarify, I am not looking for the cheapest stuff, but for what give the most for the money (even if I have to spend a little more).

If you think it would be better to get a specific item to a specific place or url, please let me know.

I am not to sure if it will comply with the rules of the forum, so MP might be the best solution ?

This enclosure will last long (I hope) so I wanna put the right stuff from the beginning.

BTW, the lady told me a baby would not be stressed in a 40 gallon tank...
As I asked in my introducing thread, why not reducing the volume of the 40 gallon by adding inside a box of some sort?

DaemoNox · 11-09-07, 08:39 AM

I have seen many babies refuse to eat in enclosures with a lot of open spaces and I found its easier on them and the keeper keeping them in something smaller at first. In order for them to feel comfortable in something bigger it needs to be pretty full of hides and things (which makes finding the snake and cleaning a lot more bothersome). Open spaces means the baby is open to predation, which is what instincts tell it; the smallest spaces they can squeeze into the safer they are. You dont need a kit, the main things you really need to by is the cage and the heater. Cardboard boxes make good hides, or plastic containers with holes cut in them. Dollar stores are a good place for them, waterbowls, and fake plants. Branches and rocks can be collected outside and treated. I suggest newspaper or paper towel at first as a substrate so you can moniter things better. A lot of the things you can get from a petstore is overpriced, especially the things marketed for reptiles. Bags of moss, shavings, mulch will be expensive there but you can get 3Xs the amount for less then what their price is. Like PDXErik said you can get good quality used tanks, or you can house in rubbermaids at least temporarily. You can order some pre-wired heattape and save $5 or more on a heater thats just as good. Most of these things price doesnt indicate quality. A few things you do want to not get cheap on is the thermometer and a thermostat/rheostat (dimmer).

BlueClover · 11-09-07, 03:47 PM

I keep my young BP in a 40 gal and haven't had any problem with feeding. He has a couple hides, a very large water dish, and I got some PVC and made a thing he can climb on and wrapped that in fake vines. I know they aren't arboreal, but it takes up a lot of space and adds hiding area. He's on it all the time. It also helps create more areas for them to thermoregulate. That was a pretty cheap project and looks decent. Also, if you're going to use an all glass enclosure, I would suggest putting something around 2 or 3 sides of it. You can get the aquarium background or even just something cheap like poster board from Wal-Mart or a crafts store. This will help it feel less open and reduce stress.