Ball Python temps

[teague]

Well mykee I checked out your website. First, there was some very useful info, so thanks. Second, you only go into detail about housing balls in "racks" which is not what I'm looking for. Great info for someone that needs to house multiple snakes. Not for me though.
I want to see my snakes. Watch them cruise around the tank.
Ive checked out Cages by design. Very cool. Very expensive. Seen the Visions. (ohhh ugly) Is it Repti-cage that I'm thinking? The double door in front? Whats your take on them?

[mykee]

My take on reptile habitats is that regardless of what you want, they need to satisfy a few criteria for a long, healthy life of the animal housed. A fish tank, BTW, does not meet that criteria in any way.
1. Maintain a thermal gradient of correct temperatures on BOTH sides of the enclosure (80-95).
Whether you require heat tape, an UTH, a heating pad, I don't care. Whatever you use, do NOT overheat (which means using a thermostat).
2. Humidity (here's the Achilles Heel of fish cages: You just can't do it very well). 60% ALL THE TIME, adn 80-90% during shed.
3. Providing a stress-free environment for the ball python to live it's life. This does not mean a giant glass box with 360 degree visibility in any room of the house.

If these conditions can be met, I could care less if you kept your ball python in a cardboard box in the middle of your backyard in the dead of winter.
The fact is, that most new hobbyists forget that the conditions of the animal need to be met and THAT'S ALL. Your desires are secondary to providing this animal, that, through no fault of it's own, is in your care.

[new2herp01]

So I get that the fish tank was a bad idea, nobody ever said anything when i was buying my supplies. So would the double door be a better solution then? There has to be a common ground here, maybe other BP owners can post pics of their enclosures. Ones that have great humidity and pleasing to the eye.

[mykee]

You'll never hear that buying a fish cage for your reptile is a bad idea by the undereducated, complacent, pimple-faced minimum-wage making teenager who works at your local pet store. After they leave the pet store, they'll be working at a pizza shop, then a drug store stocking shelves. Their training is less than minimal and from my experiences from a local pet store near me (which I go into for shits and giggles) they could care less.
You want to do some research from other (longer-term) hobbyists, and even better; breeders who have been doing this for lots of years and have, through trial and error, "figured it out".
To answer your question, those two door sliding cage deals with the glass or plexi front are suitable if you pick the right one and WAIT until your ball python is done growing into adulthood before purchasing the APPROPRITELY SIZED ENCLOSURE. There are many types of units out there, some good, some not so good. Do your research. Many serious hobbyists also build their own, so if you look hard enough (not too hard really) you'll find forums and tons of pics on homemade units that meet every requirement that your ball python needs.
Good luck.

[Flatheadhunter3]

I would like to construct my own viv soon as I come off this deployment that Im on...the sites that show ideas for "do it yourself" generally say to use wood...is this sufficient? Also, I am reading contradicting info from different places...one site says that any thing more than a "little" humidity is no good for the snake because it causes the snake to get infections on it's belly, and goes on to say that as long as the snake has a tub to soak in that its good...then I read else where that the snake needs 50-70% humidity...what gives?

[kayleegrace]

Well I have a ball and I have a hide rock wich they need then I put the heat pad under his hide rock. And I have his lamp over that so he can sit or lay I guess, on his rock and his water dish on the other side and that his cool spot oh nd if you only have one thermometer like I do just switch in the middle of the day nd check it. And if you have a heat pad you don't need a heat lamp on during the night.... Hope this helps

[citysnakes]

Originally Posted by kayleegrace

And if you have a heat pad you don't need a heat lamp on during the night.... Hope this helps

if the ambient air temperature falls below 78 then the heat lamp must stay on at night.