Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hello. I have been thinking about getting a ball for awhile, and am finally in a finacial place to set one up right. I plan on getting a male from NERD, and keeping the warm end about 90 and the cooler end around 70. I want to use cypress mulch, a UTH, and a CHE. It will be in a 10 gallon tank for the first year or so, then I plan on building it a larger, adult enclosure. There will also be warm and cool hides in there, one humid. Long post, but but if anyone sees any holes in this, let me know. Also, I am having trouble convincing the old lady to "let" me get one. That's my biggest problem. Anyone have any tricks for that? Thanks for the help.

Everything sound great, you have done you homework. Only thing I would reccomend is cover the top of the tank about 90%to help hold humidity. It is refreshing to see someone do research then buy and not the other way around. Please post pics when you get your new baby.

Shameless bribery works well with my wife. She must want to buy something - no?

Also, Nerd is really great, but what are you planning on buying from them?

You pay for the name sometimes, and I while I would say NERD is the place for a Pastel Woma, I wouldnt go their for a male normal?

Do yourself a favor - research what you want to buy and shop around. There are some deals to be had - make no mistake.

Its a buyers market, and I'm not selling anything -ohh yeah!

If you want to buy a normal male from Kevin, I bet he can help you. If you pay a few dollars more, I bet it would be worth it for the knowledge

I'm not in the market for a male normal, thats the new guy.

I do buy from who I want, when I want, and I want to pay as little as possible for the best snake possible.

I am not ashamed of that. If there are alot of people selling snakes here, and they get wobbly when you speak of good deals and low prices, I cant help that?

I have a right to want to pay a little as possible, so does the new guy...

n/p

Yeah, I figured it would be safer and better in the long run to spend a little more money up front. I like deals as much as the next guy, maybe more, but I just feel more comfortable buying from someone who has a solid background. Plus, I like the idea of being able to actually talk to the person who has had a hand in producing the animal. And, there'd be no shipping since I live close to NERD.

I think thats a plan! I have no problem with NERD?

I love Starbucks, to me they are awesome. They command $5 a cup with name recognition. I go to a little Itailian place that makes a triple cappuccino that is as least as good - I think better! Its $2.75? Nobody except the neighborhood Itailians know about the little place...everybody knows about Starbucks. Starbucks is still awesome....

Youve done great homework. Id recommend that you start off with a 20 gallon istead of a 10 gallon. baby balls are alittle to large for a 10 gallon (just my opinion though). For buying one Id recommend looking into local pet expos/trades. I live in Florida and go to a couple per year and they always have tons of ball babies for 10-20 dollars. I bought my baby female last year for 15 dollars and she is amazing colorful with half her body one stripe. Good luck.

shameless bribery does work very well.....but if you want to go a cheaper route like I did....let her pick the snake...it gives her an almost false sense of ownership and she will form that strange bond that women form with animals they pick out...who knows that might actually get her into them a lot and by the end of the year she has 30 snakes..haha its happened before I'm sure...but my wife has let me spend quite a bit of cash on balls and as long as she picks from the selection I give her its a much easier pill for her to swallow.
is it bribery...no.
is it blatent trickery....absolutely.
but either way you go...everyone wins.

what I did, was get a ten gallon with the sliding screen. It provides a lil opening for a lock so the tank can't be open by anyone without the key. That's what convinced my room mate to agree to it and then it convinced my mother that my house was safe enough for her to live here as well. I've never had him escape and he's now in a 20 gallon long with sliding screen. They really do look nice and work very well.

I myself have my boyfriend currently using acrylic paints and painting a scene on the outside of the tank to increase the sense of a den for my snake, he's got a light which is mostly used for daylight/nighttime conditioning and the painted scenery keeps my other snake from being able to see him as he's skittish still and seems to get stressed out when the big snake is out prowling and they can view each other from inside their enclosures. But I also have corns, not balls.

Anyway, that's just an idea, and you thought you were long winded lol. --Izora

As far as convincing your wife to let you get one I'd do the if you let me get this you can get that. Thats what I did with my husband, I got three new snakes he got new tires. One of my resent purchases came from JnJreptiles.com and he is the best eater out of the four I own.

I would take her with you, let her see hands on that they are not going to bite you and how sweet they really are. Once she see that and the amazing colors they have even normals I am sure she will be ok.

Just wanted to say thank you to everyone. Lots of good support here, and lots of good answers. Thank you for not tearing into me (as I have had happen to me on other forums), and again I appreciate the insights and advice. Have a good day.

You have to let us know what happens.. Good luck.

Sounds like you are doing your home work! good... although the temp on the cool side seems a bit Low!
Just make sure you have All the right equipment needed!

Digital Thermometer/Hydrometer (found at Wal-Mart [Hardware dept] - Lowes, Home Depot, etc., for less than $15)
(Dial gages are Crap) the probe from the therm/hydrom gores IN the Warm Side Hide
(don’t attatch it - makes for a pain when cleaning)
- the unit goes on the cool side of the tub/tank.

Temps should read:
90f - 93f Warm Side (In temp)
80f - 83f Cool Side (Out temp)
50% - 60% Humidity (70% during shed)(bottom reading)

UTH (Under Tank Heater) to warm the hot side of the enclosure

Thermostat to Control the Heat (works like a House thermostat)
the probe goes in the warm hide like the thermoeter

Water bowl

2 Hides - one on each side of the enclosure - snug enough that it touches all side of the snake
Branches (most corns like to climb - mine didn’t - LOL)

Locks - got mine at petco for less than $4 for 2 clicps... Must Lock It Up!!!
Corns (and most other snakes) are great escape artists... I had 6 locks on one tank I had and my Corn Still got out.

Substrate - anything but Cedar and pine (TOXIC TO ALL SNAKES) or Sand (will dry them out, get in their mouths and under scales and cause infection)

Most use Aspen... many use news paper , some use shelf liner ( - No Contact Paper - )
cypress mulch, etc.
I use Aspen (not shredded pine, or anything with dust)

... ***Scratch the Branch thing*** ...

BPs as juvies will climb ...but as they get bigger, they tend to be a bit Clumbsy!!!

Sorry LoL