Reptile & Amphibian Forums

My BP is getting way too big for his 29L tank. I was thinking about building my own 40GL Breeder or making something slightly bigger. I was wondering the difficulty of making one and an expected cost? Also if there is a certain type of glass i need for a large UTH.

Thanks,
Nick

There are many places on the internet that you can find cages specifically for reptiles. I like RBIPlastics.com They have nice 2x3 cages that are perfect for an adult ball python. If you plan on getting more that one snake you may want to look into a rack system. Either way you go you will also need to buy a thermostat. Proportional thermostats are the best, but the on off type work well also. You will be able to get everthing you need on that site. The heat is built in, so you will not need to get an under tank heater. Hope this helps.

You already got good advice in the previous post but if you still want to go with an aquarium, don't bother building one. Used aquariums are dirt cheap. I have purchased used 60 gallon tanks with triple thick glass for $30. You can find them in the newspaper, possibly craigs list, local tropical fish stores, etc.

I think the way it works (or used to when I had my reef tank), is that the smaller aquariums have tempered glass bottoms and the larger aquariums do not because in the large aquariums the glass is thick enough. I think it is 55gallon or less that they cannot drill out the bottoms for the wet~dry filter and they have to drill the sides.

How many snakes do you have? If you are planning on only having 1 snake a 30 gallon long or 55gallon is penty. Get the 55gallon and an under the tank heater all the way to one end, thisshould cover like 30% of the bottom (a.k.a. hot end) and have nothing on the other side. This will provide for a realnice thermal gradient and the snake can pick how cold or hot he wants to be. I add in a small spot light for daytime on the hot side and a driftwood branch that they can climb up on and bask on during the day. I would put 3 hides - one hot end, one cold end and one in the middle but slightly closer to the hot end.

Many people on here advocate only small enclosures for snakes. I believe the theory is that snakes feel safer in small "holes in the ground" therefore they are better off in small enclosures ALL the time.

My experiences is that if you provide hides to make the snake feel safe it doesnt matter. Large vivariums are beautiful, more natural and I feel have many great benefits over small tubs. I have picky eaters that I have kept in small enclosures and great eaters that are in very large display tanks. It all depends on the snake. A picky eater is a picky eater. Ball Pythons are sometimes skittish - pretty much from birth. Alot really depends on the individual snake.

Many people on here keep their snakes in really, really small tubs. They do this so they can accomodate ever larger collections that take up far more space. I use a rack systems also, but I try and buy the biggest tubs possible for my larger snakes. My big girl, breeder tubs are 48" X 20"X 10".

I see nothing wrong with using a big, beautiful and very natural looking enclosure.

If people on here tell you the you should only keep your snakes in small enclosures because they prefer this and that large tanks will stress them out, this is fine, I respect their opinions. However, if I were you, I would ask myself, if what I want to do is make a nice large, natural and very beautiful eclosure, both for my visual enjoyment and for may snake to live and grow in, what is wrong with that? I would also ask myself if maybe the person who advocates only small homes for their snakes to live in might just be telling me this out of guilt? Guilt that they have rows upon rows of little plastic tubs where their snakes are unable to fully extend their bodies or stretch out all the way. They cannot climb or explore and the earth below the grip of their belly scales consists on a piece of paper towel in many cases.

Good luck with your setup, I hope it comes out beautiful and I know your snake will thrive.

~Alan

In addition to this, you STILL need a thermostat to control the heat pad -- those things get very hot if left unregulated.
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~* Jen *~

Pink Lady Constrictors

I have personally had balls not eat in bigger aquariums, and then once I put them in the rack, they eat great. IMO They do get stressed. Hope this helps...

Alright thanks for the advice. I was just trying to find a cheaper alternative to buying a 40gl breeder. I don't have time to drive to a reptile show. They are $115 at petco now and the heaters are around $40... plus i need bigger hides and a bigger water bowl again so I was just trying to keep the cost down.

Look in the classifieds. I just did a random search through Craigslist and came up with several. This is a 55gallon for $50 and you can talk them down.I blocked out the number, but I found a whole bunch for less than $100...

Look in the classifieds..the glass alone is really cheap. You can rig up a light dimmer for $8-10 to control the under tank heater and you can get 11" FlexxWatt for like $4-6 a foot.

55gallon tank used- $40
2' of 11" FlexxWatt & light Dimmer - $20
Screen top if it isnt free w/tank already - $20
40lb bag untreated cypress mulch - $4.00
3 hides from dollar store...uhhhh-$3.00
1 dog dish for water - $1
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Total = Less than $100 at most.

Real ad below:

55 Gallon Long Fish Tank - $50

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Reply to: see below
Date: 2007-08-24, 4:25PM EDT

55 Gal Long Fish Tank - 48" x 13" x 20" - Good condition - water tight

Tel: 201-858-xxxx Btwn 8pm - 9:30pm

Location: Bayonne, NJ
it's NOT ok to contact this poster with services or other commercial interests
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Look around tanks are cheap. I got a 40gallon breeder that was like new with a Ball female I bought. The ladies kid went off to college and left the snake. She wanted to sell me smake, tank, screen top, drift wood, hides & 2 under tank heaters for $100. Once I verified the snake was a female I negotiated the snake for $60 (450grams and a good deal 3 years ago). I told her I didnt want the rest of the stuff ( which I didnt). She waited all the way until I got in the car w/the snake and ran out and told me to take the rest of the stuff for free. I gave her $10 more and eneded up giving the tank & most of the stuff away. I still use the UTH to keep things warm while I am cleaning or to warm up FT rats. They are nice ones... T-Rex I think. The deals are out there. Be willing to wait, be willing to walk away, and have cash on hand cause monedy talks.

Good luck.

~Alan

I have a 55g available to me. I would prefer a 40g breeder because of the depth. However I may switch to the 55g since its free...

Thank you for your help,
Nick

I like the 55 better, ecause its longer. I like the fact that they can tool fom one end to the other, so fo me anyway, longer is better.

Its up to you though. Ask alot of questions,I try too, its good to have these discussions it makes everyone think.

~Alan

Just wanted to clarify... I ment a 20G Long