Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hi I'm looking for a cage upgrade for my 1 year bp, currently in a 10 gal tank and growing quickly! If anyone has any advice, ideas, recommendations, or for-sales, this would be greatly apreciated. Preferably in cali/bay area, and obviously as cheap as possible... limited funds (100 or LESS if possible). please also let me know what size tank would be appropriate/suitable for him as he grows and matures... thanx and please help!

HELLO, i keep mine in a forty gal. long tank i paid $50 for. get a good lid at a pet shop and your set. not only do i keep bp's but younger blood pythons.

thanx for the response and pic. where did you get a 40 gal for such a good price?

www.glasscages.com has inexpensive tanks. They only deliver the glass tanks to shows, though. They say they can ship the acrylic ones (Don't know how much that would cost)
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-audri
Webpage/Pics

I LIVE IN INDIANA AND I PICKED IT UP AT A MEIJER STORE. I HAVE SEE THEM AT PETSMART AND PETCO STORES AT THAT PRICE AS WELL. IVE BEEN GETTIN 80G. REPTILE CAGES W/SLIDING TOP FOR $115. AND THESE ARE BIG ENOUGH FOR MY MALE YELLOW ANACONDAS.

Grab a local paper. They popup all the time.

they're not the fanciest things on the market,but for economy and ease of cleaning,clear plastic storage boxes can't be beat!just make sure the lid is secure...even if it's a model with clamps,weight it down really good.they come in all sizes,i dont think your ball python will outgrow them...just make sure there's a hide box in there,they like their privacy.

how would you provide the heat needed in one of those plastic containers? i bought a couple for my balls and some zoo med uth but i think they get a little too warm. would a dimmer fix that? or would it just slow the heating process? thanks.

thermostat.

Jay
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Jaymz
"got a bowlin ball in my stomache, got a desert in my mouth. figures that my courage would choose to sell out now..."

can you put one on a zoo med uth? how about a human heat pad? i've never installed a thermostat so i'm kinda stupid about them. thanks.

Ive never used a human heat pad so I dont know, but you can find some decent thermostats for around $40, I even think zoo med makes them (they have a pic. of a tree frog on them) and there is no installation required you just plug them into a power source then plug in your UTH heater to the thermostat and put the probe in the tank near the heat source and set it to the desired temp. Helix makes some nicer more expensive one where you can run several heat sources off them. Hope this helps.

yeah,a dimmer would work.plastic holds heat better than glass,but doesn't hold it indefinately.it's good to have the ambient temp at about 77-80 degrees for ball pythons with a hot spot around 85-88 for ball pythons,at least it works for me.

Can use nylon tie dowm straps, you can get them from a hardware store.

I use cracked fish tanks when a snake outgrows storage bins. Call up the local aquarium store and ask if they sell the cracked ones for a discount. Most of the time the crack is minor enough that you can just leave it alone, but even if a whole panel has been shattered, they can be replace for about $5-10 each at a local glass shop (I know they have a special name but I'm not sure what). Just take a sample of the broken glass to them and tell them what dimension you need it in. When you have the replacement glass just glue it where it needs to go.

If you're looking for something a little more "conventional" for housing your python, you might check some of the chain pet stores.

I picked up a new 20 G long terrarium with the "built in" locking lid at Petco this past weekend for $60. At the advice of a friend of mine who has raised snakes, I'm going to visit the hardware store this weekend and pick up a piece of thin plexiglass to cover most of the underside of the screen top (half the top is screen, the other half is hinged glass) to prevent any nose abrasions should the snake decide to rub against it trying to explore a way out.

Myself, I like the terrarium over the Rubbermaid box idea just because I'm still novice enough that I simply enjoy being able to watch my python as he crawls around the tank.

My friend used to buy the basic aquariums for housing his snakes. As he explained it to me, what he would do is remove the plastic top rim of the tank, then attach new glass sections to the exposed edges using Silicone caulking. As he described it, he would use 3 pieces. This would end up being the front of the terrarium, with the long sides of the aquarium now being the top and bottom. Along the bottom edge of the front he would attach a strip of glass that came up maybe 1/4 of the way from top to bottom. A similar strip would be attached at the top of the front, extending down maybe a few inches. Between these would be the "door" of the terrarium, attached with metal hinges glued to the bottom strip, and secured by a hasp glued to the top. He left just enough gap between the "door" and the fixed portions of the front to allow airflow into the terrarium. As he explained it, these were relatively inexpensive to make, secure, and convenient to access as he stored his terrariums on shelves, therefore front access was easier than top access.

Just some options to consider...