Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hi I have a 3 1/2 foot Cali Kingsnake that is approximately a year a bit old. He is still growing and eating very healthy, and I have a 20 gallon tank for him. I'm just wondering if I should be needing to upgrade to a 30 gallon? because of either influence of growth or just maintaining happiness of the snake? Please let me know with some info, thanks.

a 20gal tank is good for an adult cali king... but if you'd like to give your snake a little more space to roam... y not get him a nice 30gal?

~ZF

Hmm.. Absolutely amazing tank setups. Are those plants and stuff all backgrounds at the back of the tank or are they actual plants and accessories? I can't really tell because of the angle of some of the pics, let me know i love your living areas.

Hey thanx...

well in the previous pic that was just a background i picked up... when i got my first cali king i had a really nice setup with live plants and a lagoon... i soon found out he really didn't care about all that cuz he uprooted all the plants and got dirt in the water minutes after i changed it (changing it took for ever)

but that pic was lacking all the accessories... the artificial plants, log, shed rocks and the corner water bowl.

~ZF

OK thankyou both for letting me know the aspects of living conditions for my cali, one more q for Z, what are shed rocks? Any different from ordinary rocks?

They are just regular rocks, not smooth rocks... I use rocks that are a bit abrasive to aid in shedding.

~ZF

Great looking set up the enclosure under your kingsnake the one with the red banded snake is what type ?

Thanx... i assume you're asking me what type of snake is in the enclosure... if so it's 2yr old het. albino Nelsoni male. if you're asking me what type of enclosure? it's a lil something i threw together about a yr ago.

~ZF

Lol I am so used to seeing albino Nelsons that forgot how the regular type looked like . Great looking to it caught my eye.
How do you like the nelsons tempermeant ?
Are they as reclusive as pueblans or as nippy as lots Ca kings can be?
Nelsons for such great looking snakes dont seem to be to popular in these forums.

I love my nelson's milks I used to have a quad (1.3) now I own 1.2 ( my het. female died mysteriously?) they aren't any where a squirmy as Pueblan milks and I've never been bitten by one

Now why aren't they popular?

the market for Nelsoni has gone way down... about two yrs ago they were $200-$150 each for hatchlings last yr. I saw so may sellers letting them go for $75 (major leap!) I still love um though!

~ZF

Thanks for the info . I am building an enclosure now for a ratsnake high arboreal enclosure but next snake which should be summer will be a nelsons.

Great looking snake. Get him a 30 or use a large rubbermaid,etc type enclosure or build one. Lots of snake cages are great to but either way at 3.5 feet the extra room will do him good and you will like watching him in it.