Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Ok,hey, i just need some help from you guys. Ok, i have 2 questions about BP's that i cant get fully answered. 1. How big should a tank be for a full grown? I already have a 75 gallon for a bearded dragon and i am planning on getting a ball python soon. Im getting a baby but either way i need to know for future reference. I am definetly getting some tank thats minimum 4 ft long because i want to get a divider and give it a little 1 ft long "pool" However, i am concerned about the width. Some people have told me that 12 inches is wide enough since they like to coil and all that. Other people say that they need at least 18 inches when full grown. It would be much easier for me to get like a 55 gallon since its les room and i dont have much [48x12] but im not sure if that will be fine for a full grown female. my second question is about substrates. I read everywhere to use newspapers, paper towels, astroturf and all that kind of stuff. But to me that looks kind of cheap and "unreal" which is what i want to stay away from. I was thinking of using sand or calcium sand or even ground up walnut shells[which i use for my bearded dragon] but im scared that any of they will get stuck in the BP's heat sensors. Although, some people that i woprk with {i work in Petland} have BP's and they use ground up wallnut shells and they say its fine and that they havnt had any problems... Thank you very much for reading this and i PRAY to hear from you ASAP

Alot of us use racks with rubbermade type tubs.Which is great for the snake,but i suspect you want somthing more visually appealing.

Glass tanks arent really the the way to go. Instead,try looking into a cage made for a snake(in the classifieds on this site).
http://market.kingsnake.com/index.php?cat=22

You will be glad you did.The humidity levels and temperature gradiant(cool end to hot end)will be much easier to achieve.
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Charles Glaspie

to determine the right size of Reptile cage to start with. For instance Hatchlings are commonly kept in "shoe Box" size containers. The reason is the snake will feel more safe & secure being able to put most of their body mass against a solid object. When the snake has a low stress level they will eat more, be less prone to Respritory(?) Infections-RI, and generally be a all around healthy snake.

20 gallon is the minimum for adult ball pythons, 30 is better, so 30 is a good size, an bigger is good, the bigger the better..

Don't get too worried about the depth of the cage; BP's enjoy cramming themselves into tight quarters so 12" of depth will work just fine even for a large specimen as long as they have enough floor space (lenght or width) to stretch out a bit. A 55 gallon tank is plenty big for a ball python which is actually a lot larger than most folks give their bp's who cram them into rack systems (not a dig on rack systems; I use them too for some of my breeding projects involving smaller species of rattlesnakes, but I've seen some bp's kept by breeders in such small quarters that I truly don't believe that does them the proper justice they deserve). Yes, BP's prefer security over openness but there is a limit in my opinion. The other issue is whether a 55 gallon tank is a suitable cage for a BP. I personally dislike tanks for snakes because the screen tops are not designed to properly secure these aquariums; eventually, an escape is inevitable. Instead, I would recommend a Vision or some similar cage that is easy to clean, looks real nice, and meets all of the needs of the snake. As far as substrate, yes, newspaper is still the best choice, however, if you want to make a nice, naturalistic looking cage, here is something to try: for some of our grassland/desert exhibits at the wildlife museum I run, we use a combination of torpedo sand (looks like pea gravel and sand mixed together), ESU jungle mix, and a little top soil and mix it all up. Once mixed, it looks real nice and is easy to maintain. If sprayed/misted once a week, it doesn't get dusty and there is little concern for the medium to clogg up the heat pits. You can then add driftwood (yes, BP's enjoy a good climb despite what others might say....if you provide it, they'll use it!) and two secure hide areas (one on the warm side and one on the unheated side), perhaps some grassland plants and water bowl and you'll have a real nice looking arrangement.

Rob Carmichael, Curator
The Wildlife Discovery Center
Lake Forest, IL

>>Ok,hey, i just need some help from you guys. Ok, i have 2 questions about BP's that i cant get fully answered. 1. How big should a tank be for a full grown? I already have a 75 gallon for a bearded dragon and i am planning on getting a ball python soon. Im getting a baby but either way i need to know for future reference. I am definetly getting some tank thats minimum 4 ft long because i want to get a divider and give it a little 1 ft long "pool" However, i am concerned about the width. Some people have told me that 12 inches is wide enough since they like to coil and all that. Other people say that they need at least 18 inches when full grown. It would be much easier for me to get like a 55 gallon since its les room and i dont have much [48x12] but im not sure if that will be fine for a full grown female. my second question is about substrates. I read everywhere to use newspapers, paper towels, astroturf and all that kind of stuff. But to me that looks kind of cheap and "unreal" which is what i want to stay away from. I was thinking of using sand or calcium sand or even ground up walnut shells[which i use for my bearded dragon] but im scared that any of they will get stuck in the BP's heat sensors. Although, some people that i woprk with {i work in Petland} have BP's and they use ground up wallnut shells and they say its fine and that they havnt had any problems... Thank you very much for reading this and i PRAY to hear from you ASAP
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Rob Carmichael, Curator
The Wildlife Discovery Center at Elawa Farm
Lake Forest, IL

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It's nice to see you in here.

Quig