Boa or Python?

[Z Trip]

Brb are great snakes,I plan on getting on in the future. If you do decide too purchase one, buy a male. The remain more slender and a bit shorter then females. Also, they require high humidity so make sure you have a system that keep humidity high in your tank before purchasing one.

Sand boas are awesome snakes, if you want one or two little snakes together in your tank, they would be perfect. You could make a desert set up for them.

 

[Brev]

for humidity of brb, it's not difficult to achieve; i keep mine in a plastic enclosure with a large water bowl and undertank heat mat; and i cover the enclosure with a towl. That's it

brb is truely adorable, highly recommended!

 

[FishGirl94]

thanks again guys, great feed back, i really do love the brbs. would a fog machine and heat lamp and also a water tub be enough for humidity? what would you sugest? my tank is glass but i will need to get a glass lid to help keep the humidity in. i just have tiles for my lid right now for my fish (which are in the process of being sold) also im worried if i do get a glass lid if the air will get too stale in the tank? i know snakes have very sensitive respratory systems. what have you guys had the most success with, with keeping humidity up?

 

[koltsixx]

I build my own enclosures out of Melamine and clear acrylic sheets. The melamine is water resistant and I seal the seams with silicone, the acrylic get's holes drilled at the top and bottom to help with ventilation while still maintaining my humidity to a decent degree. By doing it myself the enclosure cost me $56 that included buying heat tape and lights which I built into each enclosure. I keep a hydrometer to measure ambient humidity and have a humidifier pumping into 4 enclosures that I cycle on and off with a outlet timer. Foggers have a reputation for dying prematurely and you get the cool fog effect with a humidifier for less money it lasts longer and can maintain several enclosures. I've personally gone through 4 foggers in a year before getting frustrated enough to use a humidifier.

If your using a tank you can't use a glass top unless you drill holes in it or there won't be enough ventilation and the snake will still suffer from respiratory problems. Aside from all the things I've done I handle all of my snakes at least once a week to check for discharge and weezing besides socialization.

Some pics of my first attempt at a DIY enclosures and my Champagne Ball.

 

[Sylvias]

Yeah stay away from glass tanks and heat lights... easy way to cause RI's to a new snake... especially if you are going for something just a tad bit more sensitive than your everyday corn snake...
Get a proper snake cage, (like the ones pictured above, also available through barrs cages, animal plastics, boaphiles etc... if you don't want to custom build) and use belly heat... meaning heat mat, heat tape or something of the sort.

 

[Z Trip]

There is no problem in using a fish tank or aquarium to keep a snake. I personaly preffer it for smaller species of snake. All you need to do is get a screen lid for your 55 gallon so your snake can't get out, and then cover 75-80% of that with a thin sheet of plexi glass to keep the heat and humidity in. Never guess, always use a hygrometer and thermometer.

I hate melamine, it is garbage. I build custom snake cages and I never use it, it's a joke. I buy maple plywood and paint it. Takes more time but you get a much better cage once you are done. For what you are doing, just keeping one snake, keep the fish tank.

Using a heat lamp/heat bulb will dry out your cage. Using an under the tank heat pad won't. Exo terra sells one 11x17 that will work perfectly for your requirments. Make sure to get the Desert one, they are a higher wattage..

 

[FishGirl94]

okay well im going to switchup my tank because i dont feel its the right size/type a snake needs, i want to make sure i have the perfect setup for this guy before i spend 200 bucks on him. my tank dimensions are, 13" by 48" by 18" i think it is to tall for the width and it wont get the proper air circulation. i emailed a guy who has his own website on them and he suggested i just get a mesh lid and cover 75-80% of the lid with plexy glass. what are you thoughts on this? i willalso put in a box with 2 holes and put moss in the box so he has a moist hding place as well as an ample water dish for it. also would a fog machine be over kill with all that? i was thinking use the fog machine every other day or so? i just want to make sure he will have enough moisture, is it possible to give them too much? lol

 

[Miguel]

Floor heat is only adequate for terrestrials. Put the heat pad under the vivarium, not inside.

If you go arboreal, the heat needs to be on top.

Heat lampa and ceramic heaters are awfull, dry the aur and some stupid snakes coil around them and burn.

Prepare the vivaium in advance, study our temp gradients, hot spots and cold spots and only introduce the snake when everything is working allright and without fail.

Another piece of advice: in my experience we tend to over humidify the snakes environments, even for snakes that live in humid places.

To have a very humid set up you need to have a lot of aeration and even so it is dangerous, imho, beccause of RI's.

Another thing, quite different, is to bulid a rain chamber a give her a good soak every now and then.

M

 

[FishGirl94]

okay thanks for the tips, and sorry i didnt realize i got the tip about the plexi glass from Z Trip lol i've just been asking around alot so i got my info confused lol. im deffintaly going to have it all setup before i get him so nothing goes wrong. im going to a reptile expo in 2 weeks in toronto so i will look for some stuff there and try to get a good deal and also get a few breeder's numbers in the area.

 

[FishGirl94]

one more question for you guys, i've found a tank its roughly 80 gals i believe, what wattage should the heting pad be for it? its 5o" long or so. i havent gone to check out the tank yet but just figure id ask what kind of wattage i'd be looking at