Optimal set-up for Ball Python?

  • We are currently upgrading MFK. thanks! -neo
Yeah, forgot to say that I want to keep him/her in a glass tank for display purposes. I will have the sides and back covered with black material so the snake doesn't feel too out in the open. I just don't see much point in having a snake you never look at unless you're breeding. :D
 
Tubs are extremely practical to house Ball Pythons, but if your plan is to keep a single Ball Python as a Pet, I think you should keep it in an enclosure that allows you to see/enjoy it.

I do suggest you use some sort of background on the back and sides which will allow your snake to feel far les exposed in the glass aquarium.

If you already have the 55 gal, I suggest you keep/use it. Then use the money you would have spent on the 40 br to buy hides and decor for the 55.

I absolutely believe you should buy your snake from a breeder and I absolutely believe you should not buy your snake from a corporate chain Pet Store. Private breeders are almost always individuals who have a passion for reptiles and turned their passion into a mini business... corporations are almost sxclusively managed by people whose passion is to maximize income/profit. Which do you think will supply you with a better animal/product?

Breeders produce morphs because they are so beautiful and many people want them as pets. If you like the morphs better, then by all means get the morph. Wether or not you ever breed it is immaterial. Buy what you like and what will make you happy.

Pastel Ball Pythons are a very pretty morph that are realistically priced ($80~135 for a young one). Bumble Bees are a very very very pretty morph but come with a very very healthy price tag ($700+).

In my opinion, keeping normal Ball Pythons is like chewing flavorless gum. It gives you something to do but doesn't really impress anyone. But many morphs are like bubblicious!
 
Very good analogy. :D I'll probably end up saving for something in the $300-$400 price range. I'll be back to making $900 a week soon, so that won't take too long after rent and bills are paid. I'd like a bumble bee, but have seen some other very beautiful morphs as well. We'll see what happens when the day comes.
 
Maybe you can buy me a pastel too, then...money bags ;)

OOOOr, you could save up for a nice vision cage. They are wonderful for display and ease of maintenance. Real spiffy and professional looking too. Although, it doesn't matter what you keep him in, he's always going to stay in his hide, lol.
 
Haha. Not money bags. Just have a long time to save and I'll be at a job where I'm working 50+ hours a week. I think I'm gonna stick with the 55g with the covered sides and back, and plenty of hides. I've got a tank enclosure that I'm using on one of my 55s right now that has a very heavy top that I could use.
 
Oh, I forgot substrate :D

newspaper or other extremely inexpensive disposable paper is most practical, but doesn't make an enclosure very attractive.

I use Pulverized Coco Fiber (EcoEarth) in my Ball Pythons' enclosure and it works great for me. It's resistant to rotting and has very little concern of being eaten and causing impaction (I do not feed in the enclosure).

I use Cypress Mulch in my Tegu's (large lizard) enclosure. For his cage, the stuff is awesome. It can be totally saturated and just doesn't rot, mold or mildew. It actually (to a degree) acts as an anti-fungal medium.


For most of your questions (enclosure, substrate, subspecies/morph, etc, etc) while there are some 'wrong' answers, there is no single 'right' answer. This is because your goals may be different than another persons. You, for example, want a single snake that you can keep as a pet. Therefore your "right answers" will be the ones that support that. While someone else may be keeping multiple snakes as a breeding project, thus their "right answers" will be quite different than yours.
 
I would recommend reading the caresheets and asking any specific questions to the folks over at www.ball-pythons.net

They are a very informative site and there are many breeders that post on their forum. You will have a MUCH more pleasant experience buying from a breeder than from a large chain pet store. BP's at the large chain pet stores are "captive hatched", not captive-bred and sometimes are difficult to get to feed consistantly.
 
I may order from Garrick DeMeyer. He seems to be the go-to guy for nice BPs. Anyone here had any sort of experience with him?
 
I have yet to hear a bad review. Plus, he's got some really great prices on snakes. 100% Het Albino male at 75-100g for $35.
 
lubepin;4814155; said:
Garrick sounds like a good guy to me.

http://www.faunaclassifieds.com/forums/showthread.php?t=188710[/QUOTE]

I'm not familar with Garrick specifically, but I am familiar with fauna classifieds and it's good guy / bad guy folder is a great resource. I've connected with the breeders of a couple of my animals using it.

ibz_rg;4814209; said:
I have yet to hear a bad review. Plus, he's got some really great prices on snakes. 100% Het Albino male at 75-100g for $35.
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Keep in mind anything labeled as a "Het" (Heterozygous) looks like a normal, it just has "special" genes if used as a breeder. So if you are shopping for a pet, paying extra for a Het is a waste of money.

http://royalconstrictordesigns.com/index.php?page=ball-pythons

He has a variety of nice male Pastels in the $75~100 price range. These also have a strong value to a breeding project if you ever decide to bend that way.

I would consider his pricing from average to slightly high. But if his animals are of above average quality it very well may be worth the investment.
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