At Jeff: I know leopard geckos live on hard, dry clay. They dig in it, yes, but it is not sand. You can by arid clay type substrate, but from what I understand, it is expensive as heck. I currently have my leos on paper towel while they are in their temporary tanks. I wil also be posting pics of my new pastel At Badger: from what I can tell, if you have a lot of branches, yes they can be kept in 20 gallon LONG enclosures, if you are willing to take them out everyday. At Lizardgurl: you are thinking of a 40 Gallon breeder tank, which is wider and shorter than a normal 40 gallon tank. Badger was refering to the 20 LONG tank... there are several different styles of tanks, like there is 20 high and long, 40 gallon, and 40 breeder... and there are tons more if you google aquarium dimensions, a huge list will come up. since adult BP normally range from 2-4 feet, with males being smaller than females, they generally can be kept in 20 longs, if it is adequately decorated. while BP don't generally climb, it is a good idea to have a branch or two in the tank for the odd one that does (both mine do, so i'm going to be fishing for some branches out of my woods on my yard) A sterilite tub or something similar probably is better because like jeff said, glass doesn't hold heat very well. You would have to drill holes in it (or solder) but that's not hard to do. plus they also help with the humidity. They hold humidity better than aquarium screens do. So if you can use that, i would recommend it. The only reason I'm not using them is because I don't have UTH to use with them, whereas I already had the heat lamps, i just needed to buy the bulb. and I don't have the thermostat either.
A thermostat is definitely the most expensive piece of equipment you will buy, but it's also the most important. Remember, ball pythons can live for up to 30 years. (The record at the moment is actually 45 years). A quality thermostat will last you a long time, and it will keep your animal safe. Expect to spend up to $100 for a good thermostat. You can use a $5 bin for a cage, but don't skimp on the thermostat.
So, I was always under the impression a 20 wasn't big enough-especially for an adult, but if a 20G long will be ok, I will be sure to get one. The plastic bins won't work well for me and I feel nervous not being able to see the snake as well-I don't plan on having a lot(like for breeding), so I won't have need for a rack to keep it on. I always think aquariums are better for show and especially durability-they may be more expensive, but you get what you pay for. I know they need branches and all for climbing, which is abother reason I don't think the tubs would be good for just one snake as a pet. It wouldn't be easier for me to heat a tub either and like you, I have some bulbs already that would work-I will also get some heat tape or a UTH, since my house is old in the country and is very hard to heat-even with a 2 fireplaces, my room is still usually freezing-though summer is fine.
Well, if you are going to go for the aquarium - a 20gallon "Long" enclosure is 30" x 12" x 12" . I feel this is a little too tight for an adult, especially a female, but could house a subadult. A 40 gallon 'breeder' aquarium would be better for an adult I would say. I've seen big females wrapped up in 36" x 17" bins that take up a pretty good chunk of cage space, lol. Just for size reference, this is a very tightly curled 950g female in a 28qt bin, measuring about 23" x 16" x 6". Curled comfortably, she can barely squeeze into the hide for space reference. Now, an adult female is more than capable of exceeding 2-3X that weight. A 12" width enclosure would be very tight to wrap up comfortably in, and she would probably appreciate a solid 3' length (like the 41qt bins, who are 35" x 16.5"). Another thing, babies and juveniles may be more willing to climb do to their size (I actually just saw a picture of one who must of thought he was a boa, lol) but as they gain size they naturally become a little more terrestrial and height doesn't become as much of an issue. Unless you have very large, sturdy structure their sheer mass won't allow them to do much climbing, and you'll find that they would prefer to sit contently wrapped within the confines of a hide box. The biggest issue with aquariums is their lack of heat and humidity retention as mentioned. You WILL have to take measures to combat this - such as those methods discussed in previous postings. The Heat Lamp will actually be somewhat counter-productive, because it will reduce the humidity as well. Something to keep in mind. I know these topics have been covered several times in this thread, but its important to note. An option you may find appealing is using a PVC or Plastic style enclosure that opens from the front. These generally hold heat and humidity better, are larger in size, allow for ease of veiwing, and make access to the enclosure more than practical. Here's an example of a custom made BCI enclosure I did with Plywood: This style of caging is probably 2nd best to the bins - the primary downside being price. But, it does make for a nice looking viv and it is more practical than aquaria in a few ways. There are a variety of websites out there that sell ABS plastic or PVC style caging that is 36" x 18" or 24" x 12" (lxwxh). That would make for ideal adult enclosures. Examples: http://repti-racks.com or http://pvccages.com . There are others out there too...
I thought a 20 long would hold an adult male comfortably (not a female). My issue with the bins is that they would be kept in a closet with two adult female dwarf rabbits, and the bins would have to be placed on the floor, whereas the tanks fit on the shelf. However, when they are larger I will probably go with a bin just for the ease of use, lightweight, and cost. my only 40 B tank is being used for my two geckos, and I would definitely not have nearly enough to buy another two. The bins are much lighter. I will have to order a thermostat... can they be used to control more than one tank? (if the temps are set at the same thing?) I will also be ordering two UTH. but that will be a year or more.
So, I've decided to get a 40G breeder-there's a good priced one in a nearby petshop...though my dad might eventually try to build an enclosure when he has time-somewhat like you did Jeff and that one looks nice too! I hope to have a setup by June(around my Bday)and then I can get a BP the day before, since there's a reptile show then. But, if I don't end up getting all supplies by then , I can at least start getting ready for one.
It sounds like you would have plenty of time to figure everything out Michelle = ) Ball Pythons are very simple, though as WingedWolf said, if there is one thing to go big or go home on, its the temperature control. You can set up a ball python enclosure for $15 if you really wanted to, but having peace of mind that temperatures will remain reliable is priceless. Cookie - you could always build or purchase a small rack system for the future, just something to think about as a convenience. Heat tape is also an effective and generally less expensive means to heat enclosures as well (I can get a square foot for about $6, and each additional foot for $4 on the same strip). Even cheaper for the 4" and 3" width flexwatt. Don't get me wrong, UTH's work great, but I know they can cost a pretty penny at pet stores. And yes, you can rig a number of heat sources on a single thermostat = ) Just be sure to follow the capacity of the thermostat. Many of the models have many hundreds and even thousand+ watt capacity. If all the enclosures are consistent and require the same temperatures, you can use one to control a large number of enclosures. Heat tape for example is generally only about ~10 watts per foot just to give you a reference.
