Glass tank setup

[cassandra]

By request, posting the Vivarium Setup Guide my fiance Rick wrote. Sorry we still have no pictures to go with this...someday.

Housing and Caring for a Ball Python in a Glass Vivarium
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This is a guide on how to set up a glass vivarium for a Ball Python and the care and maintenance required.

Generally, a glass vivarium is selected as an enclosure due to aesthetic reasons. The owner of the snake wishes to provide an environment that is both suitable for caring for the snake given its environmental and behavioral requirements, and is pleasing to look at in their home.

Given all the variables that will be covered here, the glass vivarium will cost more to set up and require more maintenance than the the other popular methods (keeping your snake in a plastic tub for example).

This document includes:
• Environmental and behavioral factors to be taken into consideration
• Shopping list
• Building the enclosure
• Maintenance and Ongoing Husbandry
• Special considerations


Environmental and behavioral factors to be taken into consideration
1. Temperature.

You must provide a stable temperature gradient in your enclosure. These temperatures are very important due to the biology of the snake. Snakes are cold-blooded animals, their body temperature is entirely dependent on the environment they are in. Correct temperatures are required to (a) keep the animal alive, (b) prevent respiratory illness, (c) aid in proper digestion of a meal. Temperatures that are too high are just as dangerous to a snake as temperatures that are too low. Your snake will regulate its body temperature as required by moving between the warm and cool areas in its enclosure.

There are three temperature 'zones' you need to pay close attention to in your enclosure, they are:

A) Warm side belly temperature. This is the temperature of substrate (bedding) on the warm side of the enclosure.

B) Cool side belly temperature. This is the temperature of the substrate on the cool side of the enclosure.

C) Ambient air temperature in the enclosure.

The temperatures you require in these three zones are as follows:
Cool side = 82F.
Warm side = 92F.
Ambient air = 78-85F.

How you measure these temperatures is also important. You can measure the ambient air temperature using a 'stick on' thermometer. Use a digital thermometer and place it close to where the snake will spend most of it's time. To measure the belly temps on the warm and cool sides, you will need either a thermometer with a probe, or an infrared temperature gun. Dial or strip type thermometers are not accurate and should not be used.

2a. Humidity.

Ball Pythons require the humidity in the enclosure to be in the 50-60% range at all times. During shedding, this should be raised to 80% for the duration of the shed. Use a digital humidity gauge placed close to where the snake will spend most of its time. We prefer a digital combined thermometer and humidity gauge.

2b. Drinking water.

You must provide a source of fresh, clean water in the enclosure. This must be changed daily! Your snake will use it for drinking, soaking and perhaps as a toilet. It also will be the primary source of humidity in your enclosure. Maintain your snakes water and the bowl to a condition where you would be happy drinking from it.

3. Security.

Ball Pythons require enclosed areas out of view to hide and sleep in. They can be private and secretive animals and providing such suitable places is required in maintaining the mental health of your snake. You will need to provide hides on both the warm and cool side of your enclosure. We highly recommend that you use identical hides on both sides, this way the snake will not have to choose between thermoregulating and the hide it finds most secure.

Glass vivariums are open on all sides. To allow your snake to feel more secure in its environment we recommend you cover over all but the front glass in some fashion.

Place your vivarium in a quiet location which is not in a major traffic area in your home. Having people constantly passing by the vivarium will stress your snake.

4. Other concerns.

Your snake will require rough to the touch objects to be in the enclosure to aid it during shedding. It will rub against these to aid in sloughing off the old skin.

Substrate has many functions. It keeps your snake away from potentially damaging heat sources, it holds moisture to aid in keeping your humidity level up, it holds and dissipates heat and it will also breed and store bacteria. It is very important to renew the substrate on a regular basis.

Live plants are not recommended for placing in your vivarium. The soil and moisture required for the plant are a breeding ground for bacteria. Use plastic plants in your vivarium. You snake will climb in them, and plastic plants are not damaged by this activity as live ones are. You may wish to place branches or other natural items in your vivarium. It is very important that these are sterilized and have any sharp areas removed before putting them in. Remove all bark from wood and branches, file down any sharp rocks etc. Sterilize them by baking in the oven if required. Exercise extreme care in baking flammable wooden items.

You may wish to place other "interesting" objects in your vivarium, we recommend against this. If you must put something in there, give it the same consideration as you would with natural items as described above.

Ball Pythons do not require any special lighting requirements, however bear in mind that they are nocturnal creatures. To this end, we do provide a consistent day / night cycle, both daylight and moonlight. This is optional.

If the above it taken into careful consideration the end result will be an approximation of three square feet of West Africa in your living room. A suitable environment for your Ball Python, and an aesthetically pleasing piece of furniture for your home where you can enjoy viewing your snake.

(cont'd on next post)