my take on the rack setup

[771subliminal]

this is my take on the rack its not 100% but you can get the idea what it will look like when its done. (in a yr the bottom tank will be the same size as the top) gotta say my wife was very understanding with it seeing that i told her that it was going to be a "small" little project and turned out to be 83 in. x 54in. x 24in. if your gonna do it do it right huh?



and a cple of my little ones
this is mr woodrow our new pastel


and izzy and her tank

[Dbr]

what is that on the back and side of the tank? looks like plastic wrap...if so i bet u have good humidity in there

sorry...i'm a newbie still with snakes hehe, getting one on Sat and currently have a 70g tank as well, its all set up and working on it to keep up humidity, heat isn't a prob yet. i hear plastic works wonder for humidity, i have thought of getting a small waterfall or humidifier to add to tank as well

[SnakieMom]

Hi!
Please forgive my bluntness, but unless you're getting a "full grown" ball python, there's gonna be lots of people telling you
a 70G tank is waaayy too big.

Otherwise, congratz on getting a new snake!

[JoshJP7]

I said this in your other post but theres no such thing as too big. Its only too big when you can no longer maintain proper heat/humidity. I have 4 snakes in 4x2x1.5ft cages and have no issues. Would I put a baby in sucha large enclosure? Definitely not but I'm sure you could do it with no problems if your temps/humidity were right. I like to think the more space the better... but I also take the size of the snake into consideration.

[Dbr]

Yes i agree its a bit large, but its more of hubby's project then mine lol, but i will be helping alot on caring for this. as for age/size of snake, we aren't too sure what we are getting, we will be attending a reptile show a cpl hours from where we live on Sat.
I guess we are trying to recreate "natural environment" for it, i know i may get told alot of different things from ppl on this forum, but i also know its really all about personal prefrence and that person's success, but after reading so much on this foum and researching the internet it all boils down to what works best for u and your snake. so it will be trial and error just like it is raising kids and other pets

[elevatethis]

It is trial and error to a certain extent, but at the same time, you don't want to try to reinvent the wheel either...a lot of people have had bad luck with keeping ball pythons in large enclosures and it doesn't make any sense to dismiss the experience of MANY other keepers on that basis...

A ball python is going to pick one or two areas of the large cage and stay there, leaving the rest of the huge enclosure unused. Moreoever, the added space is going to make the animal feel more vulnerable and less likely to see out optimal temperatures. If your snake happens to pick an area it likes on the cool side, it will choose security over warmth and never be exposed to the higher temperatures of the warmer side.

Just my .02...though it sounds like you've already got it all figured out....

[starmom]

Oh my gosh!~ That is a huge cage!! When you were describing it to me, I had something else in mind and so a picture is always good to reference!! So, are you saying that the ball that was in there (Izzy) is not anymore? It's a great cage set-up and I'm wondering if you're considering other types of snakes for it??
*cough*boa*cough* Wow, it's just so...big!!

[West Coast Jungle]

Not exactly a rack but more of a double tank stand. If you built a tub rack using those same dimensions you could probably house 20+ snakes with less hassle. I think elevatethis brings up some good points.

[Dbr]

It is trial and error to a certain extent, but at the same time, you don't want to try to reinvent the wheel either...a lot of people have had bad luck with keeping ball pythons in large enclosures and it doesn't make any sense to dismiss the experience of MANY other keepers on that basis...

A ball python is going to pick one or two areas of the large cage and stay there, leaving the rest of the huge enclosure unused. Moreoever, the added space is going to make the animal feel more vulnerable and less likely to see out optimal temperatures. If your snake happens to pick an area it likes on the cool side, it will choose security over warmth and never be exposed to the higher temperatures of the warmer side.

Just my .02...though it sounds like you've already got it all figured out....

I never said i'd dismiss anyone's experiences, and i do understand what u are saying, but i also know i have seen some success with having a large tank setup, back to what i said b4 tho....different ppl have different ideas and different success, some things work well for others whereas those same things dont work well for others. i'm not here trying to start a debate or argument, or to receive negative feedback, or sarcasm. i'm here to learn as much as possible from different ppl and what worked for them so that we may create a very good environment that will work best for us. i really didnt appreciate your last sentence... yes the .02 is good, coulda left out the sarcasm tho....

[elevatethis]

It absolutely is about finding what works best for you and your snake. However, willfully choosing a path that a lot of other people have had trouble on is probably not the best route to take.

I'm not sure what your motivations are for wanting to use such a large setup...IMO a large cage with a bunch of fake plants and half-logs is a very very far cry from a "natural" environment. If you REALLY wanted to set up a natural ball python habitat, you'd be creating a huge savannah grassland type area with deep, natural burrows. This would be impractical for the average keeper and something better suited for a zoo.

I have been keeping snakes for a while but not so long as to forget about what it was like when I first got started...I also started wanting a "natural" setup thinking it would be better. The practical experience I've gained since then has taught me otherwise.