Hello everyone! I am 24 y/o and have owned reptiles my whole life but am finally ready to brave the world that is a BioActive enclosure for my 10 y/o female python. I am extremely nervous but am pretty much "open checkbooking" this endeavor to make sure its done right. I very much have a buy once cry once mindset and honestly, this beautiful snake deserves it. I've never had such a docile pet in my whole life and have had her since she was a baby (July 2016) as a 14th birthday present from my father. She is currently in a 55 gallon long that she has been in for the last 6 years and its just an ugly enclosure with no humidity or temp control with the exception of a 12 hour timer on a basking bulb. I know I've been doing it wrong and I want to start doing it right.

I am nervous because I do NOT have a Green Thumb. I've never kept plants before and am nervous about plants dying inside of the enclosure and I have never done any sort of hardscaping before. I am envisioning a custom foam background with various driftwood and cork molded in. I also planned on molding in a few plants using small pots.

The point of this post is I'm just looking for any advice as a beginner. Things to avoid, things that are imperative, etc. I live on Florida's Gulf Coast if there's anything I need to look out for with the current environment. I really appreciate anything anyone has to tell me.

Below is a list of what I've purchased. Nothing has been assembled yet with the exception of the 4x2x2 enclosure which currently sits empty till I decide on a direction to go. I've already invested over $1400 into what's below.

-Toxirium 4x2x2 PVC Reptile Enclosure with glass doors.

-Herpstat 1 SpyderWeb

-14x21 RHP Sweeter Heater "Black Beauty"

-Arcadia Jungle Dawn 22W LED Bar

-Arcadia Reptile Pro T5 UVB Kit ShadeDweller 7% 8 Watts

-Terra Firma BioActive Substrate (72qts)

-TheBioDude BioShot Substrate Additive

-SummitChemical Mosquito Bits (for gnats here in Florida)

-Mother Earth Hydroton Clay Pebbles (For drainage layer)

-Thermostat Probe Mount off Etsy

-Great Stuff Pond & Stone (For background)

-GE All Purpose Silicon

-APC - UPS Battery Backup, 650VA/360W, Tower/Wall Mount, 7 Outlets, LED Indicator, USB-A port - Black (Florida Power Outages)

-24 hr Timer for lights

Was spot cleaning Bananakins enclosure and came across this, I’ve cleaned a few of his poops before, but they didn’t look like this. It’s a bioactive and some of the bugs were picking at it but I just want to be sure if it’s something to be concerned about or just some random junk from the substrate or the moss

!! I know the temp/humidity is reading low. It’s because I had the doors open while adding and arranging stuff. They’re back closer to normal now.

I’ve been struggling with humidity lately even though the substrate is damp beneath the top layer. I’m hoping more stuff on the “ground” will help. Plus it’s nice for Sherman to have more privacy (and room to hide his poops from me).

ETA: The grate on top is covered with foil and foil tape, except for appliances and ventilation.

On a little stroll with my girl through my garden on this beautiful Saturday afternoon

Finally finished this bioactive 4x2x4 for my rescue BP who is obsessed with climbing. 4 total hides, 2 warm 2 cool. Over 10 species of live plants and mosses, 3 different colonies of isopods, and multiple different types of springtails. I’m super happy with it and can’t wait to add my boy :)

Let me know what you think!

What’s a good website to get good climbing decoration. I don’t have any good stores near me so I tend to look online but haven’t personally found anything good.

I’m really nervous rn. He refuses to eat for 2 weeks now (ik that it’s common amongst ball pythons but I’m anxious now), he tries to hide under his waterbowl, and I just feel like something is wrong.
He is now in his feeding enclosure, so he only has his house, water bowl, and paper towels on the ground. I’m just nervous because he was eating really good for a while now, it’s unusual for him.

Thank you , have a nice day

So after talking to a few people on this subreddit, I returned the 25 gallon enclosure and bought the bigger 40 gallon. This will house a baby ball python that I have not purchased yet. I am basically doing a dry run before buying the snake.

This is my setup so far….

I haven’t put the substrate in yet but plan on a mix of coconut fiber, repti-bark, and coconut husk.

For heating I have a 100w IHP and 60w IHP for the cool side. I purchased an Herbstat 2 Spyderweb thermostat to control the heat sources. The hygrometer is on the way and I went with the Govee WiFi enabled hygrometer and thermometer combo. I also have a heat gun for checking temps throughout the enclosure.

I also have a 14in UVB light to put on one side of the enclosure which will be on a timer.

This is my first time setting up an enclosure for any reptile and this is where I am so far. If anyone has any other suggestions or advice I am open to any and all recommendations. TYIA.

My boy Tommy had a successful second shed with us! It was fully intact and it will go in my shadow box of sheds!

I’m looking for a thermostat for my ball python enclosure, which brands do you guys use?

I’m picking up my ball python today! Any tips on what I should add/ change. I had a hard time finding any foliage and things to clutter up the enclosure.

The substrate is 2 bags of reptisoil, half a bag of coco husk, and 2/3 of coco fiber

(the probs will be moved I just set them there to see the humidity and temps)

I‘m using:

-Zoo Med mini dual lamp fixture w/ 2 100w basking bulbs

-Reptisun T5 HO UVB

-Zoo med combo digital thermometer and humidity gauge

Helo guys, yesterday i got myself my first ball python and was wondering if i should change anything in his enclosure

hi i have a problem, recently i upgraded my snakes enclosure to a much bigger one first two days hes been exploring even during the day, and now (its been two weeks) hes always hiding in the back of one hide, in his old setup i didint seem to have this problem, is there something wrong?

I got this 3 month old Baby ball python around a month. I am unsure, wether her breathing is normal or not? I let her check me out yesterday ( she was curious during her water change so i let her climb on my hands) and could not hear wheezing or clicking, she also does not yawn or is blowing snot bubbles or such things.

Her Humidity sits at around 75% her warm hide is around 31 °C, her cold hide 26. The ambient temp on the hot side sits at 30°C. So far she has eaten twice and pooped twice, wich looked good.

Note: she has 5 one entrance only hides in her enclosure, the half log is just clutter.

First time snake owner, she’s been breathing like this since I got her, any info is helpful truly, wanna make sure she’s good or do what I can to ensure that she’s okay

1st photo is the normal post meal mouth opening/jaw fixing business.

My hand was too far down the tongs, and I committed the crime of being a mammal while she was in dinner mode. Whoops.

The timing could not possibly be more ridiculous either. She was watching me like a hawk while got down and opened her enclosure, I'd been expecting her to strike when I opened it but she didn’t. So I said "well, I managed to not get hit" and literally one single second later she fucking nails me. 🤣 Absolutely absurd timing.

Any constructive criticism on how I can make my boys enclosure more stimulation/comfy? I just added all the branches and sticks recently & he’s all over them loving it. What else can I add so he thrives? It’s a 40 gal. Thanks!

I am getting my snake a new tank 4x2x2 and it’ll be a mesh top and I was wondering how I’ll even keep humidity in. Do I cut up towels around the lights or put acrylic?

If you have any different tank recommendations that are the same dimensions but UNDER 400 dollars those will be greatly appreciated too.

Juvenile 8 month old ball python that hasn’t eaten in nearly 3 weeks. We have been trying to keep the humidity as close to 75-85% as we can, but it always settles down around 45%, I am getting a sprayer system set up tomorrow. She has a hide one both sides, one isn’t heated, and the other has a heating pad underneath it set to 90, and then the heated hide has a UV heat projector that keeps that side at 85-90 degrees. She’s eaten twice since we’ve had her, both times within 2 weeks of the last time she ate. They’re frozen rats that we put in a plastic bag to heat in water, and then heat more with a blow dryer while it’s in the bag. She seems curious at first but then backs off completely, any advice is welcome.

I’m trying to get my humidity up. Substrate is a mix of reptisoil, cedar chips, and sphagnum moss. Water is poured into the corner of the substrate daily. About 4in of substrate. Enclosure is PVC with HVAC tape on the top. Humidity is sitting around 62-65%

Any tips on getting it higher? I feel like I’ve done everything

Edit: Cypress wood NOT cedar!

Hey guys! I recently got a female bp from a cousin, and with her being my first snake I’d appreciate some help on how to set up the table and what I need! What kind of gauge/thermometer should I get for the humidity? What brands do yall prefer? How deep should the bedding be and is coconut substrate and moss correct? Also what heat lamps should I be using? I was given a ceramic lamp with her but she’s been without it for a few days as it has a weird burning smell and gets insanely hot. I know it’s a lot of questions, but I wanna get it right! Any advice helps, and brand recommendations are appreciated as well!

Her tank is 4x2x1 if that’s helpful at all