Reddit reviews Exo Terra Reptile Cave, Medium

If you have a glass tank already, I would not get a ball python. They don't do so well in glass tanks as they have high humidity needs, and the screen tops don't hold in humidity and the glass walls don't hold heat it. It would be an uphill battle with constant stress on you and potential health issues for your snake.

Corn sakes and sand boas and hognoses do pretty well in glass tanks though, and a 40g long tank would be a good home for them.

I would suggest picking a species first, and then start researching. Some basics that you will need regardless:

1.) Hides, more than 1. Half logs can be pretty decoration but they aren't that great for a snake feeling safe in. A good cheap hide are these, which you can order online. These are well made, sturdy, dishwasher safe, and are enclosed spaces with only 1 entrance - my ball python and rainbow boa are both very happy with theirs. If you like aesthestics you can use foam and paint to make them look pretty cool using this tutorial or you can purchase some of these

2.) Heat Sources: You will need either ceramic heat emitters, under tank heaters, or both. I would recommend staying away from heat lights as you need to turn lights off at night and most snakes can see even red light. Ceramic heat emitters give off heat but not light. I don't have recommendations for these as I don't use them. I do have recommendations for under tank heaters, which are these, from the same place as the hides. You can also get heat tape from Reptile Basics and they are super helpful in making sure you have everything you need to set up with it. ZooMed or Zilla stick on pads are not that great and can break super easily. If you do end up with one of these, I suggest sticking aluminum foil to the adhesive and then attaching it with foil tape, this will make it re-usable. STAY AWAY FROM HEAT ROCKS.

3.) Thermostats. You will need 1 thermostat per heat source. This is NECESSARY. This is not something you can skip out on. Heat pads and CHE's can easily get hot enough to fry your reptiles. This is the model I am currently using for my heat sources, and other people here use them too. They don't have a lot of crucial safety features, though. I am saving up for one of these Herpstat's. You can get one with multiple probes for multiple heat sources, and it has a ton of good safety features. Tons of people here use these, so if you have questions about which one to get, someone here can answer you.

4.) Security: All snakes are escape artists. All of them. Even the one you don't see ever leave their hides. A stack of books or some rocks on the lid are not security measures. You will want to look into lid clamps, or a system that slides in and has a means of locking. I had my baby boa in an Iris Weathertight box which had 6 locking lid clamps while he was in quarantine. Now he is in an Animal Plastics t8 w sliding doors and I have a lock on them. If you have questions about if your set up will be secure enough, please post pics here and we can helpyou spot potential escape routes. Or you can just search "lost snake" or "escape" on this sub and see some of the ways snakes have escaped. But rocks and books are a guarantee to end with an escaped snake.

5.) Temp and Humidity Guages: These stick on ones are no good. They are dangerous and sometimes deadly - I don't care how cheap they are, or how much of a budget you are on, they are inaccurate and the adhesive WILL give way and your snake could get stuck to it. This is the one I use. I have the "outdoor" probe sitting on the floor of the enclosure on the hot side (under the substrate) and the unit itself sitting on the cool side. This lets me quickly see the temperature gradient and humidity.

6.) Substrate: This is going to be highly individual to what kind of snake you get and what its humidity needs are. Sand boas will need a ton more than a corn snake, for example. But pine is toxic, so avoid that. Figure out what kind of snake you are getting and plan for a substrate for them.

7.) What to Feed: you're gonna have to feed whole prey items. It is highly recommended that you feed either frozen/thawed or pre-killed. I order mine frozen thawed from either Layne Labs or Perfect Prey. I keep them in my freezer and I have a pair of feeding tongs I use to feed with. I usually take them out of the freezer and put them in the fridge the night before feeding day. When I get home from work I take them out of the fridge and set them on the counter (in a plastic bag) to get them to warm temp. Then I get some boiling water, put it in a bowl, put a plate on top of the bowl, and put the prey items on top of the plate. I do this until they reach approx 100F (use a IR temp gun if you have one), and then I run the heads under a hot water until they reach about 110F. I do this for both prey items for my ball python and my rainbow boa, even though my rainbow boa doesn't have heat pits, it's just easier cause I keep them in the same ziplock bag. I then use the tongs to dangle the prey and move it around to make it look like it's "live". Some snakes aren't picky and won't mind a room temp rodent, others will want a dance. My boa is a champ and will knock back food no problem. My ball python will want me to dance the rat around for twenty minutes while she gets into striking position and contemplates the meaning of life, the universe, and everything. Ball pythons are usually picky. Pre-killed means you buy the rodent live, and then kill it yourself, and immediately present it to the snake. You can achieve this with a euthanasia chamber or twisting the neck. Feeding live isn't really the greatest, as there is a chance the prey item will attack and hurt your snake. This is especially true of adult rats, which have sharp teeth and claws. In the wild, a snake could see a prey item and if it's not hungry, it could run away. In captivity, neither the rat nor the snake can run away, and this can lead to snakes being defensive and just trying to hide while a rat bites it fearing attack.

8.) How to Feed: In addition to this, you will probably hear about "cage agression" and needing a seperate tank to feed in. This is a lie. Your snake will not associate your hand / opening of the cage as "feeding time" unless it is the only time your hand is in there. And it won't be, you will be changing water, cleaning poop and urates, changing substrate, and more! After a snake has eating, they need at least 48 hours to digest their food. If they don't have this time, they may regurgitate the food. Regurgitation is an emergency medical event. In order to avoid this, after your snake has been feed, they should be left completely alone for 48 hours, no handling. If you feed in a seperate enclosure, this means that you will be moving your snake post-feeding. This also increases your chances of being bitten. Your hand may smell like rodent still, and your snake will still be in hunting mode, and may think your hand is seconds. So feed in your enclosure. It's less stressful for your snake, less stressful for you, and you have a much lower risk of being bitten.

That's a general overview, I may have left something out there, but I think you can get the general basics. Next you should pick a species and start asking here for more specific advise!!

I wish you and your future scale-child the best of luck!

Unfortunately, there are more important criteria to consider when setting up a new snake aside from what you like the look of-like what will work best in the enclosure and what will give the snake the best quality of life. Just having it pushed against the back isn't a very efficient solution; after all, it can be moved, and in a clear glass tank, it can still feel exposed. Many experienced keepers also recommend having two identical hides so the snake doesn't have to choose between security and temperature, but as far as I'm concerned, as long as you've got two appropriately sized single-entrance hides, you should be okay. I use these with a few of my snakes, they work well too.

a ten gallon aquarium is approximately 20"x10", which means it's technically a suitable amount of space for a BP that's 30" or smaller. you should think very carefully about how much you want to use glass enclosures, though, as they make BP husbandry significantly trickier to maintain. glass is a poor insulator, which means you'll need more heat. the screen lids allow a LOT of air flow, which means 50%-60% humidity will be difficult to maintain.

>I was thinking of doing normal maintenance and handling through the two front exo terra doors and feeding through the top of the tank to see if the snake would expect food from the top and be less likely to strike at the doors.

you're way overthinking it. if your snake is likely to strike at the enclosure doors at any time, it won't matter at all which door you use for which reasons. snakes are just not conditioned that way. they don't become aggressive just for being fed in their enclosure, and they don't make mental connections like "when THIS door opens it's time to eat, but when THAT door opens it's not time to eat." unless your BP smells a rat, they won't automatically expect food, so they won't strike at you in hunt mode. if your BP is tame and comfortable in the enclosure, they won't strike at you defensively.

>Can anyone give me an idea of what size hides and water bowls I should use?

it really depends on the size of the snake. you'll probably need a relatively large water bowl to help maintain humidity, but at the very least it should be large enough for your snake to fit inside it if they want to soak in the water. hides should be just big enough for the snake to curl up inside with little/no extra space.

my 27" 270g BP has these medium hides and this large water bowl. my 50" 1300g BP has these hides and this x-large water bowl. because they are in plastic enclosures with minimal air flow - a 41.2 qt iris weathertight storage box and a 421D boaphile cage respectively - their humidity is consistently at 50%-55% just from the water bowls, with no need for moist substrate.

When my BN plecos were breeding, secure caves were super important. The first time they spawned was in a little hole in some driftwood. I've since had others spawn in thin glass vases (that was super cool to see) and pretty much anything secure that they can both fit into. They really like the whole thing to be enclosed- they don't like it when other fish have access to their cave- only one entrance is good. You can buy pleco caves online. If you really want them to breed, get a male and 2-3 females (so you would either have to get mature fish or a handful of younger ones to grow out and rehome as necessary). I had one male that spawned with two females each month- one would drop her eggs, leave, and then the other one would. They spawned in one of these reptile caves. I had A LOT of little plecos for a long time with that trio. Other than that, clean water and good food.

The one that makes them feel safe and secure.

Mine lives in a 4x2 enclosure. With that size, I have six hides spread across the temperature gradient along with other decorations to create cover. Here are the two types of hides I like:

I have two of these: Exo Terra Reptile Cave, Medium https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001F3YJ9O/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_VNhIzbAWM1M71

I have four of these: Reptile Basics Small Hide Box
http://www.reptilebasics.com/small-hide-box

That's awesome that you moved from sand, it can actually kill leos, particularly babies. The cricket stuff you're using sounds good too!

As for suggestions, definitely the UTH and thermostat combo I linked, since those are both decently priced. I've used these hides and have liked them, but you can definitely get away with just buying the Petsmart/Petco ones and it may be a little cheaper. Likewise, some people just cut opaque tupperware or use broken (but smooth-edged) pots and stuff as well. I even had a friend who made their hides out of legos.

I got it from my local mom and pop pet store. It is available on amazon though ... https://www.amazon.com/Exo-Terra-Reptile-Cave-Medium/dp/B001F3YJ9O/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1481306407&sr=8-1&keywords=lizard+hide