I have my ball python in a 20 or 25 gal (can’t quite remember the size) terrarium and he has been doing very well and eating FT mice like a champ. I am thinking about starting to breed him (still trying to find the right female for him) and was wondering do I switch him over now to a rack system or wait. He is not at the correct weight yet to even start breeding so I am a ways to go and like I mentioned previously don’t have a female yet. Any advice would be appreciated. I have attached what my setup is now (i have repositioned some of the furniture) and a pic of my handsome Rhaegal!
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You don’t need to use a rack system. The reason they’re so popular is the ability to have a large number of animals in a smaller area. As long as he’s eating and growing well there’s no reason to change his setup.
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(disclaimer- I’m not a long time keeper, I’m just researching BPs to be ready for my own)
It seems to be an eternal debate, but use whatever allows you to give the best husbandry, enrichment, temps, and setup for your snakes.
For some people that means using tubs or racks, especially with a big collection. For some people, they find one snake won’t eat unless it’s in a tub, or in a big enclosure. Some people have a full room of four foot by eight bioactive enclosures they can maintain. Some people have sparse but cleanable PVC enclosures with hides and substrates which, they keep stocked with rotating enrichment… All of these appear to produce healthy snakes when done correctly and attentively, providing what the snakes need and including some enriching experiences for the animals.
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@athleticshoelace said it well. Use what works for you and your snake(s.) I breed corn snakes, not ball pythons, but in this area the concept is the same. I have some in bins, some in display vivs. There’s no reason to switch your handsome boy to a rack because you want to breed him. If he’s happy and healthy in his current setup, and you’re happy with having him there, just keep in keeping on.
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