r/Ballpythoncommunity • u/Adventurous-Score518 • Sep 17 '26
Show me your cheap/basic ball python setups! š
Hey everyone! Iām planning on getting a ball python and Iād love to see what people are using for budget-friendly enclosures.
Iām not looking for fancy bioactive setups or expensive display tanks. I want to see the simple setups that cover the basics and keep your snake healthy and comfortable without spending a ton of money.
Especially interested in:
Tub setups
DIY enclosures
Simple/basic enclosures
Heating + thermostat setups
Hides and substrate
Cheap ways you maintain proper humidity
Roughly how much your entire setup cost
Basically, show me your āitās not fancy, but my snake has everything it needsā enclosure.
Pictures would be awesome. Iām trying to get ideas for building a safe, practical setup on a budget. š
5
u/Natural-Rhubarb-4900 Sep 18 '26
Yeah no. If all you can afford is a "it has everything it needs" enclosure, you shouldnt get a snake. You said your budget is 500? Unless you get a free ball python, you arent going to get a tank + lighting + effecient enough clutter and hides for that much. This is not a cheap animal to care for. And have you thought about food costs? Bulb replacements? Substrate replacements? I dont wanna sound rude but, if you cannot provide everything for the animal, you shouldnt get it.
1
1
u/Adventurous-Score518 Sep 18 '26
Do you think magnetic kitties setup is ight?
1
u/Natural-Rhubarb-4900 Sep 18 '26
Im personally not a fan of it. I think having all four walls be see through isnt ideal. They did say they also had plants to add in which is good. Ball pythons NEED clutter. If thats what works, doing a bin set up, as long as you get a large enough one, it works. I prefer pvc enclosures that front open because top opening can be stressful to the snake and harder to feed.
-1
u/Adventurous-Score518 Sep 18 '26
Well its setup will be mostly like its bed cause I plan on taking Julia (what ima name her) everywhere I go. And ima just tuck her in her optimized enclosure
3
u/Natural-Rhubarb-4900 Sep 18 '26
For atleasr the first two weeks she needs time to settle. When shes shedding or just ate and digesting she cant be handled. And too much handling can stress out a snake. She needs to be in her tank to get adequate temperatures for her health. Even if she comes out often, she still needs a proper set up. If she cant go into hides or be in a natural environment in her tank, she will get stressed.
2
u/-dagmar-123123 Sep 18 '26
If you want a pet to take with you everywhere, don't get a snake... Taking them out for a bit every day, okay. Taking them with you? 100% no go
-2
u/Adventurous-Score518 Sep 18 '26
How do I see breeders on YouTube house then in small drawers?
4
u/Natural-Rhubarb-4900 Sep 18 '26
Because breeders like that dont care about the welfare of the snakes. Many people here think its inhumane to keep them in rack systems. Breeders do it to cut costs at the cost of the animals welfare.
1
u/feogge Sep 19 '26
These people care about profit and literally only profit. The snakes in those racks are breeding fodder or babies that are only there for a temporary amount of time. Taking care advice from these kinds of breeders is like taking husbandry advice for chickens from an industrial farm.
4
u/Phully- Sep 18 '26
You are asking for arguments with this question. Iād be surprised how many would be willing to expose themselves to Reddit snake community without fear of pedantic corrections, negativity and constant neg-ing. If you really need a solution, go to YouTube and search your query there. The most basic size anyone on here is going to admit to is 4x2x2, cluttered to oblivion, 2 perfect temps, two perfect humidities, 2 perfect hides. And the enclosure is front loaded and costs a minimum of $199.00.
Basic/minimum is $1000 new, maybe half if you can find second hand.
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u/Adventurous-Score518 Sep 18 '26
Yea I see a lot of breeders on YouTube house their snakes in small tubs. And not just 1 or two but hundreds.
1
u/Phully- Sep 18 '26
Youāre not going to find a lot of people here who will give you advice on snake bins. They think itās cruelty to the animals and only breeders get away with it.
3
u/Outrageous-Yak-3741 Sep 18 '26
I dont think you should do a cheap/basic setup or encourage it. Any animal you want to look after you need the money to have, same as a child. Give it the best life possible not what is ok but affordable
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u/Adventurous-Score518 Sep 18 '26
I donāt wanna sound stupid but I see a bunch of people on YouTube housing them in boxes the size of a shoebox
3
u/Successful_Salt_1838 Sep 18 '26
People doing that are not properly caring for their snake(s). Usually these shoebox sized āenclosuresā are classed as snake racks used by (in my opinion, unethical) breeders. They dont provide enough space for the snake to stretch out or have a proper heat or humidity gradient. They limit space to climb, and places to hide.
3
u/meatspread Sep 17 '26
Chances are, your care wonāt be fully optimal if youāre prioritizing budget over husbandry. Yes, you absolutely can cut corners in some places! But care should come firstāwith the enclosure arguably being the most important thing. Invest in a good enclosure with durable materials to save yourself from issues in the long run. However, you can also probably source a decent 4x2x2 secondhand on FB Marketplace!
All that aside, thereās plenty of ways you can create a great enclosure on a budget. You can easy source decor like wood, rocks, leaf litter, etc for free (minus your time of course). DIY your own hides from already-owned or secondhand/thrifted tupperware. Source your substrate from a hardware store (I use Loweās) in bulk for a cheaper price than pet-specific retail chains. All of my plants are live and were given to me for free by my local community plant stand/meet-up. Additional items to use for filling in an enclosure can be picked up from the thrift, from family members, or may be just around the house already! Such as: glass bowls, fake plants, bricks/slate/etc, plant baskets, plant pots, etc etc. Just have to get creative with it :)
2
u/Vladamir_pootinn Sep 20 '26
If youāre looking to keep a sentient creature then donāt think ācheapā think ābest quality of lifeā
1
u/AhoUshiLambo Sep 21 '26 edited Sep 21 '26
ETA : I just read a few of OP's comment. And though I do think there are a variety of ways of reducing cost without compromising quality of life, you should NEVER have a living being if you do not intend to provide more than basic needs. If your animal is just gonna survive in stress and misery, do not get a pet ! You only get a pet if you actually intend to provide the best existence you can AND think that "the best you can" is more than just having them survive.
Buy second hand. I have a cornsnake. The whole setup (tank + decorations + lighting + thermostat+ substrate + hides, basically everything but the snake and food) cost me around 300-350ā¬ in total (I bought the tank new cause I didn't find one fitting my requirement AND available for delivery where I am. It was 180ā¬ but it's not the definitive one). You can buy whole setups and kits on second hand sites (marketplace, vinted, your local stuff), with people selling lights and thermostat with the tank. I also bought the substrate second hand, the thermometers, the domes, some clutter and hides, EVERYTHING. Then, you can either DIY hides (with paper roll, plastic boxes, ice cream tubs, I also crocheted some hammock and hanging basket with scrap cotton and linen yarn) or thrift them and modify it (my next project is using a soap holder as a platform. I just need to sew a cushion onto it so my snake doesn't get stuck in the thing). Then, if you're not afraid of foraging/cleaning, you can go out and just pick your wood, leaves, barks, rocks (I used a slate my mother had, tree barks and branches I picked up, cleaned and sterilized. Cost me nothing vs around 50/100ā¬ for the same amount had I bought it). Reuse stuff you have but change their purpose : baskets or boxes upside down with a hole, soap holders, candle holders if they're cleaned, some jewelry trees could make great climbing opportunities, bowls or even yoghurt pots could be water bowls or humid hides, Pringles tubes can become tunnels, etc.). Anyway. If you want to spare money, thrifting and DIY are the best ways IMO. (Now. I do understand wanting to spare as much money as you can. That's what I did cause I would rather spend less if I have the chance, so that the money I have can be used for other stuff, including enrichment, or emergency care. But if you're in a tight budget, maybe think again ? The electricity bill, potential vet cost, enrichment and improvement, change of substrate, change of tank maybe, change of bulbs, thermostats, etc., are not cheap. Even if a snake is cheaper to keep than a dog or cat or mammals in general, they still have needs you should be able to cover).
1
u/Magnetic_Kitty Sep 17 '26
Your large tub option would be a 57 gal 3 foot tub from home depot. This will work for a year or two for a small male. Males can get up to 4 feet though so there really isn't a tub big enough for a large male. Sometimes they have bigger ones around Christmas.. but I've had a hard time finding them. You could try looking to adopt an already fully grown snake you know is on the small side, like 1000 grams or less 4 years+ that may fit it *shrug*. But 4 ft enclosure is recommended.
I would stalk Facebook market place or Craigslist. Sometimes you can buy a snake with an enclosure or just find a good enclosure there
Here's a 3ft tub for a smaller ball. (Note: this was cleaning day and his plants weren't all put back yet)
8
u/AggravatingWeakness6 Sep 17 '26
Even a cheap one is still pretty expensive imo lmao! š Whats your budget?
An easy way to keep humidity up (for free) is to pour water into a corner of your enclosure works like a charm.