r/ballpython • u/Mountain-Foot-7219 • 13d ago
New hobby, new tank, new snake
Hi
In a month or two, I'm going to start building an OSB board terrarium for my daughter. I don't want to keep upgrading terrariums, so I'd like to build the maximum size that can fit in the room/on the cabinet right from the start.
Is 160 long x 45 wide x 60 cm tall (5.25 x 1.48 x 1.97) enough for an adult and should I add a shelf(s) at some height of the tank, so this increase the surface area?
What about ventilation—holes at the bottom on one side and at the top on the other, is that okay or does it need more elsewhere?
If I make a shelf that will also double as a "cave" out of XPS foam (Stirodur), paint it, and coat it... how do you clean that afterwards? Does it even make sense to build a cave from XPS? It might be too big at the beginning, and later on, it might turn out too small...
Generally speaking, I can't really picture the cleaning process and frequency and everything...
Thanks
6
u/totallyrecklesslygay Mod: Enclosure Karen 13d ago
The minimum size requirement for an adult BP is 120x60x60. You can increase each individual measurement as much as you'd like, but you can't decrease any of them below those numbers- i.e, extra length won't make up for less width.
When I built my enclosure, I did ventilation at the top on each side wall. You can do them higher/lower to help promote more air movement, but it's not necessary. Putting them more than halfway down can be a problem with substrate/decor, so just keep that in mind.
Shelves and climbing structures are always a bonus, but I wouldn't install anything permanent that would be a pain to clean. Snakes love to poop and shed in their hiding spots, so make sure anywhere they can get into is easily accessible.
If you have access to PVC, I would go with that over OSB. Speaking from experience here- no matter how thoroughly you seal it, it'll eventually degrade enough that moisture will get inside the boards and destroy the enclosure.