• Hello!

    Either you have not registered on this site yet, or you are registered but have not logged in. In either case, you will not be able to use the full functionality of this site until you have registered, and then logged in after your registration has been approved.

    Registration is FREE, so please register so you can participate instead of remaining a lurker....

    Please be certain that the location field is correctly filled out when you register. All registrations that appear to be bogus will be rejected. Which means that if your location field does NOT match the actual location of your registration IP address, then your registration will be rejected.

    Sorry about the strictness of this requirement, but it is necessary to block spammers and scammers at the door as much as possible.

Pet ideas for twenty gallon?

R

rocketshipwalker

New member
I've recently decided I'm going to upgrade Strider to a forty gallon tank and that means I'll have a spare twenty gallon long with a uth and everything.

Are there any reptiles you guys can recommend for a twenty gallon?
Preferably one that needs a uth on one side similar to a corn snake?

I've thought about just getting a new corn snake baby, but I think I'd like something a little slower. Strider is just a super fast snake, so it's hard to just sit still and hold him.
I wouldn't mind having a lazier snake that I can just sit next to me without it slithering away as fast as it can. Haha

I've also thought about getting a bigger snake? Like a red tail boa or a brazilian rainbow boa, but I think I remember reading that it's not recommended for them to be in tanks. So, not even as a temporary tank for a baby?

Ball pythons are also an option. Would they be okay in a twenty gallon for a while? And would they need a uth as well?

I'm also quite fond of hognose, but I've heard that they're picky eaters and I don't know if I'd want to deal with that for my second snake. Maybe in the future, when I'm more experienced. Strider is a perfect eater, so I've never had to deal with any problems before.

I'm also open to different reptiles, but I prefer snakes.
 
Red tails and BP's would be fine starting out in a 20, and both are generally "lazier" than corns, for sure. Glass tanks are generally not recommended because it's harder to maintain proper temps and humidity. RTB's are an absolute joy to handle. After about 18 mo. the red tail will probably outgrow the 20. Generally, male RTB's will stay smaller than females, but we're still talking 6-7 feet. Then for his forever home, you could go with an Animal Plastics T8, which will cost you about $250 delivered, not much more than a 40g critter cage from Petco, but MUCH nicer, easier to clean, and better for the animal. If you went with a rainbow boa, you'd probably want a PVC cage also, since they need very high humidity (although you might be okay in FL). Just do plenty of research, whatever you decide :)
 
Thanks for the info!

RTB's are probably one of the snakes I want the most. I didn't even know about the Animal Plastics cages. I'll have to look more into those.
 
I prefer AP, but just to be fair, Boaphile and Boa Master, also make PVC cages.
 
If you like boas, but the typical red tails get too big, check out some of the smaller types, like those from Central American or Hogg Island.

I never had a problem with too little humidity in Florida, lol! Even in the a/c with extra heat on the cage, it never dried out so much that a little bigger water bowl didn't counteract any dryness problems. And the winters were never so cold that keeping warm temps in glass or Rubbermaid type cages was difficult. I even kept Amazon tree boas in screen cages in Florida, outside on the screen porch much of the year. Very few places in the US have a climate that allows that. However, I have found that keeping boas in Florida let me think I could get away with little or no extra heat. One of the first boas I kept came down with a respiratory infection because of it. They are not like corns - they can't take chilly temps without a way to warm up someplace in the cage. I always used UTH for them after that.
 
Rosy boas

What about a Rosy boa? They're slow, will fit just fine in a 20 gal, comes in different morphs and fairly hardy snakes.

Another one of my favorites are house snakes.
 
I second rosy boas, I love mine :)

Also you could go for a sand boa if you want a cool looking snake. The females get to be a good size and the males stay tiny. They're pretty good cuddle snakes IMO.

A baby ball python would do fine in a 20 gal for a while. BPs are not very active snakes, but I do see mine out and about exploring his cage at night sometimes. And I love cuddling with mine!

I haven't had a RTB but I know someone with a couple and I really like them. They are more active then a ball python but not as explorative as a corn snake. I would say they are a good fusion of a ball python and corn snake, but of course they get quite a bit bigger.

One thing to consider is if you do get a larger snake like a ball python or a red tail boa they will eventually need larger sized prey items like rats and such, but on the other hand once they are full grown they often don't need as frequent of meals as corn snakes and other small colubrids need.
 
I vote for a rosy boa. In fact, I plan on re-purposing my 20L for a rosy when I get more space. And with all the different variations (not sure if they're called morphs for rosies?) it's almost impossible to no be able to find one you like aesthetically.

I would also like to second Kathy's suggestion of central american or hogg island boa options. The hogg islands are very similar to their cousins in appearance and behavior, yet don't get as big in length and girth. A great option for someone who likes the thought of a BCI or BCC but doesn't have the room for one.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top