new tank...and shedding

doria · #1 (**permalink**) 11-12-2002, 07:22 PM

i jut got a new 40g tank for my BCC (she isnt much bigger than 2.5 feet) and she seems to love it. my question is since i just moved her over to the bigger tank i havent been able to go get her carpet yet (i am a poor college student) so i just put down newspaper. she has taken it upon herself to hide under the paper all day. will this effect the shedding process at all? i am afraid she wont get the humidity she needs or the warmth she needs...

JuliusSqueezer · #2 (**permalink**) 11-12-2002, 08:38 PM

Boas love to burrow. Carpet doesn't allow for this. Newspaper somewhat does. Just make sure she has hides on both the cool side and the warm sid of the cage that are just her size so she has choices of where to go to hide. Neither carpet nor newspaper really help hold humidity well anyway without being too damp. But there are many good points to both sides of the newspaper v/s natural loose substrate debate so I won't try and push my preferences. LOL...but anyway...if ya want her to spend less time under the newspaper....put in some low lying silk plants like wadded pieces of silk ivy. Baby boas just do not feel secure being in open spaces and since the new cage is a bit large for her....you have to clutter it up a lot to give her not only secure hides...but secure ground cover to get from location to location without having to cross a large open space.
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skadiwolf · #3 (**permalink**) 11-12-2002, 08:43 PM

say, what's a good tank size for about a 4ft long bcc?

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JuliusSqueezer · #4 (**permalink**) 11-12-2002, 10:34 PM

Ideal size would be something along the size of a tropic rainforest in suriname....but realistically for you...a minimum would be 1 sq feet of floor space per linear foot of snake. It doesn't make sense though to buy or build a cage at the minimum size for a snake that will grow every day of it's life ..... anyway...a 55 gallon tank or 40 breeder would be your snake's minimum. a 4x2 cage would last a bit longer good for up to 8 feet of snake. 6x2 would house up to 12 feet of snake. 6x3 would be more than plenty for any boa.

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Dr.Oviparous · #5 (**permalink**) 11-14-2002, 09:23 AM

IMO 40 breeder is a much better size vs. 55 gal for non-arboreal species. I've always felt that 55g is a waste of space for ground dwellers. They are big, but most of the space is vertical. For a boa you really need more floor space. I would go with the 40. But more economically, I would go with something even larger, like 75 gal. It'll save $$ in the long run. -Juggalo
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skadiwolf · #6 (**permalink**) 11-14-2002, 04:25 PM

personally, i purchased a 90 gallon tank for my youngest guyana male who's about 2.5ft. he loves it. has plenty of ground space and in addition he loves to climb. one of his favorite spots is a perch on a very large branch i got at a reptile show. if you can end up going to a reptile show you'll spend about half as much money on tanks, branches, etc. as you would normally. it is WELL worth a trip out of your way. i had previously purchased a 40g breeder tank which cost me $90. at the show, i got a 90g tank and it cost me...$90. [img]modules/Forum/images/smiles/icon_smile.gif[/img] you can BET i was ticked off! lol! i could've saved sooOo much. i made a 3hr drive to get the 90g at the SC show and it was worth every drop of gas. [img]modules/Forum/images/smiles/icon_smile.gif[/img]

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