ok,well if you were planning on buying a baby royal what set up would you go for and why? for example what bulb/ceramics would you use? what size viv? what thermostat?

If it's a hathcling I'd use a 9L really useful box (heated with a heatmat on a stat) then move it up to maybe an 18L when it's grown a bit. And then into a proper viv.
Royals like to feel enclosed and secure - if you put a baby royal in a large viv you're likely to have feeding issues - so best to start with something small then increase the size as the snake grows.

When it's older, a 36"Lx24"Dx18"H would be enough for a good size adult, you could get away with a smaller viv for most royals - I have mine in a 33Lx18Dx15H.
You'd need to have heat 24/7 so the best thing would be a ceramic heater on a pulse proportional stat - heat mats aren't powerful enough to heat the whole viv, a ceramic will do this easily. A 100w ceramic would be the one for the above size viv.

when i got my royal as a hatchling it put it in a faurnarium with a heatmat,its now about three feet long and one year old and is in a 4x2x2 foot viv, heat is supplied by a red heatbulb on a dimmerstat during the day and a heatmat covering 1/3 of the floor is on 24/7, the bulb was on 24/7 for a while but she stopped feeding so i changed it back to how it was originally, she feeds well and sheds 100% every time.

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Baby girl born 7-04-08
My Reptiles1.2 Royal Pythons 0.1 BCI
1.0 cornsnake
1.0.1 Bearded Dragons InvertsSAF L parahybanaAF G roseaAF A semanniP regalisH lividum3 B albopilosum slingsN coloratovilosumG aureostriataMaraca horridaWantedPython brongersmaiGTPDogStaff bitch Puppy

4x2x2 is far to large for a royal python. Even such large like my own (heading up 2 5 feet) Shes ina 4x1x1. And thats to large for her. Royal pythons prefer a smaller vivarium like many snakes. They are shy snakes that like to hide. And feel secure in smaller areas.

Personally i wouldnt bother with lamps. I use heat mats and they work fine for me. As for a 12 hour cycle, the sun light from window should do this for you. Or as what i do, I have UV bulbs. Purely for presentation of the vivariums. My thread of my royals vivarium is below in "habitat" topic

size doesnt matter , if its feeding and shedding then its fine :wink:

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0.1 carpet python
0.1 irian jaya carpet python
0.1 jungle carpet python

thanks Dave

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Baby girl born 7-04-08
My Reptiles1.2 Royal Pythons 0.1 BCI
1.0 cornsnake
1.0.1 Bearded Dragons InvertsSAF L parahybanaAF G roseaAF A semanniP regalisH lividum3 B albopilosum slingsN coloratovilosumG aureostriataMaraca horridaWantedPython brongersmaiGTPDogStaff bitch Puppy