The problem with a tank is the screen top  the heat  just rises out of the top.  I always  put a towel over like 80%  of the screen top  on the heat side to hold in the heat

I just started in BP's this time last year, and started with glass tanks, as I am sure most people do.  The roller coaster ride of temps and humidity are enough to drive you crazy,  At one point I had four 20 longs set up, with special modified tops I made and humidity being pumped in every hour.  It worked but to much time was wasted with upkeep.  After I built my first rack I was hooked.  Temps and humidity stayed steady, and to me, it just made everything easier.  Before tups, I had shedding issues with stuck skin and eye cap retention, now all full sheds.  So, to me, tubs for life.

I use glass, and love it i have a plexiglass sheet covering about 60 percent mist it once a day and everything stays perfect and it looks great. Once you start getting a collection going glass is hard to keep up with

Tubs are used by the majority of keepers for a reason. Easier, cheaper, and a better controlled environment. I've never used glass fishtanks for anything but fish.

There's nothing wrong with a tank, but I think tubs are the best!

Tanks work best when you can regulate the room temps consistently.  If the room temps fluctuate outside the desired ranges, then you are better off with tubs.  It isn't just the open top - glass has almost no insulation properties and the heat is lost in all directions.

There is always the thrid option of plastic, front-opening cages like visions, boaphiles, animal plastics, etc.  That way, you'll still be able to see your animal and have better control over temps and humidity.  They will also probably feel more secure in one of these than in a glass tank.

+1 Skelegirl

Tubs in a rack system are great for keeping a large number of snakes in a small space, and they make it easier to keep temps and humidity in the proper range than glass fish tanks do.

But if you just have the one snake, and you want an enclosure that will look NICE while being functional, then I highly recommend a cage from Boaphile Plastics.

I have a stack of 4 of them for my boas, and I absolutely LOVE them.  Temps and humidity are easy to regulate, cleaning is a breeze, they're lightweight but durable, they're made from the best materials, the craftsmanship is top-notch, and they look fantastic!  I can't rave about Boaphile products enough.

If you're interested in looking into a Boaphile cage for your female ball python, I would recommend the 321D, pictured here:  http://www.boaphileplastics.com/321d.html

What form of heating do you have right now?  If you like her setup and don't want to change right now this will work. 

If UTH, then add a infra red heat light 75 watt, anything more will make it too warm.  Set over screen on her warm end.  If no UTH and only infra red heat light,  add a UTH on warm side.  And I covered the cool side of her tank(a little more than 1/ 2 of the screen)  with foil and put black poster board over the foil. 

I had same problem and did several things to get it regulated and When I used both together it kept her exactly at 90 on warm side and cool side stayed 82.  Never changed more than a degree or two. 

I personally prefer the tubs, as ugly as they may be, my balls seem to do better personality-wise when they have their own privacy. I made my own rack for tubs for under $100.

I'd just like to add that one tub alone probably won't do any better than a glass tank. The best thing about racks is that they help regulate the temperature. If you have a tub not in  a rack, the same does not apply.

I also second the boaphile cages, they look AMAZING and manage temps and humidity much better than a glass tank.

Thanks for all the answers guys. I really appreciate ya'll's input very much. The Boaphile Plastics cage looks amazing but unfortunately I'm running on a tight budget. I just had to order a new thermostat as the crappy rheostat (hubby can't read and thought he was getting a thermostat) I have turned stupid this morning. Dang thing wouldn't let me turn it off. (I think the knob is broken inside.) *sigh* If it's not one thing it's something else, or so it seems.