Is a heat lamp necessary?

[Zlo98]

I am picking up my ball python later this week and have just finished setting up its cage. The temperatures are all perfect without a heat lamp but I am worried about my parents changing the temperature of the house and making my room to cold. However I dont want to constantly have to check on the heat lamp to make sure that I am not frying my snake. What do you guys like and dislike about heat lamps and do you think I need one or not?

[tembii]

I suuuper think you should get a lamp. Even if the ambient temperature is correct your scaley pal will need a hot spot to bask! I use an infrared bulb that's 100 watts. Exoterra brand. What I like about is it makes a perfect hot spot and it keeps the rest of the viv at a gradient from warm side to cool side and seeing Louie thermoregulate from his basking spot to his hide in the cool side so I know he can pick how warm it cool be wants to be. Also I keep some moss and cypress mulch in the warmer side and mist it to help keep humidity levels proper!! xx

[ballpythonsrock2]

I am picking up my ball python later this week and have just finished setting up its cage. The temperatures are all perfect without a heat lamp but I am worried about my parents changing the temperature of the house and making my room to cold. However I dont want to constantly have to check on the heat lamp to make sure that I am not frying my snake. What do you guys like and dislike about heat lamps and do you think I need one or not?

If you don't want to have to keep checking then you can get a thermostat which cuts the power off to the heat bulb or an Under Tank Heater ( UTH ) at the temperatures that you set. Refer to care sheets for correct temperatures. Some more advanced breeders and keepers use a heat tape with thermostats in racks. And I think there are even more advanced heating methods that I couldn't explain. I just know a little bit about the bulbs and UTH's I personally like the heat bulbs day type and night type with a 12/12 timer. I change watts according to the room temp. I have 50 watt, 75 watt and 100 day bulbs with a 40 gal I mostly use the 50watt and 75watt. Never used the 100 yet, haven't needed too. But it is summer and I have to watch the room AC too. I keep it low and comfortable, about 80.
At night I use the blue light heat bulbs. 25,50 and 75 watt I could use a thermostat, but I don't and probably should, but instead I just measure temperature's often and select the best watt bulb.

[Zlo98]

Alright thanks! I think I'll get one and just have my dad let me know whenever he changes the A/C. I also usually like a fan on at night so a heat lamp would probably make sense

[Monty's_Mom]

A cheap digital thermometer that shows the highest and lowest temperatures it measures while it is on is helpful to have, so you know what the tank temps are when you are away or sleeping.

[Zlo98]

If I got a ceramic bulb could I use that for both day and night or would I still need a night bulb?

[Monty's_Mom]

A ceramic bulb will work well. Ball pythons don't need a day/night cycle.

[Zlo98]

Alright. Thank you so much for the help! I just got my yet to be named ball yesterday so I want to make sure everything is perfect for him

[ballpythonsrock2]

A cheap digital thermometer that shows the highest and lowest temperatures it measures while it is on is helpful to have, so you know what the tank temps are when you are away or sleeping.

After reading your suggestion and hearing from many others I finally picked one up at Petsmart. It is a All Living Things Digital brand thermometer and hygrometer it wasn't expensive at all 20.99 so thanks for the suggestion. Don't know if it will give me past readings but it will give me at least accurate present readings. I had 2 of the cheap type stick-on which having 2 put me in the ball park but now I have something a lot better to help me with temps and humidity. I got the same brand climbing branch to give my girl something to climb on, rather than them cheap sticky's. Any suggestions from folks here about the placing of the main part and the placing of the probes? Warm end, cool end, in the middle?

[JoshSloane]

Just one thing to think about is that heat lamps do not work well with thermostats. The process of constantly going off and on is going to burn that bulb out very quickly. Some heat bulbs wont even turn back on for a period of time after they have been shut off.

You can however put the bulb on a lamp dimmer.