age and hello

[PythonKaa]

I just got my first Ball Python he (we assume it is a he cause it has spurs but dont care either way) is about 19 inches long and the pet shop says he is 6 months to 1 year... does that sound right?
I also have to say I am hooked, I think my boyfriend is sorta too... Kaa is great! i have had him for about 2 weeks now and he has just slithered his way into my heart! As I am typing now he is sitting in my lap and crawling all over the computer/mouse area. lol he is just so accepting of things... My boyfriend and I put him in my 18 month old daughters hands today (with close observation) he didnt even ball up and he has never acted like he was going to bite... He even lets me pet his head!!
I do have to say as a family we had a ruff start... I brought him home with a 10 gal aquarium from Wallies it happened to have a plastic top! Ironicly we couldnt put a warming lamp directly on the tank so after about 3 days returning things to pet zoo and another $165 on a preset up for a snake i finally got the tank together... But humidity and temp was a problem for my new 20 gal tank... much reading and a few days later I have come to my final set up, a substrate of half Eco earth with douglas fir over the whole tank a hide with moss and a heat lamp and UTH. I just thought I would also say hello and tell a little of my story!

[Dave763]

Thats how it started...one, then two...

Welcome, lots of good people and good info here.

I think cypress may be a better choice for a substrate in a display setup. Holds humidity well and is resistant to mold.

I don't have any experience with the stuff you're using. I have read that pine should not be used.

[Ranegyr]

Welcome to the addiction.

Every few months i spend my savings on more snake stuff. it's a vicious cycle.

I agree with Dave, you should try Aspen for your substrate. That ego bark stuff looks cool, but it gave me a heck of a time. One summer a few years ago i was having humidity problems. So i started misting the tank. fixed the humidity. When i cleaned the tank after a week, i found silverfish all under the bark. i'll never use it again.

[gmcclurelssu]

well it looks like your on your way to a pretty good setup. the eco-earth shredded coconut fiber material is really good, but i'm not sure about the douglas fir. when in doubt, i'd say go with something like sphagnum moss. also, if you don't have that UTH on a thermostat or at least a dimmer switch, i would get one. as i'm sure you have read, those things can easily burn a snake if they are not controlled properly.

other than that, you should be just fine

[PythonKaa]

Thanks... and i dont have a thermostat yet... I always thought when people talk about thermostats they were talking about the heat lamp. I have about 1 inch of the Eco earth over top of the heat pad. See i live in AK so the winter it is supper dry so i figured if i put a wet substrate over top and under a heater then it would slowly evaporate and create more humidity for the snake... The douglas fir was what the pet store suggested. I kinda like it because i can see the poop fairly well.
What are "silver fish"?
I was wondering i have read that i should clean the tank monthly is that correct as long as i clean the poop out?

[Ranegyr]

Thanks... and i dont have a thermostat yet... I always thought when people talk about thermostats they were talking about the heat lamp. I have about 1 inch of the Eco earth over top of the heat pad. See i live in AK so the winter it is supper dry so i figured if i put a wet substrate over top and under a heater then it would slowly evaporate and create more humidity for the snake... The douglas fir was what the pet store suggested. I kinda like it because i can see the poop fairly well.
What are "silver fish"?
I was wondering i have read that i should clean the tank monthly is that correct as long as i clean the poop out?

google silver fish. i think they are like centipedes but they live in warm and moist climates. i see them on the sea walls here in florida. they really creep me out cause they move fast like roaches. i was super ticked off when i found them in the tank. i lived a block from the gulf at the time, so they were everywhere anyway. i just never expected to see them in the tank. i clean my tank every 2-3 weeks now and check for anything abnormal, everyday!

[PythonKaa]

lol thanks... tho here in Alaska we dont "naturally" have snakes, roaches, or any of those pesky little bugs that are in the States. We do have a million Skeeters in the summer and spiders... I will look them up and keep an eye out for anything else that may be moving in the tank!