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  1. #1
    Registered User Worlds's Avatar
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    Smile Newbie ball owner supplies question

    So, after a lot of work convincing my mom who's terrified of mice to let me own a snake that I've been begging for since I was 8 years old I finally got her to agree! Woo! So many times I had to tell her that she wouldn't even see them.. haha. So, over the past month I've been trying to prepare, reading tons and tons of guides, information on care, feeding, temperature ect. ect. ect. I've read so many forum posts on this forum, and so many guides and opinions from people that I'm at a point of confusion.. I at this point know all the basics but I really need help in finding out what SPECIFIC supplies to buy, and some general questions on how certain things work.

    I'll try to be as detailed as possible but if I need to include anything else for you to give me an accurate answer please let me know.

    1. I live in Florida, and it's quite hot and humid since I live right nearby the beach. On an average day it normally ranges in the 90's on heat and it can be pretty hot in my room on some days, so I don't know if that should play a part in what I set my temperatures to in the rub, so if anyone could direct me there that would be awesome.

    2. From personal experience I'd like to know of specific brands of Heating pads that work well for a Ball. I've seen lots of recommendations but some have lead me to things like Zoo med.. which have dreadful reviews. And some lead me to others that have iffy reviews.. I've yet to find anything that is actually set in stone good online. Links would be awesome but just a name should be fine.

    3. I'd also like to know what things to gauge the heat and humidity I should be buying. People have said that the cheaper stuff will do the job fine but they aren't as reliable. I've seen people say I need thermostats, digital thermometers, hygrometers and more so some concrete information on the bare bones of what I need, and how I'd need to set it up and put it in my rub is what I need to know! My parents are okay with spending money, but I don't wanna break the bank and come to them telling them I'm going to be spending $500 for all the supplies I need for my snake on top of the snake price and my mom end up changing her mind because it's already on thin ice, so extremely expensive options are really not an option for me and I'd prefer to stick on the cheaper side if possible, but if I absolutely need something expensive to keep my snake in good health please inform me, because if so and my parent's aren't okay with it I'd much rather pass up on this chance than have a poor little snake that doesn't have what it needs in it's new loving home.

    4. I plan on using 2 of those black plastic hides since they look perfect for a snug fit so he feels secure and not one of those logs or rock hides, and newspaper since it seems like the easiest to clean. So because of this I don't really know what I can do to put in the cage to help with shedding.. or if I even need something for that since only half of people even recommend it in care guides. I've seen some rocky water bowls and I think that might do the job so I'd just like to know what I might need for that or if a rocky water bowl will do the trick.

    5. I don't know if there are any places that carry rats nearby so I think it'd be best to buy mice in bulk, there are plenty of petco's and places of that sort but on their websites they dont seem to supply rodent food, only the snakes.. how do they feed them even?.. lol, anyways was wondering if LLLReptile is a reputable place to buy mice in bulk or if I should look elsewhere, their supply and recommendation of zoo med stuff scared me away a bit since they are so badly reviewed. Also, on the subject of mice in bulk, for a young ball python, 5 gram fuzzy mice should be fine for the first 50 meals correct? I'm fairly certain but just because I'm here asking questions, might as well know for certain from someone of knowledge.

    Sorry for the wall of text!
    Thank you to anyone who takes the time to help out this newbie I'd appreciate it soooo much! <3

  2. #2
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    Ok so ill start with food DONT feed mice especially from the likes of petco or petsmart lol my smallest is only 80 grams and she eats rat pups most out the egg can eat pups 5 grams is way small you want at least 15-20 gram food. Rats are also much more nutrient rich you can buy frozen rat pups and crawlers online and i know for a fact in Fl there are a ton of breeders and they can point you towards a reliable breeder. As for temps yes you want a thermostat and thermometer im not using anything fancy so dont worry about the herpistats if you cant afford them im running 3 zoomed's 35$ each lol
    Last edited by zachbinger; 08-29-2014 at 11:24 PM.

  3. #3
    BPnet Veteran martin82531's Avatar
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    1) Best thing you can do is have the proper gauges to measure temperatures and humidity so once you have your setup you can see what needs to be dialed in.

    2) I have used both THG heat tape and ZooMed UTH heaters, both have worked fine for me.

    3) Regardless of what you use to heat you tank, thermostats are not optional but are required, no if and's or buts.

    4) Link below for the water dish(s) that I use.

    5) Link below for where I purchase my frozen rats also a feeding chart for reference.


    Links:

    Heating:
    http://www.reptilebasics.com/heat-tape
    http://www.zoomed.com/ (once on the website search "UTH")

    Thermostats:
    http://www.spyderrobotics.com/
    http://www.amazon.com/Hydrofarm-MTPR...ords=hydrofarm (this is a popular one one the low end scale for price)

    Waterdish:
    http://www.amazon.com/Ethical-2-Inch...X8160YFPHAGCVN (different sizes are available)

    Frozen Rats:
    http://www.laynelabs.com/

    Thermometers:
    http://www.reptilebasics.com/thermometers
    http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...?ie=UTF8&psc=1
    http://www.amazon.com/Chaney-Instrum...ywords=AcuRite



    Please keep in mind, there are other options out there besides the links that I have provided, these are just ones that I have purchased personally and have success with.

    Last edited by martin82531; 08-29-2014 at 11:30 PM.
    0.0.1 Normal Ball Python
    1.0 Albino Ball Python
    0.1 Het Snow BCI
    1.0 Lesser Ball Python

  4. The Following 2 Users Say Thank You to martin82531 For This Useful Post:

    polito (09-01-2014),Worlds (08-30-2014)

  5. #4
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    Re: Newbie ball owner supplies question


  6. #5
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    Re: Newbie ball owner supplies question

    There is a place here in pa call that pet place they have the best prices on equipment i got 2 30 gal uth for 36$ so look them up too youll pay less in the long run and their herp staff is great highly trained and knowledgeable in fact most keep and breed themselves

  7. #6
    BPnet Lifer Eric Alan's Avatar
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    Re: Newbie ball owner supplies question

    Here we go - seatbelts on, everyone!

    Quote Originally Posted by Worlds View Post
    1. I live in Florida, and it's quite hot and humid since I live right nearby the beach. On an average day it normally ranges in the 90's on heat and it can be pretty hot in my room on some days, so I don't know if that should play a part in what I set my temperatures to in the rub, so if anyone could direct me there that would be awesome.
    You'll need a way to control ambient temp if it gets too warm or too cool (under 75 or over 90). High 70s to low 80s are good if you can keep it in that range.

    Quote Originally Posted by Worlds View Post
    2. From personal experience I'd like to know of specific brands of Heating pads that work well for a Ball. I've seen lots of recommendations but some have lead me to things like Zoo med.. which have dreadful reviews. And some lead me to others that have iffy reviews.. I've yet to find anything that is actually set in stone good online. Links would be awesome but just a name should be fine.
    The brand of heat pad is less important than how you control it (more on that to follow). Zoo Med is one of the ones that many have easy access to and can be used effectively. The bad reviews are probably from people not using them correctly.

    Quote Originally Posted by Worlds View Post
    3. I'd also like to know what things to gauge the heat and humidity I should be buying. People have said that the cheaper stuff will do the job fine but they aren't as reliable. I've seen people say I need thermostats, digital thermometers, hygrometers and more so some concrete information on the bare bones of what I need, and how I'd need to set it up and put it in my rub is what I need to know! My parents are okay with spending money, but I don't wanna break the bank and come to them telling them I'm going to be spending $500 for all the supplies I need for my snake on top of the snake price and my mom end up changing her mind because it's already on thin ice, so extremely expensive options are really not an option for me and I'd prefer to stick on the cheaper side if possible, but if I absolutely need something expensive to keep my snake in good health please inform me, because if so and my parent's aren't okay with it I'd much rather pass up on this chance than have a poor little snake that doesn't have what it needs in it's new loving home.
    The single most important piece of equipment that's critical to invest in (read: spend more here and be more budget minded in other areas) is a thermostat. Not a thermometer that tells you the temperature - a thermostat that controls the temperature of your heat pad. Here is a good quality thermostat that will let you sleep comfortably knowing your BP is well taken care of: http://spyderrobotics.com/products/herpstat1Basic.html. A nice thermometer/hygrometer is something similar to this: http://www.amazon.com/Chaney-Instrum...ywords=acurite. It will give you two temperature readings (one for your hot spot, one for ambient) and also display the humidity.

    Quote Originally Posted by Worlds View Post
    4. I plan on using 2 of those black plastic hides since they look perfect for a snug fit so he feels secure and not one of those logs or rock hides, and newspaper since it seems like the easiest to clean. So because of this I don't really know what I can do to put in the cage to help with shedding.. or if I even need something for that since only half of people even recommend it in care guides. I've seen some rocky water bowls and I think that might do the job so I'd just like to know what I might need for that or if a rocky water bowl will do the trick.
    They will be able to shed just fine without having to consider a rough surface to do so. Mine are in tubs with paper towel style liners for substrate and ceramic crocks for water and shed no problem. As long as your humidity is where it should be, they'll take care of themselves.

    Quote Originally Posted by Worlds View Post
    5. I don't know if there are any places that carry rats nearby so I think it'd be best to buy mice in bulk, there are plenty of petco's and places of that sort but on their websites they dont seem to supply rodent food, only the snakes.. how do they feed them even?.. lol, anyways was wondering if LLLReptile is a reputable place to buy mice in bulk or if I should look elsewhere, their supply and recommendation of zoo med stuff scared me away a bit since they are so badly reviewed. Also, on the subject of mice in bulk, for a young ball python, 5 gram fuzzy mice should be fine for the first 50 meals correct? I'm fairly certain but just because I'm here asking questions, might as well know for certain from someone of knowledge.
    5 gram fuzzy mice aren't even big enough for a first meal in most cases. Most hatchling BPs are large enough to take fuzzy rats in the 10 gram range every 4 days and move up rat sizes pretty quickly from there. Buying in bulk is good, but don't buy a ton of the small sizes since you likely won't be needing them for long. Since you're in Florida, here's a great place to order from: http://www.perfectprey.com/frozen-rats/. A pack of 25 fuzzies and a pack of 25 pups would be a good first order and last you several months.

    Quote Originally Posted by Worlds View Post
    Sorry for the wall of text!
    Thank you to anyone who takes the time to help out this newbie I'd appreciate it soooo much! <3
    No need to apologize! We all started somewhere, and I'm glad that you're asking questions before taking a little worm home with you and flying by the seat of your pants.
    Find me on Facebook: E.B. Ball Pythons and Instagram: @EBBallPythons

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  9. #7
    Registered User Worlds's Avatar
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    Thumbs up Re: Newbie ball owner supplies question

    Quote Originally Posted by martin82531 View Post
    .
    Quote Originally Posted by Eric Alan View Post
    .

    Thank you both very very much. The links helped with what I should be getting a lot and http://www.perfectprey.com/frozen-rats/ looks perfect.
    Also I apologize for the food mess up I was only reading food information on one site since it's one of the last things I did research on, and because the information was so conflicting I went back to check and it turns out I was looking at graphs for the wrong species of snake. I must of got there on accident since I found the website from a different page on ball python care Wooops! x_X

    I appreciate the detailed help! Now I feel like I know everything I need to, to get started.
    I'm glad there are places like this online with nice passionate people, that can help out new comers into this sorta stuff.

  10. #8
    BPnet Senior Member AlexisFitzy's Avatar
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    Newbie ball owner supplies question

    Also http://www.southfloridarodents.com
    This place is a great rodent supplier that's in Florida as well


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
    Last edited by AlexisFitzy; 08-30-2014 at 02:18 PM.

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