Got a blood but..

[MikeV]

Hey. I got my blood python yesterday but cant take pics cause she wont come out of her hide,

The Zoomed heat pad I got is malfunctioning, and I DID NOT remove it once it was stuck on.

The heat pad wont even raise the ambient temp at all... And the repti carpet I have is not even getting warm.

Also.. Im concerned about my digital thermometers. They are not putting up real time temp changes. Like every few minutes or whatever they just switch.

they dont show real time temp changes at all.... Should I be concerned that these thermometers aren't working either?

[dr del]

Hi,

I can't speak to the blood python bits as I have never kept one. But I can maybe help with the equipment questions?

We generally do not use the adhesive on the heatmats themselves to attatch them as it makes removing them etc a right royal pain in the rear - we normally just stick them to the outside bottom of the tank with foil tape. Foil tape is also what we recommend to stick the thermostat probe to the surface of the heat mat before doing this.

Heat mats do not raise ambient air temps at all.

The temps you want for a blood should not feel hot to your hand in any case - what do the thermometers tell you the temp is?

What are you using to control the heat mat? Have you checked it is working (using a lamp for example ) and have you tried plugging the heat mat directly into the wall to see if it is working (not while the snake is in there obviously ).

Thermometers do indeed have a "refresh rate" - it's generally under 30 seconds or so though rather than a couple of minutes. But either way when making changes to thermostats etc you need to wait at least an hour most of the time ( and often far longer ) for the temps to stabilise.

This is why people like temp guns - they are prety much point and shoot for instantaneous temps. That and they are amazing fun to chase cats with.


dr del

[MikeV]

Hi,

I can't speak to the blood python bits as I have never kept one. But I can maybe help with the equipment questions?

We generally do not use the adhesive on the heatmats themselves to attatch them as it makes removing them etc a right royal pain in the rear - we normally just stick them to the outside bottom of the tank with foil tape. Foil tape is also what we recommend to stick the thermostat probe to the surface of the heat mat before doing this.

Heat mats do not raise ambient air temps at all.

The temps you want for a blood should not feel hot to your hand in any case - what do the thermometers tell you the temp is?

What are you using to control the heat mat? Have you checked it is working (using a lamp for example ) and have you tried plugging the heat mat directly into the wall to see if it is working (not while the snake is in there obviously ).

Thermometers do indeed have a "refresh rate" - it's generally under 30 seconds or so though rather than a couple of minutes. But either way when making changes to thermostats etc you need to wait at least an hour most of the time ( and often far longer ) for the temps to stabilise.

This is why people like temp guns - they are prety much point and shoot for instantaneous temps. That and they are amazing fun to chase cats with.


dr del

Hey. Yeah about the heat mat.. lol too late :'( I put it on last night with the sticky side. O well.. Ill just work 4 hours and buy a new one in a little while. For now it is okay

The heat on the ground feels WARM to my hand, not hot though. And the thermometer with probe only got to 95 - 96 on the hot side which I think is fine (people say for bloods 90 - 95 so thats right(?) )

As for controling the heat mat, I am currently NOT using my thermostat. the reason for this is that it only lets it get to 108F and at that temp the probed thermometer wasn't even reading above 87 on the hot side. So I took it off and now the heat mat is at...


113F and its reading 90 - 96 and feels warm to touch.

The cool side air temp is 79 - 85 (at this moment 83) and the ground is 81 - 85

Hot side air temp is 85 right now but has hit 88 before. Ground temp is 90 - 96 in certain spots and 80 - 86 in others.

Humidity is 65 - 70 all through the enclosure.

Also note that I have had the lid and moist towel off the tank for 30 mins now so ambiet air is a little lower.


about checking the heat pad to see if its working, it is but just not like I thought it would. It isnt really putting the entire hot side above 90... i thought it would put the entire hot side above 90 but i guess i was wrong

Also!!!! lol where can I get a temp gun?

I have a Walmart, Pet Paradise, Northern Reptile, Canadian Tire, Home depot Costco ect around me, any of these places sell them?

[2kdime]

Why didnt you have an environment setup and running for a week or so BEFORE you brought the animal home?

Just give the animal an ambient air temp of 80-82 throughout the enclosure and he'll be fine, NO HOT SPOT.

Who recommended 90-95 for a Blood? Thats TERRIBLY high

Constant temperatures of over 85 degrees where the animal is unable to thermoregulate is likely to lead to feeding refusals and regurgitations. As well as possible complications with urates and blockage.

Also, dont expext him to come out of his hide, like hardly ever. These snakes are very SEDENTARY and will hardly make themselves seen, when they do, its usually late at night when they come out to take a drink.

Im sorry to sound rude, theres just so many things about this that are so wrong.

DO what it takes to fix the environment issues, or I'm afraid your experience with this species could end is heartache.

[MikeV]

Why didnt you have an environment setup and running for a week or so BEFORE you brought the animal home?

Just give the animal an ambient air temp of 80-82 throughout the enclosure and he'll be fine, NO HOT SPOT.

Who recommended 90-95 for a Blood? Thats TERRIBLY high

Constant temperatures of over 85 degrees where the animal is unable to thermoregulate is likely to lead to feeding refusals and regurgitations. As well as possible complications with urates and blockage.

Also, dont expext him to come out of his hide, like hardly ever. These snakes are very SEDENTARY and will hardly make themselves seen, when they do, its usually late at night when they come out to take a drink.

Im sorry to sound rude, theres just so many things about this that are so wrong.

DO what it takes to fix the environment issues, or I'm afraid your experience with this species could end is heartache.

Dude You are misunderstanding and its my fault

I should have told you guys already that I did have the enviroment up and running BEFORE I got the snake

HOWEVER

the guy i bought it from is a reptuable breeder and he told me to use the heat mat to get a hot spot of 90 - 95. So I followed his advice and added it onto the enviroment I had set up

Now ifd thats the wrong thing to do I will follow your advice and turn off the heat pad (which I have)

Now, cool side is at 82 - 84, so you are saying that a ground temp of 82 - 84 will work for the entire tank? am I understanding thisa correctly

[dr del]

Hi,

We have a sticky on removing heat pads so you may be alright.

I was about to link to one of his posts to give you the temp advice but he beat me to it.

Use the thermostat - if it doesn't get warm enough change the bedding not the fact it is being controlled.

I just temp gunned my hand at 93f so I would never rely on your hand as a guide for reptile temps. It's based too much on temp difference not actual base temps.

Canadian tire might have temp guns - they are used by mechanics for monitoring engine temps etc but ordering online is your best bet.


dr del

[MikeV]

Hi,

We have a sticky on removing heat pads so you may be alright.

I was about to link to one of his posts to give you the temp advice but he beat me to it.

Use the thermostat - if it doesn't get warm enough change the bedding not the fact it is being controlled.

I just temp gunned my hand at 93f so I would never rely on your hand as a guide for reptile temps. It's based too much on temp difference not actual base temps.

Canadian tire might have temp guns - they are used by mechanics for monitoring engine temps etc but ordering online is your best bet.


dr del

Alright thanks, Ill try to remove it following the sticky and at the same time ill set my temps straight

Later on ill see if I can get ahold of a temp gun

[2kdime]

I must have read it wrong, I apologize.

I just remember you asking about these snakes, and I just wanted to reiterate that they dont really have a "learning curve" like other snakes do. They need a pretty consistent environment to stay healthy.

82-84 is even a bit high in my opinion.

80-82 is what I would shoot for, all around the tank, yes. That means that the bottom of the tank should be 80-82, as well as the air inside the enclosure.

I will also say that the sooner you can get him out of a tank, the happier he and you will be. Tubs and reptile specific caging are much easier to maintain and give the snakes a better sense of security.

Whats the name of the breeder you got him from? Granted hes in Canada, I dont know ANYBODY who believes temps that high are good for Bloods. The highest I've heard of is MAYBE 90 for a gravid females basking spot until she lays, then the hot spot is dropped and its back to normal temps.

Even 78-80 all around the enclosure is fine.

Rather them be a bit cool and dry than too hot and too humid.

Also, did I see you were using Repti-Carpet? DITCH it, use newspaper. That stuff is a breeding ground for bacteria. Newspaper also simulates these snakes natural environment in the wild of hiding under leaf litter. Its cheap, and its clean as well.

[MikeV]

I must have read it wrong, I apologize.

I just remember you asking about these snakes, and I just wanted to reiterate that they dont really have a "learning curve" like other snakes do. They need a pretty consistent environment to stay healthy.

82-84 is even a bit high in my opinion.

80-82 is what I would shoot for, all around the tank, yes. That means that the bottom of the tank should be 80-82, as well as the air inside the enclosure.

I will also say that the sooner you can get him out of a tank, the happier he and you will be. Tubs and reptile specific caging are much easier to maintain and give the snakes a better sense of security.

Whats the name of the breeder you got him from? Granted hes in Canada, I dont know ANYBODY who believes temps that high are good for Bloods. The highest I've heard of is MAYBE 90 for a gravid females basking spot until she lays, then the hot spot is dropped and its back to normal temps.

Even 78-80 all around the enclosure is fine.

Rather them be a bit cool and dry than too hot and too humid.

Apology accepted, it was my fault I should have made the situation clearer.


Anyway onto temps

I must have misunderstood him. He may have said to have it 90 - 95 in the WINTER to keep the ground temp stable at 80 - 84 or 82. Maybe I just misheard him

Anyway im gonna get right onto getting air temps and ground temps to 80 - 82!!! Ill be right back!

EDIT: Switching to newspaper

Gonna get bitten aswell, this little snake is a nasty one, she strikes at everything!

[MikeV]

Okay, right now I am juddling between 78 - 82 air temps (air temps right on the ground AND like 3 inches off the ground)

The ground temp ITSELF I havent tested yet because I am doing to much in the enclosure and its going to stress her out even more so im gonna leave her for awhile

also id rather not give out the breeders name, he has been EXTREMELY generous to me several times so id rather not give it out. He is a great person and knows his stuff

I just misunderstood what he was saying, he meant 90 - 95 in the winter so it averages out to like 80 because of the cold