First BP, want to get my stories straight so he's well off :)

[Fox]

Hey There!
Not sure about how you guys feel about newbs stepping in on your posts, but after browsing the threads and replies this seems like the place with the answers...

I got my Ball 'Cid' at the pet store, which I'm pretty sure you experts would frown upon, but regardless, I simply adore him! He's about 28" long, however I'm unsure of his age, sex or whether he's CB or CR. But he's so skittish sometimes, I just don't know. When I lift his hide up and touch him i do expect him to curl up in a tighter ball, but he quivers and flinches... it's killer to think that's he's uncomfortable with that! Once he's handled he doesn't do it anymore, but he's extremely head-shy although he wasn't at the store when I met him, and back then he was just roaming around my hands, but now he seems to just want out, he'll hang himself as far down as he safely can looking for a way to get down. Eeek, I've had him about 5 weeks and I'm wondering if this will pass or if I'm doing something wrong. The guys at the pet store didn't know scratch so I've done most of my research online, and there's so many different opinions I figured tailor my own question on a good looking forum.

For diagnostics sakes, here's how I have him set up:
Cid's Terrarium is glass, 36"x18"x18", with the back and both sides painted opaque on the outside. Wire mesh top. He has a hide on either side that is nearly prefect sized for him, very form fitting, not spacious but he gets in it without making it move. I measure the air temperature in the cage with cheap stick on thermometers and hygrometers to keep the air 90 on one side and 80 on the other, but I have digital probes under each hide and keep them at 93 and 79. I have a mix of forest bark and plantation soil for substrate. I keep a 150W red heat lamp on the hot side on at all times to maintain 90 degrees and I have a 75W red heat lamp on a timer to keep the cold side from dipping too far below 80. I realize these dry out the air but I don't know a better way to keep it warm! I mist a lot. (I think he hates the sound). His hot hide has a UTH underneath, but I'm having a hell of a time controlling it (light dimmers don't work, and it sometimes gets too hot, I'm not quite sure how to go about controlling it... It's some extra work to check the hot hide temp as often as I do!) Two water dishes and some driftwood (bleached, rinsed, soaked, boiled and baked) for him to climb. I also have some live plants in there, and a full spectrum light on a timer for 3 hours late morning and 3 hours early evening to help the plants grow.

Besides being skittish and seemingly petrified at times, this guy has no other problems. . . completely shed on the 18th, no visible signs of mites or RI, and has absolutely no problems eating! I feed him every 5 days, a small rat or a big mouse, and he gobbles whichever down in a heartbeat, loooves to eat!! I obviously know I didn't buy a puppy to cuddle with, but Cid is not the same as he was at the store and I simply worry that I'm doing something wrong. I know I may just have to wait for him to acclimate but It seems smart to ask rather than wait.

Any suggestions or criticisms would be greatly appreciated... I have absolutely no pride attached to this thread, I just want to make sure I'm doing it completely right, and will do whatever it takes to! Thanks so much for your help, you people who unselfishly reply to help posts on forums are the internet's saints.

[Vypyrz]

Hello, and to BP.net...

Here is what I suggest:

-Remove the live plants and use fake plants in the tank. These will be much easier to maintain and clean when they get urine and feces on them.
-Remove the soil from the substrate. I suspect that is part of your Under Tank Heater (UTH) issue. If the substrate layer is too thick or packed down too tight it acts more like an insulator. The heat can't dissipate up through it into the tank, so it builds up underneath it causing the excessive temps. If you want to use the wood substrates, that is fine. Aspen, Cypress, Forest Bark, and Coconut Bark are all ok. Don't use Pine or Cedar. These can be toxic to your snake if it hasn't been treated properly. Your substrate layer should only be about 1/2-3/4 inch thick. This will allow the heat to radiate up into the tank.
-Make sure your UTH is the correct size. It should cover at least 1/3 of the floor space but no more than 1/2.
-Consider getting a thermostat to control the UTH. Dimmers and rheostats work but, as you have seen, they require alot of monitoring and adjustments to maitain proper temps. With a thermostat, all you have to do is set it for the temp you want and let it do the work. There are several different styles and brands to choose from and the basic thermostats start online for about $30. I will post some links at the bottom in case you are interested. Also, by getting a thermostat, it will free up the dimmer, which you can use on the heat lamp to help regulate the ambient temp.
-Humidity. If you have not done so yet, covering most of the top of the screen with aluminum foil or something like plexiglass will help keep the humidity in. Here are some threads where members show their own methods for doing this...

http://ball-pythons.net/forums/showt...p-w-pics-*DUW*

http://ball-pythons.net/forums/showt...tment-Tutorial

-Thermometers/ Hygrometers: I recommend getting some digital thermometers w/ probes and a digital hygrometer. The analog dial type are notorious for giving inaccurate readings and the digital ones are way more accuate and dependable. Alot of members on here use the Acu-Rite Indoor/Out door weather station. You can usually find these at Lowes or Home Depot in the Outdoors/Garden section or at some Wal-Mart stores in the Home Hardware section. They come with a probe and built in Hygrometer so you can monitor warm and cool side temps and humidity from one unit. They normally cost around $12-$15. If you can't find them in the stores there are a couple of places online where you can order them, but they will cost a little more. (links below).
-Handling: Since your little guy is still skittish, you don't want to overload him with handling. Handling sessions should be about 15-20 minutes long, 3 times per week. You said you feed every 5 days. Make sure you don't handle him for about 2 days after feeding so he can rest and digest. With time, he should relax. One thing you might try is wearing a shirt for a few hours each day without perfume/cologne, then at night, before you go to bed either place the shirt on top of the tank or place it in some type of tupperware container with some holes punched in the lid, then place that inside the tank. This will get him used to your scent, so that he doesn't identify you as a threat, which should also help him calm down.
Here is a list of websites. I am linking you to the thermostats page, but these are reptile supplies websites and they carry just about everything:

http://lllreptile.com/store/catalog/...ts-and-timers/

http://www.hydroasis.com/hy/productdetail.aspx?id=375

http://www.plantitearth.com/rootingc...hermostat.aspx

http://www.reptiledirect.com/power-controllers.aspx

http://www.bigappleherp.com/REPTILE-SUPPLIES/Heating

http://www.reptilebasics.com/thermostats/

http://www.spyderrobotics.com/products/index.html

Here is the website for the Acu-Rite Indoor/Outdoor weather station:

http://www.partshelf.com/acu00891.html

Hopefully this will help out a little. Welcome to the addiction...

[WingedWolfPsion]

The snake was merely stressed in the pet store...now he's behaving normally. Give him a few months with gentle regular handling to get used to you.

Lose the soil. It will become saturated with urine in a matter of weeks, and will create an extremely unhealthy environment in there. Ball pythons do best with a dry substrate--aspen shavings or plain newspaper work well. You want something cheap that you can remove and discard regularly.
Damp/moist conditions are an invitation to skin infections. They need high humidity, but dry substrate.

[franken_stein]

Damp/moist conditions are an invitation to skin infections. They need high humidity, but dry substrate.

Does this mean I should stop misting my BP's tank for humidity? I suppose I could just start using sphagnum moss if you guys thinking misting will be bad in the long run.


For Fox -- welcome to BP.net! I know what you mean about the light dimmers. I was using them for my UTH at first because I didn't feel like I could afford one of the expensive thermostats, but then I bought this: the Hydrofarm digital thermostat. It is amazing!! I know there are already a bunch of useful links here in this thread but I thought I'd point you to one specifically as well.

I think when people have a ton of racks and breeding projects, etc, they'd want to move up to more heavy duty stuff but if you are like me and are going to stick with just Cid, then I think it is perfect! It's for seedlings At just under $30 it does a great job of regulating the UTH and now I can leave during the day without worrying about the temperature in the tank.

So anyway, let us know how things go!

[guambomb832]

Does this mean I should stop misting my BP's tank for humidity? I suppose I could just start using sphagnum moss if you guys thinking misting will be bad in the long run.

You don't have to soak the tank, just a light spritz around the tank. Sphagnum moss is pretty good for humidity anyways, but as long as you don't get it damp, than it's fine

[Fox]

Hate to say I told you so, but strangers on forums are among the most helpful people in the world, try asking strangers for help in person and see if you get half a dozen detailed answers and experiences in hours!

Frank, thanks so much! A link right to the amazon purchase page! I just ordered one, with your claim from experience it's already worth $28 (I think that works out to $645 Canadian)! Thanks again for the priceless tip .

And Vyp, I've got a ton of new options to explore from your post and links, what great help here. Everyone: I promise I'll loose the soil pronto!

[franken_stein]

No prob! At first I thought that the $10 I dropped on a light switch dimmer would do the trick, and that I could save money that way, but yeaahh, it just... doesn't really work, if the temperature fluctuates at all in the room. I have a Timex indoor/outdoor thermometer and it tells you the days' highs and lows, and when I checked it, the temperature had shot waaaaaaaaay up to the 100s, so I freaked out, and then I searched online and found that Hydrofarm. Haha, I didn't mean to pressure you into spending the money or anything but I definitely it's worth it and a great investment. Good luck!