Ophilia's Terrarium: Ball Python Enclosure

[Pyth]

Hello,

Thought I'd share how I arranged my snake's tank.

Size

- 20 Gallon tank

Placement

- On a long desk positioned in front of a window on ground floor of two story house, between two computer desks.

Internal Tank

Hides: Quantity/Type/Placements

# Hides: 3

Type Den: Tree, Rock Den, Wooden

Placement in Tank

Each hide/den placed in a corner of the tank;

2 hides directly beneath heat lamp on warm end of enclosure; one tall hide (Tree), one ground-level den (half-cylindrical wooden den).

One rock den on cool side of terrarium in corner.

Water Dish/Bathing Tub

- Embedded large water dish in center of tank into the Substrate.

Substrate Gradient/Depth Change in Base Material

1/2" in shallow end, 4" in deep end. Smooth gradient between.

This has worked out! The reptile migrates between the 3 hides as she chooses.

Feeding Technique

As for feeding, I remove the hides when she's eating to give her room to strangle, eat prey.

Hygrometer/Thermometer readings, Type/Placement

Circular, non-digital thermometer/hygrometer, positioned in corner directly closest to heat lamp. Temperature is 90 degrees in warm end of tank, humidity retains ; 40%.

Pyth

[stratus_020202]

Sounds really nice! Pics?

The only thing I would change is the non-digital thermo/hygro reader. They are not very accurate. Otherwise, it sounds like a great set up.

[Pyth]

Can't upload directly from the PC to the Forum Topic, unfortunately.

[kitedemon]

Analogue one can be very accurate better than cheap digital ones depending on the analogue ones if they are designed for reptiles generally they are very poor quality. The hygrometers designed for humidors are actually quite good so far I have tested 12 analogue hygrometers and 8 digital ones and to date the worst analogue is still better than the best digital one, and the worst digital one is tragic.

The rest of the set up seems fine, keep an eye on the temps computers can pump out a lot of heat depending on what they are doing.

Alex

[stratus_020202]

Analogue one can be very accurate better than cheap digital ones depending on the analogue ones if they are designed for reptiles generally they are very poor quality. The hygrometers designed for humidors are actually quite good so far I have tested 12 analogue hygrometers and 8 digital ones and to date the worst analogue is still better than the best digital one, and the worst digital one is tragic.

Really? Strange. I'll stick with my digital. Never had a problem other than the cheap ones run their course pretty fast, and having to replace batteries. I can tell though if they aren't working a lot easier than an analog pos. To each their own I guess.

[kitedemon]

Have you ever checked the digital ones? The best digital one I have is out +8% and -1.3º F The analogue hygrometers out of the box were spot on (+/- 0.11% is the best the salt test can manage) and they can be corrected when wrong. The cheap digital thermometer typically are resistive style ones and the best the specs can support is +/- 2ºF My accurite is 1.7 high and 11% high. Good digital thermometers are generally too expensive for most people to buy I use one from my work. Cheap LC ones are generally good but not great of in the enclosure reading they can be used to figure out how good or bad the cheapo digital ones are... I am a self admitted spaz about it I do a lot of calibration of instruments professionally. I can't sleep knowing temps could be more than 1ºF +/- and humidity more than 5%+/- . Some are not as fussy as I am.

[stratus_020202]

Have you ever checked the digital ones? The best digital one I have is out +8% and -1.3º F The analogue hygrometers out of the box were spot on (+/- 0.11% is the best the salt test can manage) and they can be corrected when wrong. The cheap digital thermometer typically are resistive style ones and the best the specs can support is +/- 2ºF My accurite is 1.7 high and 11% high. Good digital thermometers are generally too expensive for most people to buy I use one from my work. Cheap LC ones are generally good but not great of in the enclosure reading they can be used to figure out how good or bad the cheapo digital ones are... I am a self admitted spaz about it I do a lot of calibration of instruments professionally. I can't sleep knowing temps could be more than 1ºF +/- and humidity more than 5%+/- . Some are not as fussy as I am.

Everything you said went way, way over my head. Lol. I'm sure there are excellent analog readers out there, just as there are excellent digital readers out there. I think for ease of a new, inexperienced owner, it would be better to suggest a digital. As far as easy to find in stores and such.

I have only tested the cheap analog readers that you get at the pet store (it sounds as though this is the type the op was talking about). And, they stink. I really only use one for room temp and humidity, as I use a temp gun for measuring heat in my tubs.

You could probably recommend a few sites to find good analog readers though. It would be a good resource to have.

[kitedemon]

Fair enough stratus_020202 , sorry OP. A good cheap analogue type

http://www.amazon.com/Western-Digita.../dp/B0007VWEQA

http://www.amazon.com/HygroSet-Adjus..._bxgy_hg_img_c

The digital one isn't bad the temps are not great but no cheap digital one is great anyway. The problem I found is the adjustment for % humidity is very easily moved and the snake may make changes for you.

The thing to keep in mind is what is the deviation possible with the digital thermometer, for example a pro exotics PE1 IR gun is accurate with in 4º (2º over correct or under correct) So if it reads 93º the actual temp could be 91º or 95º which is on the high side. Good digital ones are very very expensive (better than 0.5º+/- is over 300$ typically and as much as 2000$) Just plan for the range so typically I'd never set any hot spot over 91ºF and not under 77ºF I like 80/90 and then judge the temps based on the animal, if it always seems to be on the cold side drop the hot side by a degree, If always on the hot side raise the cool side temp a degree.

I have found that they like different temps I have set as high as 91/82 and one as low as 88/78. Keep in mind small snakes generate more heat when digesting than larger ones do and they can raise a hide by 2 or 3 degrees, my coolest enclosure is the smallest snake. They (all of mine) seem to spend about 80/20 cool side to hot side. Typically the hot side after a meal and some mornings (really cold or particularly damp ones)

The upshot of all my digression (sorry for that) is check the specs of any and all instruments and keep in mind the listed range when setting your temps try to balance the top and bottom of the range to be with in an acceptable temp.

I was asked to look at a snake that had been burnt by no fault of the keeper just ignorance he had set the temps to 93º (thermometer was really bad and low by 3º) the T-stat had a 6 degree range and he had heavy plastic dog bowl hides.

93+3+3=99 and then a well insulated hide allowed yet another 5 degree temp difference... 104ºF and given time that will cause a burn. Check inside the hides for temps it can be quite different inside compared to outside. and pay attention to the specs of all the devises and test things out as much as you can before you add the snake to the mix.
Alex

[Pyth]

Fair enough stratus_020202 , sorry OP. A good cheap analogue type

http://www.amazon.com/Western-Digita.../dp/B0007VWEQA

http://www.amazon.com/HygroSet-Adjus..._bxgy_hg_img_c

The digital one isn't bad the temps are not great but no cheap digital one is great anyway. The problem I found is the adjustment for % humidity is very easily moved and the snake may make changes for you.

The thing to keep in mind is what is the deviation possible with the digital thermometer, for example a pro exotics PE1 IR gun is accurate with in 4º (2º over correct or under correct) So if it reads 93º the actual temp could be 91º or 95º which is on the high side. Good digital ones are very very expensive (better than 0.5º+/- is over 300$ typically and as much as 2000$) Just plan for the range so typically I'd never set any hot spot over 91ºF and not under 77ºF I like 80/90 and then judge the temps based on the animal, if it always seems to be on the cold side drop the hot side by a degree, If always on the hot side raise the cool side temp a degree.

I have found that they like different temps I have set as high as 91/82 and one as low as 88/78. Keep in mind small snakes generate more heat when digesting than larger ones do and they can raise a hide by 2 or 3 degrees, my coolest enclosure is the smallest snake. They (all of mine) seem to spend about 80/20 cool side to hot side. Typically the hot side after a meal and some mornings (really cold or particularly damp ones)

The upshot of all my digression (sorry for that) is check the specs of any and all instruments and keep in mind the listed range when setting your temps try to balance the top and bottom of the range to be with in an acceptable temp.

I was asked to look at a snake that had been burnt by no fault of the keeper just ignorance he had set the temps to 93º (thermometer was really bad and low by 3º) the T-stat had a 6 degree range and he had heavy plastic dog bowl hides.

93+3+3=99 and then a well insulated hide allowed yet another 5 degree temp difference... 104ºF and given time that will cause a burn. Check inside the hides for temps it can be quite different inside compared to outside. and pay attention to the specs of all the devises and test things out as much as you can before you add the snake to the mix.
Alex

Update

- Replaced original combination Thermometer Hygrometer with Digital Thermometer, Solid black analog hygrometer.