Housing

[Dfinnicum]

Alright guys I currently have a ball python housed in a 20 gal long aquarium. He's about 20 in long or so and I am fine with the temps but I'm having a constant struggle with humidity. I am using a heat lamp with a day time basking bulb and a night time blue bulb. My room is usually about 70+ degrees all the time. I was wondering what u guys thought would be the best to heat my aquarium but in a way that also keeps the humidity up. I have a rubbermaid tub that is 2ft .3in x 1ft 4.3in x 6.4in would you guys recommend keeping him in that or the aquarium.

[Skittles1101]

Well the tub would probably be easier to keep in, but it's not impossible in the aquarium. I have 4 bps, one I keep in a tank and the others are in a rack. I'd ditch the bulbs because they are the cause of the lack of humidity. Do you have a UTH?

If you don't, you should get one, I use the zoomed small one for mine. It is attached to a lamp dimmer ($10.00 from Home Depot) and I use a temp gun ($35.00 from tempguns.com) to monitor my heat. Ambient temps are not as important as the belly heat, because bps generally stay on the ground (haven't owned a climbing one yet, but it's not unheard of). If you are able to check your temps at least 3 times a day, the dimmer is the cheapest way to go. If you can't check them frequently, I'd suggest a thermostat. I use a Spyder Robotics Herpstat and a Johnsons. Helix, RBI VE, or Ranco work well too. I mist my tank maybe once a day, and have had no troubling sheds yet. If you switch to the UTH and ditch the lamps, you can keep in the aquarium with little to no issues. Just make sure if you get the UTH you get one of the two to monitor the temps, because they can exceed 130* and burn your snake.

[Dfinnicum]

I was thinking of buying a uth but using a thermostat. Would the uth be able to keep the cool side up to temp as well.

[Skittles1101]

Well I see you live in Ohio, where it does get warm in the summer as well. I use a small UTH on the hot side and haven't needed anything on the cool side yet because my house stays pretty warm. You can probably get a mini UTH to put on the cool side if you wanted, and keep that one on a dimmer if you are that worried. My bp switches between sides as needed and I've never seen him need a second UTH.

[LeviBP]

The aquarium is fine; throw out your heat bulbs, they will suck out most of your humidity.
Make sure you have a UTH (Under Tank Heater), and put one of those on your hot spot side under the tank.
Then, buy yourself a spray bottle, and spray your substrate every now and again when your hygrometer readings are below 50%.
Tubs will help you maintain temperature and humidity, but are much less displayable. I would suggest sticking to aquariums if you only have one BP.
Good luck!

[Dfinnicum]

yea i have pretty much decided that i am getting a uth and a thermostat. My ball python is currently getting ready to shed and i have to have a damp towel setting on top of the screened lid to keep the humidity up to about 70 or so during shed. would it be ok to have a red 75w bulb on at night for viewing along with the uth.

[Skittles1101]

You can use an overhead lamp like that, but any kind of bulb will suck the humidity again.

[Dfinnicum]

alight yea im just gonna stick with the uth and see how it effects my humidity

[Skittles1101]

Misting does help, if you really wanted the light you can just mist a little more often.

[Dfinnicum]

ill just stick to the uth. i was wondering lgrey23 what size aquarium is your bp in.