first time ball python owner

[hyena]

In about two weeks i will be getting my first ball python. Ive done a ton or research...(i haven't had much to do lately so i've kinda filled up my time with constant research ha) Theres a few things i wanna clear up though. Do i need to change the temperature of the enclosure at night? how hot should at be a night as opposed to day? should i just leave the heat lamp on and keep it the same? also what is the best thing to use to monitor temp and humidity? plus any advice or little tricks to keep a happy python is greatly appreciated.

[mark and marley]

no you dont need to have day/night temps.i believe your house will cool down at night and the cool and middle temps will as well,i would leave the "basking spot" on at all times.

scratch the heat lamp,get an under tank heater and a thermostat to control and keep the temp steady wthout you having to constantly adjust like you would with a dimmer or rheostat.

get three digital thermometers,two that have probes and on that will hang on in the middle to gauge ambient air temps.
the two that have probes will measure the cool and warm spot(i put my probes on top of the substrate with a lil bit over em inside the cool and warm hide,the hide sits on top of the probe chord). the thermostat probe and thermometer probe on the basking spot should be placed next to each other.
get a hygrometer to gauge the humidity,a digital one works best but there are some accurate analog hygros that work well but are pretty much the same price as a digital hygro.

i would suggest get everything set up first before you get your bp so you can noodle with everything and get it all stabilized before you introduce your bp to its new home.

if your getting a tank,your more than likely gonna battle with humidity and will have to make something to go on top to reduce too much ventilation.some people have success with tin foil,saran wrap,plexi glass, vinyl folders or vinyl plastic sheets.if you go that route there are a ton of people that could instruct you in that.also substrate makes a big difference with humidity. with a tank your bp will like three of its tanks sides to be blocked out with a background,construction paper or anything that makes it feel in a closed secure setting.tubs are also a good option as well.
identical hides on each side,a middle hide wouldnt hurt.

congratulations on your coming reptilian friend and welcome to the forum.ask away and dont be shy.

Mark

[mark and marley]

wooohooo i replied first!!!!
beat you Lgray!!!

[Skittles1101]

In about two weeks i will be getting my first ball python. Ive done a ton or research...(i haven't had much to do lately so i've kinda filled up my time with constant research ha) Theres a few things i wanna clear up though. Do i need to change the temperature of the enclosure at night? how hot should at be a night as opposed to day? should i just leave the heat lamp on and keep it the same? also what is the best thing to use to monitor temp and humidity? plus any advice or little tricks to keep a happy python is greatly appreciated.

Night drop is completely unnecessary. The hot spot should be 88-92 degrees at all times. IMO heat lamps are also unnecessary. I suggest if you need more heat for ambient temps you use a ceramic heat emitter on a dimmer. The UTH with my thermostat has been more than efficient for my one tank except for some cold days in winter (I am located in MA). But depending on where you live you may need more heat (like, central air people in Florida or something, where it gets colder inside). The best thing to do to monitor temp and humidity is to KNOW what they are. Not guess. Spend a little extra to get the more accurate gadgets. I spent $40 and got myself a temp gun, which is still my favorite and most used tool to this day.

[Skittles1101]

wooohooo i replied first!!!!
beat you Lgray!!!

That gave me a laugh this morning, thanks!!!

[hyena]

thanks for all the tips. its definately useful :]
haha im goin to have plenty of time to noodle around with my stuff..im so excited. I wont haave my bp for about another week and a half and i pretty much allready have it all set up.
another question..what kind of substrate do you guys personally suggest?

[cmz1234]

I use cypress mulch (repti bark will work the same, coconut husk, or aspen), which holds humidity and all you need to do is spot clean. Printed paper, unprinted paper, and paper towels work great too. Cheap, but you can't spot clean. Don't use carpet or other like products. I used carpet at first, trashed it because couldn't spot clean and absorbed water which turned into mold.

Remember if you buy any wood products from a hardware store or use any wood you picked up outside to disinfect it either soaking in several bleach baths for 24hrs then drying another 24 hrs or baking 200 - 250 F for a 2 hours.

GL Hyena. And you must post some pics when you get her/him?

scratch the heat lamp,get an under tank heater and a thermostat to control and keep the temp steady wthout you having to constantly adjust like you would with a dimmer or rheostat.

I agree, toss it.

get three digital thermometers,two that have probes and on that will hang on in the middle to gauge ambient air temps.
the two that have probes will measure the cool and warm spot(i put my probes on top of the substrate with a lil bit over em inside the cool and warm hide,the hide sits on top of the probe chord). the thermostat probe and thermometer probe on the basking spot should be placed next to each other.
get a hygrometer to gauge the humidity,a digital one works best but there are some accurate analog hygros that work well but are pretty much the same price as a digital hygro.

IMO you'll only need 2 whether you get rid of the basking spot. Most of the probe devices on the market can be used to measure ambient and localized (ie the hot or cool side). I have 1 for each snake. I place the probe on the hot side and then place the unit near the middle to read ambient temps and humidity.

Since you've done research I'm sure you've got the majority down.

[anatess]

thanks for all the tips. its definately useful :]
haha im goin to have plenty of time to noodle around with my stuff..im so excited. I wont haave my bp for about another week and a half and i pretty much allready have it all set up.
another question..what kind of substrate do you guys personally suggest?

I use aspen if my humidity is good. I use cypress if my humidity is low.

Another tip:
Clutter up the place real good - you can use fake leaves/vines/etc to provide a canopy or you can just go cheap and crumple up lots of newspaper or brown paper bags and dump them in there. The snake will adjust better if he doesn't feel too exposed. Black-out 3 sides of the tank to make it even less exposed.

Here's my cluttered up 10gallon tank with a hide on each end and a big water bowl in the middle housing my then 250g ball python:

[hyena]

ha yea ive definitely created a thick jungle for my future ball. I just hate the way simple set ups look...too bare and open...Ive also covered 3 sides with painted black poster board..(ive painted subtle jungle flowers on it cuz im faancy)

so i should get a ceramic heat emitter? any tips for those?
im definitely going to get one of those digital thermometers. im pretty meticulous and DO NOT want to play guessing games with temps...i want as accurate as possible
i wanna be a good snake mama.



thank you :]

[hyena]

and of course ill post pics!! pf!