New BP! Questions, pictures.

[steez]

Hello everyone!

I've had a leopard gecko for a little over a year now, and also have a 120g fish tank that I keep Jaguar Cichlid's in. I've been reading a lot about snakes, and I decided yesterday to go out and get a BP (after much convincing from my girlfriend who doesn't like snakes ).

He/she is currently in a 20g long fish tank with a slide-on screen lid. I'm using Aspen mulch for substrate. I covered half of the lid to help hold humidity in the tank. Currently I'm using a large heat lamp with a 60w red bulb in it to maintain correct temperature, also a 10-20g UTH for belly heat (both on the right side of the tank). I used my probe thermometer this morning and the hot side of the tank was about 95, while the cold side was about 82. I turned down the lamp to about 70% power instead of 100%. Hopefully this will drop the temp a little bit for him. I'm shooting for 92 on the hot side and 78ish on the cold. I have two different hygrometers in the tank to check humidity, one is a temp/hygro mixed meter and it is positioned in the center of the tank. It says the humidity is about 45. The other hygrometer I got was from petco, it is more toward the left (cold) side of the tank and it says the humidity is at 60.

1. He was fed last Friday. I have not bothered him since he went into his new home yesterday. Should I try to feed him this Friday or let him rest until next week?

2. Are my temp's okay?

3. Humidity?














Thanks for taking your time to read this. If you have any answers, criticisms or suggestions they will be appreciated.

[swansonbb]

Is that electrical tape covering the hides? If so - please remove it immediately!!! Also, is your UTH on a thermostat (yet)? If not, it will get hot enough to burn your new friend. At the very least, consider a lamp dimmer/rheostat. You might want to try to increase your cool side temp by a few degrees. I'd be surprised if your bp eats on Friday, but there's no harm in offering.

[Skittles1101]

Welcome to the forum and congrats on the new ball python!

Here is the caresheet, which will answer your temp/humidity question: http://ball-pythons.net/forums/showt...ius)-Caresheet

You need to get a thermostat for the UTH before you cause a burn. Heat sources need to be regulated, especially those death traps. Even a small one can cause a severe burn. Again, welcome!

Edit: As the other person said, I didn't notice, but if that is tape it does need to be removed like now. Tape should never be used inside an enclosure...

[steez]

I'm going hunting for some tree bark and other hides today. I cut some plastic and covered it with the tape so it would stay dark underneath for him. I was just reading the caresheet about no tape (whoops). I'm removing them right now after I type this .

I'll get a thermostat for the UTH. I have a cloth between the UTH and the glass so it doesn't get too hot. I'll just go get a thermostat and apply it directly to the glass.

Right now I'm in the process of figuring out what thermometer to go get.

- - - Updated - - -

You might want to try to increase your cool side temp by a few degrees.

It was at about 82 when I checked it with the lamp on 100% (has a dimmer). The hot side was about 95 though. Should I keep the lamp on 100% even though it's getting that hot? I can move the lamp a bit closer to the center of the enclosure to get the left side a bit hotter too.

Also, the red heat bulbs are okay to run 24/7 for snakes, correct? His night/day cycle will just be the room lights when it's lit up and we're active in it. As far as I know, the red light is just like darkness to them.

[KMG]

Get a IR temp gun

20 bucks on Amazon.

- - - Updated - - -

Get a IR temp gun so you know the surface temps. If your lamp is making a air temp of 95 the hotspot under the lamp will be over 100, way to hot. Try dimming the light and moving it alittle toward the cool side to send More heat that way.

The red bulb is fine.

[steez]

Get a IR temp gun

20 bucks on Amazon.

Easy enough. I've had this tru temp with a probe for a while for my Leo.

[DooLittle]

Sounds like everyone is pointing you in the right direction, and you got the tape out. So, Congrats on your bp, and welcome. It couldn't hurt to offer food Friday. Feed him in his enclosure. Keep handling to hard minimum until he has eaten a few times in a row for you, then start out gradually and work up to longer sessions. We use a herpastat thermostat, and they are great.

Sent from my ADR6350 using Tapatalk 2

[steez]

Sounds like everyone is pointing you in the right direction, and you got the tape out. So, Congrats on your bp, and welcome. It couldn't hurt to offer food Friday. Feed him in his enclosure. Keep handling to hard minimum until he has eaten a few times in a row for you, then start out gradually and work up to longer sessions.

Thanks!

About the feeding.. I was told that I should take him out and put him in a different enclosure to feed him so he doesn't confuse me holding him and me feeding him. Is this false?


Edit: Oh and yes, the tape is GONE! I'm headed out right now to get 2 different hides from petco.

[Skittles1101]

Thanks!

About the feeding.. I was told that I should take him out and put him in a different enclosure to feed him so he doesn't confuse me holding him and me feeding him. Is this false?

Yes that's false. Feeding inside the enclosure will reduce stress and increase your chances of him taking his first meal for you

[Kaorte]

Thanks!

About the feeding.. I was told that I should take him out and put him in a different enclosure to feed him so he doesn't confuse me holding him and me feeding him. Is this false?

It couldn't be further from the truth. Think about it this way:

If you feed in the home enclosure, the snake smells the rat, you dangle the rat with tongs, and then it takes the food.

If you feed outside the home enclosure, the snake smells the rat, you pick up the hungry snake and put it in an unfamiliar place, you dangle the rat and (presumably) it eats. Then you have to wait until the snake finishes eating and carefully pick up the animal who might still be hungry, and put it in the home enclosure.

Seems like option two would give your snake many more opportunities to mistake you for food than option one. If you are feeding your snake the correct amount of food per week it should never mistake you for food. You don't look or smell like a rat, so it probably won't mistake you for one on a day when the room doesn't smell like rats.

Does this make sense? Sorry, I really hate the flawed logic behind the "mistaking my hand for food" argument. It really just makes no sense. Especially for ball pythons. They are so docile!