Help with my new baby?

[AngelOtter]

So I was at Petco yesterday, and got talked into a ball python (I only went in for some feeder fish for my RES). He's very active, and seems alright for a pet store snake (I don't like getting animals from big pet stores, or pet stores in general, this one kind of just stole my heart).
This is my first python, I currently have two corns, and I've worked with ribbon snakes, corns, garters, boas, and some other random species, but no pythons. So I wanted some advice, I've looked over a few care sheets, and they seem to have some differences, so I wanted to be clear.
First off he seems a bit skinny to me, like his spine sticks out, not sure if I'm right about that. Also one of his eyes looks dented, it could be a retained eye cap, but wasn't sure.
Right now he's in a 10g tank, not sure if I should move him up to a 20g long, because I've read that too large an enclosure can stress them out, he's a baby, only about 1 1/2 long, 141g, but I don't want him to be in a too small enclosure. Especially since I've read they need two hides, and there isn't enough room in the 10 for two and the water dish. Right now the hide is over the UTH.
I have one under the tank heater right now, I had a heat lamp on him, but took it off. Should I add another UTH or get a ceramic heat lamp for a basking light? I also have red night lamps, could that be used to add heat during the day instead?
He's on newspaper right now, and I've covered half the screen top with foil until I can get some plexiglass. 3 sides are covered with background.
Also how often should I feed him? One of my corns gets two medium mice every 10 days, the other gets one large mouse every 10 days, not sure if every 10 days is too long for a baby. I feed F/T only, if that matters. I gave him one medium mouse today, because they said he hadn't been fed in a while, he did take it.
I really want to make his enclosure perfect for him. Sorry if the pics are dark, I didn't want to stress him out by having him out for too long.

[3skulls]

I'm on tapatalk and won't remember all your questions.

Personally, I don't buy into a tank being to big. Just make sure he has enough hides. He needs to feel safe. 1 hide on the warm side, 1 hide on the cool side.

Weigh him as soon as he is empty from that mouse you gave him. That way you can track his empty weight. That one pic he does look skinny.

I would also switch to rats so he is not stuck on mice. A young snake his size can eat every 5-7 days. A rat that is about 10-15% of his weight.

Warm side should be 88-92 cool side should be around 76-78
Most people say don't go over 95 or under 75

Give a dish big enough to soak. Could be an eye cap. You'll want his next shed to come off in one piece. Keep his humidity up around 55-60%
This might be hard with CHE and lamps.

Hope that helps some.

[Don]

Doesn't look too bad. The dented eye cap is probably from low humidity. I'd feed him every three to five days a rat that is no wider than his width at the largest point.

As far as heat, I'd get a big enough UTH to keep the warm spot around 89 degrees. The lights will dry out the humidity.

Good luck.

[AngelOtter]

I weighed him before the mouse, when I got him yesterday, he ate the mouse today. I will pick up some small rats after the snow storm is over and I can get to Augusta (I live 45min away from any pet store that sells feeders ).

So I should switch him to the 20 long with a large UTH. I though that would be better anyway, I didn't didn't want to stress the poor thing out.

and no light at all? are UTH enough to keep the temp that high?

His water dish is large, one of the corner ones, so he has more then enough room to get in it completely. I haven't seen him in there yet, but he has sat next to it.

[3skulls]

What are the temps of the room your cage is in?
Are you using a t-stat for the UTH?

Placing more hides or some clutter in the 20g will help him too.

[Raven01]

[QUOTE=AngelOtter;2013159]. Right now the hide is over the UTH.
I have one under the tank heater right now, I had a heat lamp on him, but took it off. Should I add another UTH or get a ceramic heat lamp for a basking light? I also have red night lamps, could that be used to add heat during the day instead?


/QUOTE]

Please get a thermostat rather than a 2nd UTH. That small investment will save you having to post an "Is this a burn" thread.
Also, I would suggest a 2nd hide on the cooler side of the enclosure.
I use my red lamp to add heat during both the day and night, no reason you can't save a few bucks by doing the same.

Hopefully someone more knowledgeable drops by with suggestions of whether a damp hide or crawl around a damp pillowcase is better to help loosen and remove eye-caps.

Good luck with your new pet.

And, as a post-script generally I agree that pet store especially chains are bad juju for both pet lovers and animals I have to say that the service, knowledge and, care of animals at my local PJ Pet's in Peterborough is stellar. I have no idea if the whole chain is like this or if we are just very lucky.

[AngelOtter]

The temp in the house is set for 70, but he's in the reptile room, so it's more like 75.

I have a temp gun that I use to check temps every day.

I have lots of tank decorations, drift wood, rocks, vines, so I can add some stuff to make him feel more secure.

My petco is usually fairly good, the feeders are better then other PetCo's I've been to, and the animals don't look bad, I just usually rescue my animals, or get them from breeders I know.

[danojeno]

I say throw em in the 20 with dual hides and other fun stuff. At a cozy room temp of 75, the uth should be fine.

[angllady2]

You can make the 20 long work, just remember these guys LIKE small spaces. The aquarium setup is going to be more work to maintain, but it's very doable. The biggest things with tanks are humidity and privacy. A suitably sized UTH on a thermostat will be fine for his warm side. Unlike lizards ball pythons don't really bask. 75 is a bit cool for the ambient temps, so a small red bulb or CHE can help with that. Yes, they are murder on your humidity, but you can find ways around that.

I would not mess with his eye. Chances are about 100% that it will correct itself with his next shed. Offer him food every 5 days, and it really doesn't matter if he eats mice or rats. I've successfully raised many snakes on both. The main reason for the rat thing is so that when your baby gets big enough that a single mouse is no longer enough food, you don't have to deal with feeding multiple items. It doesn't bother me what they eat as long as they eat.

The big thing to remember with the little one is they like small, dark, tight spaces to wedge themselves into. The smaller the better, so when you pick out hides, make sure they are small enough that the baby can feel the hide touch his body all the way around. Don't let yourself be tricked into those silly half log hides that every ball python I ever met hates. I like to use plastic cereal bowls from the dollar store with a door cut into the side. They are cheap and easy to clean, and come in a variety of sizes and colors.

I wish you and your new baby all the best.

Gale

[AngelOtter]

Thank you for the help. I have a red bulb on him now and a UTH. The hide he has now is like a half rock(but it's plastic) with a hole. I made sure it was one that didn't have a hole on each side, and I will add a few more when I switch him over to the 20 tomorrow, I figure I'll give him 3 or 4 hides if I can fit them.

I don't mind feeding multiple mice, my female corn eats 2 mice, and my male corn used to eat 2-3 every feeding, he's on a diet now though because he was getting kind of chubby. I know he was getting mice at the pet store, so I will try a rat and see how he takes it, I don't care what he chooses to eat, as long as he's healthy.