[Another one of those] Need Help With Heating [Thread] + others.. @_@ noob here

[sopa]

Hey all, sorry to be another one of those people who cannot get the hang of this heating/humidity stuff.. Please halp

So before I had a heating lamp, I was using a regular table lamp off to the heated side with a UTH (this was a temp for a couple of days until the UTH came in, and I went to go buy the necessities). This worked fine and I had a huge dog bowl full of water which seemed to help with the humidity (no thermometer then!).

Since then, I wrapped the majority of the top of the tank with plastic wrap, and had a small damp towel on one end (cool side) and a the heating lamp in the middle on top of the water bowl, with the UTH on the warm side. I would also mist the substrate (aspen bedding) and turn it over also, so that the mist doesn't just sit on top of the substrate. This worked well for about a week and then I decided that the damp towel was an eye-sore and went to get some sphagnum moss. The sphagnum moss seems to be drying out super quick as I have to mist them almost twice a day (humidity varies between 65-70, i think she's going to shed soon, so I'm trying to keep it closer to 70..). I didn't get a lamp in the beginning because I read that BP only require belly heat, but the ambient temp is below 75 without it. The next day I made a foil/duct tape top (http://ball-pythons.net/forums/showt...tment-Tutorial used this thread) to keep the humidity in, but after 8 hours or so the humidity drops to as low as 50 some times and it really worries me since it would be detrimental to the BP's health.

Any advice would be great.

ALSO, this is off topic, but my BP doesn't like to go in her hides. I have one on each side. The hide on the warm side is a fake tree with an opened top (but its pretty narrow) with the fake leaves and branches covering it. I thought the fake leaves and such would help with her shedding should she need it, and it also looks great! But she doesn't like to go in. Some times she will go in the tree, stay there for like, 15 min, and then decide to climb up through the opening. She would rather lay curled up on top of it, or next to it in the open, never inside.. And her cool side has a half log in the corner, but she wont go it! When she's on the cool side, she will usually knock over the thermometer and then lay on it. Silly girl..

Again, ANY advice would be great, also very helpful. <3

[JoRandom]

If the hides are too open inside they probably do not feel secure enough. How big are the hides? How big is your snake? They tend to like smaller hides they can just barely fit their entire body into.

My bp actually lifts his favorite hide off the ground most of the time because its too small, but he loves it (and it's just made of cardboard) so until it gets wet or yucky, I'm gonna leave it in there for him.

Also, aspen is great, but doesnt really hold humidity, maybe try the coco husk substrate, or something similar. They are generally sold in blocks like this.

http://www.wag.com/reptile/p/exo-ter...te-7-qt-112380

Also, humidity between 50-60 is fine for non-shedding periods.

I'm still pretty new as well, so that's all I have to offer at the moment.

[sopa]

Thanks a lot! Both hides fit her pretty well, I think. She has burrowed herself once in the cool side of her hide but I've never seen it, I've only seen the evidence, and I will see her on the warm side in the hide. I just don't see her in there often. It seems like she prefers to be outside? But that doesn't sound right.

I've looked into the coconut husk, but I'm worried it will be too dirty

Very confused.. and troubled