new to the game

[dustponds10]

Well, I am very new to the game and really I dont have the snakes that I bought yet due to them being from a local breeder expecting a clutch to hatch here soon. What I am wondering is exactly what I must have. I have aquariums but I have been told that the lighting is just really for the human to see the snakes. I was going to use a rack system but I decided that that wasnt necessary with only two hatchlings. So I am thinking about this being the set up. A nice sized water dish, a 20 gallon tank, 4" heat tape on one side and some hides on either side. What do you all think? Am I missing anything that is essential? I have been told that I should start out with dom/codom's but I bought a pair of het pied's. I was going to fill a rack with what I truely want but I decided to make sure it is something I want to do and have success with first. I am an avid genetic addict. I breed Genetic hackle chickens for feather quality and for fly fishing and ball pythons have so many visual genetic morphs I just think it is awesome and can be fun. Any ways before I get them I want to be on my feet. Thanks all for your advice in advance.

[decensored]

Hey!

Welcome! And I just wanted to say that it is great that you are on here before you got the snakes, so that you can iron out the details and provide the best environment for your pets!

Here are my questions and suggestions;

Questions:

1. What are you using to regulate the heat tape? Flexwatt can run in excess of 135 degrees and can cause thermal burns on the animal if it's not regulated. It can also be a fire hazard if used in correctly, so make sure that you have a quality thermostat regulating the heat. You're going to want the hot side to be around 92 degrees at the substrate.

2. What are you planning on using for substrate? Ball pythons require humidity. I argue with people about how much humidity they need, I always say 40% and I bump it up when they are ready to shed so that I can avoid the chance or repository infections. I recommend coco-husk, but most people use either kiln dried aspen, kiln dried cyprus mulch, or paper (although I don't recommend paper - especially in an aquarium type of enclosure). Whatever you chose DO NOT use pine, even if it's kiln dried. Some people do but it's very controversial in regards to toxicity.

Suggestions:

1. Separate the two snakes - some people do keep them together, and this isn't necessarily "wrong," but you run the potential of stressing them out which can lead to fasting. They will also compete over the hot spot, and it makes it harder for them to thermo-regulate. A 20 gal tank will not last 2 ball pythons very long.

2. Hides are great, you have done some research - . Each enclosure should have 2 hides on each side, one on the warm side and 1 on the cold. This isn't such a huge issue in racks, but in aquariums you run the risk of them failing to thermo-regulate because they are spending all their time on the side of the tank where the hide is.

3. This ties in with suggestion 2, giving them lots of decor is not only nice to look at but it gives them cover when moving from one side of the enclosure to the other. Ball pythons can be very timid and are more likely to move from one side to the other as they need to if they have places to hide along the way.

4. You're right! Heat lamps are not only unnecessary for BPs but they can actually be detrimental as they tend to suck the humidity out of the enclosure. Scratch the heat lamp.

5. If you find that you're having a problem with humidity, you can always put a damp towel over the top of the lid, leave about 20% over the cool side open. It'll allow airflow and should trap most of the humidity in the tank.

Hope this helped -

Chris.

P.S. People say to get co-dom first because your breeding potential is better. Codoms WILL produce Codoms, recessive will produce recessive if the right variables are present, and hets MIGHT produce visual recessives or potential hets. Dealing with recessive traits can be tedious, especially with hets. My first ball pythons were an Orange Ghost (recessive) and a breeding trio of het axanthics (again recessive) so don't let anyone tell you what to get. Get what you want and play with them. This hobby needs more people that breed out of curiosity and love for the animals. And less people who look at it as an investment opportunity.

[Doby71]

Welcome, this ^^^^^^ pretty much says it all, lol.