Enclosure Set-Up Advice

[tobixforever]

Hey everyone! I'm new to the site and I wanted to get some advice on the set up my ball pythons enclosure. I've had her for 3 years or so (shes about 5 or 6 by now) and this is pretty much the enclosure I've had here in since I've had her but I'm worried it may not be as good as it could be. Please offer any advice you can think of!

The left side has a red light that provides heat and a under cage heating pad. The right side has a stronger light for basking. She likes to hide under her water bowl so she has a hidey hole on both sides. The temp and the humidity are fine and I use cypress mulch.

Thanks for any advice you can offer!

[tobixforever]

I tried adding images to this post but for some reason it says in my permissions box that I am not allowed to post attachments. Any ideas as to why that is?

[Vypyrz]

You can upload photos to your gallery on this forum, or link them in from a photo hosting website, such as Photobucket, by copying and pasting the [IMG] code.

[cnavalta14]

"The left side has a red light that provides heat and a under cage heating pad. The right side has a stronger light for basking."



I might be understanding this wrong as I don't know your temps. It seems to me that she doesn't have a cool side because you're heating on one side with a light and UTH and then the other side with an even stronger basking light. Just my thoughts though.

[tobixforever]

Here's the pictures! Sorry for the delay.

[tobixforever]

"The left side has a red light that provides heat and a under cage heating pad. The right side has a stronger light for basking."



I might be understanding this wrong as I don't know your temps. It seems to me that she doesn't have a cool side because you're heating on one side with a light and UTH and then the other side with an even stronger basking light. Just my thoughts though.

The temperature seems to be slightly lower on the left side with the red light and the heating pad because the red light isn't very strong, which is why I put the heating pad under it. The temp on the left side is usually around 80-82, sometimes a little lower. The temp on the right side is closer to 90, but usually a few degrees below that. Do you think I should rearrange my lights and heating pad to create a stronger difference?

[Kaorte]

The temperature seems to be slightly lower on the left side with the red light and the heating pad because the red light isn't very strong, which is why I put the heating pad under it. The temp on the left side is usually around 80-82, sometimes a little lower. The temp on the right side is closer to 90, but usually a few degrees below that. Do you think I should rearrange my lights and heating pad to create a stronger difference?

My first question for you is what kind of thermometers are you using? The only one I saw was a dial thermometer in the upper right, which isn't really going to do you any good because 1. Its inaccurate and 2. Its nowhere near where the snake hangs out.

First order of business: get some digital thermometers. Preferably ones with a probe so you can measure exactly the temp your snake is experiencing on top of that heat mat. I am going to guess that the temps you are providing are far warmer than they need to be.

Second: Unplug your heat mat until you get a thermometer. Better yet, go to home depot or lowes and pick up a rheostat (also called a light dimmer). Should be in the lighting section.

http://d2vv81yn11nqlu.cloudfront.net...-300NLH-WH.jpg

Looks like that ^

[tobixforever]

My first question for you is what kind of thermometers are you using? The only one I saw was a dial thermometer in the upper right, which isn't really going to do you any good because 1. Its inaccurate and 2. Its nowhere near where the snake hangs out.

First order of business: get some digital thermometers. Preferably ones with a probe so you can measure exactly the temp your snake is experiencing on top of that heat mat. I am going to guess that the temps you are providing are far warmer than they need to be.

Second: Unplug your heat mat until you get a thermometer. Better yet, go to home depot or lowes and pick up a rheostat (also called a light dimmer). Should be in the lighting section.

http://d2vv81yn11nqlu.cloudfront.net...-300NLH-WH.jpg

Looks like that ^

First thanks for your advice, I really appreciate it.

I did have another dial one identical to the one in the picture on the lower left corner, right behind her hiding rock, but the glue was crap and it fell off yesterday so I was planning on getting a new one this weekend. I can buy entirely new thermometers instead.

Where would be the idea placements for them (and the probes), and is the dial hygrometer still accurate or should I find something else for that as well?

And which light should I put the light dimmer on?

[michaelt]

I use one of these under my RHP's to make sure the thermostat probe is working properly

http://www.walmart.com/ip/16888914?w...tRedirect=true

i use this one over the UTH

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Acu-Rite-I...mometer/896347

very cheap inexpensive, and you shouldn't use anything sticky in a snake enclosure they find a way to get on it, when i had a glass tank i used hot glue to mount the probe over the UTH


heres a pic, my UTH temp is only low cuz because I had the hide out changing water and such

[Kaorte]

First thanks for your advice, I really appreciate it.

I did have another dial one identical to the one in the picture on the lower left corner, right behind her hiding rock, but the glue was crap and it fell off yesterday so I was planning on getting a new one this weekend. I can buy entirely new thermometers instead.

Where would be the idea placements for them (and the probes), and is the dial hygrometer still accurate or should I find something else for that as well?

And which light should I put the light dimmer on?

Yeah the digital will be a better investment. You might have to play around with the set up a little bit to get it where you need it to be. A digital hygrometer would be better. Check home depot or lowes and you might be able to find something cheaper then at the pet store.

Put one probe in the hide where the UTH is, under the substrate and touching the glass. This is the hottest point your snake can get to. Put the other thermometer probe on the surface of the substrate on the opposite end of the tank. This is your cool side or ambient temp. Plug the UTH into the dimmer switch and the dimmer switch into the wall. Mess around with the dimmer until your hot side temp reads around 90 degrees.

I would start with one lamp in the middle of the screen and see what your cool side thermometer reads and mess around with it from there. The less lamps you have to use the better. The lamps will suck all the humidity out of the air so you need to mist more. So if you can avoid the massive decrease in humidity, everyone is better off.