Need advice on new cage set up, trying to choose and do it right

[JenMo]

Looking for guidance, this is my shopping list, with questions. Tips, recommendations, thoughts... all welcome.

Story: We brought home a 2+ year old pied (our first snake) this last weekend who had spent his whole life with a reptile breeder in his shop. The cage he's in at our house, is exactly like what he's spent his whole life in, a top opening, particle board box with glass front, complete with exposed light bulbs and without a UTH. Our house is a bit colder than the shop and his cage is not insulated between all the other cages the way it was at the shop, so I'm afraid we're not able to maintain temp.

This current setup just feels all wrong to me and this snake deserves the best. Trying to research as much as possible but would love a critique on what I've come up with.


I love the look and simplicity of the cages at showcase cages (http://www.showcasecages.com/cage_details.htm), so unless someone can give me a compelling reason why they would be a bad choice, I'm basing my shopping list on one of theirs.

List:
Showcase cage 24x18x16(D)
UTH 12x14” (are they all the same or is there a best supplier?)
Ceramic bulb (What wattage do I need for the above sized cage?)
Herpstat 2 (do I need a 1 or 2 if I’m planning to hook up at UTH and a ceramic bulb?)
Hygrometer (what type is best?)

What do I need to go between the UTH, the ceramic bulb and the herpstat?

Am I on the right track? What else do I need?

[Kris Mclaughlin]

For uth i rely on hydroponics seed starter heat pads they can be purchaced fairly cheap(1/3 of the tank uth is rule of thumb). Temp doesnt exceed 80-85f.

Ceramic heat emitter will be too much man. A nice 60w daytime bulb will provide adequate heat for a ball. Not everyone uses them, but i also suggest a 5.0 uvb bulb as most day viev bulbs are uva. The uv aids metabolism and growth. Tho most get by fine without. I personally noticed behavior and eating difference with uv bulbs.

Save yourself a few$ and go to the store for hydrometer. I got mine that do temp and humidity at wal mart for $20 a pop. Be sure it has a probe and its not just a bow that does room temp.

I can offer no advise on the stat as all my stuff runs at a certain temp which in my case was perfect...

[Kris Mclaughlin]

Also lots of hides and places to feel secure. Heres a peek see at my babys tank

[SnakeBalls]

Ditch the ceramic heater if you don't need it. Petmountain has cheap day/night 60w bulb packs! Over 50% cheaper than retail. I order 4 or 5 packs at a time, I think it was around $40 shipped for the last 4 I got.

I use a zoomed UTH and a zoomed thermostat. You should love the herpstat Add a decent laser thermo to your list. In my opinion, you NEED it to get the temps right. IIRC the herpsat has a readout on it for the temp, I trust the laser over the probe.

What kind of substrate do you have?

Beautiful pied, welcome to the addiction.

[Kris Mclaughlin]

Ah. As far as fake plants go... please do not waste your $ at pet stores. Every fake plant in there is from thrift stores. I bought $20 in fake plants and vines then had enough to cut up and do both my 40g snake and my 55g green anole/long tail grass lizard tanks. All my moss and substrate is real stuff though. Easier to maintain bioactive substrate. Roooooyal PITA to set up. Larger hides such as my matching cave to yours(love the corner fit) are pet store stuff.

Thrift shops are your friend