Beginner Ball Python Care - Need excessive clarification

[Snaily]

Hello, I'm currently looking into getting my first Ball Python so naturally I tried to research but there are so many varying opinions its hard to tell what is misinformation and what is not. I was hoping you guys here at this forum could help.

1) Vivariums - Should the optimal vivarium have an (Lockable) Entry point from the front and not the top, since top opening vivariums would struggle with regulating temperature and humidity since they would need to have a metal mesh top where air can escape? Or would the vivarium need to have a mesh top for placing heat lamps, lighting, and such rather than a solid glass top? If glass has a hard time containing temperatures, which material should be used for a vivarium?

2) Lighting - Do Ball pythons need Dome lighting and if so, is fluorescent lighting the best option? Would you need to place the lighting, if it all needed over top the vivarium? Is lighting from a room sufficient? Do you need cycled lighting e.g. 12 hours every day and no light for the other 12 hours? Should periods should be increased to 14 hours in the summer and decreased to 12 hours in the winter?

3) Humidity - Is the best way to keep humidity to use a spray bottle with water? If a Humidity retreat box is needed, what is the best way to build?

4) Cleaning - Clean and replace dirty substrate daily and clean out tank completely, monthly? If so clean the tank out with store bought products or home solutions?

5) Substrate - Best Substrate for baby snakes and adult?

6) Temperature - Recommended Temperature during the day? Basking Area Temp? Night temp? How should heat be spread across the vivarium, should the temperature be completely half and half. For ex. The right half be cold, and the left half be divided into the warm area and basking area?

7) Under tank heat mats - How many and where should they be optimally be placed?

8) Heat Lamps - are heat lamps necessary if you have under tank heat mats or do you still need over the tank heat lamps?

This is everything I don't understand Thankyou if you do help or read! I appreciate you guys. Any tips you have, please let me know.

[Vipera Berus]

To answer based on my limited experience with Bp's

1) Front locking is better and more useful having kept a corn snake in a top locking one for many years and a Bp for way less time. For starters the heat doesn't escape as easily, the top locking makes it harder to get the snake out, also the front locking dual sliding panels are easier to use and don't get in the way as much.

2) the lighting I don't think matters too much but it might be worth it if your setup is in a poor light area and has a good number of hides.

3) I use a squirt bottle of water and its better than any other method I have tried.

4) I do a total substrate replacement and cleaning hides every 6-8 weeks and as soon as I see she has completed her shed.

5) I have only used orchid chips for my snakes and so far no issues.

6) Check the care sheet for the temps and keep one side a few degrees warmer than the other.

7) Depends on how its setup, for my corn I had the heat pad on one side and the light on the other having them programmed to be off and on at opposite times if the light was on the heatpad was off and vice versa. For my Bp though its in the middle of her Viv and stays on.

8) I use both as for some reason I cant get the right temps without both running. It does depend on how your tank is setup though, I would recommend that you use ceramic heat lamps and only use the heat pad as a top up for the temps only if needed.

Something I do know is that I have relatively little experience with BP so I may not have things totally right but mine is eating mice but no rats for some strange reason so it might be slightly out in terms of perfect conditions.

[redshepherd]

1) I'd get a gist of your home's humidity to begin with before making those decisions. For example, so many people have issues with maintaining humidity online, I figured I would too. It turns out that my house humidity is consistently 60~80% throughout the year, even with good ventilation, so having an exo-terra with a screen top is completely doable for me.

+ if your room's ambient temperature is in the 80's, you won't even need a heat lamp, just a UTH.

The addition of heat lamps is only if your ambient temperature is too low, and you need additional heat.

2) Ball pythons don't need any lighting, since they're nocturnal animals. They prefer shadow. It would only be aesthetic for you, if you want.

3) There's a few ways to handle humidity, but it depends on the setup you choose. As long as the substrate/ground your ball python rests on is not damp/wet, and there is good ventilation in the enclosure, it's fine. Some people who need a humid hide just stick in some damp sphagnum moss against the sides of the hide.

4) Again, depends on your setup and the substrate you choose. For aspen or eco-earth and some others, you can spot-clean (just scoop up poop and urates) a couple times, and clean out once a month or more even, depending how often your snake defecates. They don't poo/pee very often! For paper towels, you'll see you have to clean it all right away, any time the snake defecates/pees...

5) Depends on your climate where you live. Paper towels is easy and clean, but you need to clean out the tub/tank every time they defecate. I use aspen, so I can spot clean, and lower humidity (humidity where I live is high). Some people need substrate that HOLDS humidity, if they live somewhere dry.

6) Read through this! http://ball-pythons.net/forums/showt...ius)-Caresheet

7) Generally heat pad is on one side, 1/3 area of the enclosure. Check out these threads: http://ball-pythons.net/forums/showt...e-Basics-*DUW*

8) Again depends on your climate/temperature of your home. Not necessary if you use a tub enclosure. If you have a glass tank and your house is too cold, you would need a heat lamp or an RHP, generally in addition to the heat mat.

You can browse the sticky threads for "how to setups" here: http://ball-pythons.net/forums/forum...2-BP-Husbandry

Those will also clear up some things for you, especially with pictures!

[Snaily]

Thank-you so much! Will look into all of this to make sure I'm giving my bp the best care possible.