I either have to be the most paranoid BP owner ever or I really have no idea what I'm doing.
If any of you read my other thread earlier today about heating questions, I made a big mistake and didn't have my UTH hooked up to a thermostat to maintain the temperature. Fortunately I was able to run out to the nearest pet store and get a Zoo Med Hydrotherm and now the hot side of Buddy's tank has been staying at a stable 90 all night.
I guess I've just been in a freaked out, paranoid parent kind of mood ever since. I've been getting up to check all the temperatures and humidity probably once at least every half hour and they seem to be fine (Cool side: 80 degrees, Hot side 90 degrees, Humidity is at 70% since he's going through shed).
I've just never had a pet like this ever in my life, and while it has been the most exciting and rewarding one so far, I keep having doubts that I'm doing something wrong or that he's uncomfortable and I just don't know because I'm still so new to reading snakes. These forums have been incredibly helpful in answering questions and letting me know what I can do better or when I'm doing something wrong. I don't know. It's just a number of little things that are nagging me.
For one thing, Buddy didn't eat last Friday, but his eyes turned blue two days later indicating a shed, which may be why he didn't want to eat. Him missing a meal so soon has me worried. But I also know BPs going off feed is very common and doesn't necessarily mean they're sick or stressed, they're just not hungry. But I still can't help but worry.
He hasn't been very active at all recently and staying put in his hides, which I'm assuming is a good sign, but he did come out a little tonight for a couple minutes and I swear I saw a single mite crawling around on him. Great. It hasn't even been a month and there's mites. I don't even understand how that happened. He hasn't been soaking at all in his water dish so I thought everything was ok. I don't want to handle him until he sheds but after the shed I'm planning to completely clean his cage and use Provent-A-Mite to just de-mite it completely. Maybe even soak Buddy in some water and Reptile Relief.
Maybe it's just a bad day and I'm feeling down on myself but I can't seem to relax and trust that I'm doing a good job because I don't know for sure if I am or not.
Here is my current setup in a 10 gallon tank.
Buddy is still young so the person I got him from recommended a smaller enclosure until he's older. Please let me know if you see anything that doesn't look right.
I guess I'm just looking for advice to make this a new BP ownership a little less stressful or to let me know if I'm not doing something correctly.