Expecting my first BP to be delivered 4/4/17!

[MmmBanana]

Hello everyone! I am expecting my very first BP to arrive(hopefully) on 4/4/17! I ordered a Banana Pastave from Garrick DeMeyer at Royal Constrictor Designs. I'm super excited, but also very nervous as well(maybe shouldn't have got got an expensive first snake ). I have been reading a lot on the forums in preparation for my new pet! I have a hand full of minor concerns tho. He will be housed in a 24x18x12in terrarium with reptibark as a sub straight(going to reptichip coconut husk after I use the bag of reptibark). I setup the tank a week in advance. As far as heat I started with Zoo Med UTH. That only raises a small section of the tank to around 74 degrees. I have it on a zoo med thermostat cranked all the way up and it just doesnt seem to be getting hot enough. So I added a 75W Blue night light for some extra heat. It seems to be doing the trick but it still only really heated a small section of the tank to 88-around 93 degrees. And then towards the cool side it drops off to around 75F pretty quickly. So I added a 2nd lamp on a dimmer with the same 75W blue bulb. temps seem pretty solid, but I am concerned about the 2 bulbs killing the humidity in the tank. I kind of dropped the ball on getting a hygrometer and I wont have one till tomorrow. How forgiving are these little guys to the noob learning curve? Also, I see the use of thermostats for the UTHs being highly recommended, but mine barely seems to be doing anything. Are some just better than others, or are they basically useless with any kind of sub straight?

I appreciate anyone's time that can answer some of my questions and put me at ease. Maybe I am just overly antsy about getting my new snake that I am overlooking everything? who know! lol. I have some pictures of the snake that I will post later!

[MmmBanana]

Here are the pictures I got from Garrick DeMeyer

[Sauzo]

Hello everyone! I am expecting my very first BP to arrive(hopefully) on 4/4/17! I ordered a Banana Pastave from Garrick DeMeyer at Royal Constrictor Designs. I'm super excited, but also very nervous as well(maybe shouldn't have got got an expensive first snake ). I have been reading a lot on the forums in preparation for my new pet! I have a hand full of minor concerns tho. He will be housed in a 24x18x12in terrarium with reptibark as a sub straight(going to reptichip coconut husk after I use the bag of reptibark). I setup the tank a week in advance. As far as heat I started with Zoo Med UTH. That only raises a small section of the tank to around 74 degrees. I have it on a zoo med thermostat cranked all the way up and it just doesnt seem to be getting hot enough. So I added a 75W Blue night light for some extra heat. It seems to be doing the trick but it still only really heated a small section of the tank to 88-around 93 degrees. And then towards the cool side it drops off to around 75F pretty quickly. So I added a 2nd lamp on a dimmer with the same 75W blue bulb. temps seem pretty solid, but I am concerned about the 2 bulbs killing the humidity in the tank. I kind of dropped the ball on getting a hygrometer and I wont have one till tomorrow. How forgiving are these little guys to the noob learning curve? Also, I see the use of thermostats for the UTHs being highly recommended, but mine barely seems to be doing anything. Are some just better than others, or are they basically useless with any kind of sub straight?

I appreciate anyone's time that can answer some of my questions and put me at ease. Maybe I am just overly antsy about getting my new snake that I am overlooking everything? who know! lol. I have some pictures of the snake that I will post later!

First off, how are you taking the temp readings on the UTH? Using a temp gun directly on the cage floor? That is the only true way. Also like I mentioned in another thread, a UTH isn't going to heat the air. If you are using a tank, I recommend throwing it out and getting a PVC cage. Glass tanks are fine for a QT cage but I wouldn't use it as a permanent home. I would get a lamp dimmer from Home Depot or Lowes for the CHE and dial it in until you get the appropriate cool side temp. The UTH will provide the belly heat assuming you get it set right.

As for how forgiving, depends on the snake. Some are more, some are less. I'm guessing this is a baby. Babies dehydrate a lot faster than adults so I would get your stuff squared away. Having something slightly off temporarily is fine but you don't want to go long term.

You don't need a hydrometer. Just get a digital thermometer with humidity and temp. I use the ones by acurite from Walmart. They aren't exact but are within 5% or so. That's plenty accurate for the snake. I keep my boas and retic around 85% humidity and my BP around 75-80%. You just don't want condensation all over.

And you MUST have a t-stat for any belly heat and really should have a t-stat for any heat source but you can generally get away with a lamp dimmer for a CHE outside the cage just for ambient temps. You want a good T-stat. I use Herpstats and have for years. Just ordered a Herpstat 6 today actually. Vivarium Electronics are good too but don't have as many safeties and bells and whistles as Herpstats but are cheaper. Ley is you want safeties on them like turning off all power on a failure or turning off power if the temp gets too hot.

[MmmBanana]

I am getting my temps from an infrared heat gun. I ordered an acurite temp/humidity sensor. I know the tubs seem to be the favorite option, but I have seen snakes happy in a glass tank setup, so I'm gonna give it a shot. If its obviously not working out then I will absolutely try out a plastic tub instead.

The snake was hatched on 12/9/16. So he is a few months old.

[MissterDog]

First of all CONGRATTTSS!!!!! I'm also planning on buying from Garrick for my first bp so I'm so excited for you!

Your baby looks adorable! Were those photos you asked from Garrick after purchasing your bp? How many grams is your snake if you don't mind me asking?

For humidity concerns, have you tried misting your reptibark? If you have a screen top what are you using to cover it? Also seconding that you absolutely need a T-stat, and out all the equipment you can spend money on, that is the one thing you'd want to make sure you don't go cheap. Herpstat is top of the line and will save you so many headaches. As mentioned above, Vivarium Electronics is a good start but I don't think they have the same lifespan and security as herpstat

[MmmBanana]

First of all CONGRATTTSS!!!!! I'm also planning on buying from Garrick for my first bp so I'm so excited for you!

Your baby looks adorable! Were those photos you asked from Garrick after purchasing your bp? How many grams is your snake if you don't mind me asking?

For humidity concerns, have you tried misting your reptibark? If you have a screen top what are you using to cover it? Also seconding that you absolutely need a T-stat, and out all the equipment you can spend money on, that is the one thing you'd want to make sure you don't go cheap. Herpstat is top of the line and will save you so many headaches. As mentioned above, Vivarium Electronics is a good start but I don't think they have the same lifespan and security as herpstat

When I first contacted Garrick I was just reaching out to him on some information on bananas and get a feel for his CS. I wanted a banana that wasn't gonna get a lot of black spots and I wanted on that would fade as little as possible with age. He gave me some information and then sent me pictures of 3 banana morphs he had available(banana enchi, banana fire mojave, and a pastel banana mojave). One of the 3 pictures was the initial picture he sent. I chose the pastel banana mojave and setup a ship date. The day he was suppose to ship the snake, He emailed me saying the temps were too cold to safely ship, and he would have to delay. When he told me that, I asked for a couple more pictures just to hold me over, and he sent me 2 more in a matter of minutes. So far I am more than pleased with his CS. Every time I email him, I get super fast replies and he seems incredibly nice! I would absolutely tell you the weight of him if I knew it. All I know is his hatch date was 12/9/16. Im not sure how he has been feeding him, but he looks pretty small still. I will weigh him when he arrives tomorrow.

My tank does have a screen top, and I plan to cover it. Im not sure how much I should cover tho. I know he will still need some fresh air.

[MissterDog]

I must be tired because for the life of me I can't figure out what CS means lol.

What temps did he consider too low? I'm hoping to get (or atleast place a hold/buy) mine around January-February so it's possible weather may cause delays for mine as well. Were the bananas he showed you listed on his site or did he show some that were not?

I'm sure someone else will chime in on suggestions, but if you haven't seen this already,these threads go over how to cover your screen and how much.

https://ball-pythons.net/forums/show...-With-Pictures!

https://ball-pythons.net/forums/show...tment-Tutorial

[Craiga 01453]

Hello everyone! I am expecting my very first BP to arrive(hopefully) on 4/4/17! I ordered a Banana Pastave from Garrick DeMeyer at Royal Constrictor Designs. I'm super excited, but also very nervous as well(maybe shouldn't have got got an expensive first snake ). I have been reading a lot on the forums in preparation for my new pet! I have a hand full of minor concerns tho. He will be housed in a 24x18x12in terrarium with reptibark as a sub straight(going to reptichip coconut husk after I use the bag of reptibark). I setup the tank a week in advance. As far as heat I started with Zoo Med UTH. That only raises a small section of the tank to around 74 degrees. I have it on a zoo med thermostat cranked all the way up and it just doesnt seem to be getting hot enough. So I added a 75W Blue night light for some extra heat. It seems to be doing the trick but it still only really heated a small section of the tank to 88-around 93 degrees. And then towards the cool side it drops off to around 75F pretty quickly. So I added a 2nd lamp on a dimmer with the same 75W blue bulb. temps seem pretty solid, but I am concerned about the 2 bulbs killing the humidity in the tank. I kind of dropped the ball on getting a hygrometer and I wont have one till tomorrow. How forgiving are these little guys to the noob learning curve? Also, I see the use of thermostats for the UTHs being highly recommended, but mine barely seems to be doing anything. Are some just better than others, or are they basically useless with any kind of sub straight?

I appreciate anyone's time that can answer some of my questions and put me at ease. Maybe I am just overly antsy about getting my new snake that I am overlooking everything? who know! lol. I have some pictures of the snake that I will post later!

First off, great job getting everything set up BEFORE the snake arrives.
Second, I have not used Garrick, but hear great things. I think you will be very pleased with your new animal.

I see you're using a temp gun to got your temp readings, this is great. Where exactly are you measuring though?? You need to get a hot-spot reading directly on the surface. The substrate will change the temp, but remember, your snake may choose to burrow a bit and end up directly on the glass. For this reason, this temp is important. This is also how you get your t-stat dialed in. (Your t-stat will regulate the hot-spot temp, as well as prevent the UTH from getting cranked up to over 120 degrees and burning/frying your snake. So you will want to check the actual surface temp and adjust accordingly.

As far as the lights, yes, they will suck humidity out. You're better off with a CHE (ceramic heat emitter) or ditching the two 75watt bulbs and opting for a single 100watt bulb instead. That will raise the ambient temp, while drying the air out less. Depending where you live, as the warmer weather months approach, heating and humidity will be less of an issue. You may want to save the 75watt bulb for warmer months when the room's ambient temp rises, requiring less artificial heat.

You're perfectly fine giving it a go in the glass, all my snakes are in glass. I am switching over to PVC soon though, it's just a million times easier, especially in the winter months as the air gets super dry and humidity is a pain. Your snake can live a happy and healthy life in glass, it's just more work for you.

There are many tricks to help keep humidity up, and we will be happy to share if you'd like. You can probably just search the forum and find plenty of info though.

You're off to a great start getting everything ready in advance. Keep reading and learning, keep asking questions and listening to the experienced keepers who have years of experience and knowledge they are happy to share with you. The learning curve will be easier if you're willing to ask questions and follow the advice of the experienced keepers.
Don't over-stress yourself, you're off to a great start and we are here to help

[MmmBanana]

I must be tired because for the life of me I can't figure out what CS means lol.

What temps did he consider too low? I'm hoping to get (or atleast place a hold/buy) mine around January-February so it's possible weather may cause delays for mine as well. Were the bananas he showed you listed on his site or did he show some that were not?

I'm sure someone else will chime in on suggestions, but if you haven't seen this already,these threads go over how to cover your screen and how much.

CS= Customer service. The temps dipped below freezing. There was frost on vehicles the next morning. He has a coral glow enchi on his site, but the other two were not. If you have a good idea of what you want, absolutely email him and talk to him about it! Seems like he has more available than he is able to get onto his website.

Craigafrechette, Thanks for the encouragement! The temperature has been up and down here. I just got home from work, and my room was colder than usual. The tank was barely 80F when I checked. So I am really going to need to get the temp situation worked out. Would having the lights on the thermostat stress the snake off since itll have them going on and off every few min?

[Craiga 01453]

Craigafrechette, Thanks for the encouragement! The temperature has been up and down here. I just got home from work, and my room was colder than usual. The tank was barely 80F when I checked. So I am really going to need to get the temp situation worked out. Would having the lights on the thermostat stress the snake off since itll have them going on and off every few min?

Having a thermostat on the bulb will regulate how much output the bulb can actually produce, it won't be turning on/off. It will just be regulated. If you do end up getting a different bulb, I would get the darkest night bulb you can as well. You don't want the light shining on your BP all day, that would be a stresser for the snake. BPs will spend the vast majority of their lives hiding, and are nocturnal by nature, so the ambient light in the room is plenty.