New Pastel BP

[LostElise]

So a friend of mine gave me a pastel BP that he apparently purchased today thinking that I would love it (sort of the, "give a girl a puppy and she'll date you" philosophy). I don't know what line of pastel it is. In fact, all the information I have is that it is an '06 CB male who is live feeding on adult mice (I totally hate the idea of live feeding). He looks about 22-24inches long and is thicker than the girl I have.

Having gotten him tonight, I have nowhere to put him put the same 70gallon tank as my yearling(ish?) girl (confirmed girl). I simply don't have a heated tank or tub for him to go in tonight, so I have set up some extra hides, however my girl seems very stressed out by this (which pisses me off and does not ingratiate me to the purchaser of this new but really nice-looking pastel).

So here is my question, what's the best answer? I need to get a new tank. Can I put him in a 30g? the cost of all of this is atrocious given that I need a new UTH, thermostat, CHE, etc etc etc. It is almost not worth it. Having received him for free, would it be dumb of me to try to sell him? I mean, I like the idea of breeding in a few years (when they are ready) but it's far off. I am going to post pics of him on my gallery. If I sold him, I'd give the money to the guy--but if I sold him, I only want to buy some temporary equipment for him. The breeder told my friend that because the two were of a different sex that they can live in a 70g indefinitely. I just don't think that is true. So anyway, just general advice maybe? To sell him? What to sell him for? I can hold off feeding him since he is acclimating him, but when I do, if he won't go for f/t, I was thinking rat pup, so that he would less chance of injury. Are adult mice and rat pups an easy/comparable switch?

UGH i am so disgusted with this situation.

[Sadie]

So there's a couple problems with throwing him in with your girl: 1) stress as you mentioned but disease also, and 2) breeding too young which can hurt or kill your girl. They cannot be kept together, the "breeder" mislead you.

I would tell the friend of yours to take him back to the store.... Tell him that you can't afford to keep him and have nowhere to put him. Unless he'd like to buy you a new set-up too? If there is a reptile rescue in your area, that is an option. Although you seem really concerned with making a quick buck off this....

In the meantime, buy a heating pad for your 30g (more than big enough), throw a cereal box hide in there and a water dish, and leave him alone. If it's only for a day or so, you might get away with using (carefully wrapped) heat packs or those mitten warmer things...

Don't worry about feeding him, he can go a week or two until you get everything sorted out. Adult mice and rat pups are very comparable in size, and he may switch to f/t after he settles in (be prepared, that may involve feeding live mice for a couple meals).

[sweety314]

Rachael,


Since it was a gift, it wouldn't be dumb of you to sell him, if that is what you want to do. But if you're looking to breed in a few years, maybe it might be worth it to U to hang on to him. Investing in the husbandry supplies when you didn't have to purchase the snake.....all depends on your plans.

Rat pups/new fuzzies = adult mice. Not a problem

As for how to give him a home......... Hmmmmm The 30g would work for quite a while. (I'm reading that you already have one, but need the heat/therm, etc. Yes? No? ). If you're looking to sell him soon and just need a quickie set-up, how about just a plastic tub & heating pad w/rheostat for the hot spot?? Keep him in a warm room. Any kind of cereal bowl would work as a temp water hole, and for hides, cut up a box or put holes in two margarine tubs' lids. (Something like that). Then the only major expense would be the accurite and dimmer....maybe some clips to help hold the lid on (just in case).

Good luck in your decision!

BTW...if you decide to sell and can ship........*hint,hint*

RuLyn

[LostElise]

So there's a couple problems with throwing him in with your girl: 1) stress as you mentioned but disease also, and 2) breeding too young which can hurt or kill your girl. They cannot be kept together, the "breeder" mislead you.

I would tell the friend of yours to take him back to the store.... Tell him that you can't afford to keep him and have nowhere to put him. Unless he'd like to buy you a new set-up too? If there is a reptile rescue in your area, that is an option. Although you seem really concerned with making a quick buck off this....

Thanks for the info about breeding, I didn't think he or she would even be old enough to attempt it. However, I'm separating them regardless because neither seem happy.

a couple of other things.
As mentioned in the original post, the friend bought him so I never spoke to the breeder directly. He bought him at a show, not a store so taking him back is not an option. Had I bought him, I wouldn't be having these issues because I would have had everything taken care of before the purchase was made.

Secondly, there is not a rescue in my area. The closest one is a few hundred miles away. I am not interested in making money off this. As said in the post, I would give the money to the guy who bought him for me. But just like when selling any animal, you want to sell for a price that seeks to ensure that only well-qualified owners will buy him. If you're willing to pay a higher amount, you're more likely to want to keep the snake happy and healthy compared to someone who just is impulse buying or wants to breed unethically. I don't really understand where you get the idea that I am looking to make a "quick buck off this" but because my entire post is about me wanting to know how to best care for this poor little snake that didn't ask to be put in this stressful situation, I am kind of offended. Beyond that, however, I appreciate your advice.

[SarahMB]

Hi Rachel!

I'm glad you are seperating them, that's excellent advice. I didn't read your post to mean you were looking to make money at all, only in that you were looking for a good arrangement and advice on achieving that. Very admirable!

Personally, I think you should keep him. He's very pretty! A tub setup won't set you back too much.

Oh, and I also think you should post pics of your Munchkin

[rabernet]

I'm also very concerned about quarantine, since the two were put together, there was no quarantine period between this new one and your established girl. Even snakes that I get from Adam, who I know takes impecible care of his animals are quarantined when they come to my home.


A 70 gallon enclosure is HUGE for any sized ball python, but especially a yearling.

If I were you, I'd go to Walmart and get a 32 or 41 quart Sterlite tub, some bowls from the dollar store and solder entrances for hides, a crock and an acurite. Also a solder wand to solder entrances in the hides and ventilation holes in the tub. Until you can get a proper UTH and thermostat - TEMPORARILY, you could use a human heat pad with NO auto off feature set on the lowest setting.

This is NOT something I would normally recommend, unless it's a temporary solution until you can get a UTH designed for heating reptiles. I've done it on baby tubs when I was waiting for a flexwatt order to come in that was delayed by the person I purchased it from, but for me, even the lowest setting is very warm, and I try to add a thicker layer of aspen over it and watch those temps like a hawk.

Oh, and congrats on the pastel - I sneaked a peek at him in your gallery!

[LostElise]

I'm also very concerned about quarantine, since the two were put together, there was no quarantine period between this new one and your established girl. Even snakes that I get from Adam, who I know takes impecible care of his animals are quarantined when they come to my home.


A 70 gallon enclosure is HUGE for any sized ball python, but especially a yearling.

If I were you, I'd go to Walmart and get a 32 or 41 quart Sterlite tub, some bowls from the dollar store and solder entrances for hides, a crock and an acurite. Also a solder wand to solder entrances in the hides and ventilation holes in the tub. Until you can get a proper UTH and thermostat - TEMPORARILY, you could use a human heat pad with NO auto off feature set on the lowest setting.

This is NOT something I would normally recommend, unless it's a temporary solution until you can get a UTH designed for heating reptiles. I've done it on baby tubs when I was waiting for a flexwatt order to come in that was delayed by the person I purchased it from, but for me, even the lowest setting is very warm, and I try to add a thicker layer of aspen over it and watch those temps like a hawk.

Oh, and congrats on the pastel - I sneaked a peek at him in your gallery!

That is all great advice. I have called and made an appointment with my vet for that snake already. I checked for all the usual symptoms of RIs, scale rots, mites, and inclusion disease, but parasites aren't easily seen. However, he looks alert and healthy.

As of now, I went out and bought a 20long tank. I do have a 70gallon, but I actually havent had them in the 70gallon. I forgot that I'd gone out and gotten a 30gallon for my first BP (probably after someone on this list told me how a 70g was too big!). So, yes, I have a 30gallon (about 35inches long) and a 20gallon (about 25inches long), both set up. I am using a human heat pad until the flexwatt I am ordering comes in. Can I use the same helix for two tanks' flexwatts? I know some people do that with racks, right? I mean, I am going to use separate rheostats for their CHEs (obviously) but since the flex watt temp should be 94-95degrees for both, regardless of tank size, one Helix should be okay? just wondering.

Because of the size differential, I put the smaller one, the girl, in the 20long and kept the bigger guy in the bigger tank. Is that right? or should I switch it up? I would normally have put the pastel in the new tank, but since I felt like the snake I have had is probably already stressed, I wasn't sure the tank move would do much worse on her. So, in moving her (she and the boy were squeezed in the same hide though not on top of each other) I saw that her eyes are going cloudy. I am not the happiest of campers with this situation. Tonight is her normal feed night, and she usually eats during a shed, however, with the stress she is in, I think I am going to wait so she won't regurgitate. Sound like okay logic?

I am still really rather disturbed by someone's post earlier as to my intent with these snakes. I do not want to be a bad pet owner, so while my questions may be ridiculous or sound overly-obsessive, it is only because I actually do care about the welfare of these animals. If I felt like I was not able to provide them with the care they need, I'd give them to someone who would.

Sigh... Thanks again to those who've responded thus far. I appreciate it.

[Sadie]

Hey Rachel, sorry to offend. It threw me off that you wanted to know how much to sell him for, it didn't really seem important considering everything else. You are absolutely right that giving him away would attract the wrong kind of owners. Seems like you have everything under control, now hopefully you can relax and enjoy him!

I would think that the Helix could control both, but you can go ahead and check the temps with a thermostat or heat gun. A small length of heat tape from the two tanks should be well within the max wattage the Helix can handle, that would be the only other issue. I think you have the right idea skipping a meal in your girl's case. Stress can trigger an early shed too (although that is not necessarily the case here).

Good luck, and again sorry about the misunderstanding.