Urgent Habitat Question!

[brewsterk2]

Hello everyone, I havent introduce myself yet but ill take this post to do it. Names Kyle, zoology major and big animal enthusiast.

First of here are my specs: 30 gal tall, 60 watt heat lamp on hot side, 1 heat pad on hot side (not sure of wattage as i am at work), 1 hide box on hot side, reptile bark substrate (barkchips the size of about a thumbtack, and a few pieces of store bought wood for climbing.

Recently Ive become worried because Homer, after his second feeding ("fuzzy" lab mouse) retreated to his hide box and that was 8 days ago and he hasnt voluntarily come out of his hide box yet. I checked on him, and he looks alright but im still worried. I know they hide to digest but it seems too long.

This happened also after i change up his tank setup. Is it normal for a Ball to just chill inside their hide box for days on end? And if so, would it stress him out to pull him outta there and let him roam around the house for awhile?

I have a feeling it has to do with the various temps of his viv. The ambient air temp is usually about 73 degrees and i know thats way too low but i just dont know how to raise it. and the ground about the heat pad is slightly higher. BUT I JUST DONT KNOW HOW to keep the air temp in the high 80's during the daytime. What can i do? Get another heatpad? Maybe throw a flat peice of wood on top of the screen top? change the wattage of the bulb? PLEASE PLEASE help. I just want my snake to be healthy and happy. Thanks so much in advance for your speedy and helpful replies. - kyle

[Argentra]

Ok, first of all, how old is the snake? By the fact that you said he eats a fuzzy...I would guess not very old at all. If that's the case, then a 30 tall tank is WAY too big for him! I have my 6 month old in a 20L with plenty of decor to help her feel secure. Sounds like your snake might be stressed by the enclosure.

Second, you need two identical hides one on each side of the enclosure. And they should be cave-like with only one opening.

As far as heat and temps go...first get the snake a smaller enclosure if it is indeed young, then make sure your UTH pad is regulated by a thermostat or dimmer. How are you measuring your temps? If you have an analog sticky...you need to change that to a digital, preferably with indoor/outdoor readings for better gradient measures.

To keep a glass tank insulated, you have to cover the screen top with foil shiny side down taped on the top with an opening above the warm side for ventilation. Also, you should cover the back and both sides with a solid background for security and cork or foam board to keep in heat.

[brewsterk2]

Thanks for the info. Now that I think about it, I already knew those things but I dont know why i didnt think about it. I have a 10 gal i think ill switch Homer into. Duh

But to answer your question, hes prolly about 6-8 months. I use standard fish mercury thermometers to measure temps. one on the coolside up high to measure air temp, and the other in the substrate on the hotside to measure the heat.

One thing im confused about is the UTH, i dont remember there being any kind of thermostat mechanism attached to it, although that would be odd if there wasnt. And second there isnt a manual temp control. The inst. told me that if i wish to drive the temp high, to layer the tank with multiple amounts of paper and such but it was very vague. Know a place online to find outstanding snake supplies? I cant seem to find much.


Ill make the changes and let everyone know how Homer fairs.

P.s. I dont know how Liters compare to Gallons lol.

[Sparky1]

The 20L in question is not liters, it is a long 20 gallon tank which means that it is longer and shorter than your typical 20 gallon fish tank.

[brewsterk2]

well i feel dumb.

[Argentra]

Nah, don't. I should have specified. And yeah, a 6-8 month old would feel exposed and lost in a huge tank like yours. They should probably be around a year old or so before they move into a bigger tank, and then it should be longer and wider than it is tall. 12" high is just right for a ball python, since these guys are ground dwellers and don't really climb (though try telling that to my little girl).

UTH's don't have controls attached, sadly. You have to get a separate rheostat, dimmer, or preferably a thermostat. Oh, and toss the fish thermometers ASAP! Those things are meant to measure water temps! And mercury meters aren't accurate enough. Get yourself a digital, like the Acurite from WalMart and Lowes, that reads in and out and also make sure you have a good digital hygrometer as well to determine humidity...which is also important.

Great places to get snake supplies online would be ReptileBasics.com, Reptilesupply.com, and Herpsupplies.com. Rich at Reptile Basics is the greatest guy, and you can get a t-stat from him for about $75 fully wired and ready to go.

Oh, and 1 gallon is about 4 liters. Hope that helps.

[NightLad]

Acurite is good:



I use 2 TempMinders (same thing as an Acurite); one of the cool side and one on the warm. They measure the humidity and the temp, so I know just where I stand.

It might help to puck up an infra-red heat gun for taking instant surface temperatures, especially of your snake (just not on the head!). This can help you better learn your specific animals heating needs. If you see him out and about after being in a hide for a while, take his temp. After a while you will get a feel for what he likes and doesn't like.

Remember, BPs are shy, nocturnal animals. Mine seems to like the cool side during the day, and the hot side at night. Yours is still young and in the "hide all the time so things don't eat me" mode. hehe. After the switch to the smaller tank he will hopefully feel more secure.

Let us know how it goes!

[Sparky1]

I have to agree reptile basics is by far the best online place i have delt with to date, super helpful and they ship fast, i am in california and i get everything in about a week. Another option is to use a reostat to control your UTH they will not automaitically adjust the temps but with a good digital you can get the temps right were you want them with a lil adjusting. If your room temps change alot it is alot better to go with a thermostat.

[brewsterk2]

Alright i moved Homer and all his goodies to a ten gallon i had lying around, and Im in the process of obtaining a new thermometer and thermostat (see below). I went today and snagged an addtional coco hut which he loves, and a hygrometer. It reads about 55% humidity, which i feel is way too low, am i right? What is the healthiest humidity level that which i need to achieve?

And just to make sure im right, correct me if im wrong. Basically the pre-wired thermostat, the $75 Johnson one at Reptilebasics, will hook up to my UTH and help to regulate and control the temperature? If so, will this give me the power to manually control the temp of the UTH? Ive done quite a bit of my own research and read that a daytime basking temp of out 90 degrees F is necessary as well as a nightly low of about 75 degrees, no lower than 70. Am i mistaken?

I feel like a dumby asking these questions, i hope no one flames me. Thanks again everyone. I don't know what I would do if something happened to Homer.

[Argentra]

Alright, you only got a few things off. And NEVER feel bad about asking questions...that's why most of us are here.

A humidity of 55% is perfect. The only time you need it higher is when the snake is in shed (70%). Most times 50-60% is just right.

Johnson t-stats are great! I have one and they are so easy to use. They even have an indicator light to tell you when the unit is 'on'. Basically, you'll set the stat for around 95 to start (the 1 degree differential is already set by Rich), then watch your thermometer and adjust the settings on the stat until you've reached an in-tank temp under the warm hide of 92-93. Don't be surprised if the stat is set at like 98 to get this...it happens, especially if you have aspen or cypress in there. The warm side temp shouldn't drop below 89 and the cool side shouldn't drop below 80. There is absolutely no need for a night-time drop! Ambient air should never fall below 76.

Otherwise, sounds like you've got it pretty much down. Good luck keeping it going!