Setup Question

[YvesA]

Hi,
I got my BP 2 days ago and I just wanted to make sure I got everything as close as possible as optimal.

I've been following this guide (as well as others) and I think I got things correct, but I wanted to double check.

-I've got 2 hide spots that are the same, one on the cold side and one on the hot side.
-I've got a branch he can climb on to get to the fake plants that are ~ 2 inches from the heat lamp.
-The basking spot near the top light is ~93F
-I'm using a 20 gallon tank. (my BP is ~22 inches)
-I'm using a UTH
-2 CHE with 50W infrared bulbs on 24 hours.
-Cold side (probe is on the substrate) is 82F. (as seen in the pic)
-Hot side (probe is on the substrate) is 92F. (as seen in the pic)
-I'm using the ambient lighting as day/night. (I have 3 other cages setup on a timer 8am to 8pm.
-The humidity is ~50-60% (It's 55% right now).
-Ambient temp is around 80F.

Here's a pic of my viv...


Am I good to go with this setup (until he gets bigger)?
And what are the ranges in temp for the cold and hot sides? ie 2-4 degrees?

Thanks in advance.

[nevohraalnavnoj]

Everything looks pretty good. Ball pythons are pretty clumsy, so all those things for your BP to climb on may be counterproductive as he will be falling down all the time and possibly injuring himself. I would bring their height down a bit.

It seems like humidity is going to be difficult with an open top. You might think of covering the top to keep some humidity in, but if you're somewhere like Florida it may be good to go as is.

Temps can vary a couple of degrees no problem. 80-84 cool side and 88-low 90's hot side is the generally accepted range of temps. Well known breeders such as the Barkers let temps go to high 70's at night, but you can't go wrong keeping them at 80ish.

Do you have any thermostats on there??

JonV

[starmom]

My only question is with the temp probe on the substrate, the glass beneath can become too hot for the snakes and they can wind up with a belly burn. I would suggest that you place the probes on the glass under the substrate.
I think it's really terrific that you have taken the time to really research and model your environment on what has worked for countless others! Great job!!

[pythontricker]

Everything looks pretty good. Ball pythons are pretty clumsy, so all those things for your BP to climb on may be counterproductive as he will be falling down all the time and possibly injuring himself. I would bring their height down a bit.
JonV

I'm going to say the bp will most likely not fall off of something that small, and if it does it would most likely not injure itself.
As for the Humidity you might want to put some tin foil over the top or something. I find that a moist towel works great.

[starmom]

Jon has a great point regarding the height of your cage. A lot of the heat and humidity will be rising to the top where the ball python will seldom be. How tall is your tank? Male royals tend to climb more frequently than females though they are not arboreal by any stretch. Jon is correct in wondering if the climbing branch is too high.

[YvesA]

Thanks for the quick replies!

nevohraalnavnoj,
- I lowered the plants to half the cage. I defiantly don't want my BP to hurt itself. I had it the way it was to make sure it could get close enough to the heat lamp to get enough heat if it wanted it.
- I only have those 2 digital thermostats. I don't have a way to lower the UTH right now. I should have a chance to go tomorrow and get something for that, no one at the pet store mentioned it but I've been reading lots of posts here and it seems like it's the way to go.

starmom,
-I put the probe right on the glass over the glass where the UTH is, the temp was 100F.
But I have ~1.5 inches of reptile bark. I was told that they don't borrow with this as substrate, should I be worried?
-The cage is 18"x18"x18".

Shouldn't the humidity be around 50%-60% though?

[missi182]

I have that exact terrarium and let me tell you, it turned into a nightmare!! I did have everything about right along the lines of temps and humidity but I was CONSTANTLY misting, adjusting temps, and my bp fell HARD a few times. He does not need anything to climb on to fall, he can simply creep up the sides (which he will) and will fall backward and bonk his head when he gets too far up. I enjoy the look of terrariums but eventually gave up on this exo-terra.

Don't get me wrong, this tank will work but it takes a lot of tweaking. Also, the Under Tank Heater you have plugged in without a control will get higher than 100 degrees, guaranteed. Unfortunately your best bet is to unplug it until you purchase something to control it. It is very easy for your bp to burrow to the hot glass and you do not want to risk a sever burn.

And in regards to your humidity, yes 50-60 is correct, but with the height of the tank, don't be surprised if it does drop. That is when you will need to cover the screen. If you need any tips on controlling that terrarium I would be happy to share my experience with it further.

[starmom]

1.5 inches is, in my opinion, a lot. But, to answer your question: Yes, I would be concerned that the python will burrow and burn. These snakes do burrow and I have no idea why they would not burrow into your substrate. I would decrease the amount of substrate and decrease the temps.
Also, I would strongly suggest that you get a thermostat right away to control the temps of your UTH. Popular brands include Helix, Herpstat and Ranco (?). I use both Helix and Herpstat and have found them both to be reliable and easy to use.
Humidity should be between 50-60% per most members on this forum. I use to bump humidity to 72% for shedding until one of my snakes surprised me with a shed (didn't even know she had been in blue!) Her humidity had been 56% the entire time! So, I am now keeping my humidity at around 55% and bumping to 60% for sheds. I have 2 more in blue right now so we'll see how that works; I am expecting successful and perfect sheds!
Anyway, there you go. There are lots of ways to keep these snakes but the true basics are proper temps (thermostat), proper humidity, and proper hides. After that, your snake will let you know what he likes specific to his own personality~ and this just takes time and observation!

[YvesA]

Ok, I unplugged my UTH, it shouldn't be a problem it being unplugged until tomorrow morning?

missi182, can I ask what you are using now?

Thanks for all the help!

[mak2266]

Nice setup! I also usa a glass tank, mostly for the atmosphere. I like to display my tank and snakes for my own enjoyment. I agree with getting a adjustable thermostat. I got mine from www.beanfarm.com That will help you get control over the heat issues. Also I bought Kevin Mccurly's book "complete ball pyhton" is a must for a new owner. Good luck Mitch