just bought a BP from petsmart

[hoax]

ok i just bought a BP. i bought it from petsmart. I had really no idea about what i was doing i did a little research before i went on care but not on what to look for when buying one i think i got a good snake though. The guy that helped me was not really forthcoming with the details (he said he owned 4 snakes including a reticulated python) but he helped me pick out a 20L tank and steered me away from the hot rock i only got one hide and i got a small water dish and i got a half log hide. I went back today after reading this site. I got a medium ceramic water bowl (big enough for my snake to soak but small enough that he/she could move around it. i also got a better hide (in my noob opinion) it is a half coconut that my snake fits in rather snugly but still big enough for it to get in and out of. when i got the snake i got one of the heat pads that sticks to the side/bottom and put it in the bottom the temp would not get above 80f so i went and got a 50w infrared light to help keep him warm if that is still not enough i will get the 75 untill his tank is about 85 daytime and 80 night. i did get the digital thermometer/hygrometer yesterday so i can keep track of his habitat precisely. he is more active now than he has been all day so i dont know if it the extra warmth of the better hiding spot or if it is time for him to start coming out being as he is nocturnal and all but i will keep a good eye on him to make sure he is doing well. they gave me his feed chart he ate on friday the 4th of july so i am going to keep feeding him on saturdays. I am sure this is a pandoras box for me to open but... they were feeding him frozen and the guy told me he had a bad experience with fresh having parasites. i feel beter about fresh for some reason i just feel like it would be the best way to go nutritionaly and i would not some half warmed funky thing to eat. how can i be sure that my snake is getting good quality food weather it be frozen or fresh. how can i make sure there are no parasites that will effect my baby (it is only about 9-12 inches long) if i do fresh i will use the co2 method i think that would be the safest humane way of doing it. or i stay with frozen how do i prepare it i bought a book but it still did not say anything on how to prepare frozen. help me the more i write in this thread the more helpless i feel to properly care for my snake. the guy said nothing of lifespan or anything. i am ok with having a snake that lives to be 40 but i would have liked to have known that before hand

[starmom]

Here's some reading to get you going and so you don't feel so helpless:
http://www.ball-pythons.net/forums/s...ad.php?t=31102
http://www.ball-pythons.net/forums/s...ad.php?t=56846
http://www.ball-pythons.net/modules....warticle&id=59
http://www.ball-pythons.net/forums/s...ad.php?t=43403
http://www.ball-pythons.net/forums/s...ad.php?t=63227
Welcome to BP.Net!!!!

[Mike Schultz]

First of all... if you bought one of those zoo med heat pads, you will want to get a dimmer switch fo some sort so that you can control how hot it gets. Mine actually got too hot to touch when it was just plugged into my wall.

You will want your tank to be about 92 on the warm side and low 80's on the cool side.

If cared for correctly, your snake should live to be 15-20. judging by its size it seems to be only a few months old at the moment.

As for frozen or fresh killed... Whatever is easier for you. I have heard that frozen kills some of the vitamins, but i dont know if thats a solid fact or not.

Easiest way to reheat frozen is to put it in warm water (not hot) until it's soft and warm to the touch.

[cinderbird]

this site has an excellent care sheet on balls and you should look that up.

a few things for your set up.. Balls prefer small enclosed spaces. a 20gal might be too big for him. Id recommend a 15quart rubermaid tub with a locking lid.

your hot side -needs- to be 90-94 degrees F. And if you came from petco, you're missing an integral part of your set up; a thermostat. I HIGHLY recommend Johnson controls, ranco, or helix. These arent cheap but they are as important in your set up as your snake is. These are what keep their environments at the correct temperature for them to thrive. I would not recommend a zoomed reptitemp 500R. they "look" great but are really bad for situations where there is ANY temperature fluctuation as they are only a glorified dimmer switch.

As far as thermometers and hydrometers, do yourself a favor and get an Accurite outdoor thermometer with probe. you can find them at target, walmart, lowes, etc.

Feeding; i feed frozen thawed because it is easier and cheaper. To prepare f/t you take the mouse or rat out of the freezer and either put it directly into hot water (NOT boiling) or into a plastic baggie and then into hot water. The amount of time depends on the size of the rodent, 10 minutes minimum and then some if they're bigger prey items. NEVER microwave your rodents. You can also take a rodent out of the freezer and put it in the fridge the night before and then before feeding time put a hair dryer over it for a little to get it to the right temperature.

[Sonya610]

I got mine from Petsmart too. Healthy and happy and all that, but they sell captive hatched (born in Africa and shipped over) and she had pinworms. You will probably want to take a poop sample into a herp vet when you get a chance.

[rrupp1179]

I myself bought my BP from petco....I think if I had started my research before hand and found this forum I would have decided differently.

I bought a kit from them for setup as well and have learned that I basically wasted my money on everything except for the tank itself and my BP lol!!!

They also were unable to answer all the many questions that i had regarding my new edition. 4 days after purchasing her I stumbled on this forum.

Everything THAT I KNOW UP TO NOW comes from here. Ppl on this SITE are GREAT I am so impressed. I feel welcome here. In my opinion I probably has a lot of rookie ?s. No one made me feel stupid. They honestly helped me with everything down to what to look for in POO lol!!!

SO.... Good LUCK!! CONGRATS on the new edition!! And USE all the ppl in this forum to help you. It has worked wonders for me. I am on here everyday learning more and more lol!!

[casperca]

Are you measuring the temp on the under tank heater or the air temp? I've seen the heat pads heat upto 115 degrees without some type of thermostat on them. This could be why your snake is being so active. Someone mentioned this but I couldn't find what you were measuring temps with. It is best to use a digital thermometer with a probe. I place the probe under the substrate on top of the UTH and then place the head unit on the cool end to measure ambient temps. It should all be in the caresheets and links that starmom gave you.
Welcome and congrats!