New to the world

[Swank]

hello everyone! I need some help in finding EXACTLY what i need to have for a BP. Ive been reading like crazy the past week and i read something different, or something that contridicts something else ive read. Money is not a problem in setting up a terraium. Do i need to have lights? Some told me yes and other say the light through the window is more than enough. How many UTH's do i need? im buying a 20gal long today to start out in. Move up from there. Do the UTHs keep the heat and humidity well, without the need for a CHE? Any help would be greatly appreciated. This was supposed to be a gift for my sister, but Im getting one myself in the process!

Thx a million!

[Neal]

You're going to get mixed opinions on what you need/don't need. You need to get an UTH(under tank heater) but make sure you get the appropriate size one, i'm not too familiar on the sizes and such so hopefully somebody else will give you insight on that. You can use aspen bedding, newspaper, paper towels, really your choice. You don't need light for your bp, however light never hurts anything, sorta gives them a cycle, but window light is fine, don't go wasting your money on a lamp and a uvb bulb and such. Next you need a thermostat to regulate the temperature, and you need 2 identical hides for cool side & warm side. I say get 2 thermometers to measure the temperature on both sides, just make sure the one on the warm side measures humidity also.

[mainbutter]

http://www.ball-pythons.net/forums/s...ad.php?t=55849
http://www.ball-pythons.net/forums/s...ad.php?t=56846

Read those.

You may need a CHE. I used one until I just decided to heat the entire room I kept my pets at a higher temp.

You will likely have humidity issues since most of the US is drier than what is recommended for ball pythons, and glass cages with screen tops are notorious for not holding humidity. Read around for tips on how to fix the issue, but MANY of us here keep ball pythons in screen top glass cages with perfectly healthy snakes that consistently have good sheds.

make sure to have two good hides for the snake, nice and snug(not too big) completely enclosed(no half-logs), with one small hole for an opening just big enough for the snake to fit in. The post with pics shows a tree-stump looking hide which is NOT a good BP hide btw.

[Swank]

Well thanks for the input! So one UTH on the side is more than enough to heat the whole setup? Water should be away from the UTH side, correct?

[Neal]

I always put the water on the cooler side. UTH should be more then enough if you get the appropriate size, then again it all depends on the temperature of your room. I have a UTH on both of my tanks, probably not the best size and they don't heat the tank to the needed temperature so I use overhead fixtures also, but down here we don't have a problem with humidity, overhead fixtures suck up humidity. UTH are a must period for the humidity sake, but if for some reason you get the size you need and it doesn't heat the tank properly, then you can always resort to Heat tap on the lower sides to give additional heat.

[Swank]

Excellent. Sorry i didnt look more into the forums and find those myself. I live in a rather hot city, its 70 degrees inside my house. Outside today is 101 degrees. So its a very hot and dry climate where i live. Im sure heating wont be problem then, would it?

[mainbutter]

I keep my reptile room heated between 75-79 degrees just for reference I forgot to mention that.

[Neal]

Excellent. Sorry i didnt look more into the forums and find those myself. I live in a rather hot city, its 70 degrees inside my house. Outside today is 101 degrees. So its a very hot and dry climate where i live. Im sure heating wont be problem then, would it?

My room is about 73, but like I said in the above post, I probably use a undersized UTH for the tank sizes I use. A proper size UTH for a 20 gal should do the trick most likely, if not just get some heat tape, also for humidity i'm glad main stated about the screen top issue, to fix that, you can goto lowe's or a hard ware store & have them cut the plexi glass to cover between 1/2 & 3/4 of the tank, or you can use ceran wrap and just cover over the screen. Either or is a great fix and both are cheap.

[Swank]

Well thx for all the help. im going to the store in about 30 mins to start building the new home. Ill have the setup running by tonight, and have it going for a few days to get it up to spec. Then once its all set, BP time!

[stratus_020202]

I wouldn't use a light either. I have natural light in my room, and I have to go and get darker curtains. If any light is going through the hole in my bps hide, she twists her body and flips her hide around until the hole is facing the back of her cage so it's completely dark. Have fun picking out the new bp!!