No hide's Please.

I just recently transferred my pastel female from a 20-Long tank to a 40, and after 2 days she isn't using any of her hides. My ambient temp is 78-80 and my hot spot is 83-86, and a super solid 64% humidity.

I have 3 hides currently in the tank, one in the back right corner over my UTH, one dead in the middle, and one in the far left corner. I have a great heat gradient going on.

Anyway, she won't use any of her hide's, and I've never had this problem before. She will use one for an hour, then go lay out in the open, then use a different hide. Just a random cycle.

Before anyone flames me for having a juvenile in a 40, I'd just like to say I haven't ever had a problem before... as long as I have 3-4 hides in there. To me it just seems like she's being restless.

Alot of bp's are sensitive to change, may just take a bit for her to settle in. I have a few 700-100 gram males in 16 quart bins because Ive tried to move them up a size a few times and it just doesnt work for those guys

Thanks for the input, I'm hoping this female pastel will settle in. My other bp's I have/had made the transfer from their 20 to a 40 no problem at all. This was my first experience with one having a hard time, so it just kind of got me worried.

Sometimes my male ball python is out of his hide also. He eats well and doesn't seem stressed at all. When he's out of his hide he lays on top of the moss in his tank and takes a nap.
I'm not sure about yours. My bp is about a year old and is in a 40 gal breeder. He's doing just fine, hasn't turned down a meal once, etc.
I'm sorry I can't offer more than the fact that my BP does it too but doesn't seem stressed. I'm not an expert yet. :(

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Originally Posted by Cody John Steele

To me it just seems like she's being restless.

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This is a sign of stress. Which is most likely caused by the switch.

If your SET IN STONE on using the 40 instead of the 20 for it u can give it more time or add more things in there.

Take some paper and crumble it up and toss it in there. Fill some of the empty space and remove it over time.

Thanks as well. :)

Your male sounds like he's just basking, and that's totally fine. What my female is doing is a little different, she will lay out like she is going to bask...but then changes her mind where she should be constantly. Pretty much just avoiding hides.

It's almost like watching a dog trying to take a nap, and the dog can't make up his mind where to lay.

Aye, I'm not an expert either...so it's ok :)

I agree with the concept that she just needs more time to settle in. Their little brains work at an entirely different pace than ours do, and it may take her a week or two to finally be convinced that no other critters intend to claim those perfect little caves. I'm pretty sure in time she will settle and you'll see just as little of her as you did before. :P

Thanks Mike, I have plenty of extra plants, vines, and other terrarium nic-naks. So if I didn't want to put paper in there, I could just add plenty of those?

Thanks JLC, would you recommend what Mike said to do? or just leave her tank alone for the rest of the acclimatization?

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Originally Posted by Cody John Steele

Thanks Mike, I have plenty of extra plants, vines, and other terrarium nic-naks. So if I didn't want to put paper in there, I could just add plenty of those?

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Couldn't hurt to try...just keep in mind that any changes you make will likely "reset the clock" on the settling in period. :)