Ball Python Cage Setup

Hi I have recently purchased a ball python and was curious to know if i have the right tank set up and i also wanted to know ways to improve it, which would in return improve the live of my little creature. he he heh. "It" (unnamed still) is currently living in a 20 gallon tank. I am unsure of the age of it but rest assured it is still very young. On the right side of the tank I have a UTH with a hide area above it. The bedding I use in the tank is cypress mulch. On the opposite side of the tank i have a decent size water bowl which i wash/refill every day or so. To further heat my tank i have a infrared red light which also projects onto the hide. What are your personal opinions on the infrared lights and normal lights and maybe your thoughts on lights in general for BP's. I also have a CHE on the middle/ a little over the cold side. I don't have a thermometer of any sort so I don't know the actual temps inside. How much bedding should be in the tank? I tried feeding him a pinky and he ate it, but also striked at me a few times and bit me. If you could critique my tank set up and help me fix it I would greatly appreciate it. Thank you :please::snake::)

Take a look at this caresheet and assess your setup. I would get a thermostat as soon as you can and hook the UTH up to it. I think the cage sounds fairly large for a young python. You will also need a hygrometer. Try to get a thermostat that has a hygrometer built into it, and make sure it has a probe.
Also, try to resist the urge to feed or handle your new BP for a week or so, to allow it to settle in.

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Originally Posted by SpencerShanks

I would get a thermostat as soon as you can and hook the UTH up to it. I think the cage sounds fairly large for a young python. You will also need a hygrometer. Try to get a thermostat that has a hygrometer built into it, and make sure it has a probe.

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Where can I get one? Should i make another hide for "it" as well? (on the cooler side) Do you have any experience with moss? Also what is your opinion on the infrared nocturnal light?

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Originally Posted by collinsm91789

Where can I get one? Should i make another hide for "it" as well? (on the cooler side) Do you have any experience with moss? Also what is your opinion on the infrared nocturnal light?

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You should be able to buy one at a Home Depot, Lowes, or other hardware store. You can also order them online from various locations such as this one. I personally don't use moss in my enclosure, as it stays in the 60% humidity range on its own.
I use an red night bulb 24/7 actually, trying to boost my ambient temperatures, to little avail. You do not need to provide them with UVA/UVB lighting, regular ambient lighting should be fine so long as some sort of normal day/night cycle occurs.

Taken directly from the caresheet available on this site:
HIDES
Ball pythons typically fairly shy and reclusive nocturnal animals and appreciate a good dark place to curl up and feel safe. It is best to provide two adequate hides in your BPs enclosure – one on the warm end and one on the cooler end so that it does not have to make a choice between regulating its body temperature and feeling secure (to their own detriment these snakes will sacrifice warmth in favor of a hide).

Hides can be constructed or bought in a wide variety of forms shapes materials. For best sanitation you should avoid hides that are very porous, difficult to clean or which could rot mold or mildew. Whether store-bought or homemade, a ball python will prefer a hide that is small and snug-fitting, so that it feels "hugged" on all side and even from above.

More on thermostats
ALSO taken directly from the caresheet available on this site:
TEMPERATURE
~80F (ambient temps)
~90F (basking temps)
75 or below is unhealthy
Night drops in temps are not necessary or desired

Maintaining proper temperatures is essential to keeping your ball python healthy – failure to do so can lead to a host of issues from poor feeding to potentially lethal respiratory infections. For this reason you want to make sure you are able to measure the temperatures accurately. The sticker-type thermometers used in aquariums, and the little dials usually found in pet stores are routinely inaccurate and do little more than measure the temps of the glass to which they are adhered. Do yourself and your ball python a favor and invest in a digital thermometer. One of the most cost-effective and easily available is the Accu-Rite digital thermometer/hygrometer combo available at large stores such as Wal-Mart. These retail for less than $15 and include a probe making it possible to monitor the warm side and cool side temps as well as the humidity levels all simultaneously.

[QUOTE=SpencerShanks;1476194.[/QUOTE]

Where can i purchase a thermometer for my ball python tank.I am looking for the one that can measure temperature, humidity, and I want it to have the probe (for exact readings) I have heard that it is possible to get them at walmart or similar type stores. Can anyone give me a more specific way of finding them ie, a name of the thermometer/hygrometer, what store, and possibly what section of the store. I have been looking online and found a few that may be what I'm looking for but I am confused because it says the product is for cooking use. PLZ HELP.! I feel as if my snakes tank is too cold.

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Originally Posted by collinsm91789

Where can i purchase a thermometer for my ball python tank.I am looking for the one that can measure temperature, humidity, and I want it to have the probe (for exact readings) I have heard that it is possible to get them at walmart or similar type stores. Can anyone give me a more specific way of finding them ie, a name of the thermometer/hygrometer, what store, and possibly what section of the store. I have been looking online and found a few that may be what I'm looking for but I am confused because it says the product is for cooking use. PLZ HELP.! I feel as if my snakes tank is too cold.

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I would guess that it is quite the opposite. With a uncontrolled UTH and red bulb along with a ceramic heater.
Thermostat.......search Reptitemp 500R
Walmart next to the paint section get an Accurite with the probe.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by collinsm91789

Where can i purchase a thermometer for my ball python tank.I am looking for the one that can measure temperature, humidity, and I want it to have the probe (for exact readings) I have heard that it is possible to get them at walmart or similar type stores. Can anyone give me a more specific way of finding them ie, a name of the thermometer/hygrometer, what store, and possibly what section of the store. I have been looking online and found a few that may be what I'm looking for but I am confused because it says the product is for cooking use. PLZ HELP.! I feel as if my snakes tank is too cold.

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Alot of people use the Acu-Rite Indoor/Outdoor Thermometer. Wal-Mart has them in the Hardware section. Lowes and Home Depot usually put them in the Outdoors section. Whether or not each store will have them varies, so you may have to shop around or look online. They look like this...

http://ball-pythons.net/gallery/file...8/hpim0473.jpg