new BP, new set up, novice owner

1.) I purchased a BP on Friday afternoon. Its now Sunday evening and my BP has been hiding pretty much the entire time. Is there a good way to entice him to come out?

2.) I purchased the Zilla deluxe snake kit from Petsmart. In addition to the kit i purchased a UTH. The kit came with two ceramic light fixtures. One has a 75W day bulb. The other has a 50W night bulb. The terrarium is a 20 gallon long. With this set up I'm having trouble maintaining ambient temps without running both day and night bulbs at the same time. i have covered the screen top with foil temporarily to try to maintain temps but I worry at night if I shut off the day bulb that the temp may get a little too low. What heat set up is actually best for a 20 gallon long terrarium?

Any and all advice is appreciated as I'm determined to get this right.

Don't worry about enticing your bp out of its hide. Ball pythons are not the type of snake to want to be out in the open, and are happiest in their hides. As for the second question what are your temps currently at the hot and cold sides? What is the current humidity? How many hides do you have?

1) Give him at least a week or two to adjust to his place...chances are he will NOT come out.

2) I have the same exzact setup (not the kit...but same thing. Ditch the day light. Buy a $10.00 dimmer from Home Depot, get a temp gun, also from Home Depot or on Tempguns.com for $35.00. That heat mat WILL get too hot if you don't get a dimmer. Here is a picture of my 20L tank....the only light I use is a 100 Watt night black bulb...and it's more than anough to keep ambient temps right. Adjust the heat pad with the dimmer to a little less than halfway (YES they get that hot....) Check temps with the temp gun about 3 times a day and adjust as needed. You'll also need a mister, because you'll be misting a lot....tanks don't hold munidity well at all.
http://i53.tinypic.com/23uaefa.jpg

Also black Contact paper from Home Depot...about $6....stick it to the outside of both side walls and the back...makes them feel safer.

Also, read the caresheet from this site, you won't find any better or more accurate way to care for your new ball python :)

2 hides, with both lamps and the under tank heater I'm getting about 83-85 degrees on the hot side, mid to upper 70's on the cool side. I have one hide on the hot side and the other is in the middle. Without the day lamp on, the temp drops to mid to low 70's. Humidity is between 50 - 60% but needs constant misting to maintain above 50%.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by stevebidw

2 hides, with both lamps and the under tank heater I'm getting about 83-85 degrees on the hot side, mid to upper 70's on the cool side. I have one hide on the hot side and the other is in the middle. Without the day lamp on, the temp drops to mid to low 70's. Humidity is between 50 - 60% but needs constant misting to maintain above 50%.

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What are you using to read the heat??

Quote:

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Originally Posted by LGray23

1) Give him at least a week or two to adjust to his place...chances are he will NOT come out.

2) I have the same exzact setup (not the kit...but same thing. Ditch the day light. Buy a $10.00 dimmer from Home Depot, get a temp gun, also from Home Depot or on Tempguns.com for $35.00. That heat mat WILL get too hot if you don't get a dimmer. Here is a picture of my 20L tank....the only light I use is a 100 Watt night black bulb...and it's more than anough to keep ambient temps right. Adjust the heat pad with the dimmer to a little less than halfway (YES they get that hot....) Check temps with the temp gun about 3 times a day and adjust as needed. You'll also need a mister, because you'll be misting a lot....tanks don't hold munidity well at all.
http://i53.tinypic.com/23uaefa.jpg

Also black Contact paper from Home Depot...about $6....stick it to the outside of both side walls and the back...makes them feel safer.

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Thanks, this is great info!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by LGray23

What are you using to read the heat??

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2 analog thermometers. one on each side of the tank.

analogs are very inaccurate. This is why so many of us use temp guns....Buy a digital thermometer and get rid of the analogs.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by stevebidw

2 analog thermometers. one on each side of the tank.

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Those are NOT accurate at all. I had them when I first started...then got a temp gun and realized my heat pad was over 100 degrees...you really should get a temp gun before you burn him...you'll find your temps are way off....