First BP :-)

Hey guys I've had my eye on a female BP for a while now and have decided to get her. I have a 30 gallon tank that I am gonna clean up for her and get a locking top. I need help picking wattages for the bulbs though? I decided against a UTH because of so many mixed reviews and she isn't used to one so now I'm trying to figure out the wattage of the daylight bulb and the wattage of the red light? Please help? http://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/06/04/qaru8a9e.jpghttp://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/06/04/da7e9ybe.jpg


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We need to do something about that stuck shed too.

The bulbs will have a rating on the box that guides you by tank size. Get a regular shaped bulb, not a spot lamp style.

If it were me I would just get a red bulb and use it day and night for the time being. Then later if you want to make your tank more extravagant we can work on that then. For right now you should keep it simple and get things right first.

I would get a lamp fixture, lamp stand, red bulb, hides, water bowl, substrate, and maybe a thermometer(digital is best and Walmart has a better option, the Accurite).

I recommend a lamp stand because this will allow you to hang the light over the tank and then raise or lower the lamp get the perfect hotspot with the right temp gradient. I do this. I like it better then using a rheostat(dimmer). A stand also keeps you from constantly moving the lamp around which shortens the life of the bulb. Plus you wont burn yourself, melt other objects, or start a fire moving the hot lamp around.

As for substrate I would get cypress mulch. Since your gonna use a glass tank humidity is going to be an issue and with that stuck shed we are gonna want to offer a good humid habitat. Cypress mulch holds moisture without molding. I like it because I find it easy to clean and maintain.

I think holding off on the uth is a good idea. Your going to need a good tstat and the big box stores do not offer one. We can help you with that when your ready.

"Use to one" doesn't matter, It looks like a petstore, don't listen to them Bulbs are fine yes, But this is what happens with bulbs and glass tanks! Stuck shed, its more then a pain. Look at getting a UTH there is no such thing as a BAD Regulate UTH as this is the prefed method of heat for 80% of users here.

Yea she has been in baths supposedly to try to get rid of it but I read the thread about helping them and I will definitely be doing that if it isn't gone by the time I get her. The tank is originally an aquarium so will that help a little with keeping the humidity? I'll be spraying the tank once a day so hopefully that helps. And I will think about the UTH I'm just afraid of her getting burned. And that is why I'm asking you guys instead of asking them about the care :-) she is getting to big for their tank and no one is taking her I feel bad and everytime I spend time with her she is so comfortable with me the associates are surprised because I guess she is shy.


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You will probably need to make a cover for a portion of the screen lid to hold heat and humidity. I used cardboard that I cut the shape I wanted, leaving holes for the heat lamp light and heat to pass through. I then wrapped it in aluminum foil. Others have used acrylic, foil tape, glass. Many things will work.

Misting daily will also probably be needed. But that is normal with glass tanks. You may also need to cover the back and sides with something. I used thick art paper that provided a more secure feeling and it actually raised my temps a few degrees.

As for the uth you just need to do your research and save up for a good thermostat. I like Herpstat by Spyder Robotics. The base models are $100-130 new but they can be found used at good prices if you look around.

I have used Zilla Shed Ease with a little (SMALL AMOUNT- don't drown her ;P) warm water bath, and it generally gets old skin off pretty easy. I bought it at Petsmart as a precautionary. There are further instructions on the side of the bottle, I can't remember the dosage off the top of my head.

Here I'll get a picture one sec, lemme get a phone going .... ta da... https://pbs.twimg.com/media/BpS_8p9CcAEL5CF.jpg:large

For covering three sides of the tank, I used black board paint. Thick and doesn't look streaky when it dries. Did you already pick up that snake?

Hi! I am a new to this too, I have my baby in a viv tank, but I have half the screen top covered with glass, the humidity never goes under 58% since I got a digital Acurite.

I get her tomorrow or Friday


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For humidity: buy some sphagnum moss at the pet store (really cheap stuff, and lasts a looong time) and follow the directions for dampening it. Ring it out well before putting in it the vive, then place it in a hide! This is a humid hide. :) It will not up the humidity, but it will give your snake a humid place to go when in shed.

I *definitely* recommend a UTH WITH THERMOSTAT (set for 90F)! A thermostat is needed to regulate heat output for the UTH, which will keep from burning your pet as you've mentioned.
Look for Jumpstart thermostats on Amazon. They go for around $35. I use them, and they work well. Belly heat provided but a UTH is preferred (dare I say, essential?) because that is how ball pythons and other snakes digest their food. You will most likely need a heat lamp anyways for the ambient temperatures (need to be about 80F) because glass does almost nothing to keep in heat and humidity.

For future reference, pet stores are often frowned upon for buying exotic pets like snakes because many times they do not know how to properly care for them. That doesn't mean you can't, and sometimes there are people who know what's-what at the stores, but you can usually tell by the state of the animal. Such as with stuck shed, inappropriate temperatures/heating/substrate/housing in general, or housing more than one snake together. This irks me.

Anyways, all the best! Welcome to the addiction :snake: