first ball python, questions

Hi! :) So i've been researching husbandry/etc for 6+ months, and lurking on this forum, I ended up picking up a gorgeous little albino at an expo.
He's in a sterilite tub with 5 ventilation holes on each side and has paper towel as substrate.
questions:
1. I weighed him when I brought him home, and he's 80 grams, breeder says he was eating mice. Would small mice be the correct size?
2. I can't seem to get the ambient temperatures high enough, the surface and ambient temperatures in the cool side are in the 70's which I know is too cool. I have a second unused uth which is 6x11, could I put that on the cool side and sent the thermostat to around 80?
3. How do I raise ambient temperature?
4. I have my probe taped to the bottom of the uth (was following someone's tub setup guide) is this an okay place?
5. How do I get humidity consistent? It's been at 47-50% and then gone up to 60% at points?
6. I have a temp gun, and I've been checking temps. The hot side temps are fine on the plastic but the paper towel seems to be stopping the heat from getting through. The plastic on the hot side is 87-92 but the paper towels are only reading 80-84. Should I be using a different substrate? Is there one that holds heat well?
7. He seems to a little pink, so I'm assuming he'll be going into shed, what can I do to help him?
8. He was cruising around his tank a lot, and poking his nose at the lid so I thought he was uncomfortable and took him out. Once he was out he tried to find a hiding spot, so I took his hide out and he crawled in. I then picked him and the hide up and placed him back in his tub inside the hide. He hasn't really moved since then. I assuming that's pretty normal for bp's but does it sound okay?
Any help/advice would be appreciated!
http://i846.photobucket.com/albums/a...psyixg4bih.jpg

Albino are one of my favorites. Mist the paper towels to raise humidity. Just use 1 layer of paper towels. Sometimes moving the water bowl closer to heat will raise it to. They don't move much. They earned the nick name pet rocks for a reason .

1.) The mouse should be the size of the girth of the ball python. This means that the diameter of the mouse should be about the diameter of the biggest part of your snake.
2.) I see no harm in this, as long as it is regulated by a thermostat.
3.) Use a heat lamp to raise ambient temperatures. A UTH only raises the ambient temp by a few degrees. But don't get me wrong, a UTH is absolutely necessary.
4.) That is perfectly fine. Some people say between UTH and surface, and others say to stick it to the underside of the UTH. Both work.
5.) I think you shouldn't worry as much on consistency, and worry more about keeping it between 55-65%.
6.) I'm not 100% sure, but I think that paper towels are the best substrate for this purpose. Just cut down on the layers of paper towels you are using.
7.) Raise the humidity. Do not bath him or help him in any other way until you are sure that he went through a BAD SHED!! Let him try on his own, and keep humidity between 60-70%.
8.) Ball pythons like to stay in their hide. He will probably come out and explore during the night.

Good Luck,
HenryTheSnake

Quote:

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Originally Posted by babysnek

Hi! :) So i've been researching husbandry/etc for 6+ months, and lurking on this forum, I ended up picking up a gorgeous little albino at an expo.
He's in a sterilite tub with 5 ventilation holes on each side and has paper towel as substrate.
questions:
1. I weighed him when I brought him home, and he's 80 grams, breeder says he was eating mice. Would small mice be the correct size?
2. I can't seem to get the ambient temperatures high enough, the surface and ambient temperatures in the cool side are in the 70's which I know is too cool. I have a second unused uth which is 6x11, could I put that on the cool side and sent the thermostat to around 80?
3. How do I raise ambient temperature?
4. I have my probe taped to the bottom of the uth (was following someone's tub setup guide) is this an okay place?
5. How do I get humidity consistent? It's been at 47-50% and then gone up to 60% at points?
6. I have a temp gun, and I've been checking temps. The hot side temps are fine on the plastic but the paper towel seems to be stopping the heat from getting through. The plastic on the hot side is 87-92 but the paper towels are only reading 80-84. Should I be using a different substrate? Is there one that holds heat well?
7. He seems to a little pink, so I'm assuming he'll be going into shed, what can I do to help him?
8. He was cruising around his tank a lot, and poking his nose at the lid so I thought he was uncomfortable and took him out. Once he was out he tried to find a hiding spot, so I took his hide out and he crawled in. I then picked him and the hide up and placed him back in his tub inside the hide. He hasn't really moved since then. I assuming that's pretty normal for bp's but does it sound okay?
Any help/advice would be appreciated!
http://i846.photobucket.com/albums/a...psyixg4bih.jpg

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Welcome to the club! Beautiful Albino!

For feeding i feel the best way to go is the 10-15% body weight of the animal. I say go and purchase a 14lb kitchen scale and make sure it has a grams setting. Then weigh the animal and multiply the number by 10-15% whichever you decide to feed. Then check out the chart on this thread:

http://ball-pythons.net/forums/showt...ht=feeder+size

ie. 80g X .15 = 12g That is a rat fuzzy or weaned mouse.

For heating I would use one layer of paper towel. I would also place the tstat probe on the outside of the tub and attached directly to the uth. This prevents spilled water or bodily fluids\solids from coming in contact with the probe and causing the reading to be off which can cause the tstat to improperly heat the uth. As for ambient temp you could always add a heat lamp or che over the tube to add to ambient heat but you will need a tstat for this also and if this is a plastic tub it will need to be far enough away to not melt it but that should help with the ambient.

For humidity you can just add sum moss. I like this because it is cheap and reusable. If it gets messed on just throw it out and add some fresh stuff. It holds moisture very well. I have also heard of natural sponge being used or you can do the traditional spray in the tank. You need your normal humidity to be around 50-60% and in shed 70-80%. This is done easily by adding a damp paper towel under the hide.

Happy Herping! :gj: