Please help?

Hey.
I'm a new ball python owner, and I have a few questions.
1. I have a screen-top tank, and I'm having trouble keeping up humidity levels. Any advice?
2. Do you, personally, use a heat lamp for your BP?
3. What are the temp. Requirements for BP? I understand cool and warm side, which i have, but everywhere I go they're always different.
I appreciate any help at all! Thank you.

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Originally Posted by SnakinNShakin

1. I have a screen-top tank, and I'm having trouble keeping up humidity levels. Any advice?

Cover most of it up with something. Some people use a towel, plexiglass, or as I do tinfoil (easy cheap and doesn't pose much of a fire hazard). Also what substrate/bedding are you using? I switched from aspen to reptibark and am able to maintain humidity much easier.

2. Do you, personally, use a heat lamp for your BP?

I do but on a dimmer switch to control the ambient temps. I adjust it multiple times a day to ensure it keeps the cool side between 78 and 83.

3. What are the temp. Requirements for BP? I understand cool and warm side, which i have, but everywhere I go they're always different.

General rule of thumb is 88-92 max on the hot side, cool side as long as you're above 75-77 it should be fine.

I appreciate any help at all! Thank you.

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I personally run an under the tank heater (UTH) on a thermostat checked with a laser thermometer on the top of the glass under the substrate at 90 for the hot side. As mentioned above I use a red heat light as the ambient/cool side temperature control. Hope that helped!

Thanks so much! I honestly expected people to blow my question off/receive bland answers. I have a UTH, and I'm using coconut fiber substrate. The dimmer you mentioned, how much was it/where did you get it? (Chain store, local store, online, some friend, etc.)

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0000DI241/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Got it on Amazon. Pretty simple and has worked great for me so far

Quote:

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Originally Posted by SnakinNShakin

Hey.
I'm a new ball python owner, and I have a few questions.
1. I have a screen-top tank, and I'm having trouble keeping up humidity levels. Any advice?
2. Do you, personally, use a heat lamp for your BP?

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Personally, I use a ceramic heat emitter (CHE). It does not put out any light, which is great since I keep my BP in my room and I like it to be dark when I go to sleep. However, it does tend to zap my humidity pretty bad (I also use coconut fiber for substrate). I've actually MacGyvered some Saran wrap around 2/3 of the screen top to help keep in humidity, but made sure that it's not too close to the CHE to where it'll melt the plastic.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Wicked

Personally, I use a ceramic heat emitter (CHE). It does not put out any light, which is great since I keep my BP in my room and I like it to be dark when I go to sleep. However, it does tend to zap my humidity pretty bad (I also use coconut fiber for substrate). I've actually MacGyvered some Saran wrap around 2/3 of the screen top to help keep in humidity, but made sure that it's not too close to the CHE to where it'll melt the plastic.

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Thank you! I usually keep my room consistently dark, and the light from the heat lamp was irritating/I've read isn't the best for snakes, I'd never heard of a CHE. Very much appreciated!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by SnakinNShakin

Thanks so much! I honestly expected people to blow my question off/receive bland answers. I have a UTH, and I'm using coconut fiber substrate. The dimmer you mentioned, how much was it/where did you get it? (Chain store, local store, online, some friend, etc.)

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How are you regulating it?
What are you using to take your temperatures?

http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h1...psp2koldrd.jpg

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Originally Posted by PitOnTheProwl

How are you regulating it?
What are you using to take your temperatures?

http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h1...psp2koldrd.jpg

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I'm regulating using a thermostat, and I'm taking my temperatures with the probe on the thermostat, though I have mine inside the tank, on the wall, not the sibstrate. Should I fix that?

Yes. The temperature under the substrate is probably hot enough to burn your animal because from the way you say it is set up you are trying to heat the air not the surface your snake can touch.

Okay. Thank you very much!