Help please

Hi guys! I'm new here and need some advice. I'm new to the whole bp keeping and have some questions/concerns. My first issue is humidity I can not keep it up. We must the tank it gets to around 60% then drops down drastically to 20% over night. I spray in the morning then within hours it's in the 30% range. I have a water dish on each side of the tank (40gallon) I have tried covering the top with damp towels, plastic wrap even tin foil. I can't keep it up which has resulted in 2 pretty bad sheds. I gave him a bath after each one to Help him out and he does good after that..so help with humidity would be great.
Question 2 He had recently in the last week been very sketchy when I'm at his enclosure he had struck at me twice now and hee hasn't done this before. I'm not sure wats bringing that on and it scares me a bit. Any idea why He's acting this way?
Question 3 im not sure he's eating the right amount...? Which might explain Question 2 but he is about 2 yrs old he's approximately 300grams and around 2ft long. He's eating adult mice 1x weekly...
We did a lot of research before getting him but everything we read conflicts with the pet store where we got him from. So I'm getting a little confused. I can post a picture of him if able to I'm not sure how to use the forum as I'm new to it as well.
Thanks in advance! I hope I put this in the right place!

1--Enclosure is too large. Bathing is not helping as much as it is hurting, you are washing away oils your animal produces to shed.
2--It is not secure
3--If it will eat a second mouse every other week it wouldn't hurt depending on the size of the mouse.

What is the rest of your husbandry? Temperatures? Heat source? How are you regulating heat source?

Hmmm ok about what size should he be in? Pet store told us this would be a good size... As far as the bathing goes even if it's about 5 days after he starts and he's not getting any where? The first time we did just a warm one second time a used shed ease.

As far as not feeling secure any idea why would this come about all of a sudden? He hasn't done this before we haven't changed anything either.

His cold side is usually in the low to mid 70s warm side is about 85-90. We have a uth and 2 lights one 75w heat lamp on a timer as then a infrared 60w for night time also I the timer. We have 2 hides in there as well.

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

What are you using to take temperatures?

I have a digital one with a probe. Like in your picture but it's not under the substrate

If someone can tell me how to add a picture I can upload some of his set up and everything

http://ball-pythons.net/forums/showt...-Post-Pictures

[IMG]http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h5...pspyle10xs.jpg[/IMG]


[IMG]http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h5...psi1zgdwq4.jpg[/IMG]

[IMG]http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h5...psefkugfbp.jpg[/IMG]


Ok here we go. And idk why but he hasn't been using his hide lately either. He is just burrowing under the substrate. This just started a week ago or so when he started getting unsure of me being around the enclosure

A 40 gallon tank is huge for a 300 gram ball. And 300 grams for being 2 years old seems like he needs to eat more. I would try two things IF IT WERE ME. Convert him to a 14 quart tub with a low profile, not a deep one. And try upping his food intake. ... when I got my first two BP's, I put them in 20 gallon glass tanks. But they didn't wanna eat and just seemed intimidated. I've since been a converted "tub man". They responded so well it's crazy. They're little puppy dogs that LOVE to eat.


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Those hides need changing, ball pythons like hides with a single small opening and closed on all sides. Those half log hides leave them too vulnerable causing stress.