Resurrected Ball Python Owner

Hi everyone, I hope you can bear with me and answer what may sound like some silly questions but I want what is best for my new pet. I have kept my previous balls in glass aquariums but am liking the sound of pvc enclosures for a few reasons.
So a few questions:
1. Is a 48 x 24 x 16 an acceptable size for an adult ball python?
2. I have read that I will likely require an under the tank heater and a radiant heat panel to keep warm side up around 90 C.
I keep my house at 68 if the furnace is on. Am I correct that I will likely need both?
3. I will need a thermostat which I can set to control the radiant heat panel and keep it at the desired wattage. Is that correct?
4. To keep humidity up in a pvc enclosure, I would just need to mist the substrate?
5. I have heard a front opening enclosure can lead to a higher liklihood of being bitten than a top opening. Have any of you ever experienced this?

If anyone has any recommendations for sourcing an RHP and a decent thermostat in Canada, that would be awesome!!
I may be getting too carried away here as this snake will just be a singular pet but I would appreciate opinions none the less.
Thank you in advance for helping me start over on my ball python adventure :)

A T 8 animal plastic is actually a great deal I look into that and yes a thermostat would be need to regulate both heat source welcome I can not wait to see the beautiful babe you choice :D

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Originally Posted by C.Marie

A T 8 animal plastic is actually a great deal I look into that and yes a thermostat would be need to regulate both heat source welcome I can not wait to see the beautiful babe you choice :D

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Thank you, I did look at Animal Plastics but sadly I suspect that shipping from the US would add a significant cost to their enclosure.

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Originally Posted by DWRVT

Hi everyone, I hope you can bear with me and answer what may sound like some silly questions but I want what is best for my new pet. I have kept my previous balls in glass aquariums but am liking the sound of pvc enclosures for a few reasons.
So a few questions:
1. Is a 48 x 24 x 16 an acceptable size for an adult ball python?
2. I have read that I will likely require an under the tank heater and a radiant heat panel to keep warm side up around 90 C.
I keep my house at 68 if the furnace is on. Am I correct that I will likely need both?
3. I will need a thermostat which I can set to control the radiant heat panel and keep it at the desired wattage. Is that correct?
4. To keep humidity up in a pvc enclosure, I would just need to mist the substrate?
5. I have heard a front opening enclosure can lead to a higher liklihood of being bitten than a top opening. Have any of you ever experienced this?

If anyone has any recommendations for sourcing an RHP and a decent thermostat in Canada, that would be awesome!!
I may be getting too carried away here as this snake will just be a singular pet but I would appreciate opinions none the less.
Thank you in advance for helping me start over on my ball python adventure :)

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1.) That size is fine.
2.) You wouldn't want to use an UTH, you'd want to use heat tape, but you're going to need something to keep the weight off the heat tape, however if you use just a radiant heat panel you won't need to do anything under the enclosure.
3.) You need a reliable thermostat to keep any heat source at the appropriate temperatures, something like Herpstat or Vivarium Electronics. Whatever you get, make sure it has a dimmable mode for temp control, as it will adjust the power to maintain the correct temp, versus turning it off and on like some do. Also these two thermostats have a fail safe so they don't get stuck wide open like the cheaper thermostats. You're going to want to tape the probe to the heat panel, and adjust that temp so you get the desired temp on the actual floor of the enclosure.
4.) PVC enclosures naturally do better with humidity because of the material and they don't have a screen top, but another option is to do a different type of bedding that will aid with humidity.
5.) This is not true. If you're going to be bitten, top versus front has no relevance. It's easier yes because the snake can strike forward versus upwards, but all in all if you're worried about being bitten, then do hook training with your snake.

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Originally Posted by C.Marie

A T 8 animal plastic is actually a great deal I look into that and yes a thermostat would be need to regulate both heat source welcome I can not wait to see the beautiful babe you choice :D

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Just to correct you, a T8 enclosure is 48x24x12, however that's not the exact measurements.

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Originally Posted by Neal

You wouldn't want to use an UTH, you'd want to use heat tape, but you're going to need something to keep the weight off the heat tape, however if you use just a radiant heat panel you won't need to do anything under the enclosure.
3.) You need a reliable thermostat to keep any heat source at the appropriate temperatures, something like Herpstat or Vivarium Electronics. Whatever you get, make sure it has a dimmable mode for temp control, as it will adjust the power to maintain the correct temp, versus turning it off and on like some do. Also these two thermostats have a fail safe so they don't get stuck wide open like the cheaper thermostats. You're going to want to tape the probe to the heat panel, and adjust that temp so you get the desired temp on the actual floor of the enclosure..

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Thank you so much for your help!
Just to be clear, you are saying that I would likely only require a radiant heat panel to keep my enclosure warm enough?

I will look into those thernostats!

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Originally Posted by DWRVT

Thank you so much for your help!
Just to be clear, you are saying that I would likely only require a radiant heat panel to keep my enclosure warm enough?

I will look into those thernostats!

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Yes. You don't need a radiant heat panel and heat tape. Just get a proper size heat panel and you'll get the temperature.

Now just for clarification sake, are you keeping your snakes in a regulated temp room, meaning like a bedroom or such? I just want to make sure you're not keeping them in the basement or anything.

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Originally Posted by Neal

Yes. You don't need a radiant heat panel and heat tape. Just get a proper size heat panel and you'll get the temperature.

Now just for clarification sake, are you keeping your snakes in a regulated temp room, meaning like a bedroom or such? I just want to make sure you're not keeping them in the basement or anything.

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Awesome - that makes things easier!!

Yes, he will live in either my bedroom or my spare bedroom, still deciding for sure.

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Originally Posted by DWRVT

Awesome - that makes things easier!!

Yes, he will live in either my bedroom or my spare bedroom, still deciding for sure.

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Yea, you'll be fine with just an RHP. What I normally do is oversize it a bit so it covers a little under half the enclosure. Though RHP's are designed to radiate heat like the sun, not just a direct spot like bulbs.

Somehow this got double posted, you can delete this mods.