Think I came up with a solid setup plan.

So after doing some looking around my townhouse I came to the conclusion that a tub system or rack setup will not work for me. That being said I am planning on taking advantage of Petco's 50% sale on Zilla 20 long and 40 Breeders for the enclosure. Next I will invest in 3 Under tank heaters with thermostats as well as using CHE's to heat the hot side of the tanks. I will use the ambient light coming from the windows as opposed to giving them an artificial source that could stress them out more. For the substrate I will use Cypress Mulch and various pieces of wood and fake rock setups to give more hiding spots along with branches for the BP's to move and explore on. To monitor the humidity I will purchase 3 Acurite Humidity and temp guages and just move them to either side of the tanks to monitor inside. I think this will do nicely for a few years until I have to upgrade them to a larger enclosure. I also do not have the BP's yet and will not get any until I have all 3 setups purchased and setup waiting for new owners. Let me know what you think please.

20 gallon long may be too big for a baby. If you get an older bp to start, that could work, but imo too big for a baby. You will most definitely need to clutter as much stuff in there for the baby to feel secure.

I also thought glass tanks were for me before I received my first bp. I had temp, humidity, hides, etc.. All set up in a 10 gallon tank. I learned the hard way that no matter how prepared you think you are, you will find that the snake will tell you what works for it, not the other way around. Imo I would keep it in a small tub, get it settled down and eat a few meals, then move him to a glass tank. By then, if you are getting a baby, he should be big enough to feel more secure in a 20 gallon long. But if the tank is a must have, then I would recommend go smaller, even as small as a 5.5 tank (Petco don't carry these, they are Critter Cages sold by Pet Supplies Plus).

CHE can dry out the tank, especially in small tanks. I would use it if absolutely necessary, like the cold side drops to less than 80F. You can add coco fiber and/or moss to the mulch for extra humidity plus add plexiglass on top to keep the humidity in. Place the water bowl closer to the UTH for extra humidity.

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Originally Posted by BlacknBlue2

Let me know what you think please.

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Proportional thermostats are expensive: but, they can be your best friends.

I would ditch the CHE's and cover the tanks to keep humidity in. A CHE will turn a tank into a desert in hours.

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Originally Posted by bcr229

I would ditch the CHE's and cover the tanks to keep humidity in. A CHE will turn a tank into a desert in hours.

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Even if it was on a dimmer switch?

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Originally Posted by BlacknBlue2

Even if it was on a dimmer switch?

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In my opinion yes, I have personally tested both infrared bulbs against CHE’s. CHE’s burn literally twice as hot if not three times as hot at the base compared to a bulb. Even with a dimmer.

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Originally Posted by Sonny1318

In my opinion yes, I have personally tested both infrared bulbs against CHE’s. CHE’s burn literally twice as hot if not three times as hot at the base compared to a bulb. Even with a dimmer.

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So which bulb would i get. Trying to understand everything and don't want to buy the wrong thing again. I bought a UVB bulb when I did not need it so I wish to avoid that

[QUOTE=BlacknBlue2;2641519]So which bulb would i get. Trying to understand everything and don't want to buy the wrong thing again. I bought a UVB bulb when I did not need it so I wish to avoid that[/QUOTE

I personally use Zoo Med nocturnal infrared heat lamps (that’s the proper name for the bulb) I have 75 watt bulbs on a dimmer. Used this for a lot of years, works fine and the bulbs last a really long time with the dimmer. ;)

Do you have the dimmer turned all the way up or is their a middle ground to reach the 85-90 degree gradient?

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Originally Posted by BlacknBlue2

Do you have the dimmer turned all the way up or is their a middle ground to reach the 85-90 degree gradient?

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In my case I use a tempature gun to measure the spot directly under the bulb, and adjust the dimmer accordingly. I set them up for a hot spot between 88 to 89 degrees.