Newbie heating questions?

ive searched and i think i have found most of the answers but clarification would be greatly appreciated. Im thinking about buying a baby ball. Thanks

1. Would a 20g long be too big for a baby ball?(i have smaller tanks)
2. The flexwatt heating tape is confusing, what size tape and what accessories do i need? How do i set it up n the cage? How thick should i make the substrate?
3. What is a cheap good thermostat? the helix are a little over my budget(Ranco ETC-111000 Pre Wired)?
4. Any other advice would be greatly appreciated.
Ive pretty much got the general idea, 2 hides, cool and warm side, stable humidity

Thank you so Much,
Mike

sounds like you are doing your homework. me personally, i would start a baby off in a 10g tank, then step up to the 20g in time. as far as the flex watt i would go with a premade heat pad, i personally like the exxo terra pads, i think the 8 watt should be the right size for the 10g tank. as far as the t-stat that someone else would be better to help you with, i go with the esu's but some poeple tthink they just suck, lol, i have had no problems with them. just give the little one time to settle in before feeding once you get the food in a few times handling should not be an issue.

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Originally Posted by jdmls88

1. Would a 20g long be too big for a baby ball?(i have smaller tanks)

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That would be fine, so long as you had many hides and a decent amount of cover for security. A dark background on 3 sides of the tank will help as well.

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Originally Posted by jdmls88

2. The flexwatt heating tape is confusing, what size tape and what accessories do i need? How do i set it up n the cage? How thick should i make the substrate?

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If you chose to use Flexwatt for heating, you may be better off using a plastic tub (sterilite, iris, rubbermaid). This will make heating easier and will provide better security overall for the snake. Husbandry is much simpler using plastic enclosures.

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Originally Posted by jdmls88

3. What is a cheap good thermostat? the helix are a little over my budget(Ranco ETC-111000 Pre Wired)?

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Ranco or JC thermostats work fine. May not be as consistent as helix or herpstat, but worlds away from the cheapo pet store thermostats like ESU or household dimmers.

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Originally Posted by jdmls88

4. Any other advice would be greatly appreciated.

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I used to use glass tanks...and as I gained more knowledge and experience (and # of herps!) I eventually switched to plastic housing and I will NEVER go back to glass. Aside from the aesthetic, plastic housing is the most efficient way to provide for a ball python's basic needs for humidity, heating, and security.


-Brad

Its good to see someone asking all the right questions and looking for advice before actually getting a bp :) i used to use glass tanks also but over the years i swicthed to tubs and personally imo i prefer the tubs they do seem to work better for controlling temps/humidity and security etc....
go along with the advice given and you will have a nice healthy thriving bp :sweeet: and before long its will be bp's! :D

I appreciate all the help greatly, i would like to use the glass tanks for looks, the tubs almost seem like storage of snakes lol(even tho its better). What about the exo terra heat wave pad? is this a good heating device? If so what size wattage 8 or 16. I dont know how much heat they give off.

i use a tack set up and i dont really have that much trouble with temps and humidity they're right where they should be. they may be a lil more work but its not very much from what i've noticed. i think its all up to you. i only have one BP and probably only going to hve one so this works great for me

Tack setup?

tank cabron. sorry i type to fast sometimes and dont notice a simple mistake which im sure everyone knew what i was talking about