Heating setup questions.

Hi everyone, I plan on getting a Ball Python (Python Regal), this will be my first snake. A roommate of mine use to have one, I think it was a boa but he did not have anything for it except a tank… Of course I played with garter snakes when I was a kid but that was just in a shoebox for a week or so until I got caught and was promptly told to get rid of it. J

I have a 33-gallon (36”X12”X18”H) tank that I will use aspen and will have two hides (hot & warm) digital thermometer’s & hydrometer’s etc.

I am in Vancouver, BC Canada our weather is very close to what Seattle, WA experiences, and I live in a condo southern exposure.

My main concern is the heating. I was thinking of getting a Herpastat II and two UTH pad’s Exo Terra by Hagen:
http://www.exo-terra.com/en/products...ave_desert.php
http://www.exo-terra.com/en/products...rainforest.php
is what seems to be available locally not sure if I should be using the rainforest or the desert yet. Any suggestions? If I can I find a Zoo Med pad (going to ask Zoo Med to provide me their local rep’s number maybe he can tell me who sells them here locally) I will pick it up because that’s what everyone else seems to be using, also what size of pad’s would you recommend 2 X 12”X8” is what I was thinking or 2 x 10.5”X11” Exo pads? Now is the Herpastat II a bit overboard? I was planning on putting a pad on the left side of the tank and another on the right plugging each one of the UTH pad’s in to it’s own probe and set the temp’s for like 85F for the cool side and like 90F for the hot side. With a night drop of say 5 degrees for each side. I was thinking of putting the water dish in the middle between the two pad’s. Is this a bit overboard? Would a Herpstat ND be sufficient with only 1 pad on the hot side be enough? Or would the one pad not be enough to keep the hot side at 90F & the warm at 85F?

Once I get the enclosure setup of course I will nail those temps down a bit more accurately… Kind of typing from memory.

Do you think a ceramic heat emitter will still be required for the hot side? If so what wattage would you all recommend for a 18”H tank. My local stores carry the Exo Terra ceramic heat emitter:
http://www.exo-terra.com/en/products/heat_wave_lamp.php

Nowhere do they indicate the depth that they can heat to? They go by aquarium size ie: 150 Watt for a 30-40 gallon is what I think it said. Thus far I have had no luck finding a local store with a clue.

Any feedback would be appreciated. I am not that concerned about spending some extra $ at the end of the day I want it done right… This don’t mean I am made of $ either… heheh

Sounds like your doing a lot of research... :rockon: . But i think you would only need one heat pad if you are going to have a lamp as well. My only advice for you would be instead of the tank why not do a tub? #1 the a 33 gallon is big for a baby bp( i assume you want a baby), you want him to have a feeling of security so a 12qt rubbermaid is more than sufficient for a baby. #2 while your ordering your herpstat(good choice), why not order some flexwatt instead of the exo terra pads. More energy efficient. All this would be a lot cheaper for you and give your little bp more security, not to mention cleaning a 12qt tub vice a 33 gallon tank, Also with tanks humidity is a huge issue where as with tubs not so much. Temps as well.... Just my :2cent:
Good luck

Hi I would not feel comfortable making those connections. I am also under the impression that that flexwatt is not UL listed.??? If he seems skittish I was thinking of partitioning the tank or setting up a 20 gallon tank. I wasnt planning on using a overhead ceramic heater unless I had to. If I went with a overhead & only 1 pad which side would the overhead have to be on? or would there have to be two overheads?

Well I believe depending on who you order through they would be able to do all the connections for you. Well whatever your choice is good luck. But whether you go with flexwatt or not you should for sure look into doing a tub setup...

You don't have to make the connections yourself. If you order from www.reptilebasics.com Rich will wire it for free for you, you just have to buy the wire and connectors.

And I agree, a 33 gallon tank, which is also very tall(meaning hard to heat all that air space), is going to be much too big for a baby Ball Python. I would start out with a 6qt shoebox up to a 15qt until she snake gets bigger, and if you want to use a tank then(which are for fish, imho), get a 20g long. Alot more floor space and easier to heat(relatively).

Hi, sorry I guess I posted this in the wrong forum. Being new here I have to appoligize.

Can a friendly moderator please move this to the husbandary forum.


Thank you,


Dresden