My set-up, so far

so this is my set up so far, please forgive the poor quality of the photos as i had to take them on my cell phone.

http://i278.photobucket.com/albums/k...13-08_1011.jpg[/IMG]

Warm side
http://i278.photobucket.com/albums/k...13-08_1012.jpg

Cool side
http://i278.photobucket.com/albums/k...13-08_1013.jpg

i put the water bowl halfway over the UTH to help with humidity. Average temp with this light is 88 degrees, although i only have 1 thermometer at this time so i dont know the exact temp of the cool side. However, after the first day/night, he has stayed in the hide on the cool side of the tank and hasnt come out, with the exception of peeking his head out. Is something wrong/is there anything i can do?

Looking good so far!

There a few things you can change a bit though. The UTH you are using, is it plugged directly in, or is there a control attached to it? By control I mean a rheostat of a thermostat. UTHs easily reach over 110 degrees uncontrolled, which will result in a burnt belly on your bp. Even with all that substrate (repti-bark?) your bp can still burrow underneath it to the hot glass.

A rheostat is something that you use to manually control the temperature of the UTH using a slider or dial. A lamp dimmer for $10 from the hard-ware store will work, but rheostats do fluctuate, and therefor require you to manually adjust them on a regular basis. A thermostat measures the temperature of your UTH and automatically adjusts it for you, and is much more reliable than a rheostat. Thermostats are also a little more expensive ($50-$200) but they are worth it overall. If you are interested in picking up a thermostat, this site is highly recommended and has some amazing products - http://spyderrobotics.com/

The next thing you want to change is that dial thermometer. Simply said, dial thermometers or dial humidity gauges are VERY inaccurate, and provide no means of measuring the direct surface temp of your UTH, where your precious bp's sensitive belly is laying.

If you head over to wal-mart or a hard-ware store, you can purchase a $10 digital thermometer/hygrometer combo which will give you much more accurate readings. Make sure you buy one that has a probe, which measures the surface temp of your UTH. These usually read "Indoor/Outdoor Thermometer/Hygrometer" on the package and a popular brand used by members here is accurite (wal-mart).

Since your water bowl is over the UTH, that should help raise your humidity a bit, but what your aiming for is 50-60% humidity. Once you get something like an accurite, if you discover your humidity is too low, there are a few things you can do. You can cover the screen with a damp towel if the humidity is around 40% or simply cover the screen with aluminum foil or aluminum tape (also available at wal-mart) if the humidity is only a bit under and that should keep the temps up and the humidity in.

You can also do a combo of both, you can put foil on the cooler side of the tank over the screen which will keep the temperature up a bit, and put the damp towel near the warm side (at least 2 inches away from your lamp). If you do use damp towels, remember to wash them or switch them at least once a week or every few days.

Ask as many questions as you can come up with, we are here to help!:)

yeah, i agree 100% about the thermometer, i dont trust it at all but it doesnt seem to be sticking so for now i have to go by it. I'll be heading to the hardware store soon to get a digital thermometer. right now my UTH is uncontrolled and i was worried about it being too hot, so for the time being i put extra substrate on that side of the tank. Any ideas why he might be so elusive? i guess maybe hes just getting used to his new home, but the first night he was out and about. thanks for your help!

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by TheHabit

yeah, i agree 100% about the thermometer, i dont trust it at all but it doesnt seem to be sticking so for now i have to go by it. I'll be heading to the hardware store soon to get a digital thermometer. right now my UTH is uncontrolled and i was worried about it being too hot, so for the time being i put extra substrate on that side of the tank. Any ideas why he might be so elusive? i guess maybe hes just getting used to his new home, but the first night he was out and about. thanks for your help!

---

No prob. Bps are VERY shy creatures, so once they have "explored" their new home enough, they curl up under their hide and don't come out during the day (usually). You will see him out a night, but do not be alarmed if he isn't out while your still awake, he may only come out for a few hours or less while your sleeping (like 3 am)

It is actually a good thing that he is hiding because it indicates that he is more comfortable. Oh another important note - Do not handle him for the first week of him settling in, it will stress him out quite a bit, and once you do start handling, try and keep it to about 15 minutes every other day or so then slowly work up from that.

Once you get the digital thermometer/hygrometer, put the whole device in the tank (because the actual device measures humidity) and place the probe under the substrate beneath his warm hide. Alot of members use two accurites (like myself), but one will work. Put the device on the cool side, so you know the coolest temp.

When you go to pick up an accurite or something similar, be sure to get a lamp dimmer at least. You need to control that UTH, which you will see when you measure the surface of the glass with your new thermometer.

very nice setup.


That said, you have to put the UTH on at least a lamp dimmer switch (10 bucks at home depot) and I recomend you put the lamp on a thermostat. The zoomed 500r thermostat is about 30 bucks... and will work if you can't afford the better helix, Ranco, or herpstat. If that is not possible, put the lamp too on a dimmer switch (not the same one as the UTH.) If that is a 20gallon long tank, you will want a 60 watt CHE. if it is a 30gallon long tank, you will want a 100 watt CHE.



Only other thing I see is the bulb in your lamp. I would get rid of the bulb, and get a ceramic heat emitter instead. Ball Pythons do not need a light, and I have found that it can stress them out. Plus, you have to keep the temps right all the time.. night and day. You can NOT keep that light on all the time. You will totally stress it out!

Before we get much farther in giving you advice, you have to get the digital thermometers and hydrometer. you can get an Acurite from the hardware store.. It measures temp and humidity, and has a remote probe that you can put on the hot side under the substrate... and measure everything for $10 BUCKS.


Good job so far tho!

Mike

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by mcavana

very nice setup.


That said, you have to put the UTH on at least a lamp dimmer switch (10 bucks at home depot) and I recomend you put the lamp on a thermostat. The zoomed 500r thermostat is about 30 bucks... and will work if you can't afford the better helix, Ranco, or herpstat. If that is not possible, put the lamp too on a dimmer switch (not the same one as the UTH.) If that is a 20gallon long tank, you will want a 60 watt CHE. if it is a 30gallon long tank, you will want a 100 watt CHE.



Only other thing I see is the bulb in your lamp. I would get rid of the bulb, and get a ceramic heat emitter instead. Ball Pythons do not need a light, and I have found that it can stress them out. Plus, you have to keep the temps right all the time.. night and day. You can NOT keep that light on all the time. You will totally stress it out!

Before we get much farther in giving you advice, you have to get the digital thermometers and hydrometer. you can get an Acurite from the hardware store.. It measures temp and humidity, and has a remote probe that you can put on the hot side under the substrate... and measure everything for $10 BUCKS.


Good job so far tho!

Mike

---

I don't know if you read the other posts, but with exception to the CHE (which the OP may not even know what that stands for) You have just repeated me, but thats O.K! Anyway, a CHE is a Ceramic Heat Emitter, and before you run out and buy one I will tell you (the OP) a bit about them.

CHEs kill humidity BIG time. Yes they do not produce light (good thing:)) but they require specific lamps to use them, that are properly rated for use of a CHE. Another thing is they cost anywhere from $25-$40 for the coil alone, and the lamps are also at least $20.

You are very correct that that light will stress out the bp if it is left on 24/7 so I would suggest an Infrared Bulb, as they cost about $10, and the light does not disturb the bp. These can be purchased at almost any pet store that carries reptile supplies, and the wattage of them varies.

Also - putting a dimmer on the lamps you have reduce the life of the bulb, so it is more intelligent to simply buy the proper wattage of bulb to meet the temperature needs of the size of tank you have.

yeah, i dont use that light 24/7. i got a 75watt red infrared heat bulb for night time, but last night i woke up around 3am and checked on it, and the thermometer read almost 100 degrees so i turned the light off for a bit. i'm going back to the pet store today to exchange the 75watt for a 50 watt, which shouldnt get so hot.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by TheHabit

yeah, i dont use that light 24/7. i got a 75watt red infrared heat bulb for night time, but last night i woke up around 3am and checked on it, and the thermometer read almost 100 degrees so i turned the light off for a bit. i'm going back to the pet store today to exchange the 75watt for a 50 watt, which shouldnt get so hot.

---

Awesome! I was wondering why you had two lamps and one was off...The 50 watt should work much better, and if you find it is still a bit hot, you can raise the lamp a bit (if it has a clamp arm on it)

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by missi182

I don't know if you read the other posts, but with exception to the CHE (which the OP may not even know what that stands for) You have just repeated me, but thats O.K! Anyway, a CHE is a Ceramic Heat Emitter, and before you run out and buy one I will tell you (the OP) a bit about them.

CHEs kill humidity BIG time. Yes they do not produce light (good thing:)) but they require specific lamps to use them, that are properly rated for use of a CHE. Another thing is they cost anywhere from $25-$40 for the coil alone, and the lamps are also at least $20.

You are very correct that that light will stress out the bp if it is left on 24/7 so I would suggest an Infrared Bulb, as they cost about $10, and the light does not disturb the bp. These can be purchased at almost any pet store that carries reptile supplies, and the wattage of them varies.

Also - putting a dimmer on the lamps you have reduce the life of the bulb, so it is more intelligent to simply buy the proper wattage of bulb to meet the temperature needs of the size of tank you have.

---

Missi, great minds think alike!

However, I have to disagree with a few things here. First, CHE's if set right do not suck up more humidity then a normal light bulb. they are the same. They do not require special lamps. they only require lamps with the correct wattage... just like any other kind of bulb. (obviously the do tho have to be the kind of lamps made for tanks)

Yes, the CHE does cost on average 30 or 35 bucks, but it lasts YEARS. your infared bulb will maybe last 2 months... THe CHE in time costs WAY less then the infared bulbs. The red light it puts out is cool at first but gets QUITE anoying after a few months!

While a standard bulbs life can be effected by use of a dimmer switch, a CHE's life is not effected by the use of a dimmer switch at all.

The last thing I am sure I just misunderstood you. It sounded like you were suggesting using a lamp without anything to regulate the temperature. Obviously this is not correct. There is no such thing as the perfect watt bulb that will keep temps perfect all the time without regulation. Unless of course you do in fact have the exact perfect wattage, and a room that stays EXACTLY the same temperature 365 days a year.

Mike

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by mcavana

Missi, great minds think alike!

However, I have to disagree with a few things here. First, CHE's if set right do not suck up more humidity then a normal light bulb. they are the same. They do not require special lamps. they only require lamps with the correct wattage... just like any other kind of bulb. (obviously the do tho have to be the kind of lamps made for tanks)

Yes, the CHE does cost on average 30 or 35 bucks, but it lasts YEARS. your infrared bulb will maybe last 2 months... The CHE in time costs WAY less then the infrared bulbs. The red light it puts out is cool at first but gets QUITE annoying after a few months!

While a standard bulbs life can be effected by use of a dimmer switch, a CHE's life is not effected by the use of a dimmer switch at all.

The last thing I am sure I just misunderstood you. It sounded like you were suggesting using a lamp without anything to regulate the temperature. Obviously this is not correct. There is no such thing as the perfect watt bulb that will keep temps perfect all the time without regulation. Unless of course you do in fact have the exact perfect wattage, and a room that stays EXACTLY the same temperature 365 days a year.

Mike

---

I can see where your going with the CHEs. In my town, most of the lamps that pet stores carry (around $29) are not rated for use with CHEs and say right on the packaging not to use them. I think the major difference is the ceramic vs. porcelain base. The ones carried by pet stores here that usable with a CHE are the cage lamps and they cost about $35.

In the long run, I can see why you would suggest the CHE for it's life span, but I do disagree that the right wattage bulb need adjustments, as I currently use a 50 watt black light that keeps ambient 82-85, until summer comes, which is when I will likely just turn it off all together. I am able to raise or lower my lamp mind you, as I have it attached to the wall behind my tank.

TheHabit, it is totally up to you what you would like to use with regards to infrared or a CHE. If it comes down to you using the infrared for a month or so then deciding its annoying or it has burnt out on you, you can consider switching to a CHE.

There is no 1 way to set up your enclosure, but meeting the temperature requirements of 90-93 warm side, 80-85 cool side and low 80's ambient is what you are trying to attain so keep tweaking!!