questions for you breeders out there?

This is my first breeding season(hopefully everything goes well). I have all my snakes in tanks right now and wanting to change them into a rack system for next years breeding season.
first question: how do you cycle the snakes for the up coming breeding season? with no light source(basketing bulbs)
How do you adjust the temp from the heat tape?
Would you keep the males in a different rack than the females?
What size rack would you reccomend for mid size bp?

Thanks for your help.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Tazz27

This is my first breeding season(hopefully everything goes well). I have all my snakes in tanks right now and wanting to change them into a rack system for next years breeding season.
first question: how do you cycle the snakes for the up coming breeding season? with no light source(basketing bulbs)
How do you adjust the temp from the heat tape?
Would you keep the males in a different rack than the females?
What size rack would you reccomend for mid size bp?

Thanks for your help.

---

I pretty much follow ballpython.ca's breeding page. It works like a charm. Here is the link: http://ballpythons.ca/gallery/breeding.html

I use rack systems with no basking lights. I use heat tape to heat all of the tubs. I have a digital thermostat to control the rack temps and lighting. My digital thermostat has a night drop feature that turn the heat down and the lights off at a time specified by me. I keep my ball pythons in 41 qt tubs.

Hope this helps.

Thanks.The breeding page is what I've been using. What kind of thermostat are you using? I haven't seen any racks with lighting. Is that something you added?
Thanks again.

Last year was my first year breeding - I don't do artificial light cycles - I personally don't think light cycles are as important as barometric pressure changes when weather systems roll in.

I also didn't cool last year and all three females laid eggs. I put males in with females when there was rain in the forecast or a cold front was coming in.

I keep my females in 41 quart tubs, and I keep males and females in the same rack - because I'm "real estate" challenged in my home. Didn't seem to negative impact my breeding.

Thanks for the info.