New Owner just want to make sure im doing this right.

I have been reading this forum all day and wow! There is so much information and everyone seems to be very nice.

I just got my new BP a week ago. He is almost 2' long, but I haven't got around to weighing him. I have him in a 33 gallon tank with a heat pad and a lamp(75 watts). The temperature throughout the tank is at about 85 degrees. I am using Fir Bark for the bedding and he has a hide spot and a water bowl. He started to shed already but it was an incomplete shed but his head shed normal. I was unaware about the humidity but now I am misting the tank once a day and I cover 3/4 of the tank with a towel. The shocking thing is that he already has eaten for me(live), the pet store I got him from feed him live so i wanted to keep it the same. He is also very very friendly and seems to feel comfortable in his new home. The incomplete shed really scared me and i just want to make sure i am doing everything right because i love my little guy and want to provide a great home for him.

I would love comments and advice since this is my first snake.

Take a look at the FAQ and Sticky threads at the top of BP and BP Husbandry forum. These helped me out in a huge way.

Feel free to look around and post up questions as this has been a great forum for me as well in the short time I have been a member.

http://www.ball-pythons.net/modules/...warticle&id=59

Tank/Enclosure
Seems a bit big as a 20gallon would be fine. BP like to feel secure and they way they do this is to fit into places that seem small, but are very comfy for them. Their natural way is to often "hide" in burrows. In addtion, make sure there is a cool side hide as well as a warm side, this way he/she can thermo-regulate as needed. Not sure on the fir bark as I have heard differant opinions. I used blank newspaper (you can also use paper towels) first to check for mites, and other potential issues, then I switched to shredded Aspen (holds humidity well, no toxins for snake etc).

The ambiant temperture is fine, but you want a cool side of 80-84 and a warm side of 88-94. Belly heat is a good thing for these snakes as it helps disgestion and their comfort and note that other lighting is not needed (no UV etc).


Retained Shed
This worked very well for me and was posted by another member (thanks Spainard):
http://www.ball-pythons.net/forums/s...ad.php?t=43403

Feeding - Live vs Frozen/Thawed (F/T)
To me it is whatever works as BPs can be picky, but we prefer F/T due to the ease and reduction in parisite potential etc. I am glad our eats well with F/T as it makes life easier with the wife... :)

I would toss the bark and use an aspen substrate, whether it be chips or grass. The bark can be toxic to snakes if it accidently was ingested or got into the water.