New BP owner looking for advice, video included :)

First off, I'm so pleased to find such a knowledgeable forum! I hope you all will be able to have patience with my newbie questions :)

I was offered a Ball Python by someone who no longer wished to care for her :( I opted to do some research about them prior to agreeing. The more I've read about these creatures, the more I realize just how wrong her current set up is. I've always wanted a reptile, and I happen to have the time & space for one, so I saw this as a moment of opportunity for both the snake and myself.

She is approx 5 years old, and is currently living in a 20g(long) tank. Though I've read this size is acceptable, I assume she would enjoy more space. Her previous owner provided no hides, a small light to keep the tank warm & no thermometer. I don't feel this is acceptable for such a gorgeous snake!

Over the next week I'm going to be gathering the materials for her new home. I plan to set it up next weekend. I will be using a 45g glass tank- I used to use it years ago for fish, it is in excellent condition. I would LOVE suggestions! I also have some questions...

-I've read that wire tops are not the best to use, what should I use?

-I need to pick out a hide (or two?), in another thread someone suggested this; http://www.exo-terra.com/en/products/reptile_cave.php I really like it, but I'm unsure what size my snake would prefer.

-The room I'm keeping her in is the warmest room of my house. The temperature in her cage seems to get as high as 85F, is this too hot? Most places I've read I should keep the cool side of her cage high 70s, and the warm side low 80s.

Here is a short video of her in her current set up. I believe her colours & patterns are normal, but I'm not a pro. I would love to hear what you all think of her :)

YouTube - MVI 4190

(Sorry I posted a novel lol)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Dianna

First off, I'm so pleased to find such a knowledgeable forum! I hope you all will be able to have patience with my newbie questions :)

I was offered a Ball Python by someone who no longer wished to care for her :( I opted to do some research about them prior to agreeing. The more I've read about these creatures, the more I realize just how wrong her current set up is. I've always wanted a reptile, and I happen to have the time & space for one, so I saw this as a moment of opportunity for both the snake and myself.

She is approx 5 years old, and is currently living in a 20g(long) tank. Though I've read this size is acceptable, I assume she would enjoy more space. Her previous owner provided no hides, a small light to keep the tank warm & no thermometer. I don't feel this is acceptable for such a gorgeous snake!

Over the next week I'm going to be gathering the materials for her new home. I plan to set it up next weekend. I will be using a 45g glass tank- I used to use it years ago for fish, it is in excellent condition. I would LOVE suggestions! I also have some questions...

-I've read that wire tops are not the best to use, what should I use?

-I need to pick out a hide (or two?), in another thread someone suggested this; http://www.exo-terra.com/en/products/reptile_cave.php I really like it, but I'm unsure what size my snake would prefer.

-The room I'm keeping her in is the warmest room of my house. The temperature in her cage seems to get as high as 85F, is this too hot? Most places I've read I should keep the cool side of her cage high 70s, and the warm side low 80s.

Here is a short video of her in her current set up. I believe her colours & patterns are normal, but I'm not a pro. I would love to hear what you all think of her :)

YouTube - MVI 4190

(Sorry I posted a novel lol)

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She's beautiful! Yeah, that hide is fine, you'll want to get two of those. Your temps are off, you'll need a UTH (Under Tank Heater) that covers 1/3-1/2 the cage and a thermostat to control it. The warm side should be, ideally, no higher than 90 F and no lower than 88 F. The cool side can be 75-80 F, IMO. You can use wire tops, but use cypress mulch to keep the humidity between 50%-60%, or you can put a damp towel over half the top. There is a DIY instruction sheet on this site for a homemade humidifier and a method to put tin foil on a screen top. Also, a water bowl large enough for soaking is needed, change it every other day.

I recommend tubs (i.e. Sterilite, rubbermaid) to beginners. They are easier to clean and keep the humidity up, just drill some holes in the sides.

Sam

wow wow wow wow wowx99999 that is a COOL normal!!! i love the white near the belly and along the sides!!! and its big ><;... awesome!!

and ya i keep my BPs at around 92 warm side, in a tub. glass cages make it hard to maintain humidity, but as it was already stated, just cover up the top. ALSO, cover 3 of the sides to give the big gal more security :P

Quote:

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Originally Posted by abuja

She's beautiful! Yeah, that hide is fine, you'll want to get two of those. Your temps are off, you'll need a UTH (Under Tank Heater) that covers 1/3-1/2 the cage and a thermostat to control it. The warm side should be, ideally, no higher than 90 F and no lower than 88 F. The cool side can be 75-80 F, IMO. You can use wire tops, but use cypress mulch to keep the humidity between 50%-60%, or you can put a damp towel over half the top. There is a DIY instruction sheet on this site for a homemade humidifier and a method to put tin foil on a screen top. Also, a water bowl large enough for soaking is needed, change it every other day.

I recommend tubs (i.e. Sterilite, rubbermaid) to beginners. They are easier to clean and keep the humidity up, just drill some holes in the sides.

Sam

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I did the home made humidifier thing and it works great keeps my humidity at about 55-60% without anything covering the top, when it comes time for a shed i throw a towel over the top and it keeps it between 70-80% usually.

Thanks so much you guys!

I'll use the cage covering method to make her feel safe until I get a proper hide for her. I'm on my way out right now to find at least 1 hide for now, a humidity reader (gonna try home depot), a larger water dish & under tank heater.

:D :D :D

when you get the uth you cannot not have it uncontrolled, you must have a thermostat or a rheostat, i reccomend the repti temp 500r for a thermostat cheap and relieabale which can be found at http://www.reptilesupply.com/product.php?products_id=75 and you have one nice bp coming your way!

Welcome to the forum...:welcome:

These are the hides I use for my adult. They are dark, light weight, and easy to clean.

http://www.reptilebasics.com/Large-H...x-p-16376.html

If you choose to go with a screen top, there are ways to close it off to help with temp and humidity control...


Rob

First of all :welcome: !!!!

a 20g is perfectly fine for an adult bp. a 45g is actually taller and doesn't have much more floor space than a 20g. Since ball pythons are terrestrial, you would be wasting all that height by having to heat and cool it. Also, strangely enough, ball pythons get stressed by large spaces.

There is nothing wrong with using screen tops, just make sure it is secured with cage clips so the snake can't escape.

Get two of the rock cave hides. They should be very tight fitting, the snake should barely fit in it.

85* is actually the lowest of the temp gradient and is a perfect ambient temperature. You will need a hotspot of 92-94* though. This is best achieved with a UTH on a thermostat rather then a lamp. Lamps tend to suck the humidity dry witch will cause the snake to have a bad shed.