Housing options/suggestions?

damn, yea i mean i could get a house t-stat for like $12.00 at walmart which is way better than paying 25-30.00 for a reptile one you know?

Get the reptile one. It is $25 that is absolutely crucial to the well being of your animal. It really isn't something you should try to cut corners on.

Been trolling classifieds for past 30 mins or so trying to find one maybe cheaper but looks like ordering new one online is the quickest bet

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Originally Posted by azmodane

Been trolling classifieds for past 30 mins or so trying to find one maybe cheaper but looks like ordering new one online is the quickest bet

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Yep look into the ZooMed 500R it's like 25 bucks so 30 shipped to u in like 3 days.
Also I forgot to add go with a 2 hide set up like shown from the others seeing ur not in a rack.

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Originally Posted by azmodane

damn, yea i mean i could get a house t-stat for like $12.00 at walmart which is way better than paying 25-30.00 for a reptile one you know?

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My question is how would u even use a house tstat for this?

all you need is a 41 qt sterilite tub a, under tank heater, dampened paper towels, and a hide. If you house your ball python in a tank thats too big he may go off feed. I dont suggest putting him in any of those cages for a small ball python, if anything buy a 10 gallon tank and use that. Hope this helps =D

-Payson

if you are using flexwatt to heat, i do NOT recommend the Zoomed reptitemp 500r.

The ONE part of this entire thing you do not want to skimp on is the heating element control. Spend the 80 at www.reptilebasics.com with Rich and get a ranco or johnson controls unit prewired and ready to go. Rich will also help answer all of your questions.

The 500R is only acceptable to me in back heat applications when used with flexiwatt, and even then I wouldn't trust it. The fluctions i experienced with it were far to great for my taste.

Unregulated zoomed heating pad: 122F
regulated zoomed heating pad with zoomed thermostat: 114F peak (78F low)
Regulated with johnson control unit: 94F-96F.

those are actual numbers i recorded with a digital thermometer (accurite).

Rich also has another great heating unit http://www.reptilebasics.com/ultratherm-heat_pads/ . Im using one of these for my leopard geckos. They do peak a little higher than I'd like for ball pythons (although it could probably use a bit more ventilation). My temp gun routinely reads around 97 on the glass below the substrate. (they are in a display type cage, whereas all the snakes are in racks).

i've always wondered if UTH's would melt the plastic, i guess not. Seems like the tubs are the way to go.

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Originally Posted by Purple Pie Man

i've always wondered if UTH's would melt the plastic, i guess not. Seems like the tubs are the way to go.

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they CAN, this is why they need to be regulated. There have been instances where flexwatt (man i can not spell that lol) has malfunctioned and burned holes in plastic tubs.

lol. i kinda figured that could happen