New BP! Questions, pictures.

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Originally Posted by steez

I'm going hunting for some tree bark and other hides today. I cut some plastic and covered it with the tape so it would stay dark underneath for him. I was just reading the caresheet about no tape (whoops). I'm removing them right now after I type this :).

I'll get a thermostat for the UTH. I have a cloth between the UTH and the glass so it doesn't get too hot. I'll just go get a thermostat and apply it directly to the glass.

Right now I'm in the process of figuring out what thermometer to go get.

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It was at about 82 when I checked it with the lamp on 100% (has a dimmer). The hot side was about 95 though. Should I keep the lamp on 100% even though it's getting that hot? I can move the lamp a bit closer to the center of the enclosure to get the left side a bit hotter too.

Also, the red heat bulbs are okay to run 24/7 for snakes, correct? His night/day cycle will just be the room lights when it's lit up and we're active in it. As far as I know, the red light is just like darkness to them.

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I would highly recommend an Accu-rite from Walmart. There is a $12 one with a probe you can use to measure the UTH heat. This also measures temp/humidity at the unit itself. Walmart also has a smaller $8 one that only shows temp/humidity at the unit. This thread has a pic of my set up with the probe one on the hot side and other one on the cool side. What type of bulb are you using? I would recommend an infared one if that isn't what you have already, they don't disturb the snake with bright light and you can keep the temp up all night with it :)

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Originally Posted by grizzjr1

I would highly recommend an Accu-rite from Walmart. There is a $12 one with a probe you can use to measure the UTH heat. This also measures temp/humidity at the unit itself. Walmart also has a smaller $8 one that only shows temp/humidity at the unit. This thread has a pic of my set up with the probe one on the hot side and other one on the cool side. What type of bulb are you using? I would recommend an infared one if that isn't what you have already, they don't disturb the snake with bright light and you can keep the temp up all night with it :)

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I'll definitely go invest in a couple of those and mount one on each side! I use a 60w RED heat light. I'm just going to leave it on all the time. I'm not using any bright lights or UV, he is in my computer room which is light during the day and dark at night.

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Originally Posted by LGray23

Yes that's false. Feeding inside the enclosure will reduce stress and increase your chances of him taking his first meal for you :)

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Originally Posted by Kaorte

It couldn't be further from the truth. Think about it this way:

If you feed in the home enclosure, the snake smells the rat, you dangle the rat with tongs, and then it takes the food.

If you feed outside the home enclosure, the snake smells the rat, you pick up the hungry snake and put it in an unfamiliar place, you dangle the rat and (presumably) it eats. Then you have to wait until the snake finishes eating and carefully pick up the animal who might still be hungry, and put it in the home enclosure.

Seems like option two would give your snake many more opportunities to mistake you for food than option one. If you are feeding your snake the correct amount of food per week it should never mistake you for food. You don't look or smell like a rat, so it probably won't mistake you for one on a day when the room doesn't smell like rats.

Does this make sense? Sorry, I really hate the flawed logic behind the "mistaking my hand for food" argument. It really just makes no sense. Especially for ball pythons. They are so docile!

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Thank you very much. :)

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Won't let me edit those first pictures out.


Here's the update:

http://s12.postimage.org/v9znmp7zx/update.jpg




I got an IR temp remote from Petco, and the thermostat they sold. It isn't what was recommended, but I just got it to make sure I don't burn him in the meantime. Petco let's you return it for 30 days, so I held onto the receipt and I'll take it back when I get a better one. (Unless this 1000w Zilla will be ok)

I know the boxes don't look good yet, but it's better than the tape I had in there. I'm going to go out into the woods and find some good stuff for the tank in the next couple days.

I'd be careful about using stuff from the woods... you never know what lives in it currently (think parasites). Why don't you check out http://www.reptilebasics.com for your temp gun/thermostat/hides. A lot of us use it. Rich, the guy that owns RBI, is very helpful. The hides are fantastic.

Would this work to control my UTH? http://www.reptilebasics.com/thermos...omed-rheostat/

It will allow you to control the amount of current running to the UTH, and anything else you plug in (like your light). You still need to make sure the temp of the UTH doesn't get too high, using a temp gun or something similar (I have this temp gun, and absolutely love it.. http://www.reptilebasics.com/412l-thermometer ).

You can also use a cheap plug in light dimmer - it's the same thing. Most of my bps are in a rack, but I have one in a tank and use a $10 lamp dimmer I bought at Home Depot to control that UTH - I think it's this one... http://www.homedepot.com/h_d1/N-5yc1...&storeId=10051

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Originally Posted by swansonbb

It will allow you to control the amount of current running to the UTH, and anything else you plug in (like your light). You still need to make sure the temp of the UTH doesn't get too high, using a temp gun or something similar (I have this temp gun, and absolutely love it.. http://www.reptilebasics.com/412l-thermometer ).

You can also use a cheap plug in light dimmer - it's the same thing. Most of my bps are in a rack, but I have one in a tank and use a $10 lamp dimmer I bought at Home Depot to control that UTH - I think it's this one... http://www.homedepot.com/h_d1/N-5yc1...&storeId=10051

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I'll probably order that thermometer next week. I got the zoomed one from Petco today to get me by. It's showing 91 above my UTH, ranging over to 79 to the cold side. I moved my heat lamp to the center of the screen, and I'll take temps again here soon and see what it tells me.

I paid $53 for this Zilla Thermostat from Petco today. I plugged my UTH into it and it has YET to actually turn on the heat source. I have it set to 92 and I guess the probe is still telling it to stay off. I'm really considering taking this thing back and just buying a dimmer for my UTH. I could start it at half power, wait an hour and check surface temp and adjust as needed. What do you think?

EDIT: I forgot to add that I put a piece of reptile carpet on the glass in the tank right above where the UTH is. Then I have the Aspen on top of that. I just didn't want my BP going down into the substrate and touching the hot glass.

I think I'd use a temp gun and dimmer with your set up. Yes, start at half power & check every 20-30 minutes or so. Remember, you need to monitor the temp of the UTH, not of the substrate on top of it. A thick layer of substrate can trap heat from the UTH - the UTH could end up having to "work" a lot harder to bring up the temp on top of the substrate. If the snake moves or burrows in the substrate - he could end up with a serious burn. A thinner layer of substrate is better to make sure the belly heat is appropriate.

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Originally Posted by swansonbb

I think I'd use a temp gun and dimmer with your set up. Yes, start at half power & check every 20-30 minutes or so. Remember, you need to monitor the temp of the UTH, not of the substrate on top of it. A thick layer of substrate can trap heat from the UTH - the UTH could end up having to "work" a lot harder to bring up the temp on top of the substrate. If the snake moves or burrows in the substrate - he could end up with a serious burn. A thinner layer of substrate is better to make sure the belly heat is appropriate.

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I'll make sure there's only about half an inch of Aspen or so above the glass. Should I leave the piece of reptile carpet I put there on the glass? I cut an exact sized piece to the size of the UTH and put it under the Aspen.

I'm not sure - I've never used it. I don't think I would. It's just trapping the heat. If you keep your UTH at or below 95 or so I don't think it's necessary. Someone else with more experience might want to chime in though...

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Originally Posted by swansonbb

I'm not sure - I've never used it. I don't think I would. It's just trapping the heat. If you keep your UTH at or below 95 or so I don't think it's necessary. Someone else with more experience might want to chime in though...

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So should I move the substrate and check the glass temp itself, or just use a very small amount of substrate on the warm side and check the substrate temp? This might be a stupid question because he's going to be on the substrate, but I don't want him burning himself if he DOES burrow.