What kind of lights do you use?

Hi guys, I'm new here. I just got my ball python Saturday and I currently have a 100W bulb and no UTH. He is kept in a basement, so I wanted him to have some sort of day/night cycle. But the bulb is causing a higher basking temp than required and I need a thermostat. But until I can get one, I need to know what to do - should I keep the bulb off, which no heat source, or keep it on and let him stay on the "cool" side which has the same temp that the basking spot should be? I have an UTH but do not want to use it without the thermostat. Also, which is a better choice for a heat source - light bulb or UTH? I've heard bell heat is best...

Any heat source, be it lamp or UTH, MUST have something to control the temperature, which is either a thermo-stat, rheo-stat, etc. The reason your lamp is getting way above the basking temp required is because it's totally uncontrolled. Also, I wouldn't recommend using just a heat lamp of any sort used alone to anyone for a few reasons. First because heat rises, so the lamp you're trying to supply your snake it's heat with is putting out heat, but the heat is just rising right up and out of the enclosure before even reaching the snake. Also, lamps can severely reduce humidity. Another thing is BP's don't need a night drop because their ambient temp should stay steady night and day, and a bright light all day can also be stressful. I'd highly suggest getting an infared/blacklight/ heat-emitter bulb. The first two don't disrupt the natural cycle of snakes who are nocturnal. The heat emitters on the other hand produce no light at all, and only produce heat alone. Also, I'd highly suggest and recommend getting a UTH asap. Lamps, heat panels, etc are for certain species, basically, such as arboreal, or basking snakes. Majority of all snakes get their body heat from their belly. I'd highly suggest Ultratherm heat mats. They're excellent quality, extremely affordable at any size, usually half the prices of the crappy pet-store or typical brand for reptile ones. They're essentially precut and prewired flexwatt. They're made to not get too high of a temp either so they're much safer. For my snakes that need a hot-spot and a higher ambient temp I use an infared lamp on a thermostat set to the needed ambient temp of about 80-82F, and then a thermostat hooked up with my UTH for the hotspot at about 90-92. (This differs for my different species, but that's what BP's would require). If you need an affordable but very good quality for the price thermostat for your lamp and UTH, try the Hydrofarm MTPRTC Thermostat for Heat Mats, which will run you about $28 or so on amazon.com. Hope this helps some, sorry so long winded! =]

I think full spectrum light will good. Pythons are nocturnal and daytime the sleep. but UV rays are useful to snake because it is more like natural light.


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full spectrum light

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Originally Posted by The Serpent Merchant

Not at the time.

Unless you are planning on only using the heat lamp to maintain the cool side/ambient air temperature at 80 degrees and use the UTH to create the 90 degree basking spot there is no reason to use both a UTH and heat lamp.

UTH's must be controlled by a thermostat. Stay away from the junk sold in pet stores. Here are 3 good ones:

Budget: http://www.amazon.com/Hydrofarm-MTPR.../dp/B000NZZG3S

Mid-Range: http://www.reptilebasics.com/ranco-etc-111000-pre-wired

Best: http://spyderrobotics.com/home/products.html

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I thought UTH were essential for proper digestion?

I was speaking with my herp vet a month back (just gathering information while I was there) and she was saying that as well about the ambient temperatures staying steady 24/7, also mentioned using a ceramic bulb for heat increase.