Very New Owner (Who Needs A Lot of Help)

Using paper towels in a glass tank will be terrible for the humidity. Cypress mulch would be the best choice and holds moisture well. Repti bark is not bad and will work with your setup better than paper towels. Just mist it each day.

You do need to regulate the UTH. I like and recommend Herpstat.

http://www.spyderrobotics.com/store/...ain_page=index

Buy the best tstat you can afford. It is not an item to go cheap on.

Also the substrate over the UTH needs to be thin, usually 1/4 on less. Right now since it is not regulated and I assume your only heat source I would keep it thicker. If you are using the lamp that came with it and can create a 90 degree surface hotspot with an 80 degree ambient temp I would say unplug it for now and just use the lamp.

You really need two hides so even if it is alittle cramped I would put two. You might check into a smaller set for now, our make some. The snake will feel more secure with less open space. The more cover the better, especially for young snakes.

Another tip to help with humidity is place damp moss in the hides. This will create a humid hide with higher humidity than the rest of the cage and will benefit your snake greatly.

http://i1151.photobucket.com/albums/...psa5797386.jpg

Just remember that everything you put in the tank will at some point need to be cleaned. Make sure the items can handle water, heat, and high humidity.

Here is a really bad picture of my set up (sorry it's all I have right now xD).
http://i290.photobucket.com/albums/l...psde9939b8.jpg
You need two hides, one on the hot, one on the cold, without two it will not be able to thermoregulate properly.
Cover 3 sides of the tank, to make it feel more secure, and if you can, clutter that tank up! the more "stuff" the better. They like crowded, especially as babies.
I use eco earth, but repti bark should be okay if you mist every day, they need high humidity, you should also cover at least half of that screen top with tin foil, plexiglass, or a tamp towel to help keep the humidity in.
Also they are not a fan of white light, if you could replace the white heat bulb with a red night bulb or a CHE it will be much happier. That UTH should be regulated as well, you don't need a new one, you can buy a separate thermometer.

I covered the back and sides of my tank with black poster board and cover the screen top with aluminum foil and electrical tape and left a round opening where the heat lamp goes, so I can keep humidity in, now I only need to spray the tank once a day.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Foschi Exotic Serpents

Except for the fact that petsmart gives many thousands more per year to the HSUS.. Ugh.. I wish people would stop buying animals, and especially reptiles, from the places that financially support the organization that is trying to take all of our pets away from us and completely demonizes reptiles.

It just freaks me out.

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I hate HSUS, but my only two options out here are Petco or Petsmart. :( I feel better supporting the store that takes better care of their animals. The only live animals I buy from them are fish, the rest is just supplies.

I would honestly use a coconut husk/cypress mulch mix to hold in humidity. Repti Bark has so many large, rough pieces in it. It seems like it would be easy for a piece of fecal matter or urates to fall between the pieces.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by meowmeowkazoo

I hate HSUS, but my only two options out here are Petco or Petsmart. :( I feel better supporting the store that takes better care of their animals. The only live animals I buy from them are fish, the rest is just supplies.

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Yes I agree that some people simply have no choice depending on where they live. I sometimes have to buy bedding there for the rats because no one else sells the kiln dried pine that works best. I don't buy animals from them though. I certainly never donate anything at the check out either. I wish they would open their eyes to what HSUS really is.

Thanks for the help everyone, I appreciate it!
So far I have purchased another hide and a new water dish (that will be big enough for him) so it is quite crowded in there now.
Also, I bought a container as his new digs in the near future.

He ate his first meal approximately 20 minutes ago!
It took him a while though. Not to strike, but to actually get it in his mouth because he went at it sideways.
So yeah I will probably post a picture of the new set-up in a few days, so I can leave him be to digest.

Welcome to the addiction. Kudos to you for asking questions and being teachable. We were all new oncew and we always keep learning. Can't add anything new except when I had glass enclosures, a wet towel covering 2/3 of the screen top really helped keep humidity up. Keep coming back, ASK QUESTIONS, read the threads, and you'll be a great snake owner. There's a wealth of knowledge here...

As you may know, Ball Pythons can live for decades in captivity. As you and your snake grow, you'll learn about better enclosures. Good idea to invest in a good enclosure/tub setup. Don't have to do it this minute, but the basics many pointed out will get you started in the right direction...Good luck!