HydroFarm

some thermostats regulate the temperature by just switching the heat on and off. for example it switches off when its 2 degrees above the target temperature, and switches on when its two degrees below the target temperature.


other, more advanced thermostats can actually run the heater at 25% energy output or at 50%, it doesnt switch on and off anymore, instead it plays around with the energy output.

Thanks all! I'll try the foul tape as well as eventually look into a better thermostat, but for my first reptile I wanted to try and save a little money :)

Not it to hijack my own thread but.... Just a quick question, I have a tank, UTH and over head light on the cool side, obviously humidity is an issue, I plan on foiling the top but will a humid hide help for times when I'm not available? With my work schedule, once or twice a month a go away for 1-3 days.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by mike_yorkpa

Thanks all! I'll try the foul tape as well as eventually look into a better thermostat, but for my first reptile I wanted to try and save a little money :)

Not it to hijack my own thread but.... Just a quick question, I have a tank, UTH and over head light on the cool side, obviously humidity is an issue, I plan on foiling the top but will a humid hide help for times when I'm not available? With my work schedule, once or twice a month a go away for 1-3 days.

---

Yes, humid hide should work fine. A lot of people use them.

One thing I've been experimenting with is a "humidity box". I took a ziploc food container and stuffed it with sphagnum moss, put about a 1/4 inch of water in the bottom, and poked holes in the top so it would release humidity more consistently and at a slower pace. I'll know when he sheds in the next couple months how well it worked or not.

He/she's here!! My baby ate this morning before picked up.

One worry i have is the last picture, i think that the one hide is too small (right side in 2nd pic and the last pic) , its hard to tell from the picture but what do you guys think?

http://i965.photobucket.com/albums/a...ps6dc4137f.jpg
http://i965.photobucket.com/albums/a...ps055411ac.jpg
http://i965.photobucket.com/albums/a...ps191a3abc.jpg

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Pyrate81

If it's doing it every 5 minutes it sounds like the temperature is dropping too fast or there isn't a large enough gap between the temp you want it at and the temp you want it to turn on(make sense?). If you want a temp threshold.

I would try a couple things:

1. Read the manual and see if you can set it to turn on at a specific temperature. Like mine is set to 100 but clicks on at 95. Size of heat pad may make a difference in as well.

2. Possibly insulate it with foil tape. I've found foil tape helps make the hot spot a little larger and keeps the heat from dissipating into the air.

---

With the Hydrofarms, they have a temp swing as wide as ± 5 degrees of the set temp. So, probably shouldn't use them on an incubator, but for cages that's what they do and they do adjust some what.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using Tapatalk

I don't mean to be a stick in the mud here but don't handle that snake a lot. I would say it's too skinny for a snake of that size. Try and get some consistent meals into it before you start stressing it out with handling and what not.

I personally would never sell a snake that looked like that. The triangular cross section of the snake is a sign of either:
A) a problem feeder
B) lack of care from the breeder
C) improperly cared for at a pet store

My suggestion would be to try and feed every 5 days with a rat pink. If it eats no problem, then all my points are rendered moot.

Good luck. Keep us posted.

I'd rather you be a stick in the mud :), I'm a new owner, if I post pics and something doesn't seem right to experienced owners then I want to know. The only handling done so far was picking him out of the container, snapping a quick picture and placing him in the tank.

he was received from a local pet store. According to them, they feed a mouse hopper 1 time a week, which was yesterday. When I went to the store he was squeezing the hopper so I told them id be back after work, which gave him 8-9 hours until I picked him up. When I asked about their feeding days and such they said he could have probably handled a small mouse. I am more interested in what you all have to say more though.

I was worried a little bit however that he wasn't interested in the hides at all. He explored a little bit then say behind the thermometer from 6pm until this morning 7am, of course he may have moved when I was sleeping. He's been staying on the cool side, 82-86 degrees

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by interloc

I don't mean to be a stick in the mud here but don't handle that snake a lot. I would say it's too skinny for a snake of that size. Try and get some consistent meals into it before you start stressing it out with handling and what not.

I personally would never sell a snake that looked like that. The triangular cross section of the snake is a sign of either:
A) a problem feeder
B) lack of care from the breeder
C) improperly cared for at a pet store

My suggestion would be to try and feed every 5 days with a rat pink. If it eats no problem, then all my points are rendered moot.

Good luck. Keep us posted.

---

He has no interest whatsoever in the UTH, he likes the cool side with the lamp so far.

Firstly, congrats!

Secondly, I am glad s/he's in your care now. 1 mouse hopper a week is definitely not enough... clearly (as seen in the photos). Once you start feeding properly, s/he should gain weight no problem :)
Rats all the way! Of course if s/he doesn't take rats you can always do mice... but they require more of those, as they don't have the same fat/nutritional content for ball pythons as rats do.

My guess is that s/he didn't really have hides in the pet store. You can always try adding in some cardboard box cutouts (like half or 1/3 of a tissue box) or plastic containers with a doorway cut in, to save money on hides - especially with a young BP who will outgrow them quickly.

A humid hide/box is a great idea! Both my BP and corn love them. The BP is in there now, actually, in blue.


As for the Hydrofarm, as with everyone else pretty much, I agree that that's just what they do! I have two of them (one for each snake). What concerns me is that it's set to 101F but stays around 90F only... do you have a digital probed thermometer (apart from the probe attached to the thermostat) to check? I apologize if you've mentioned this already and I missed it.

Best of luck!

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by mike_yorkpa

he was received from a local pet store. According to them, they feed a mouse hopper 1 time a week, which was yesterday.

---

Sounds underfed. Mouse hoppers are tiny, usually used for the first couple of feedings and that's it.

I can't judge his size (weight in grams would make it easier), but I would bet he can easily eat at least an adult mouse every 5 days now. Might be big enough for rat pups.

He looks a little thin, but nothing that can't be easily fixed with a regular feeding schedule.