Set up for new snake

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Originally Posted by KMG

Here is a very recent thread about a cheap tstat failing and burning the snake causing much more in vet bills than a good tstat would have cost in the beginning. This person did a brave thing of owning up to their mistake and used it to hopefully teach others to not make the same mistakes.
http://ball-pythons.net/forums/showt...38#post2254938

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Just an FYI, I have no issues spending whatever money needs to be spent to make sure this guy is healthy and happy. We have a bit of a Zoo here and everyone one of them from the 4 dogs, the 2 cats and the hedge hog have all their needs taken care of and are healthy and happy. I will not buy anything until I've researched it and made sure it was the proper product to do the job it was meant to do. Which is why I started this thread. Cheap might have been the wrong word, I was looking for safe options for the temporary setup that would hopefully be cost effective for the two months they would be used.

I have some custom ones, Fluckers, and ZooMed. They all have worked fine. For the tub either the Fluckers or ZooMed would be fine. The Fluckers is a plastic sheet that is very thin. They also advertise only getting to 100 degrees. Which is supposed to make them safer. The ZooMed is a tad thicker and more of a rubber mat feel but they are rigid. Just remember to never bent a uth as it will bend and break the inner wires and cause it to malfunction or die.

UTHs are really simple, its just a flat thing that converts electricity into heat. so these things are rather inexpensive and there are many brands of good UTHs and good heat tape. they are waterproof and come with the right cable and a nice coating and such, but really they are just glorified resistors.

the thermostat with its heat probe does all the work. (and thats where the risk and the bad reputation comes from: run them unregulated, and temperatures can be much too high. use a good thermostat and they work just fine).

for additional safety you might get an UTH that has a maximum energy output at around the level where you would need it. so when for example 50 watt is all you will ever need, dont buy one that goes up to 100 watt.

EDIT because another reply came in: no UTH or heat tape can guarantee a maximum temperature, thats not really possible unless they add a temperature controlled circuit breaker or fuse or something. it depends on the wattage and the thermal insulation surrounding it. high wattage with high thermal insulation means it can reach high temperatures. if you want a real limit, it has to be the amount of watt it delivers when running full steam. ive seen them rated from 8 watt to 200 watt with everything in between.

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Originally Posted by moorea

Just an FYI, I have no issues spending whatever money needs to be spent to make sure this guy is healthy and happy.

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I'm so glad to hear this. Most threads are "I NEED A THERMOSTAT ON A BUDGET WHAT'S THE CHEAPEST ONE?" I can't stand it. In my opinion, if you can't properly provide for your animal (with quality products), don't get one.

:gj:

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Originally Posted by CatandDiallo

I'm so glad to hear this. Most threads are "I NEED A THERMOSTAT ON A BUDGET WHAT'S THE CHEAPEST ONE?" I can't stand it. In my opinion, if you can't properly provide for your animal (with quality products), don't get one.

:gj:

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I couldn't agree with you more! The 5 pets we have now probably all live and eat better then the humans in our house. That is why I wanted to clarify that I have no problems spending whatever needs to be spent, but also did not feel the need to go over board for a setup I am planning to use for a few months, just get what is necessary and needed for good health and happiness . I'm already going over way over board with his forever home :) LOL

So this is where I am now, please let me know if I left anything out.

I have ordered the herpstat 2. Priority shipping should have it here by Monday. The snake will be arriving on Tuesday. If the thermostat is not here by then he will hold off shipping until it is. I plan on using the herpstat for just the UTH on the tub for now. Then when the PVC cage gets here I will use the second tstat in the herpstat for the RHP and when ready to move him to the cage will move the UTH already on the herpstat over and adjust as needed.

Immediate Needs to purchase tomorrow for tub:
Tub
UTH
Humidity Probe
Substrate
Temp Gun
Scale
Water Bowl
Hide

Later Needs for PVC Cage:
RHP
2nd Hide
LED Lighting

Did I forget anything?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by moorea

So this is where I am now, please let me know if I left anything out.

I have ordered the herpstat 2. Priority shipping should have it here by Monday. The snake will be arriving on Tuesday. If the thermostat is not here by then he will hold off shipping until it is. I plan on using the herpstat for just the UTH on the tub for now. Then when the PVC cage gets here I will use the second tstat in the herpstat for the RHP and when ready to move him to the cage will move the UTH already on the herpstat over and adjust as needed.

Immediate Needs to purchase tomorrow for tub:
Tub
UTH
Humidity Probe
Substrate
Temp Gun
Scale
Water Bowl
Hide

Later Needs for PVC Cage:
RHP
2nd Hide
LED Lighting

Did I forget anything?

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Seems good to me, And gorgeous guy =) happy to hear you took the plunge! dont forget food in immediate =) hahah

Aswell the herpstat 2 will work best for these 2 reasons! once you make the switch to PVC you can use both probes

1 for RHP (get ambient temp to 80-82) and then 2nd probe for the HeatPad (to get your 90-92 hot spot) Which best heat is belly heat for BP's! You can even contact the place and they'll drill the necessary hole for probe's if you'd like! ID also suggest going to a local garden center and buying a water sprayer (little dinky hand ones suck) Pick up one of the pest control ones with the pumping top part! i love mine as i use to mist snake and Fill water bowl (i use the repti water conditioner)

Also since doing that with heat pad (if you dont get felxxwatt/thg tape) Dont forget to place tinfoil/foil tape on the sticky part of the UTH so it is easily moved from tank to tank, and just adhere it with some foiltape/electricle tape. IF you use adhesive they provide you can damage it when pulling it off the tub.

I would just add a second hide. You want one over the uth but you also want a place the snake can go to cool off and still feel comfortable.

These are really great. http://www.reptilebasics.com/hide-boxes

Unless you want the rock looking ones the ReptileBasics ones are sturdy, cheap, and easy to clean. If they wouldn't arrive on time you could use many other homemade solutions. Box, bowl with door cut (dollar store), crinkled newspaper, etc.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by CORBIN911

Seems good to me, And gorgeous guy =) happy to hear you took the plunge! dont forget food in immediate =) hahah

Aswell the herpstat 2 will work best for these 2 reasons! once you make the switch to PVC you can use both probes

1 for RHP (get ambient temp to 80-82) and then 2nd probe for the HeatPad (to get your 90-92 hot spot) Which best heat is belly heat for BP's! You can even contact the place and they'll drill the necessary hole for probe's if you'd like! ID also suggest going to a local garden center and buying a water sprayer (little dinky hand ones suck) Pick up one of the pest control ones with the pumping top part! i love mine as i use to mist snake and Fill water bowl (i use the repti water conditioner)

Also since doing that with heat pad (if you dont get felxxwatt/thg tape) Dont forget to place tinfoil/foil tape on the sticky part of the UTH so it is easily moved from tank to tank, and just adhere it with some foiltape/electricle tape. IF you use adhesive they provide you can damage it when pulling it off the tub.

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LOL, I certainly will not be forgetting food. I think we covered that thoroughly in my first thread. I am just so relieved I found a snake that would accept the food I have access to :)

And yes, I read about the foil tape and forgot to add it to my list! Thanks for pointing that out.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by KMG

I would just add a second hide. You want one over the uth but you also want a place the snake can go to cool off and still feel comfortable.

These are really great. http://www.reptilebasics.com/hide-boxes

Unless you want the rock looking ones the ReptileBasics ones are sturdy, cheap, and easy to clean. If they wouldn't arrive on time you could use many other homemade solutions. Box, bowl with door cut (dollar store), crinkled newspaper, etc.

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I am a bit confused about hide sizes. I know they are supposed to be snug so the snake can feel protected. But hides seem to be sold for all reptiles. I am assuming what is small for a frog will be to small for a snake. While looking at hides I have seen "small" ones with a picture of a tiny lizard in them. As of yesterday my boy was 146 grams, so what size hide will he require if I went with a reptile basics one? I am assuming whatever we get now we will need to upgrade to biggers ones as he grows.

I was actually thinking of something home made to start so we can make it after he arrives and have judged his size. However I am going to town to shop tomorrow so if I had a better idea of size I can pick him up a fancy one :)