set up question

but even with the thermostat, the temps supposed to be at about 92, isnt it? I figured that would melt the plastic.

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Originally Posted by Mindibun

but even with the thermostat, the temps supposed to be at about 92, isnt it? I figured that would melt the plastic.

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heh 92 is barely warm to the touch. It will take a lot more to melt the plastic. I was fooling around with some heat rope and got it to 106 before unplugging it. these tubs are tough. Can't underestimate them ;)

and then, can someone explain HOW to install the flex watt? What size should one get, how many feet, where on the tub should it be placed (several places?) etc.?

For us noobs out there. Or maybe just me. :P

AND I'm still dying to know where the tubs are kept if not in a rack. what about people with only 1 BP? I keep envisioning them under people's beds with the old shoes and junk mail. -lol-

:) some people do it...or even in closets.

Check this link out:
http://www.reptilebasics.com/flexwatt_faq.htm

I went with 1 foot of 11" flexwatt. It's simply placed under what you intend to be the warm side.

You can get like a 6 ft extension cord from Wal-mart and cut off the end that you plug stuff into (opposite side that you plug in), and then you split the ends, and attach the ends to the Flexwatt. It's a little more complicated than I can explain. You have to see it to understand it. If you're in Orlando any time soon i'll show you how it's done.

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Originally Posted by NCSU_Casey

Which department carries these? I couldn't find them on the Walmart website.

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i just went to lowes and picked up that exact one

people keep saying flex watt is the way to go.. i think it sounds really complicated though.
are the zoo med UTHs okay to use?

I like Zoo Med's, I have flexwatt and Zoo Meds and prefer Zoo Med for my cage. As long as you have a T-stat with any heat element your good to go.


Mike

Flexwatt on a tstat won't melt plastic, believe me hon literally 1,000's of snakes are kept in plastic tubs in racks with flexwatt heating. The best advice I can give you is to get hold of Rich at Reptile Basics. You can order your flexwatt & tstat there and he'll wire it for you (the wiring is free of charge) so it's basically plug and play. Just let him know you've never used a tub/flexwatt/tstat before and they'll help you out. Let him know what size tub you are working with. Here's the link to his website contact page (tell him the folks at BPNet sent you lol)....

http://www.reptilebasics.com/store/h...us&mode=update

Now as far as tubs go you can literally get them in all sorts of sizes. What you want though is dependent on the snake you are getting. For a small baby you only want a small tub as they get nervous in big open areas. You don't need much "head space" as BP's don't use that, they are ground dwellers. Think floor space more than height. You want a tub with a good clip down lid (not just snap on) plus you buy some clamps or big black binder clips for extra security. The lid must have NO give as a snake can escape anything more than 1/8" give. You will also need something to either drill or melt vent holes into the plastic. I use a small soldering wand ($6.00 from WalMart). I start all babies on plain white papertowel so I can monitor for mites, check fecal/urine output, etc. I have ball pythons from small 06's up to a mature female well over 3,000 grams in plastic and they are all doing beautifully.

If you have an Office Max near you I would recommend the Iris brand tubs over Rubbermaid or Sterlite. Iris makes a glass quality clear tub, they are smooth inside so no areas to trap pee/poop therefore easier to clean.

Here's some typical tub setups I use for examples...

Adult female in large tub with aspen (we've since gone to all newspaper substrate for the BP's)....
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e2...nnaghinTub.jpg

06 in his clear Iris baby tub.....
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e2...ordanFeb07.jpg

Juvenile female in her midsized tub (this one is a Sterlite, note the difference in quality/clarity of the plastic to the Iris above)....
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e2...MoragFeb07.jpg

Typical setup for another juvenile/bigger baby (note placement of Acu-Rite in this pic)....
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e2...MuirnesTub.jpg

Closed tub showing binder clips (hard to see in this pic but there are four of them - one per side)....
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e2...yTubclosed.jpg

Closed juvenile tub showing clips closure (please note we also add clamps to the long sides for extra security on these lids)....
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e2...iTubclosed.jpg

Hope this helped somewhat.

thanks for all the information frankykeno, i'm going to pick up my snake now and when i get some more money in a couple days i'll get a tub set up for her