i got my baby :)

yeah it might be those little woodchip things. so you say i should just use news paper?

its up to you , i personally use newspaper as its easier and cleaner , but the downside is it dosent look as good :)

Doesn't look like you prepared very well for the arrival of your new snake. That snake is not going to thrive well in that huge tank, especially without hides and proper heating/insulation/measurement.

I would go get either a 10 gallon tank(which are for fish, IMHO) or a 15qt sterilite tub. There's plenty of room for 2 small hides, a water bowl, and newspaper. You definitely need a digital thermometer, an undertank heater if you don't already have one, and a quality thermostat.

i already have an undertank heater. and i know i need to get some hides for it.

Yes, but do you have a quality thermostat to prevent your undertank heater from failing and burning your snake? Do you have a digital thermometer to measure the temps and humidity? Is your screen top covered with a sheet of plexiglas or saran wrap/foil to prevent heat and humidity from escaping?

Having everything set up and running before you buy your snake would have been the responsible thing to do. It would have saved your snake alot of stress and possibly illness had you done that beforehand.

Oh, and get a can of Provent A Mite just in case your snake has mites(white crawlies you are describing are probably from the cypress, but it's always a good idea to pre-treat).

im going back to the store now. heres what i am, or supposevly am getting.

digital thermometer
provent a mite
some hides


also what is a quality thermometer? the aluminum foil is going to have to wait for like a day.

ThermoSTAT. You need one to control your undertank heater. Heater plugs into it, thermostat plugs into wall, you set the temp, and it keeps your temperatures in the enclosure within range. Prevents it from overheating and burning your snake, or causing a fire.

www.reptilebasics.com

ok, i got the stuff i needed. i went there and got 2 hides, i ditched the big rock that was in the cage. as soon as i put the hides in he went in them. as for the thermometer, the snake guy at the store told me a non digital one is fine, just leave it in its pack and put it by the heat pad inside the tank.
for the male/female, he said the other person didnt know what he was talking about, he said they can be told but it is harder when they are smaller. so i just said i will wait until its a bit bigger. here is the new tank.

http://img395.imageshack.us/img395/7978/dscf0132zf7.jpg

I still strongly recommend a digital thermometer / hygrometer. Go to walmart and buy one, they cost 11 bucks, and have a probe for the hot spot. 88-92, and ambient should be at 80-82. The humidity should always be at 55-60 percent, and 70-75 percent for shed.

If the person at the store talked you out of a digital one, he doesn't know what he's talking about, and I would stop asking for advice from them. They very much contradict the husbandry requirements as said by many experienced keepers here.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by trumetal96

as for the thermometer, the snake guy at the store told me a non digital one is fine, just leave it in its pack and put it by the heat pad inside the tank.

---

The "snake guy" at the pet store was wrong. You still need to get a digital thermometer/hygrometer. You can get one like the one below at Walmart for $12.

http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e9...mageloader.gif


But kudos to you for going out and getting some more hides!