Can I keep my BP in a closet with the door shut?

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Originally Posted by Loft Lizard

One thing you learn after getting a bp is that "the guy" does not know anything about proper husbandry. But he does excel at selling you stuff you do not need.

Personally, I would read any threads on setting up your bp... lamps, stick on gauges, and log hides, no means of measuring humidity... might not seem like a big deal, but these are important things to address in regards to your husbandry.

Your snake needs belly heat (undertank heater), not dorsal heat (a lamp). It needs a thermal gradient with a hot and cool end. If if is in an open enclosure it needs to snug hides (not log hides). And it needs proper humidity. Those are the basics.

Good luck with him... and if he is in a closet, why not put him in a tub to begin with? Most people that keep snakes in tanks tend to do so as they want a nice display viv.

It is cheaper and is the best way to give your snake what it needs... which is proper husbandry (temps and humidity).

Bruce

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Ok this is what I REALLY need.. can someone throw up some links to specific items I can purchase online for these purposes? I need a hygrometer, a probe temp guage, a UTH with adjustable heat levels, etc. I'll throw him in a tub and just return the other stuff if I can. My problem is that I don't know which brands / models to buy and how to tell which ones have the features I need. Money isn't really an issue cause I want to get the right stuff. I need to buy it online to avoid "the guy" at the pet store.

I personally can't maintain temps without using a UTH (under-tank heater). You will also need at least a rheostat to regulate the current to the UTH... if you just plug it in they have been known to reach temps of ~120 degrees.

Bottom line, though, no matter what you use for heating, you really need to drop the $12 on a good thermometer/hygrometer, plus another $2-10 on identical hides for the little guy... you don't want him to have to pick whether he's going to be warm enough or feel secure.

Most of our 'emergencies' on this site are related to poor husbandry, IMO. I don't want you to have to post a 'Help! My BP won't eat/shed/whatever' thread later.

Glad you didn't listen to the pet store employee on the heat rock at least.

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Originally Posted by Swingline0.0.1

I personally can't maintain temps without using a UTH (under-tank heater). You will also need at least a rheostat to regulate the current to the UTH... if you just plug it in they have been known to reach temps of ~120 degrees.

Bottom line, though, no matter what you use for heating, you really need to drop the $12 on a good thermometer/hygrometer, plus another $2-10 on identical hides for the little guy... you don't want him to have to pick whether he's going to be warm enough or feel secure.

Most of our 'emergencies' on this site are related to poor husbandry, IMO. I don't want you to have to post a 'Help! My BP won't eat/shed/whatever' thread later.

Glad you didn't listen to the pet store employee on the heat rock at least.

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Can you help me by linking me to a suitable UTH and guages? I'll find better hides.

Or just critique what I would come up with on Amazon:

Digital Thermometer/Hygrometer- Rapitest
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg...VGNA9&v=glance

Repti Temperature Rheostat- ZOO-MED LABORATORIES INC
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg...B8S1H&v=glance

Zoo Med Large Repti-Therm UTH Under Tank Heater-
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg...B8S1H&v=glance

This only adds up to 70 bucks shipped. Good enough?

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Originally Posted by spaceturtle

Can you help me by linking me to a suitable UTH and guages? I'll find better hides.

Or just critique what I would come up with on Amazon:

Digital Thermometer/Hygrometer- Rapitest
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg...VGNA9&v=glance

Repti Temperature Rheostat- ZOO-MED LABORATORIES INC
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg...B8S1H&v=glance

Zoo Med Large Repti-Therm UTH Under Tank Heater-
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg...B8S1H&v=glance

This only adds up to 70 bucks shipped. Good enough?

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The thermometer is too expensive... you can get the same thing, different brand name at Wal-Mart (I hate promoting Wal-Mart, but I am in Canada, so I do not know of any other place that has them) for $12.0.

Tubs, any hardware type Home Depot store. Get one with a locking lid... bps are brilliant escape artists. Even with a locking lid a few binder clips can be your best friend.

As far as a rheostat. Personally I think they are crap. You do not need to spend 20-50 bucks for a dimmer. Just go to the hardware store and wire your own. A dimmer, a junction box, and an extension cord... voila... a rheostat!

But that being said... I would not get a dimmer either. Get a thermostat instead if you can afford it. With a dimmer... it will keep a constant temp, so if temps fluctuate in your apt the temps in your enclosure will fluctuate as well. A thermostat will adjust to ensure that the temps in the enclosure stay constant.

The heat pads are fine. Ideally you want one for each side and EACH one hooked up to thermostat.

Hardware stores are a snake keepers best friend. I spend so little money in pet stores that I never need to see "the guy"!

Same with dollar stores... I buy all my hides there. Hides for me are cereal bowls, kitty litter pans, etc., with a door cut in them.

The enclosure is dirt cheap to throw together, the investment is in the thermostat, heating devices, and digital dual thermometer/hydrogemeter.

I do have any links... late and I need to sleep, but I am sure by morning you will have tons of responses. If not...

Here are a few pics of a typical enclosure for my snakes. Two hides... digital T/H, water dish... the heat devices run one under each hide and are each hooked up to a thermostat.

Hope that helps. Your snake is fortuneate to have such an attentive keeper.

Bruce

http://i129.photobucket.com/albums/p...rejun92007.jpg

http://i129.photobucket.com/albums/p...ngjun92007.jpg

http://i129.photobucket.com/albums/p...wenclosure.jpg

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Originally Posted by Loft Lizard

Hope that helps. Your snake is fortuneate to have such an attentive keeper.

Bruce

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Your snakes are beautiful. Very pro setup you have going there too.

I'm allergic to being creative with hardware stores, so how about this product? It claims to do the same for 28 bux

Zoo Med ReptTemp 500R Thermostat Remote Sensor for Reptiles
http://www.amazon.com/ReptTemp-Therm...3074176&sr=1-1

I'm thinking this and maybe a ceramic heater too?

www.reptilebasics.com

Get 1 foot of 11" flexwatt, buy the wire(email or call Rich to have it SOLDERED, the clips are crap) and a Johnson Controls Thermostat.

WalMart has 6qt or 15qt tubs. The 15qt would be perfect for your little guy. That should be around $4.

Go to the outdoor thermometer section(garden section, or by the lighting) and find an AcuRite digital thermometer/hygrometer with probe. Should be around $12.

While you're in the garden section, pick up two 4" planter saucers(sit underneath pots to catch water). They should be 50 cents apiece. Just cut holes in the sides and flip upside down.

Hop on over to the craft section and get a hobby soldering iron for poking holes in the tub(or you can heat up a small nail over the stove and use pliers to hold the nail while you melt holes in the tub).

Go to the automotive department and get a package of the small bungee cords. They are to hold your lid on.

Newspaper works perfectly for bedding, or you can pick up some aspen in the small-pet section.

And that should be it :) other than taking back the majority of the stuff "the guy" sold you at the pet store.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by spaceturtle

Your snakes are beautiful. Very pro setup you have going there too.

Zoo Med ReptTemp 500R Thermostat Remote Sensor for Reptiles
http://www.amazon.com/ReptTemp-Therm...3074176&sr=1-1

I'm thinking this and maybe a ceramic heater too?

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Thanks the comments on the snakes... I am partial to them... (a bit biased) but I will take the compliment, pass it on, and agree...

I may get yelled at for this... but I know people that have used the cheapo Repti-temp thermostat and had success with it. For one snake... I think it is fine.

Others have a digital output, so you can input the exact temp you want. The Repti-temp is a dial... so it take a bit of tweeking to get the right temps. But there is not more than a few degrees fluctuation. And you have a 4 degree window (80-84 and 90-94).

Also the repti-temp is an on-off vs. a proportional... a proportional will control the amount of heat... and basically "dim" itself... but an on-off is more like a household thermostat... heat on... reach desired temp... heat off... temp drops... turns back on.

If you had 10 snakes in a rack... you would want a better one, but I think it is OK myself.

You do not need a heater, or a bulb. The heat tape or heat pads will be sufficient.

After thinking about it... I would advise against the zoo med heat pads and go for either flexx-wat or heating that looks like the flexxwat... I cannot think what it is... but I think they sell them as "desert wave" pads.

Bruce...

PS: I think SI gave you a great map/walk-through the wal-mart. :)

ha i have 12 snakes in my closet :)

Sounds like you are well on your way. I just love seeing dedicated people like you actually learning how to care for your snakes on this site.

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Originally Posted by SatanicIntention

www.reptilebasics.com

Get 1 foot of 11" flexwatt, buy the wire(email or call Rich to have it SOLDERED, the clips are crap) and a Johnson Controls Thermostat.

WalMart has 6qt or 15qt tubs. The 15qt would be perfect for your little guy. That should be around $4.

Go to the outdoor thermometer section(garden section, or by the lighting) and find an AcuRite digital thermometer/hygrometer with probe. Should be around $12.

While you're in the garden section, pick up two 4" planter saucers(sit underneath pots to catch water). They should be 50 cents apiece. Just cut holes in the sides and flip upside down.

Hop on over to the craft section and get a hobby soldering iron for poking holes in the tub(or you can heat up a small nail over the stove and use pliers to hold the nail while you melt holes in the tub).

Go to the automotive department and get a package of the small bungee cords. They are to hold your lid on.

Newspaper works perfectly for bedding, or you can pick up some aspen in the small-pet section.

And that should be it :) other than taking back the majority of the stuff "the guy" sold you at the pet store.

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Take this path. Becky has made it very clear and as inexpensive as possible. Follow her list and you'll be set up :gj: