Ball python heat and hidy houses

It's very important to create a thermal gradient--this means that your cage should be significantly warmer on one side than it is on the other. The warmest spot should be about 90F, that's the basking area. The cool side should be around 80 to 83F. If your temperatures are warmer or cooler than this, you will need to adjust them.

Your ball python will move between the warm and cool sides of the tank to keep its body temperature at the level it prefers.

Alice began his life in a 10-gallon tank and now lives in a 40-gallon tank. Some will argue that it's entirely too big, but it's literally a jungle in there, as well as his two identical hides and water bowl. It works for him because of all the great things I learned on this site. There are several stickies available with loads of information, particularly the basic caresheet for BPs and the one regarding glass tank setups. There are lots of hints regarding temperature and humidity control in glass, and even one with instructions on a DIY humidity chamber, which my husband built me and it works wonders!

Unfortunately, I don't know how to put those links in my post, so if some of the BP.net vets would be so kind.....I think you will find them quite helpful.

Good luck!

Robbin

Would it be too much to ask for some pictures with the lights on? :rolleyes:

If you have access to a larger tank I think it would be wise to switch. Also, I'm not sure what your temps/humidity is or what you are using to measure them, but that info would be useful as well.

One solution to your clamping issue would be to move your tank somewhere that you can clamp on to a shelf or something similar. My 20L has a sliding top, and there is enough room to squeeze a clamp between the top and the side of the tank and still close it completely.

I don't think it's really necessary to clamp the lamp on, just set it on top of the screen. It looks like your snake is big enough to move up to a 20L also, and I would suggest, as I'm sure most others on this site would, that you get a UTH because using two lamps will suck all the humidity from your tank.

As far as hides, it doesn't even look like you have one, so even if you can't fit two, at least have one in there

Welcome to the snake-keeping world :) Just a side note for you...

Are you measuring humidity levels? Lamps tend to suck all the humidity out of glass tanks, and BP's need 50-60% humidity in order to shed properly.

If you look at mainbutter's setup, you'll see that he's covered most of the screen top - that is to keep humidity in, and it helps a lot with glass tanks.

i know thats what i mean i cant fit a hidy house in there..i dont see how anyone could fit a hidy house thats big enough in a ten gallon O.o and ive noticed shes been up alot lately..does that mean anything? up all day regardless of the time..

i mist the tank often to keep the humidity good. I live in MN so the humidity pretty much takes care of itself anyways. What wattage should the bulbs be?

If saying "shes been up a lot lately" means she has been moving around constantly then she is probably quite stressed from either husbandry issues or a lack of hiding places.

Even with misting you should still measure the humidity. The bulbs should be a relatively low wattage, 25w or 50w should be MORE than enough. Are you measuring temps or humidity at all?

Well, first of all. A ten gallon tank can hold two snug hides in it perfectly fine, I do it all of the time. There doesn't have to be a ton of roaming space.
Your snake, however, looks capable of being in a 15 gallon soon. Larger tanks are stressful because of the open space, without hides, it can be just as stressful.

This is a good caresheet, as far as I know, everything is accurate, so follow it well.

http://www.ball-pythons.net/modules....warticle&id=59

Get rid of the lamps, and get a UTH-Thermostat combo.
Get two hides.
Create a thermal gradient.
Check your substrate, temperatures, and humidity.

Then come back and let us know how it's going. :]

You might be surprised just how small of a hide your BP needs.