Do YOU think there's anything wrong with this set-up?

I am not so sure about the sand thing, but what i use for substrate is crushed walnut.... same kind of set up like sand, but I knwo that the BP can digest it and it will pass all the way through. Also it seems to stop odors.

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Originally Posted by Ash

Okay, thanks everybody. I wont be switching back to the sand because I was noticing it getting under his scales. The reason I was reluctant to switch to wood chips or anything like that is because i've heard that they house mites and infect the snakes. He's on paper towel for the time-being. Also I wasn't sure about the heat tape because I'd rather not risk them burning themselves. (I own one, but I don't trust it :/ )

And that thing about me being too poor to keep the snakes, you needn't worry. I take them to the vet regularly and I know for a fact the temps don't get dangerous in there. (I dont even use the heat lamps in the summer because we're cheap and don't use the A/C. No danger of the AC turning off and frying them.) Technically, I could afford a thermostat, but I felt it's an unneccisary expenditure, which I still think it is. I could see how they would be important for people with rack systems containing 10 or up snakes, but being that I don't have a huge collection like that, I can stay focused on my two babies and be completely sure they're alright. I think I'm pretty attentive and I would notice, and change things if I thought something was seriously wrong.

Also there's one last thing I'm wondering: How come it seems people are so insistant that ball pythons NEED two identical hides, until they're in rack systems? I've never heard of somebody having two hides for each snake in a rack system, sometimes not even one (i.e. ralph davis).

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Identicle hides?? what are those?... seriously, I am on the same level on that one.... there are six hides in my tank, and then three bushes also... I think ....lets see there are two rock hides, two gerbail hides, and two bowls that are upside down... :rolleyes:

The reason we recommend two, identical hides is because a bp will often choose saftey over temperature. You don't want them going into a 100 degree hide just because it feels safer. With identical hides, you are controlling the bp's environment so the temp difference is the only variable.

Yes, yes, I know the reason we have them in tanks. It's just one of the silly, quirky things I've noticed about ball python husbandry. The double hides is of utmost importance, unless of course they're in a rack system. Then for some reason it doesn't seem to matter at all anymore and is never mentioned. :rolleyes:

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Originally Posted by Ash

Yes, yes, I know the reason we have them in tanks. It's just one of the silly, quirky things I've noticed about ball python husbandry. The double hides is of utmost importance, unless of course they're in a rack system. Then for some reason it doesn't seem to matter at all anymore and is never mentioned. :rolleyes:

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Because racks are much darker than a tank so there really isn't a need for 2 hides.

In a rack, the entire back of the bin is dark and hides often aren't necessary at all. I only use hides in my racks with young snakes, or with extremely shy individuals that won't eat without having one.

The thermostat is the most important piece of equipment you can have, second to the heat source itself. I stand by that statement. It keeps the temperature perfectly stable, and as a result, it puts the least amount of stress on the animal. The animal always knows where to go to reach a certain temperature in its body. As a result, the animal's health is optimized. No more worrying that temperatures may spike or fall if you aren't around to watch. No more guessing, or estimating. It's the right thing to do. I would not sell an animal to someone who did not have at LEAST a rheostat and thermometer in a home with stable temperatures--otherwise, I would insist they have a thermostat first. Everything I have learned since I began keeping reptiles has underscored how vitally important stable temperatures are.

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Originally Posted by Ash

- Keeping ball pythons on calci-sand substrate
- Using heat lamps rather than under tank heaters
- Feeding a ball python mice it's entire life (this one has to do with me personally. The pet shop I used to get feeder rats from recently went out of business and now I can only get mice, and one of my BP's will NOT take frozen/thawed, only pre-killed at best).
- Not using a thermostat, only a thermometer, to monitor and (manually) control temperature.

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1- Keeping BPs on Calci-Sand will cause impaction. It also does not hold humidity in at all. Paper towels is best to use and cheap. If you don't want to use them no more, I would suggest Aspen Bedding, Sani Chips, or Cypress Mulch. Never use sand. It's too dry for a BP and BPs need the humidity. They live in the jungle in Africa, and it is humid and hot there. Their humidity level needs to be between 50%-60%, and 70% when shedding.

2- I use heat lamps, and no longer have a problem with them. Temps stay between 90F-93F on the hot side. It's best to use UTHs because BPs need the belly heat to properly digest their meals. I will soon be switching over to UTHs, and most likely be using dimmers.

3- Rats are larger than mice, and will fill up an adult BP. You don't have to feed a BP rats, but it would be best because they get pretty thick and will need something about the size of the middle part of their body to fill them up. I'm switching my female BP to probably f/t rat crawlers, as well as my King snake. My Dumeril's boa is already eating rat crawlers and isn't as thick as my BP.

4- Of course I have a thermometer, and every snake/reptile/amphibian owner should. It's to tell you the temperatures of the enclosure, which is very important because your tank could be too cold (the BP could get RI from being too cold) or it could get too warm (cooking your snake under the heat lamp/UTH). So having a thermometer is a must. Also, having a thermostat is a must. It's to control your temps so they stay right where you want them to. Using a dimmer wouldn't be bad, it would control how hot and how cold you want your enclosure by dimming the light. For my light, I use an infrared heat bulb. You can leave it on 24 hours, but always make sure it is not too hot in the enclosure.

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Originally Posted by CoolioTiffany

4- Of course I have a thermometer, and every snake/reptile/amphibian owner should. It's to tell you the temperatures of the enclosure, .

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did you really think that the op didnt know what a thermometer was for?

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Originally Posted by CoolioTiffany

3- Rats are larger than mice, and will fill up an adult BP. You don't have to feed a BP rats, but it would be best because they get pretty thick and will need something about the size of the middle part of their body to fill them up.

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This isn't entirely accurate. Once your bp is an adult, you don't need to feed them something the same width as their body. They generally never need anything larger than a small-medium rat. Consider that they eat ASF's in the wild and they don't get anywhere near as large as a norway rat. My largest females are all over 2000g and still only get ~100-150gms of rat/mice/asf per week.

OP, multiple mice are perfectly fine to feed. It is just more time consuming for the keeper than feeding one larger prey item.

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Originally Posted by Ash

- Keeping ball pythons on calci-sand substrate

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This I haven't tried, since I find newspaper or paper towels easier & cheaper (plus I'm allergic to anything wood-based). But the only thing I've heard about sand is that a BP can accidentally ingest it... :confused:

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- Using heat lamps rather than under tank heaters

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My pastel has always lived in a wooden/glass enclosure with a heat lamp, since the base is too thick for a UTH... so far it hasn't been a problem, except that it's a little tough to keep the humidity at 70+ during a shed. But otherwise my temps & humidity are always perfect, and he's a very healthy guy. :)

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- Feeding a ball python mice it's entire life (this one has to do with me personally. The pet shop I used to get feeder rats from recently went out of business and now I can only get mice, and one of my BP's will NOT take frozen/thawed, only pre-killed at best).

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My Delilah is a mouse-only girl, and will reject rats of any size, frozen or live. We tried, but she just hates them! So for now she gets 2 adult mice per week, and I guess we'll add more as she grows. I asked once if that was healthy, and got responses that it's fine for them to live on mice - as long as the size & amount are appropriate.

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- Not using a thermostat, only a thermometer, to monitor and (manually) control temperature.

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I can't afford thermostats at this time, so I only use dimmers to control the heat (and Acu-rite digital units to monitor). If your inside temperatures are fairly stable, as mine are, this shouldn't cause a major problem. I think thermostats are only necessary if you have major fluctuations, like somebody who lives in a seasonal climate without A/C or central heat.

Bottom line - Not everyone will use the same exact methods, and as long as the snake's needs are being met, that should be alright. We all probably adjust things to suit our lifestyles/preferences, and there's nothing wrong with that! I'm sure everything you listed is the BEST way to care for them, but it's certainly not the ONLY way. ;)