Son getting ball python. Cage setup help please

just picked up some coco husk. to help with hudmity should I mix it with anything? like aspen? and I'm omw to walmart now to get accu rite thing

I use and recommend Aspen bedding. Also I use UTH and Heat bulb on warm side. To raise humidity in the tank I use Sphagnum Moss, it works well and the snakes love getting inside of a little hide I made from it. I also have two pieces that they can climb up on and hang down on, they love them. They like to explore and climb up on these, even though they pimarily are ground dwellers. I'm glad to hear that you are trying to do it up right, keep researching. I learn new tricks all the time. Oh, and make sure you feed your snake in a separate cage, i use a rubbermaid file container i've modified as a feed cage with paper towels on bottom of it. They can accidently ingest the Aspen substrate and get impacted or obstructed. The rough piece of wood you have is great to have in there for asssisting them to shed.

Ok well im back i picked up some coco husk (alot say its good to raise humidity)

Should i mix some of that with aspen or just leave it as is?

Now i also picked up the Acu rite at walmart ($12 is cheap :))

Here is the question. Atm i have a little UTH on the left side of cage (rated for a 10-20G tank it says even tho tank is 29G?)

I will get a bigger one at some point but they seem to be quite expensive.

The flukers is at the top left of the cage. Above the UTH. Should i put the acu rite probe on the UTH? Like the center of the UTH to get the temp of that?

Then put the flukers on the other side?

Sorry for all the questions. Just not sure how to set up the flukers and acu rite for the temps i should be getting

Also i notice it has a indoor and outdoor temp. i assume the probe is out and the box is in.

So should i put probe on the UTH to get the temp of that then leave the box inside cage to get the temp? (have seen some setups like that)

Have to run out so imma set it up like this for time being.

I have the probe on the UTH(At 92 deg now)
I have the acu rite box on the right side (77 deg now)
And the flukers is above the uth at top of cage (74 deg atm)

The 75W infrared light is in the middle of the cage on

Mind you these are hooked up to a dimmer switch but i have it on as high as it can go and seems as if the pad is getting too high considering i just turned it on so i may have to turn it down

Quote:

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Originally Posted by JeffD

I learn new tricks all the time. Oh, and make sure you feed your snake in a separate cage, i use a rubbermaid file container i've modified as a feed cage with paper towels on bottom of it. They can accidently ingest the Aspen substrate and get impacted or obstructed. The rough piece of wood you have is great to have in there for asssisting them to shed.

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This has been debated forever, many people will tell you that there really is no reason at all , whatsoever to feed outside of the original enclosure. Snakes digest everything from fur to bones. :gj: I use unprinted newspaper or paper towels in my racks, I don't really care for loose substrate IMO.

so where should I set up my flukers and acu rite

Put the accurite probe right over the UTH on the glass. Stick the rest of the UTH on the other side of the tank. Move the flukers down to about 3 inches above the bottom of the tank on the side where the UTH is, or in the middle of the tank. Doesn't really matter.

All right i got my coco husk added in and stuff set up. It has a 75W infrared light over the UTH. Now the 75W infrared light and UTH hooked up to dimmer.

The flukers to the bottom left of the cage under the UTH and lamp is reading 77 deg and60% humidity.

To the right of the cage is the acu right box reading 73 deg and the UTH is reading 100 deg.

So imma turn down the UTH so its not so hot. But that also turns down the heat lamp.

Got thee humidity right as of right now but cant get the temp in the cage to go up that high without getting the UTH over like 93 deg

Quote:

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Originally Posted by f4n70m

Have to run out so imma set it up like this for time being.

I have the probe on the UTH(At 92 deg now)
I have the acu rite box on the right side (77 deg now)
And the flukers is above the uth at top of cage (74 deg atm)

The 75W infrared light is in the middle of the cage on

Mind you these are hooked up to a dimmer switch but i have it on as high as it can go and seems as if the pad is getting too high considering i just turned it on so i may have to turn it down

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Your temperatures are good so far. If you can keep it like that then everything is fine. Like another post said about the humidity and moss, sometimes we make whats called a humid hide. It can be as simple as a small bowl with damp moss in it. This will raise the humidity and give the snake a humid place to lay if it wants. You can pick up the moss at any craft store or in the outdoor/plants section of stores like walmart. You probably wont need it with your bedding though.

Looking really good so far. Its great when people make sure they have the right set-up before getting their first snake. These guys can get sick so easily if kept wrong. You should have a healthy and happy BP :)

Ok so here is a pic of the cage setup
http://img651.imageshack.us/img651/4523/cageupdate.jpg
Yes i know i need 2 hides. I dont have the snake yet so idc about it. I want to get temp/hum right i will pick on one like this or make 2.

The bottom left is the flukers and the right is the acu right. The probe is stuck to the glass that the UTH is stuck to below.

The temps now are

flukers
76 deg and 64% hum

the acu right is reading
UTH = 101
right side of cage is 72
Also the hum is reading HI % which the book says if its over 90%

Why does the flukers say 60 to the left and acu right says over 90 on the right

The uth is a little hot i turned the dimmer down so maybe it needs a bit to adjust

Also you said the temps are right. both sides of the cages are like 70-75 doesnt one need to be 70-75 the other like 85-90? This is just the air temp the UTH is kinda small but the hide is right over the UTH i will be switching to a bigger UTH when i have the money something to cover more of the bottom of the tank instead of that little one