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And totes may be able to get, but no way to heat them, water bowls and paper towels I have. But I'm not sure I can get totes until Friday.
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Even if I did sell the tank, it probably won't sell before payday either. Most don't have money due to Christmas, or because most everyone get paid around same time. So from everything Everyone wrote here...I understand I need to separate them. But the only one who seems to have understood what "short on funds means" is the one who suggested cardboard dividers until such time as I can get adequate housing!
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Temporary housing:
3 tubs with latching lids, either Sterilite latchbox or Hefty, widely available at WalMart, Target, Lowes, Home Depot, etc. Something like this:
https://www.lowes.com/pd/Hefty-34-Qu...ng-Lid/3341162
1 lamp dimmer until you can have a thermostat shipped:
https://www.lowes.com/pd/Lutron-Cred...Dimmer/4462373
3 heating pads (1 per tub, the 16W is a good size):
http://www.petsmart.com/reptile/supp...ml?cgid=500011
1 thermostat, it can run all 3 heat pads if they are the same brand and wattage:
https://www.amazon.com/Zilla-Reptile...2719491&sr=1-2
You may think that 3 heat pads + a thermostat is pricey but heat lamp bulbs don't last very long and in a year you will spend more than that on replacements. In addition those lamp bulbs pull a lot more electricity - usually 100W - versus 16W for a heat mat. Since they run constantly it adds up fast.
Then sell the 75-gal tank, you will way overspend trying to turn it into an appropriate ball python environment.
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Re: Not sure what I should do...
You can also use 3 seperate cardboard boxes in the 75 gal tank and turn each into a seperate environment. The most important is temps and humidity for each. I refer you to a ball python care sheet for these correct #s...also, I have seen some use dog or cat water bowls, plastic, as hides cutting a small hole in the side for entry and exit. The hole should be no smaller than the girth of the snake at its fattest point.
Your female could be most likely looking for a mate rather than companion. This could attribute to her behavior. Paper towel can be an adequate substrate but if they soil the box, replace asap to ensure sanitation. I once kept a cpl hatchlings in empty clean plastic coffee containers until I had their setups correct. Not ideal but worked perfectly. People tend to be brash on forums for several reasons but most are just passionate about snake keeping. Try not to take offense to the small minds of others. Temps and humidity are the most important providing adequate hides, placement of temp probes, etc are all examples of "correct husbandry"...
Most people tend to forget that these snakes are not native and they have no clue of their original environments, droughts, rainy seasons, etc...nature is definitely not a robot but the care sheets are developed by those with great experience and knowledge of "snake-keeping"
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Re: Not sure what I should do...
Absolutely no tape or sticky stuff inside the enclosure or anywhere a snake may come in contact...thats very important to the safety of the snake...if the 75 gal has a screen lid, wrap an adequate piece of cardboard in aluminum foil and cover the exposed screen opposite of the heat lamp to trap heat. To boost humidity, use a damp towel microwave for a min or two and place on top of screen also. Use in any combination to get your temp humidity #s correct as advised on the caresheet...hope this helps and good luck
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Re: Not sure what I should do...
Quote:
Originally Posted by MrsLove
Well, last I checked, a rat does not cost near what a tank, bedding, heating and lighting does. As per all my posts...We did not expect to be getting these animals. So when we received them as gifts and told it had been 2 weeks since the last feed, we stopped and got food for them. Which was roughly 20.00. Now if you can get all the necessary things for even a temporary housing set up for them for that price, since we are short on funds atm...then please inform me of where and how. I did not come here to be criticized for trying to get information on how I should handle a possible overfeeding, which I take full blame for.
Walmart has plastic tubs with locking lids you can use as temporary housing, and Chinese restaurants or a grocery store with a salad bar has plastic bowls you can use for water. Paper towel is cheap enough to use as substrate until you can upgrade. Total rough cost $20, and that includes your sweet and sour chicken for dinner.
Heating will be the most costly after you do those things, but most important as you've learned with the death of the other snake you had.
Get your husbandry in order or you'll be losing at least 2 other snakes.
Good Luck.
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I am really amazed at how many of you assume that where I live is just like where you live, without even questions as to the extent of my short on funds, you aromatically give me answers that would be awesome...If I lived where you did...Or in a place like you. I was really trying to get advice without having to go I to detail of my living arrangements for the time, but alas people have made it difficult. Temporarily my husband and I are living in a camper out side of my parents house. Yes we plan to actually get a home next month I'm case you're wondering or want to bash me for not trying to. So, as to what I was trying to say earlier, when we got 1 snake, she came in the 75 gallon tank, and had lived in said tank for nearly 3 years. At least that's what was told when we got her. Now, if some can understand, the tank does don't sit on any shelf, or anything of the sort, because it will not fit on any in the camper. Therefore it does sit on the floor. So just after losing the other one due to -7 wind chill that particular night, which we tried to keep them as warm as we possibly could but with little to no insulation in, or under, this camper we failed her. And as we got paid the following few days we got said heating mat for tank, as well as new bulbs for the lamps, and a digital thermometer. Now all this being obtained before the other 2 snakes, I can not simply pay for 2 more totes and heating sources for them. And can not just put them into something else for they will freeze as well. Our children and my animals come before us, but literally, with no money you can not purchase anything at all. Now if people will be so kind and to give me some really good, hard core signs of stress from having all 3 together in one tank that I may watch for while waiting on ways to get them separate, that would be really helpful, as opposed to telling me to spend money on totes and things, which never mention that it's has to be at least 2 of Everything you tell me i need to buy. I am not saying my female is not looking for a mate, but as her and the other female I had were continuously wrapped up together, smaller one almost always laying in the middle of her coils to on top of her, and she did not move around UNTIL I picked her up. Then she was the one following my male around. He went into the hide, and she followed him in directly. Had to move them to clean and change bedding, she did not go into hide until he did. So either way, seeking mate, or whatever is it, I have just noticed her following 1 specific male. As per this morning, both males are in hide and she is out under lamp. So please, signs to watch out for while I am waiting on funds to get more space.
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Re: Not sure what I should do...
Sorry for the loss and also for your predicament. The real truth of the matter is these animals cost money and there is absolutely no disputing that. However if you are having financial struggles ( and who doesn't) maybe you should consider rehoming one of the two? Even though they were gifts it's just not doable for you now. Maybe consider asking your mother in law to pay and house one until such time you and the family are in a better position to care for them? :) This way the animal is not that far away and you can still interact and make provisions for it at a later time.
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I appreciate that, and have thought of doing so, but she is 4 hours away and me nor my husband can take a day off work for that trip.
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But, it should not be more than a week, 2 at the most where we will have to keep them all together.
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