My first ball python!... I'm concerned

First of all, what was the name of the shop? I live in the area so just wondering if it's the one I'm thinking it is.

Congrats on your new pet. My first concern, now that the tank is clean, would be getting the humidity better which will help him get the rest of his shed off and have good sheds from here on. The number one thing you can do to get humidity up in a tank like that is to cover as much of the screen as possible. When I used a glass tank, I cut a piece of plexi glass to the size of the lid just leaving a small gap for air but if your going to use the heat lamp(also terrible for holding humidity) then you can't cover where it sits so you'll need to leave that area just screen. You may want to look into an under tank heating mat and ditch the heat lamp. You should have a thermostat either way but you absolutely must have one if you use a heating mat or it can get hot enough to burn your snake. Other than those couple things, this tank will make a nice home for him.

Overall, it sounds like your giving him a much better life :)

It's called "coral reef". They have amazing fish. In fact, my sister used to breed fish and sell to them, and I have personally seen how excellent their service is. However, since they specialize in fish, that's the majority of the store. They have a back room of birds and rodents, and a back back room of lizards and one or two snakes. When I got Yamori, he was the only one. I'm assuming the person in charge of caring for the reptiles was simply too scared of the big scary snake to stick his/her hand in -.-

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Originally Posted by cuprite

Speaking of, can someone recommend to me a good thermostat that won't break my wallet?

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you've done a terrific job so far.
for a cheap thermostat: most of us use JumpStart brand thermostat from amazon (no link i'm on mobile) to hold us over a year or two until we can save up for the forever-thermostat Herpstat. the price is HIGH but are WELL worth the money and will last you a lifetime; can't say anything bad about the product or company.
you can also find rheostats/dimmers at a pet store or home improvement store which are inexpensive but work best in a room with a consistent temp.

Thank you! I'm completely lost and in unfamiliar territory right now.
I'll check the pet stores first then. If not I guess I'll have to wait for Amazon to ship it to me '\_(•.•)_/'

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Originally Posted by cuprite

Thank you! I'm completely lost and in unfamiliar territory right now.
I'll check the pet stores first then. If not I guess I'll have to wait for Amazon to ship it to me '\_(•.•)_/'

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no worries, you're with great company to learn here. 😀

Sounds to me like you're off to a good start becoming a great snake keeper.

Make sure to regulate your heat sources, whether you run a CHE, bulbs or a UTH it must be regulated. Unregulated could be fatal, and it can happen fairly quickly.

Don't waste your money on a crappy, stick-on thermometer/hygrometer either. They are wildly inaccurate and you can get a good AccuRite from Walmart for under $10.

As for covering the screen lid. I've had good success using cardboard wrapped in aluminum foil. I just cut a piece of cardboard to fit the lid and cut a hole for the lamp. I then take my time and carefully wrap the cardboard in foil and tape it nice and tight. I kinda rushed one before and had to re-do it months later. It's just easier to do it well the first time, it'll last pretty much forever. The foil will help to keep the heat and humidity in, whereas cardboard alone will actually soak moisture out of the enclosure.

Once you've got everything set up and dialed in snake keeping becomes pretty easy and you get to actually enjoy the hobby and your new pet.

When you get your next snake (you probably will...snakes and tattoos, not may people have just one!, hahahahhahahaha) you'll be prepared and have your setup up and running and dialed in before the snake comes home and avoid these learning curve headaches.

Keep up the good work getting everything right for your new snake! :gj:

I'm supposed to feed him today.. Should I try it or let him be?

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Originally Posted by cuprite

I'm supposed to feed him today.. Should I try it or let him be?

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IMO i'd probably let him be for a couple more days but it won't hurt to offer.

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Originally Posted by cuprite

I'm supposed to feed him today.. Should I try it or let him be?

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Honestly, that's up to you. You'll probably get some pretty varied answers on this one and I don't know that there's a definitive "right" answer. It certainly wouldn't hurt to offer, but it wouldn't do any harm to wait either.

If it were me, I'd offer. If he eats, great, let him digest for a few days. If he doesn't eat, leave him alone for a week and try again next Wednesday.

Whatever you choose, just do your best to forget he's there for a little while and let him get settled.

Good luck! Keep us posted :)

Welcome to the thread. These people know their stuff! You're in good hands.

Id feed as soon as her behavior changes of trying to escape (if she has been). Scent for a while to get her rowled up, I would also do it after dark.

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