Son getting ball python. Cage setup help please

The air above the UTH up so many inches is going to be about the same as the cool side of the tank. This is the ambient air temp of the tank. 75 is acceptable but closer to 80 is much better. The aera right on the UTH where the snake will laying on the bedding is where you want it to be 90/93. It will read a couple degrees higher than that on the glass where the probe is but the snake will be on top of the bedding. Put a lid on the tank with clips and cover it with something. Foil, a towel, whatever you have. Then check the temps again after awhile. This should raise the ambient temp to where it needs to be without having the UTH set so high.

You can cover most of the top. The snake only needs a little space for ventilation.

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Originally Posted by Foschi Exotic Serpents

The air above the UTH up so many inches is going to be about the same as the cool side of the tank. This is the ambient air temp of the tank. 75 is acceptable but closer to 80 is much better. The aera right on the UTH where the snake will laying on the bedding is where you want it to be 90/93. It will read a couple degrees higher than that on the glass where the probe is but the snake will be on top of the bedding. Put a lid on the tank with clips and cover it with something. Foil, a towel, whatever you have. Then check the temps again after awhile. This should raise the ambient temp to where it needs to be without having the UTH set so high.

You can cover most of the top. The snake only needs a little space for ventilation.

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Ok well the light and UTH are hooked up to the dimmer.

Should i try to get the temp of the UTH at like 90-92? its at 102 now :S trying to lower it but it will take some time to lower since its been on so it will have to cool down?

I have a heat lamp over the middle of the lid over the water. Should i leave it there and cover the 2 sides? or put it over the UTH and cover the middle and right (leaving some vent room)

do you need a moist hide in there all of the time? i dont think my 10 gallon has room for 3 hides lolz


and anyone know where i can get a really cheap dimmer?

Would this work?

http://img704.imageshack.us/img704/7923/foil.jpg

I got the lamp to the left but there is some holes open around it. The middle and right is covered. Keep in mind there is no snake in the cage just trying to get temps right

Also the wood at the bottom is plywood that is sitting on top of books to keep the cage raised up so the uth dont touch anything using some rubber feet. Hope its not to ghetto

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Originally Posted by f4n70m

Ok well the light and UTH are hooked up to the dimmer.

Should i try to get the temp of the UTH at like 90-92? its at 102 now :S trying to lower it but it will take some time to lower since its been on so it will have to cool down?

I have a heat lamp over the middle of the lid over the water. Should i leave it there and cover the 2 sides? or put it over the UTH and cover the middle and right (leaving some vent room)

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You can leave the light where it is to even out the temp and just cover both sides. Leave about an inch on either side of the lamp for ventilation and to prevent the hot lamp from burning whatever is covering the tank.

Yes it will take a little while for the UTH to cool down. Just check on it again a bit later.

Oh yeah if its foil then it can touch the lamp. Looks good.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Foschi Exotic Serpents

Oh yeah if its foil then it can touch the lamp. Looks good.

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Yea imma leave it on the left side. But i may move it to the middle. i got it right now going over the sides then folded in. so its kinda hanging inside the cage. but it seemed to loose just hanging loose on the outside of the cage like it would fall off it walked by it.

Idk if its good for the foil to be wrapped inside going under the lid

Quote:

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Originally Posted by f4n70m

Yea imma leave it on the left side. But i may move it to the middle. i got it right now going over the sides then folded in. so its kinda hanging inside the cage. but it seemed to loose just hanging loose on the outside of the cage like it would fall off it walked by it.

Idk if its good for the foil to be wrapped inside going under the lid

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On my cages I just have to foil taped to the lid, you could probably wrap it up and under the edge if you want to. The set up looks pretty decent, Sort of like mine but I have a larger tank (38g Tall). I also have a large fake plant that pretty much covers the whole floor area.

Well when i came home the temp on the left was 81 the right was 73.. but the UTH is at 103 :confused:

I cant seem to get the UTH low enough without having to put the heat lamp to low and then loose some heat

Quote:

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Originally Posted by f4n70m

Well when i came home the temp on the left was 81 the right was 73.. but the UTH is at 103 :confused:

I cant seem to get the UTH low enough without having to put the heat lamp to low and then loose some heat

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That is probably just because the temp probe isnt on the UTH if im picturing this the right way... Just go off of the accurite temp with the probe, and the unit temp. Where did you get 81 and 103 from?