Just Some Pictures

Did you even read his post?

Like seriously, people are trying to give you advice and all you do is flip em off.

Gosh some people are just pro at being ****s online. To someone who actually rescues animals and take them into my care Gee know nothing about the person and how much they actually love there animals but hey its easy cause you dont gotta care for the person who is thinking there doing the right thing.

Well dont wonder why when your on the block list =)

- - - Updated - - -

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Bobbafett

Did you even read his post?

Like seriously, people are trying to give you advice and all you do is flip em off.

---

Said stuff about petco... Yea Petco can take my dead snake down there mouth and let it rot


If your guys way of giving advice is be belittling someone than I am guessing I am on the wrong kind of forums.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Zombietox

Gosh some people are just pro at being ****s online. To someone who actually rescues animals and take them into my care Gee know nothing about the person and how much they actually love there animals but hey its easy cause you dont gotta care for the person who is thinking there doing the right thing.

Well dont wonder why when your on the block list =)

---

So giving advice to someone who obviously won't do their own research makes us bad people?

I've rescued quite a few animals. You should know their care before even trying to "rescue" an animal.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Zombietox

Yeah petco was my first snake that had LITERALLY seizures!

---

If he had seizures, why were you do surprised he passed, and then didn't know what happened?

From your thread last year:

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Zombietox

Well most of you know me through my questions about my bally python, Well I awoke today with him stiff as board.....


We are Unsure why he died my motherinlaw her boyfriend and my husband bought Bumble bee tuna at Petco for me and well he would hardly eat, they said they been feeding him Thawed mice, and we could switch him any time. So switched him to live.


We have pinned it down to two things, he was sick to begin with or a mouse bit him. Now we believe more he was sick to begin with cause my motherinlaw bought M&M from Scales and tails and shes about 4yrs old now and was the same being fed thawed...... but than turned to alive

---

You have been given tons of advice, in all of your posts, with all of your snakes. And more than one of your snakes has passed way, and they all have had some sort of problem. And seemingly mostly minor problems that you could have corrected. I am beggining to wonder what the common denominator is. Perhaps you should start taking some of this advice, and doing some more research before you decide to be responsible for another snake.

Zombie... Very simply put, you either have the WORST luck on the face of the planet or you have a lot of learn about raising ball pythons. <my vote is the latter in this situation>

I'm going to shut up now, wouldn't want to be blocked now would I? ... Myself and several other have offered you very good advice <all I have given I have learned from these guys because I flipping LISTENED to ppl much more experienced than I and my snakes are doing wonderfully> that you have straight up ignored or made excuses for why you aren't doing what YOU should be doing.

Rescues? Dude. You can't rescue an animal without really knowing anything about how to care for it... if you go in blind, you're no better than the pet store, sorry.

Anyways, I've never had any snakes yet myself, I will admit. However, my research tells me the same things that everyone else will tell you in this thread. Experienced users, please correct me if I'm wrong/let me know if I'm overstepping my bounds; I have yet to actually have any snakes, so I dunno if my advice is truly valid since it's based on reading only.

You need a dependable temperature and humidity monitoring system. A stick-on thermometer won't cut it; you need something with a probe. For humidity, you also need to find a good hygrometer. I think there's an AcuRite thermometer that also measures humidity, although I'm not personally acquainted with its accuracy, so older members please correct me if I'm wrong: http://www.acurite.com/weather/humid...red-probe.html
This general caresheet will give you temp and humidity specifics: http://ball-pythons.net/forums/showt...s%29-Caresheet

Temps need to be kept as a gradient so your snake can thermoregulate properly. There should be a "cool side" and a "warm side". This is also why it's important to have a good thermometer. Temps that are too high or too low could hurt your snake. On that note, each side should have a snug, identical hide so that your snake feels comfortable no matter what side it's on. A hiding ball is a happy ball. This thread shows fine examples of good hides: http://ball-pythons.net/forums/showt...0-Hides-my-way

Also, I've noticed that you're using a tank setup. I plan on a rack system w/tubs myself, but this sticky should help you out when you reconsider your current setup: http://ball-pythons.net/forums/showt...p-w-pics-*DUW*

You should also probably get a temp gun so you can further monitor your temps.

Hey, what substrate is that? Remember, woods like pine and cedar could potentially harm your snake.

The other members of the thread talked about how to use Provent-a-Mite already, but there was a great post about it made recently in another thread that I can't seem to find. >_<;

I would like to note that you are not being attacked by anyone in this thread. Rather, we wish to help you care for your snake so that the two of you don't have to go through so much heartache in the future. I apologize in particular if I come off as a rude, uppity, arrogant know-it-all, but I love snakes too much to just ignore this thread. Remember, bro, ignorance can be just as bad as intentional abuse/neglect in some cases!

Moon, spot on.

I've personally written out how to EXACTLY set up her ball pythons habitat, and she ignores it.

She just doesn't seem to care/understand that this isn't just something you feed once a week and give water to. They're not cheap, and take a LOT of time to be properly cared for.

I'll post this again. Maybe she'll actually take it in this time.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Bobbafett

Fine.

TANK:

Any type of heat sure, whether it's a lamp or heat pad MUST be regulated. Heat pads will reach unsafe temperatures in a matter of minutes. You MUST have a thermostat.

The best you can buy are herpstats.
http://www.spyderrobotics.com

The cheaper option:
http://www.amazon.com/Hydrofarm-MTPR...ords=Hydrofarm

When you get your thermoSTAT, you plug your heat pad into it. You take your probe and secure it OVER the heat pad on the OUTSIDE of your tank.

Do NOT have the thermoSTAT probe inside the tank, as your snake can move it, pee on it, and will ultimately screw up your probe reading.

If you use a lamp, which most will suggest against, buy a light dimmer. They're about $10 from home depot and allow you to adjust how much heat is coming from the lamp.

Lamps will kill your humidity. Many will suggest covering half your lid with tinfoil/plexiglass/wet cloth. Misting will also help. Also, do not get white bulbs.

After your thermostat, a temp gun will be a wise investment. Or you can purchase a digital thermometer with probe. Many will suggest an Accurite, while others disagree. If you get an Accurite, you place the entire unit in the cage. The probed bit will be secured on top of the glass over your heat pad so you are able to monitor and be sure your thermostat is working properly. The unit goes on your "cool" side to monitor ambient temperatures.

You are aiming for:

Hot spot: 88-91 degrees
Cool side: 78-80 degrees
Humidity: 50%

When your snake goes into shed, you will need to boost your humidity up to 60-70%.

Inside your tank you will need:

-two identical hides. Find ones that are small enough to wrap your ball python around all sides and only have one entrance. Those log hides at the pet stores are terrible. One goes on the warm side, the other on the cool side.

-Water dish. If you get a large water dish, you can place it somewhat over your heat pad to help even more with humidity.

-Proper substrate. If you are using a tank, id suggest Eco earth or coco fibre as they help hold in humidity.

TUBS:

If you are able to keep your room at a stable 80 degrees, you will be able to keep your ball python in a tub set up.

Tub set ups may not be the prettiest, but are much easier to maintain humidity than a tank.

Find a large Rubbermaid container with a locking lid. Depending on your room humidity, drill holes along the sides using a soldering drill. The amount of holes will vary. Be careful as you can add more, but can't cover them up if you drill too many.

Just like a tank, you will place the heat pad on one side of the tub, with the thermoSTAT probe over the heat tape. With a thermostat, you will not have to worry about the tub melting as it should never get over 92 degrees.

Set your tub up like a tank. Add your substrate, water dish, hides and thermometers. You can also add fake leaves and branches.

FEEDING:

You'd be surprised to learn that hatchling ball pythons can eat hopper sized mice right out of the egg.

I'd suggest going to Walmart and picking up a cheap kitchen scale to monitor your baby's weight.

Babies can generally eat 10-15% of their weight every 5-7 days.

I feed my mouse eaters and babies on a 5 day schedule. My rat eaters are fed every 7 days.

As your snake gets older, try to match their food with the thickest part of their body.

Once you get your set up done, leave your snake alone for a week. The only time you are in the cage is to change water and clean poo. No touching him/her. Once the week is over, offer your mouse. I'm sure they'll take it.

---

I've thankfully never have had to deal with mites.

I found this on LLLReptiles website:

The steps that follow are the most sure-fire, proven methods for mite eradication. Although it may be possible to treat mites successfully while eliminating a step or two, it is not recommended. Doing so may result in your snake still having mites in the end, and you having wasted your time.

Step 1
Get the supplies. You will need a secure plastic tub (Rubbermaid, etc) that your snake fits in. You will also need some products to actually kill the mites. We recommend Reptile Relief by Natural Chemistry (to treat the animal) and Provent-A-Mite by Pro Products (to treat the enclosure). Both of these products are available all the time from LLLReptile.com or by phone order. Avoid home remedies that you may have heard of. We have seen these prove harmful, or even fatal to snakes.

Step 2
Treat the animal. Put your snake into the plastic tub, and spray it liberally with the Reptile Relief, coating the animal from head to tail. (See the directions on the Reptile Relief bottle for further information) You will now allow the animal to sit for 15 to 20 minutes while all of the mites on your snake are killed. After the alotted time, rinse the snake well with clean water, and rinse out the tub as well. Now soak the snake again for another 15 to 20 minutes, this time in chin deep clean water. This will prevent your snake from becoming dehydrated, as the Reptile Relief works by drying out the mites. In the 30 or so minutes required to treat the animal, you can begin working on the cage.

Note: We recommend re-treating the animal only, as just discussed, two more times, one week apart, to eliminate any chance of mites re-occurring.

Step 3
Treat the enclosure. Eliminating the living mites on the snake is only half the battle. There are still live mites (and mite eggs) in the enclosure that must be eliminated to prevent re-infestation. First, remove all of the cage decor (wood, hide boxes, water dishes, etc.) All of these items will need to be thoroughly cleaned in a water and bleach solution. This is best accomplished by soaking the items in another large tub or trash can. Make sure that no part of the items are above the water level. The mites will climb up to prevent drowning, so the entire object must be submerged. You will need to let these items soak for about 20 minutes. While this is soaking, remove and discard all of the substrate (bark, sani-chips, etc) from your enclosure. To actually clean the cage you can use any mild cleanser, Zoo Med's Wipe Out #3 cage cleaner, or even better, the Reptile Relief can be used directly on the cage surfaces. Wipe down all surfaces thoroughly, and rinse with water if you suspect any residue. To get your cage glass sparkling clean use a non-toxic glass cleaner or rubbing alcohol. Avoid products with strong fumes or ammonia. After all (if any) fumes have dissipated, refill the cage with fresh substrate.

By now, your cage decorations should be ready for rinsing. Rinse them well with a strong jet of clean water until no evidence of bleach remains (odors, suds, etc). Letting the rinsed items dry in the hot sun is a great time saver.

Now you can replace all of your cage decor back into the cage EXCEPT for the water dish. That will go in last. Once the enclosure is all set up and looking great, it is time for the Provent-A-Mite. This stuff works great, but it is strong, so do not use any more than recommended. (See the directions on the Provent-A-Mite can for further information) Once it is dry, it is completely harmless to your snake, but in a liquid or gas form, it can be harmful (that is why you do not want the water dish in there when you spray.) You will now spray the Provent-A-Mite all over the bedding and decor at a rate of about one second per square foot (that's just over a second of spray for a 10 gallon tank). Allow the enclosure to air out for at least 15 minutes, or longer if you think you may have sprayed too much.

Step 4
Replace animal and water dish. Finally, you can now add your snake and filled water dish to the completely mite-free enclosure.

In the grand scheme of things, spending an hour or two on this project isn't the end of the world, but it's certainly worth avoiding the stress on you and the animal. As a result, prevention is the best medicine. Luckily, the Provent-A-Mite will continue to protect your enclosure from mites for about a month. We recommend that every month you treat your enclosure as described regardless of whether mites are present or not. It only takes a few minutes. Just remember to take out your snake and water dish before spraying.