New owner! Couldn't be happier but need some help

Hey guys, I got my first ball 2 days ago at Petco. I have him all set up with the essentials... Hot/cold hide, some plastic plants, water on the cold side and a heat lamp. I am loving my new guy...or girl.

But One thing I am really struggling with is keeping the humidity up for him. It dips as low at 30-40% (how bad IS this for the snake, life threatening?) when I don't spray (I have to spray about 5-6 times a day). Until night times comes when I turn off his heat lamp and the humidity jumps to 60%.

So I am guessing it's safe to assume the lamp is drying it out for him. I have heard balls don't need the lamp, an under the tank heater is just fine. But then I hear they need a basking bulb as well, which is it?

Basically I need a little help, and any other words of advice will be great. I feed him sunday. I can't wait!

EDIT: BTW I cover abt 3/4 the tank with a dry hand towel and it's still so dry in there.

Welcome aboard! :handshake

BP's do very well with just an undertank heater....IF the overall ambient temps in the enclosure remain around 80 degrees. An undertank heater alone will not raise the ambient temps if the room is cold. That is usually when overhead supplemental heat is recommended.

And yes...that overhead heat can dry out the air. A dry towel over the top of the tank probably won't help much. A damp towel (changed daily) might help better. Getting a sheet of clear plastic cut to size, with some corner spaces cut out for ventilation and a hole cut for the lamp...use that to cover the screen...that can help, too.

One more thing...they don't really need (or want) a drop in temps at night. It's important that their overall ambient temps stay around 80F. Constant fluctuations in temps can put them off their food. If your heat lamp is a white light, you'll want to switch it out for a red or blue one...or a ceramic heat emitter (which looks like a bulb, but just puts out heat and no light).

OR...make sure the room temps stay warm and just go with an undertank heater....OR switch to a shallow plastic tub, which makes maintaining a proper environment much simpler in the long run. ;)

Oops...wanted to answer one more question you asked... about if low humidity is a life-threatening issue. In the short run...no, it's not. A few days of low humidity shouldn't have any harmful affects. Longer stints will likely cause very difficult sheds...which can be a bit of a pain to deal with sometimes. It can also cause their eyecaps to dent or wrinkle. But once you get your humidity issues in check, the shedding process and eyes should return to normal.

In the long run...I have heard that a constant dry environment can cause respiratory issues which can lead to serious illness and eventually death if untreated, but I don't have a specific scientific article I could point to.

Wow, Perfect... Thanks for all the help. I am switching to a damp towel today. I read about it as well as the plastic wrap. I would switch to a plastic tub but I wanna give my guy a bunch of space to roam! I have a red bulb as well as the regular heat lamp so I guess I should start putting the red one on? In the day the hot side is abt 90ish with the regular one... When I turn it off the temp drops to like 75ish... The Red bulb keeps it up arnd 80-85 but that dries him out too... Is that okay??

aslo I heard I should be putting him in a different enclosure come feeding time, is this true?

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Originally Posted by CrocodileFace

Wow, Perfect... Thanks for all the help. I am switching to a damp towel today. I read about it as well as the plastic wrap. I would switch to a plastic tub but I wanna give my guy a bunch of space to roam! I have a red bulb as well as the regular heat lamp so I guess I should start putting the red one on? In the day the hot side is abt 90ish with the regular one... When I turn it off the temp drops to like 75ish... The Red bulb keeps it up arnd 80-85 but that dries him out too... Is that okay??

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Happy bp's stay in their hides all day long. And all night long even. Really boring snakes. LOL. If they're roaming a lot - they're either wanting to get outta there (they're not happy with their enclosure) or they're starving.

So, yeah, they would probably be happier in the plastic tub than in the tank.

I have mine in tanks because I got this "Out of Africa" theme going on in the room. They're a pain in the buns to maintain proper temps and humidity - and I live in Florida!

So, yeah, there are some tricks to raise humidity in a tank - #1 of which is a giant size water bowl placed half-way on the undertank heater or right under the heat lamp. Put foil or something to cover the top of the tank, wrap 3 sides of the tank with cloth/cork for insulation. Use cypress for substrate, etc. So, use the red bulb to get air temperature in the tank at 80'ish and the undertank heater on one side of the tank should give a warm spot on the ground of 90'ish. You should be good to go.

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Originally Posted by CrocodileFace

aslo I heard I should be putting him in a different enclosure come feeding time, is this true?

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There are mixed opinions on this. Some recommend removing them from their enclosure and moving to another for feeding, others will feed right in the enclosure. I think it's a personal preference.

There is no need to move the snake to a separate container for feeding. The snake will not become aggressive if you feed it in the home enclosure. Moving the snake for feeding can be very stressful and will actually increase your chances of possibly being bitten. As was stated though, it is entirely up to you to choose the method of how you want to feed your snake.

You will find various opinions on a feeding. Some will tell you that you will have a greater chance of getting bitten if you feed in there living quarters as they associate the opening of the cage with feeding time. But if you handle your BP on a regular basis as I do this usually wont happen. I personally feed them in there same habitat. For humidity I went and got this 13.00 humidifier that fits in the palm of your hand and it last 9 hours before refill. Keeps Humidity at 60. Last two sheds were perfect, they lasted about 24 hours and it was over.

I feed on a separate bin. There are just too many things in the tank that the rat can wedge himself into that the snake can't get to. Plus, rat pee/poop is not allowed in my tanks!

So, I put the snake in a separate container, drop the rat in, wait a few minutes, then when the snake has completely swallowed and realigned its jaw, I move him back to his tank and he usually goes jetting to his warm hide. Easy does it.

Perfect guys thanks... I am feeding using Frozen Hoppers so I'll try an in the tank feed at first. And I guess my BP is happy because he hasn't left the new hide i put in there for him since I put it in!

So let me get this straight. I could just put the lamp in the center of the cage and under the tank heater on one side and that's fine??

One more question... Idk what kind of BP I got. its no special breed or hybrid, just the usual from the pet store, what's that called?

Normal, wild type, classic... there are a few names.

As for the heat lamp/UTH thing, as long as your temps/humidity are right, then do what works for you. If you need to use the lamp to bring ambient temps up, then by all means, put it there! I highly recommend a temp gun. Thermometers are read by you (or whoever might be working with your snakes) and not your snake, so there's no need to get something you have to leave in the cage. But again, whatever works for you that gets the snake what it needs.

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Originally Posted by CrocodileFace

Perfect guys thanks... I am feeding using Frozen Hoppers so I'll try an in the tank feed at first. And I guess my BP is happy because he hasn't left the new hide i put in there for him since I put it in!

So let me get this straight. I could just put the lamp in the center of the cage and under the tank heater on one side and that's fine??

One more question... Idk what kind of BP I got. its no special breed or hybrid, just the usual from the pet store, what's that called?

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When feeding frozen, if having trouble, there are quite a few tricks that a lot of people use. If you have any issues feel free to ask, I'm sure you'll get lots of help here. Good Luck!

Wow, Thanks for all your help guys. Most people on forums aren't as responsive... I'll be sure to let you know of any problems!

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Originally Posted by CrocodileFace

Wow, Thanks for all your help guys. Most people on forums aren't as responsive... I'll be sure to let you know of any problems!

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Didn't anybody tell you? We require payment around here.

Don't worry, it's not gonna be much money. As a matter of fact, posting a picture of your snake may get you off without having to send any cash. Most people around here are quite happy to just look at other people's balls (how's that for out of context! lol!).
:D:D:D

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Originally Posted by anatess

Most people around here are quite happy to just look at other people's balls (how's that for out of context! lol!).
:D:D:D

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:no: :rolleyes: :P

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Originally Posted by anatess

Didn't anybody tell you? We require payment around here.

Don't worry, it's not gonna be much money. As a matter of fact, posting a picture of your snake may get you off without having to send any cash. Most people around here are quite happy to just look at other people's balls (how's that for out of context! lol!).
:D:D:D

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Couldn't have said it better myself... :D

Pictures of Slim, finally snapped some when he came out of his hides

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v3...00909-1631.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v3...00907-1811.jpg

nice snake, its funny this thread came up because i had all the same qs and just a couple days ago finished my heating setup, i have a UTH for a hotspot hooked up to a thermostat then a red light for ambience! works well

OOOOH SO PRETTY! I love the normal look better than most morphs!

Can you cover 3 sides of the tank with dark construction paper or something? I think it will be much better for your wee one. :)

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Originally Posted by anatess

OOOOH SO PRETTY! I love the normal look better than most morphs!

Can you cover 3 sides of the tank with dark construction paper or something? I think it will be much better for your wee one. :)

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I"ll figure something out... Would cardboard work?

anything works black is best it just makes him more secure

You may want to consider ditching the half-log hide and using two identical hides that cover him on all sides (like the one next to the water dish in the picture). It helps if your BP likes one hide better than the other; that way, he won't have to choose between warmth and comfort.

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Originally Posted by JasonGranger

You may want to consider ditching the half-log hide and using two identical hides that cover him on all sides (like the one next to the water dish in the picture). It helps if your BP likes one hide better than the other; that way, he won't have to choose between warmth and comfort.

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Didnt think about that... Another good idea I'll work on finding another one of those containers.

I just covered the cage yesterday!

One More Question... I just ordered an UTH yesterday on Amazon, is there anything else i should do? I have a heat/Humidity gauge in the tank already. I don't want him to burn himself

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Originally Posted by CrocodileFace

One More Question... I just ordered an UTH yesterday on Amazon, is there anything else i should do? I have a heat/Humidity gauge in the tank already. I don't want him to burn himself

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Thermostat is extremely important i wouldn't even plug in a UTH without one, reptitemp 500r are the cheapest but if you want a really fancy one go with a herpstat or a helix. I have a herpstat for my UTH for lil curtis and it works great.

1) The hydrofarm thermostat is great for the price, and I love mine. Forum search for thermostat and it will undoubtably come up. I ordered mine through Amazon.

2) You can keep humidity up by placing some foil wrapped pieces of cardboard at the top of your tank between your lamp/s (if you are using any). I use 5 I think and have a 20gal tank with aspen bedding. Forum search for humidity and tank and you'll get all of your answers. There are also pics on one of the cage setup stickies.

3) If you are tuly worried about the humidity, get a Fluker's mini dripper and have it drip really slowly into a small ramiken of sphagnum moss and/or spread some damp moss around on your substrate and re-damped once daily. Don't forget to change that once a week as well to avoid mold.

4) Using the above two methods plus a once daily spritzing of the plastic plants I have in the tank, I have had 0 humidity probs (went from high 40s to high 50s) and 2 perfect sheds!

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Originally Posted by Up2Late

You will find various opinions on a feeding. Some will tell you that you will have a greater chance of getting bitten if you feed in there living quarters as they associate the opening of the cage with feeding time. But if you handle your BP on a regular basis as I do this usually wont happen. I personally feed them in there same habitat. For humidity I went and got this 13.00 humidifier that fits in the palm of your hand and it last 9 hours before refill. Keeps Humidity at 60. Last two sheds were perfect, they lasted about 24 hours and it was over.

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Where did you find that humidifier?

Instead of cluttering the forum with threads I figure I'd just ask here... I just got the last of my setup today. The UTH and Thermo stat came in the mail and they are in the cage so I removed the Overhead lamp I had, my question is now it's so dark in the cage all the time is that okay for him? I want to be able to see him so I was thinking could I put the lamp back on top with the average light bulb in there just so I can look at him?

Thanks for all your help guys

EDIT: I plugged the pad/thermo combo (have it set to abt 95 since heat will dissipate through the bedding a little) about 10-15 minutes ago and it's barely warm yet... is that normal?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by CrocodileFace

Instead of cluttering the forum with threads I figure I'd just ask here... I just got the last of my setup today. The UTH and Thermo stat came in the mail and they are in the cage so I removed the Overhead lamp I had, my question is now it's so dark in the cage all the time is that okay for him? I want to be able to see him so I was thinking could I put the lamp back on top with the average light bulb in there just so I can look at him?

Thanks for all your help guys

EDIT: I plugged the pad/thermo combo (have it set to abt 95 since heat will dissipate through the bedding a little) about 10-15 minutes ago and it's barely warm yet... is that normal?

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A ball python is nocturnal - so, no, it doesn't need light at all except some sunlight through a window into the room to give it a sense of daytime/nightime. If you want to see your snake - just use your regular room light.

Okay, do this for me - put your hand under your armpit. The heat of your armpit is around 97 degrees (unless you have a fever). The floor of your tank shouldn't go higher than 95 - so your armpit would be slightly hotter than the floor of your tank. Make sense?

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Originally Posted by anatess

A ball python is nocturnal - so, no, it doesn't need light at all except some sunlight through a window into the room to give it a sense of daytime/nightime. If you want to see your snake - just use your regular room light.

Okay, do this for me - put your hand under your armpit. The heat of your armpit is around 97 degrees (unless you have a fever). The floor of your tank shouldn't go higher than 95 - so your armpit would be slightly hotter than the floor of your tank. Make sense?

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Yeap, perfect on the heat thing but I have 3 Of the sides covered and 3/4 of the top of the tank with a damp towel for humidity... Its pretty dark in that cage.

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Originally Posted by CrocodileFace

Yeap, perfect on the heat thing but I have 3 Of the sides covered and 3/4 of the top of the tank with a damp towel for humidity... Its pretty dark in that cage.

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I know what you mean. If you want more light in there, just run christmas lights on top... but, you can use the regular 25 watt bulb or something on that heat lamp. It won't be as bad as the reptile bulbs but it would still produce a little heat that will lower humidity a bit. Shouldn't be too bad tho.

I have the Thermo stat Cranked up to 105... Dont get me wrong I can feel A LITTLE heat but it's nothing special... how warm should this thing be getting???

WOAHHH turn that back down to 91-94 you want to be measuring the temp of the UTH or the glass right over top of the UTH so if he does burrow down he wont get burned. For example, you set the surface temp to a perfect 93 then he burrows down and its 98 and he gets burned. He'll burrow for more heat.

Okay Turned it down... I think I'm set guys thanks! Her eyes are SO pale blue, cant wait for her first shed :D

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Originally Posted by CrocodileFace

Okay Turned it down... I think I'm set guys thanks! Her eyes are SO pale blue, cant wait for her first shed :D

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How is your humidity looking? Good luck with the shed... :gj:

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Originally Posted by Vypyrz

How is your humidity looking? Good luck with the shed... :gj:

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Right now Its up at abt 70... I have a feeling the 80% humidity is just a little strict, I feel like i'll be fine at 60-70%. My ball is good, never gives me problems so lets see if it carries with shedding too... Dont get me wrong I am striving for 80% I'm just not gonna stress it...

All this is already making me want a Morph so bad haha