I need help convincing my dad!

Okay, that sounded like I am a child. lol This is my first post here. My name is Amy, I am 20 years old. I live with my parents. My dad is giving me a hard time about getting a Ball Python because of electricity. He was going to let me get a blue tongue skink (which I imagine would cost more in electricity) but I've decided I want a snake instead. He doesn't like snakes as it is which is why I think he's not being convinced.

What I need to know is how much a month would electricity cost for just one ball python who would be in a tub.

Also, how much a month would feeding f/t mice/rats cost?

I know the feed question has probably been asked tons but idk about the electricity. I tried searching but didn't come up with what I need to know.

Also, what wattage would I need for the tub (i'm planning on getting a baby so it would be a small tub)? I am going to use a UTH but would I need other heat sources?

Please let me know. =)

Thanks,
Amy

I don;t know your local power rates so I can't give you a $ amount but an appropriate sized Under Tank heater will use between 7 and 15 watts of power at full blast, but all Under Tank Heaters need to be on a thermostat to regulate the temperature of them so they barley even use that. I have 5 enclosures and my power bill did not change notably.

Feeder rodents price varies a lot based on where you live. Here in orlando Florida I spend $1.50-$3.50 per rodent. I would budget $15 to $30 dollars Max. (I feed my young ball pythons every 4 days)

No other heat sources are necessary, but any UTH must be connected to a thermostat. I use Flexwatt. Your UTH should cover 1/3rd of the bottom of your tub.

You can get flexwatt, and other UTH's along with thermostats from this website:

http://reptilebasics.com/

There are cheaper thermostats available on amazon called Hydrofarms. they cost about $30 but aren't terribly accurate. I personally use Herpstats by Spyder Robotics but they are more costly ($100-$150)

A zoo med heat mat will cost you about 2-3 a month if your ambient temps don't get over 80*F then you can use a zoo med reostat rodents will only cost you about 10-15 if you feed the recommended every 7 days. Don't over feed your snake an your bills will be lower and you won't have to worry about obesity.

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Originally Posted by The Serpent Merchant

I don;t know your local power rates so I can't give you a $ amount but an appropriate sized Under Tank heater will use between 7 and 15 watts of power at full blast, but all Under Tank Heaters need to be on a thermostat to regulate the temperature of them so they barley even use that. I have 5 enclosures and my power bill did not change notably.

Feeder rodents price varies a lot based on where you live. Here in orlando Florida I spend $1.50-$3.50 per rodent. I would budget $15 to $30 dollars Max. (I feed my young ball pythons every 4 days)

No other heat sources are necessary, but any UTH must be connected to a thermostat. I use Flexwatt. Your UTH should cover 1/3rd of the bottom of your tub.

You can get flexwatt, and other UTH's along with thermostats from this website:

http://reptilebasics.com/

There are cheaper thermostats available on amazon called Hydrofarms. they cost about $30 but aren't terribly accurate. I personally use Herpstats by Spyder Robotics but they are more costly ($100-$150)

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Can you explain to me what flexwatt is and how it works? Isn't it heat tape? How does that work? Does that need to be hooked to a thermostat too?

They don't cost very much at all once you get the cage and the snake. A bts would be much more expensive with the 50$ uv lamps every six months and all of the veggies. Not saying you shouldn't get one, I've heard they're great pets, but they are much more expensive.

Hydrofarms aren't that accurate (+-1-2°f), but unless you're heating an incubator they're fine. I have one for my leos and it's pretty reliable.

A heat pad for a ball python uses so little electriciy that it shouldn't make a difference of more than a couple dollars max.

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Originally Posted by AmysAnimals

Okay, that sounded like I am a child. lol This is my first post here. My name is Amy, I am 20 years old. I live with my parents. My dad is giving me a hard time about getting a Ball Python because of electricity. He was going to let me get a blue tongue skink (which I imagine would cost more in electricity) but I've decided I want a snake instead. He doesn't like snakes as it is which is why I think he's not being convinced.

What I need to know is how much a month would electricity cost for just one ball python who would be in a tub. I have several snakes and frankly I don't even notice the difference on my electric bill each month. Your rates do affect that of course, but UTHs are pretty benign. Using a good t-stat will also make a difference. A snake will not "use more electricity" than any other reptile would need. Any reptile is going to need a heat source operated on a t-stat which will use about the same amount of electricity no matter what species you keep.

Also, how much a month would feeding f/t mice/rats cost? I buy my rats online from www.laynelabs.com and order a total of 75 rats at a time for 3 snakes. The rats are about $1 a piece +/-. Including shipping, that works out to be about $5 a week for 3 snakes so about $20 a month (for 3).

I know the feed question has probably been asked tons but idk about the electricity. I tried searching but didn't come up with what I need to know.

Also, what wattage would I need for the tub (i'm planning on getting a baby so it would be a small tub)? That's going to depend on the actual size of the tub. I would use a 15 quart tub for a baby and get the smallest UTH you can find. Put it on a GOOD t-stat (Helix, Herpstat, or VE100) and it should be fine. The t-stat should last a looong time so you can move it to a larger tub when that becomes necessary - another good reason to buy a good one upfront.

I am going to use a UTH but would I need other heat sources? And that will depend on how warm the room is where the tub is kept. Ambient temps should not fall below 76. If they do, you might need to use a heat lamp or larger wattage UTH or even a space heater to suppliment the ambient temp. If you use the larger wattage UTH, that becomes tricky because the hotspot should not get over 92. It'll take some finesse.

Please let me know. =)

Thanks,
Amy

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Flexwatt is heat tape and, yes, it needs to run on a t-stat. ANY heat source MUST be run on a t-stat. A t-stat is not optional - for any reptile.

Having said all that, I should point out that even though you are 20, you've made the choice to remain with your parents for now - whether or not you feel like you had the choice. As such, you should respect your parents' wishes and only get a snake if your parents completely agree - it IS their home. I know its hard to wait for something you really want, but sometimes its the right thing to do - for both you and the snake. :gj:

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Originally Posted by AmysAnimals

Can you explain to me what flexwatt is and how it works? Isn't it heat tape? How does that work? Does that need to be hooked to a thermostat too?

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Flexwat is heat tape. it is pretty much the same thing as any other UTH, but it is a much simpler packaging. Yes it needs to be on a thermostat. Flexwatt can get unto 120 degrees.

This is what it looks like:

http://www.instructables.com/image/F...-Heat-Tape.jpg

The black lines are the resistive heating elements. They are very similar to the windshield defroster on a car. Electricity passes through the black part and it turns the electricity into heat. I highly recommend it because it is much cheaper and works better.

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Originally Posted by Evenstar

Flexwatt is heat tape and, yes, it needs to run on a t-stat. ANY heat source MUST be run on a t-stat. A t-stat is not optional - for any reptile.

Having said all that, I should point out that even though you are 20, you've made the choice to remain with your parents for now - whether or not you feel like you had the choice. As such, you should respect your parents' wishes and only get a snake if your parents completely agree - it IS their home. I know its hard to wait for something you really want, but sometimes its the right thing to do - for both you and the snake. :gj:

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Thanks for the information it's really helped! I would never get a pet without my parents full approval. I am just trying to see whether or not it's worth getting due to the electricity. It's sounding like it won't be bad though. I mean a couple dollars added is nothing.

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Originally Posted by The Serpent Merchant

Flexwat is heat tape. it is pretty much the same thing as any other UTH, but it is a much simpler packaging. Yes it needs to be on a thermostat. Flexwatt can get unto 120 degrees.

This is what it looks like:

http://www.instructables.com/image/F...-Heat-Tape.jpg

The black lines are the resistive heating elements. They are very similar to the windshield defroster on a car. Electricity passes through the black part and it turns the electricity into heat. I highly recommend it because it is much cheaper and works better.

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Thanks I will have to look into that!

Yes flexwatt is heat tape, and yes it needs to be hooked to a thermostat... As far as electric cost and a blue tongue skink vs a ball python..... You get charged by kw on you electric bill... the more wattage the more expensive it will cost to run obviously..... Most people i know recomend uv lighting on top of the heat.. so you will need something like a 125 watt mercury vapor bulb (these are not cheap) but you will be using 125 watts...... a heat pad appropriate size for a ball python will be between 7-20 watts depending on size... that being said you could run 6 big bp heat pads for every 1 125 watt mercury vapor bulb......

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Originally Posted by AmysAnimals

Thanks for the information it's really helped! I would never get a pet without my parents full approval. I am just trying to see whether or not it's worth getting due to the electricity. It's sounding like it won't be bad though. I mean a couple dollars added is nothing.

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The average TV or computer uses hundreds if not thousands times more power than a UTH if you actually notice a difference there is something very wrong.

Heat lamps are a different story though.

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Originally Posted by AmysAnimals

Thanks I will have to look into that!

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As I said in my first post on this thread the best place to get this stuff is reptile basics.com. they will even wire it up for you for free. They sell it by the foot and shouldn't costs about $2.00-$5.00 per foot, depending on the width and wattage. here is some more information:

http://www.reptilebasics.com/flexwatt_faq

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Originally Posted by AmysAnimals

Thanks for the information it's really helped! I would never get a pet without my parents full approval. I am just trying to see whether or not it's worth getting due to the electricity. It's sounding like it won't be bad though. I mean a couple dollars added is nothing.

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I'm glad to know that. ;)

If all they are worried about is the electricity, it really truly is negligible. Any lizard is going to use way more than a snake due to the special lighting they require. Snakes do not require any additional lighting (unless you need something to boost your ambient temps as we already mentioned). Ideally, the only electical thing you'll need is your UTH or flexwatt operated on a t-stat.

Again, a good t-stat is a must. Get a good one and you won't go wrong. Yes its a higher upfront investment, but it'll be well worth it for both the piece of mind you'll have and it'll also help cut the electricity usage all the more. Get a proportional t-stat and not an on-off one and you'll be good. :gj:

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Originally Posted by The Serpent Merchant

As I said in my first post on this thread the best place to get this stuff is reptile basics.com. they will even wire it up for you for free. They sell it by the foot and shouldn't costs about $2.00-$5.00 per foot, depending on the width and wattage. here is some more information:

http://www.reptilebasics.com/flexwatt_faq

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Totally agree! Reptile Basics is great! And you can get a nice t-stat from them too. Rich can help you pick the best one for your needs if you ask him - he's really nice.

Thanks! I tried telling my dad what you all said and he was like "How can I believe what they say?" lol Oh my. I am looking on southern california edison right now to see if I can find anything. Oh yeah, I live in SoCal. I think some one is going to have to call the electric company to find out I guess. =P

I appreciate all your help and I will be posting more once I convince him it's not going to blow up the electric bill. lol

Even the UTH said it would only cost pennies a day to use. He wanted more proof. haha Stubborn.

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Originally Posted by AmysAnimals

Thanks! I tried telling my dad what you all said and he was like "How can I believe what they say?" lol Oh my. I am looking on southern california edison right now to see if I can find anything. Oh yeah, I live in SoCal. I think some one is going to have to call the electric company to find out I guess. =P

I appreciate all your help and I will be posting more once I convince him it's not going to blow up the electric bill. lol

Even the UTH said it would only cost pennies a day to use. He wanted more proof. haha Stubborn.

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Well considering that I'm an Electrical Engineer I hope I would be a credible source

I believe you guys, just not my dad. He's strange like that, but it's kind of understandable you never know who could be telling a fib online. I've been apart of forums for years now so I am very trusting in what people say on forums.


Guess what, though! I looked on southern california edison and it gave him proof it will only cost very little to heat the snakey! =D He has agreed that I can get a ball python! yay!

Here is a photo of an actual calculation of how much power a 10 watt UTH will use in a month and year. It also shows that the average cost of a kWh is 12 cents

http://i1186.photobucket.com/albums/...Screenshot.jpg

This calculation is the worst case. It was calculated with the UTH running at full blast 24/7

This is a picture of my Thermostat. the Percentage shows how much power is being sent to the UTH to achieve the desired temperature
http://i1186.photobucket.com/albums/...t/IMG_0342.jpg

Well, the thing about UTH's is that they're only roughly 7-10 watts. So, realistically, it won't make a noticeable difference in electricity. In fact, if you have a desktop computer or laptop just turn it off and unplug it at night and the difference could honestly balance out. :D

Well, I can understand your dad's uncertainty with us. After all, he doesn't know us from a hole in the ground. Why should he trust us? Show him Aaron's pictures - I believe his first pic is right from his power company's website.

But also, we have no reason to mislead you. This is a community who's primary concern is the well-being of the snake and its owners. It is in our best interest - as well as yours - to be honest about the snake's requirements. After all, if we lied and you got the snake based off our lie and your dad said it had to go because the electricity bill skyrocketed, the snake could then be in danger of being homeless. That is the LAST thing this community wants!

Glad he agreed though! Good for you in showing him proof from CA Edison - can't go wrong with that kind of reasoning! We'll want pics when you bring your baby home - and welcome officially to the community! ;)

Thanks! Yeah I understand that because I am a part of many different forums and I wouldn't want to mislead anyone either. That's why if I don't know I don't answer. Lol. Thanks for all the help I certainly appreciate it!

-Amy

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