Okay here gos the set up I plan on puttin together next week

After all the good advice from all you guys this is what Ive got planned out just lemme know if there are any holes in my plans okay.Dont be gentle just say if something is totaly wrong.

1. Enclosure- Rubbermaid 112 quart clear storage container (no tint at all)
dimensions are 33 long 18 wide 17 high.

2. two walgreens heating pads both are 12x15, one on high for the hot side one on low for the cooler side with the water bowl on top of the cooler side.

3.Digital thermometer/hydrometer from home depot with a 10 foot probe.

4.Reostat from petco takes two devices its bout 20 bucks.

5.Clamp lamp with black heat lamp 75 watts, I figured I could put it as close or as far from the top of the enclosure for a little more xtra heat over all.

6. two hides mad from shallow but wide clay flower pots with the drain hole opened.

7.reptibark as a substate although newspaper seems right for some reason.

8. 6 outlet surge strip.

well whata ya think?
oh and one more thing Im not sure of. Since those latching rubbermade tops are just dying to be pushed open (sooo flimsy on the sides)
any ideas how to make em snake proof?

Can ya tell I cant wait ! :P

Sounds like you're on the right track! A couple of small tweaks though could set you all the way....if you are using 2 heat pads, I highly doubt you'll need the heat lamp. Also, how big are the holes in the clay pots? You wouldn't want the snake to get his head stuck in them. And as for substrate, if you want to use a natural one, I'd go with cypress mulch.....much cheaper and easier to use. Or you could always just use good ol newspaper.....both have worked very well for me. Good luck and I commend you for finding out the info you needed to before getting the animal!

David gave some good advice. You just have to kind of play with the heat levels and the thermostat, and figure out what you can leave it on to keep proper temperatures.

About the rubbermaid lid, I use Bulldog Brand clips that you buy to hold papers together. You buy them at Staples or Office Max. (I think even Walmart or the 99 cent store has them, I wouldn't doubt it). They have worked great for me. And you can put a brick on top of the lid, I have one of those for extra security on my rattlesnakes cage. Or, you can buy a locking mechanism. :)

Everything else sounds great! So, where you going to buy your ball python from?

I have used bungee cords to secure snake cages before. I guess they worked.....I've never had an escape (knock on wood, lol).

a human heat pad on high is gonna be way hot (most likely) the one i had worked on medium or low. youd probably be alright with one heat pad(on the hot side) on low and a 75w bulb(also on the hot side). you should also add a temp. gun to that list. your going to want to know surface temperatures.

Sounds good, make sure you check out the DIY on rubbermaids. And David's illustrated guide.

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Originally Posted by Mike

a human heat pad on high is gonna be way hot (most likely) the one i had worked on medium or low. youd probably be alright with one heat pad(on the hot side) on low and a 75w bulb(also on the hot side). you should also add a temp. gun to that list. your going to want to know surface temperatures.

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I dunno about the 75 watt bulb.....I use those to heat my Beardie cage and they get pretty hot.

the heating pads should do just fine. but mike's right, i doubt you'll need to put one on high.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by DavidBeard

I dunno about the 75 watt bulb.....I use those to heat my Beardie cage and they get pretty hot.

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your probably right. im in winter mode right now (we dont heat my house...it barely gets down past 70) so all mine are using 100 watts(i dont cool my snakes...yet). in summer, odds are they wont need any source of heat. (my mom likes to keep the temp at 82....shes a freak).

As long as you're setting up ahead of time, why not go ahead and set it up with just one heating pad and see how your temps are first and keep the other as a spare in case it quits on you? Also, I agree with the others that 75w is probably going to be more than you need, especially with the possibility of two heat pads. You may want to try a 40w incandescent bulb first and see how hot it gets in there.

And just for the heck of it, since you have 17" of depth, maybe you could find a nice climbing perch in your yard or something (be sure to bake it for 30-60 minutes at 200-225F if you do). Others in here will vouch that some ball pythons seem to enjoy climbing (especially when juveniles) while others prefer low spots.

If you're using two heat pads, make sure you have a probe for each for constant temp monitoring. I love being able to just look and see what temp the UTH is without having to reach into tank and move hides and such to do a floor temp check. A temp gun as mentioned also works swell.
Your setup sounds good, go get your bp and post some pics!

More good ideas! Yeah Ill buy the two pads and start with just one see how that works first. Now the probe on the thermometer/hydrometers should be what say 2 inches above the cage floor?
Ill buy a clamp lamp with a 40 watt bulb just in case I need a little light for some reason,but other than that Ill let the ambient light in the room do the rest.

Also when I finaly am ready to buy the new addition any thing I should worry about if I buy local since it is cold as hell in Jersey. Im scared just a few minutes might harm the lil guy/gal.
I mean just to get to the car from my front door is like wrestling with a porcipine. Its that cold!
Other than these local shops Im realy not sure where to buy although I believe jennifer suggested one online source.

It's cold here in DC and I have to take my BP to the Vet
She told me to put in a turned out pillow case and knot it then put in a cooler with a hot water bottle or those hand warmers you can get at sporting stores.
Just make sure the old car is good and warm and the little BP's house is good and warm
Good Luck and please post pics as soon as ya can

actually, the digital one I suggested has a probe on a wire and then a sensor in the unit itself. You can stick the probe to the bottom of the enclosure or just leave it on the substrate -- the most important thing is to make sure the snake won't burn its belly. If it's in a Rubbermaid and the floor temp is 91F on the hot side, your air temp will almost certainly be fine, but you can double-check it by suspending the probe in the air (from a perch or hide) and checking it after 10 or 15 minutes. I think your plan with the light is a good one -- you can always up the wattage if you find your air temp is low.

I'd suggest finding a large Cool Whip type container or large kitchen rubbermaid type container with a good lid and getting a hand towel and a portable heat pad or the Hot Hands product to bring your snake home safely. You definitely don't want it to freeze on the way home.