New BP owner- help, please.

We just bought a ghost hypo ball python from a local pet store today. I had done research previously but the pet store gave me rather conflicting information about what we would need for the set up. I have her in a 20 gallon glass tank with a lid with paper grocery bags as substrate. The pet store said that a nocturnal infared heat lamp would provide adequate heat for her, so that's what I bought-- although I had read previously that under the tank heaters would need to be used? I made a hide for her out of an old plastic flower pot I cut in half. They store said she only needed one hide-- again I had read previously a hide should be on the warm and cool side?

First thing you need to do is forget everything the pet store told you and read this care sheet: http://ball-pythons.net/forums/showt...ius)-Caresheet :D

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Originally Posted by liv

First thing you need to do is forget everything the pet store told you and read this care sheet: http://ball-pythons.net/forums/showt...ius)-Caresheet :D

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my set up (not everything included)
Medium/Large Fifarium
Under tank heater
Thermostat
Thermometer
Hygrometer
Aspen bedding or Cypress mulch (nothing else)
1 small hide (depending on the size of your snake)
Water dish
you will need a spray bottle to keep mist up
feeding tongs
reptile disenfectant
etc..

Okay, read the sheet. I will go to the pet store tomorrow and get an under the tank heater, thermometer, and thermostat, different substrate, and a water bottle to mist her enclosure. Can I get a hygrometer there too, do you think?

Also, she's about a month old. The pet store said she was ready to eat a fuzzy, so we bought one and tried to feed her but she wanted nothing to do with it. She's very curious about her surroundings-- not shy at all.

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Originally Posted by kdm2865

Okay, read the sheet. I will go to the pet store tomorrow and get an under the tank heater, thermometer, and thermostat, different substrate, and a water bottle to mist her enclosure. Can I get a hygrometer there too, do you think?

Also, she's about a month old. The pet store said she was ready to eat a fuzzy, so we bought one and tried to feed her but she wanted nothing to do with it. She's very curious about her surroundings-- not shy at all.

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defo get a hygro meter im from the uk so not sure,
but feeding a fuzzy you should ger a hair dryer and blow the scent the fuzzy into the cage then try and feed him be patient with him when feeding, then just leave it in his cage and leave him for about 20 mins come back see whats happened :)

You should give your ball a week to settle in before attempting to feed it. Also, you don't need to go buy fancy substrate, paper towels or newspaper work great! I find them to be more sanitary than mulch and also easier to replace when they get soiled.

And of course, pictures of your new friend are necessary :gj:

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Originally Posted by kdm2865

Okay, read the sheet. I will go to the pet store tomorrow and get an under the tank heater, thermometer, and thermostat, different substrate, and a water bottle to mist her enclosure. Can I get a hygrometer there too, do you think?

Also, she's about a month old. The pet store said she was ready to eat a fuzzy, so we bought one and tried to feed her but she wanted nothing to do with it. She's very curious about her surroundings-- not shy at all.

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Go to Walmart and get an Accurite thermometer :) its about $12. place the probe over the uth, and place the unit on the cool side. It will measure both temperatures as well as humidity.

I agree with others- get the Accurite from walmart to keep track of temps & humidity.
Order Thermostat from amazon. Substrate, I agree with the others- the "mulch" may look more natural or nicer in a tank, but it is a PITA to clean - In my opinion.
Also go to reptile basics.com for hides. I also ordered moss & tank cleaner from them. (Great customer service.)

Im a newbie as well, but trust me. I learned the hard way of buying more expensive stuff from pet store, that my snake didn't really like. Then came here and found all this wonderful info. from the "experts" and wish I hadn't wasted the money that I did.

live & learn I guess :)

Thank you for the recommendation of Wal-Mart for the thermometer/hydrometer. They pet store told us to try and feed her today, of course! Here is a picture .. we haven't named her yet!

https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net..._5302546_n.jpg

Nice looking girl you have there and congratulations on your purchase! I won't add anything to what's been said, as all the advise has been sound and no use reinventing the wheel, lol! Toss the pet store advice out the window and you'll be fine. Good luck to you and welcome to BP.net! :gj:

That's not a Hypo...

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Congrats on the new addition!

However I do not believe that is a ghost hypo like the pet store told you...I hope they didn't take you on the price as well.

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Originally Posted by kdm2865

https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net..._5302546_n.jpg

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I don't know what the pet store charged you for that "hypo" but I would bring it back and get a actual hypo or your money back because that is not. Its a good looking bp don't get me wrong, but you were lied to.

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Originally Posted by coldbloodaddict

That's not a Hypo...

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+1, I hope you didn't pay ghost price. Either way it's a nice looking ball python, but no hypo.

She was $75... They had a lot of different morphs so I assumed they'd know what they were talking about... I guess not!! Now I'm upset. I don't really want to take her back though, I picked her because she's very tame and curious.

She's not a hypo. Is it possible that they said that she's het for hypo?

Re: not eating-- I'd give her a week before I offer food. Many of them need that long or even longer to settle in before they start eating.

x2 on using a care sheet and not the pet store "advice" on husbandry. I swear, some people think that because they sell you a rat that makes them a snake expert.

If she's just a normal, they should have charged me normal price though?? I'm not sure what to do. It will stress her out to take her back up there, she's just getting used to it here.

This is a small speciality reptile-only store. Basically a breeder started this store and runs it, that's why I thought they should be trusted.

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Originally Posted by kdm2865

If she's just a normal, they should have charged me normal price though?? I'm not sure what to do. It will stress her out to take her back up there, she's just getting used to it here.

This is a small speciality reptile-only store. Basically a breeder started this store and runs it, that's why I thought they should be trusted.

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At a pet store, that seems to be the going rate for a normal even tho it's wildly over priced. It's up to you what you want to do, personally I would go back and tell them that you were told you were receiving and hypo ball for that price and ask to exchange the normal for a hypo for no additional charge. They are the ones that dropped the ball lying to you.
Here's a pic of my hypo to give you an idea of what one may look like, some have more orange to them. Look for a faded look and really light head. http://img.tapatalk.com/46bcafec-de7b-a8d9.jpg
http://img.tapatalk.com/46bcafec-dea7-6b6a.jpg

They had normals there for $45. She doesn't look anything like any of the normals they had- which is why I believed them I guess! LOL.

Make sure you let her settle in without handling her for a week or two. If she is "curious" she is probably stressed out. They typically hide. And definately follow the advice in the caresheet. Good place to get hides and thermostat is Reptile Basics. Welcome to the addiction!! :)

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I decided to try and feed her today since the mouse I had bought on Saturday was going to die soon, and I didn't think she'd much like it dead. She ate it no problem this time!

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Originally Posted by kdm2865

I decided to try and feed her today since the mouse I had bought on Saturday was going to die soon, and I didn't think she'd much like it dead. She ate it no problem this time!

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Just out of curiousity, why was the mouse "going to die soon?" Did you not offer it any water or veggies/grains to eat? You can keep a mouse until it dies of old age if your snake won't eat it, so I am just curious about your statement.

About the mouse, I did feed it a piece of dog food. It was in a tiny tupperware though and it seemed pretty stressed. I don't have a place to keep mice long-term, the only place would be the garage which is very hot here in the summer and wouldn't be good for it either. I'd rather have the snake eat it and get it over with than have it suffer in a tiny tupperware for weeks.

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Originally Posted by kdm2865

I'd rather have the snake eat it and get it over with than have it suffer in a tiny tupperware for weeks.

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Agreed, I was just curious is all, and I'm glad that she ate! Are you wanting to move her up to rats anytime soon? I switch mine as soon as I get them if they aren't on rats already. I feel like they are better nutritionally and am of the opinion that the longer you wait the harder it will be.

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Originally Posted by gsarchie

Agreed, I was just curious is all, and I'm glad that she ate! Are you wanting to move her up to rats anytime soon? I switch mine as soon as I get them if they aren't on rats already. I feel like they are better nutritionally and am of the opinion that the longer you wait the harder it will be.

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Yes, I'm going to switch her to fuzzy rats as of next feed :) I'm also buying her a new hide tonight-- she stays in the one I made but I don't think it's small/dark enough for her (it's half of a small flower-pot)

Good to hear. I personally like to find hides that are as cozy as possible with the snake being just barely able to fit inside, although I've never bothered to ask my snakes if that is what they like. ( : With my corns I have used bark peeled off of a tree for them to hide under and they always seem happy/healthy to me!

I know a lot of people on here say to get a hygrometer (at least I think that they have in this thread) but I am going to differ from that and say that there is no need. The only time they truly need the humidity is when they are a day or so out from shedding. I do mist down my snakes vivs every once in a while but I have never nor will I ever use a hygrometer for anything other than egg incubation or my cigar humidor! Even in CO, where I live now and where the relative humidity is always around 20 something percent, my snakes do just fine with mistings primarily when they go opaque and are about to shed. One way to look at it is that keeping ball pythons, as with many other hobbies, can be as technical or as simple as you want to make them. I prefer to keep it simple and let what evolution has developed over millions of years function as it was meant to function.

To anyone who will post stating that they feel otherwise, I know how you feel and don't want to debate the issues, I'm just offering my advice to the OP.

Thank you for the advice. I have been looking at them online but I really don't think I need one. Current humidity in my part of the US is 57% I also have a rather large dish of water in there which probably helps keep it humid as well.