How Is Our Setup For Our New BP?

We recently purchased a gorgeous little ball python, and it (we currently don't know the gender) is fitting in very nicely. After having a look through the many resources there are available here and on other forums, I still have a few questions regarding the setup we are currently using, and would greatly appreciate some pointers!

Our Current Setup

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Our setup as of today is as follows:

• 50 Gallon Tank
• Basic Tank-Wide UTH
• Newspaper Substrate
• Single Hide
• 1/2" Deep large Water Bowl
• Climbing/Enrichment Synthetic Tree
• Enrichment Hammock
• Temperature Gun
• Separate Feeding Container
• 75W Heating Bulb
• Feeding Tongs
• Temperature Gradient: 74 F - 90 F
• Basking Area: 90 F

Incoming Improvements

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Below is a quick list of things that I know our little guy needs, and am currently making an effort to get for him/her:

• A second hide in the cool area of the tank
• A smaller enclosure

Questions I Have

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Although we have done quite a bit of research, we are still unclear on some issues:

• The ambient temperature in the enclosure is currently too low (see above), however I do not know how to increase this temperature. Considering our BP already has a heating pad, would it be too much to also have a heating lamp? Would this be something we only did in the winter?
• Regardless of whether or not we use a heating lamp, we will still provide a light source, but will it hurt the BP's eyes if it is placed directly on top of the cage? Should we elevate it a few inches off the top to prevent burns / discomfort?
• I'm currently drying some coconut fiber as a soft substrate, however am having doubts as to whether or not it will be better than the newspaper. I've heard conflicting reviews with the negative points lingering on the fact that the snake could ingest some of the loose fibers and form an impaction. Is this accurate?
• What are the actual benefits of smaller enclosures? It seems that it would just be harder to implement a good heat gradient in a smaller environment. It might be worth it to note that we did try to partition the big enclosure, but the little rascal kept climbing over into the side with no substrate.
• He seems to be lingering in his hide (which is in the warm side of the enclosure) during the day. Is this simply because of his nocturnal nature? Or could it be a flag for something else?

Thank you very much for taking the time to read this! Any advice to help get this little guy settled in would be greatly appreciated :)

I'm really new to BPs as well; the one thing I didn't see in your setup is a thermostat to regulate the UTH. Depending on brand, under-tank heating pads can sometimes skyrocket temperature-wise and without a thermostat to keep the temperatures within a safe range, a snake can end up with burns.

You may have one and just didn't list it?

Outside of that issue, I have to bow to the expertise of the other keepers because mine is severely limited :) Congratulations on your new addition (and yes, the cool side hide you're acquiring is excellent :gj:)

The hiding is good in most cases. A hiding ball python, is a happy ball python.

x2 on the Thermostat.

Also, how are you monitoring humidity? They need a humidity around 60% and can be hard to keep in tanks.

I'm also not too experienced with tanks, so I'll leave the rest to someone else.

Thanks! We are loving the little guy. We considered purchasing a thermostat, however not for the same reasons you have mentioned here. Sounds like I should definitely invest in one, though. The UTH doesn't seem to get as hot as it would need to be for the basking area so we might be able to use it to increase the temperature slightly, too.

Understandable! Thanks for being honest :P

Ahh, I should have mentioned that we have a Hygrometer in the enclosure that reads a consistent 60% humidity. Are these meters well-known for their reliability? It hasn't moved since and it doesn't seem very humid in the enclosure (newspaper substrate, and all).

Also, I will clarify for others in the thread that the basking area caps out at 94F.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Squagem

Ahh, I should have mentioned that we have a Hygrometer in the enclosure that reads a consistent 60% humidity. Are these meters well-known for their reliability? It hasn't moved since and it doesn't seem very humid in the enclosure (newspaper substrate, and all).

Also, I will clarify for others in the thread that the basking area caps out at 94F.

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I use an Acu-Rite Thermometer/Hygrometer combo I picked up from Walmost for about $10. Seems to be what most people use on here. They are generally fairly accurate.

Those AcuRite combos are pretty awesome for reading ambient temps and humidity. It also has a probe that I place on the basking spot. Got mine for around $13 with taxes. I guess price varies at different locations.


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Quote:

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Originally Posted by Squagem

We recently purchased a gorgeous little ball python, and it (we currently don't know the gender) is fitting in very nicely. After having a look through the many resources there are available here and on other forums, I still have a few questions regarding the setup we are currently using, and would greatly appreciate some pointers!

Our Current Setup

---

Our setup as of today is as follows:

• 50 Gallon Tank
• Basic Tank-Wide UTH
• Newspaper Substrate
• Single Hide
• 1/2" Deep large Water Bowl
• Climbing/Enrichment Synthetic Tree
• Enrichment Hammock
• Temperature Gun
• Separate Feeding Container
• 75W Heating Bulb
• Feeding Tongs
• Temperature Gradient: 74 F - 90 F
• Basking Area: 90 F

Incoming Improvements

---

Below is a quick list of things that I know our little guy needs, and am currently making an effort to get for him/her:

• A second hide in the cool area of the tank
• A smaller enclosure

Questions I Have

---

Although we have done quite a bit of research, we are still unclear on some issues:

• The ambient temperature in the enclosure is currently too low (see above), however I do not know how to increase this temperature. Considering our BP already has a heating pad, would it be too much to also have a heating lamp? Would this be something we only did in the winter?
• Regardless of whether or not we use a heating lamp, we will still provide a light source, but will it hurt the BP's eyes if it is placed directly on top of the cage? Should we elevate it a few inches off the top to prevent burns / discomfort?
• I'm currently drying some coconut fiber as a soft substrate, however am having doubts as to whether or not it will be better than the newspaper. I've heard conflicting reviews with the negative points lingering on the fact that the snake could ingest some of the loose fibers and form an impaction. Is this accurate?
• What are the actual benefits of smaller enclosures? It seems that it would just be harder to implement a good heat gradient in a smaller environment. It might be worth it to note that we did try to partition the big enclosure, but the little rascal kept climbing over into the side with no substrate.
• He seems to be lingering in his hide (which is in the warm side of the enclosure) during the day. Is this simply because of his nocturnal nature? Or could it be a flag for something else?

Thank you very much for taking the time to read this! Any advice to help get this little guy settled in would be greatly appreciated :)

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Congrats on getting your ball python! Here are some things I picked up on, listed in bullets to keep me on track, and in no particular order:

• Your tank is very large for a hatchling. BPs tend to get stressed out in open spaces; it could throw off their feeding response. You can work with the 50gal by cluttering it with more hides and balls of crumpled up newspaper (or plants, etc. to fit in with your theme).
• An overhead bulb should be okay to adjust the heat gradient. That said, BPs are nocturnal and need a day/night cycle. There's debate to whether or not a lot of reptiles can see the red "night bulbs" so I personally won't use them.
• As far as impaction/ingestion goes, I was told not to worry when I was concerned about using aspen shavings. The guy gave me a deadpan look and said, "they swallow mice whole, I don't think you're gonna have a problem."
• A happy BP is a hiding BP. It's a good thing that he's sitting in the hide. The only thing you should do (and you're already lined up to do this) is get more hides in there so he has some variety and is able to thermoregulate. Closed hides with small openings are recommended over half-log styles. BPs like to be "hugged" by their hides.

You seem to be on the right track! You're in the home stretch now in terms of start-up stuff. Enjoy your new little friend!

You HAVE to get a thermostat. I is the most important item when keeping a ball python. The uth will eventually burn out, or burn your snake. It may not feel hot but our hands are at 86-92 degrees (depending on if you were outside in the cold). 90 should be the absolute max. They come from a tropical savanna and the average yearly temperature is 86 degrees and they basically dwell underground most of the day. They are seen basking during the day but that's quite rare as they tend to be shy little critters.

As for substrate there have been people that have no problems and some people that do. It's up to you. They can really digest plant material all to well, after all they are carnivores. But they are also found in some forests as well, and with forest comes leaves and leaves eventually drop to the ground. So I would imagine they would be ok.

Yes definitely get a thermostat. They are needed to not only keep you animals safe but to also keep the right temperature without having to mess with bulbs.
News paper as substrate is nice and easy but not very appealing to the eye. You can use a lot of different substrates and coconut is fine, but newspaper/paper towels are just a lot easier to clean.
Also I noticed you got a feeding tub. Now this is a controversial topic but I don't like feeding tubs. I think it actually stresses out the snake too much, and I think it is more likely to cause cage aggression (which is the opposite of the feeding tub theory).
Other than all that keep researching and asking questions.

Thank you everyone for your informed replies! I was unable to reach a computer as of late, so let me compile a quick list of things I've learned from everyone so far:

• Get a thermostat (Ordered this morning!)
• Coconut fiber will be a good substrate as long as it is not thick enough to detract from the belly heat
• Although he is hiding, this is common especially during his first week in the new enclosure
• Clutter the enclosure more to obtain the illusion of a small, safe space (made him a little maze this morning with empty toilet paper rolls and newspaper :D)
• Using the light to heat the enclosure slightly to compensate for the size is a good idea and would emulate the sun in a natural environment

I'd like to thank everyone again for their kind responses. I'll keep searching for creative and safe ways to make sure our little guy has an awesome life in his new family.

Hooray for the thermostat! I love mine, and I just feel comfortable knowing my snakes' temperatures are safely regulated. Yeah, I'm a huge dork, but I figure at least my dorkiness focuses on making sure my snakes are okay :)

Okay, half of them are my son's, but considering he's 9 the buck stops with me :D

Your Bp WILL hide most of the time, no matter how long you've had him. It's a very good thing.

If he's roaming and active a lot, that's when you should be concerned ;)

Yes, definitely. Considering there are currently no visual cues that the thermal pad is working, a thermostat seems like such an important part of the setup.

As far as the mobility goes, it's really comforting to know that he is in fact behaving normally - I just want to see him play in his awesome tree branch! Haha, I'm sure once he settles in he will be fine.

Thanks for the additional input guys :).