New bp parent!!...pumped but almost as nervous as I was with my newborn daughter!!..

How damp should the tank be? I just got him today, n forgot all about the humidifier, my friend which is experienced said to spray him down, but didn't specify to what extent. I'll be out tomorrow first thing after mass to get it along with other decor for his home, he found his hide n just chills there now.

lets see, he is in a 10G tank, small heating pad (which is too small, but should do for a day or two) a lamp, water bowl, n hide. So it's kinda bare, but will be provided w/ more security SOON!!!...

i got five more days till his next feeding, I got his last three fed records, pinky 2x n then a rat pup. The breeder said at their age they transition from live to frozen well. But the food vendor had another opinion, he did offer tips to help if he didn't take right away.

now, I've read once you get him home to wait two days before holding, and then I've heard to wait a week, I can be patient, but I wanna hold him, I did let him sit in my lap on the ride home w my palm over him n then let him wrap around my hand, after a lil bit he wanted to slither around, either to run n hide or just feeling out the environment, tho I'm sure the prior

and lastly (for now) how can I tell if he's stressed, not content, hungry ect...

ive read a bit, n watched a lot, but nothing does the trick like one on one communication, so any advice beyond my requests are anticipated and appreciated, as well as any scolding along the way, I'm new and have no issues being corrected for the health of Gabriel, I want him to live a full life, of course...

Welcome to the Forum!! I hope you learn a lot, and that Gabriel benefits from the info you get here.


Humidity should be around 50% most of the time, but during shed it should be around 70-80%. If you haven't already, I would recommend getting the Accurite 00891 (?) from Walmart...it is a hygrometer-thermometer combo with a 10 foot probe, so you can read the warm side temp, cool side temp, and the humidity on a digital display. The analog thermometers/hygrometers can be unreliable.

Heat pads are great for getting the substrate heated up so the snake can get belly heat. They will heat the general area over where they are set, but cannot do much more to heat the air. Also, they can be unreliable heat wise. Mine will go over 100 F, even though it isn't rated to go over 90 F. I recommend using a Hydrofarm thermostat (Amazon for $35) to regulate the temp on the warm side. 90-92 F is the desired temp for the warm side ( that's what your thermometer for the warm end should read).

Air temperature is more easily controlled by use of a heat lamp. These will heat the substrate directly below them, will heat the ambient air, but will also dry the air out as well. These should also be used with a lamp dimmer (Home Depot/Lowes has them) so they can be controlled. Mine will heat my tank up to 108 F after only 20 minutes!!

To determine how often/what you should feed, some pics would be great as would a weight as well (I'm not in possession of all the technical detail in this regard, but others can definitely help you on that question).


Hope that helps; sorry for the length, but I hope it answers some of your questions

The more length the more details and better understanding! I spent a month reading and watching, and now the day is here and I feel a lil unprepared. I'm sure ill adjust before anything severe happens.

as for pics, I'll take some morrow, I need to put a lil more bedding down, n when I pull him out for that I'll take a couple quick pics. I wanna hold him, but don't wanna stress him out! So check back morrow!!..

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Originally Posted by Plite

and lastly (for now) how can I tell if he's stressed, not content, hungry ect...

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There's a phrase around the forum- "A happy ball is a hiding ball!" When he is stressed he will be out and pacing his enclosure, and it usually means something in the husbandry isn't quite right. Now, that said, the first week or so he might be agitated, so don't freak out too much if he roams the tank during the day. It's a big change, and he will explore. Just make sure he has two snug fitting hides (One on the cool end, one on the warm end) and plenty of darkness at night.

Read EVERYTHING you can! There's a lovely Ball Python caresheet on the forum which has good solid guidelines for nearly everything you need to know. :)

Welcome to the dark side! :hug:

Awesome!!!...I did check him this morning, uncovered the tank n turn the lamp back on. I held him in my palm for a bit, to help warm him in case he got a lil chilly, then sat him in my lap, which after this his breathing settled a lil, so when I saw him breathing like what I considered a moderate pant could just have been him being startled. And he seems to be pretty content with me.

im headed to get a humidifier, n possibly another heating pad, n a digital thermometer. Plus some other stuff the decorate his home with.

he isn't scheduled to eat till the 19th so I may try and see if he will take a f/t pup a day early, if he doesn't take after a few attempts I'll wait till the next day and try again, I'll cave after two or three days n pick up a live pup.

also, do you guys travel with you BP?...if say you would be gone for a few days plus..

I would not recommend traveling with your BP...it will only stress him out. Also, if he doesn't eat on the first attempt, wait at least 5 days before trying to feed again. Offering food more often than that is also stressful.

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Originally Posted by Plite

also, do you guys travel with you BP?...if say you would be gone for a few days plus..

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I don't generally travel with any of my snakes other than the 2-3hr drive we took from our breeder bringing them home. I have taken 2 of them on a short 40min drive to my moms and they tolerated it really well. It's no different than if you were transporting snakes to an expo or something. You just have to make sure they feel secure and are warm enough. I wouldn't recommend doing any traveling with him for a few months to ensure he's settled and well established on his meals. There's times where I'm not able to handle my snakes on a daily basis and they end up not being out for a week or more. You shouldn't really be handling your new lil one much for the first couple weeks anyway, so going away for a few days won't be an issue. Just make sure you've given a meal prior to leaving & make sure your temps & humididty are stable and he'll be fine :D

As for humidity, I don't even use hygrometers. I play it by eye. I mist their tub lids daily & a bit more when they're shedding. I generally use the condensation on the side of the tubs as a good indicator. I like having a slight fog on them on a regular day and increase it to see some droplets when they're in the shedding process. I've never had issues with their sheds either. All in one piece every time. I've heard plastic tubs hold humidity in somewhat better than glass, so using a hygrometer may be a good idea for you.

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Originally Posted by timely.grace

As for humidity, I don't even use hygrometers. I play it by eye. I mist their tub lids daily & a bit more when they're shedding. I generally use the condensation on the side of the tubs as a good indicator. I like having a slight fog on them on a regular day and increase it to see some droplets when they're in the shedding process. I've never had issues with their sheds either. All in one piece every time. I've heard plastic tubs hold humidity in somewhat better than glass, so using a hygrometer may be a good idea for you.

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I thought that condensation meant 80% or higher and there isn't enough ventilation, and that it was unhealthy?

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Originally Posted by Poseidon

I thought that condensation meant 80% or higher and there isn't enough ventilation, and that it was unhealthy?

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My "condensation" is more of a light fog around the top of the lids than anything. I bump it up a wee bit when they're starting to shed so I can see more on the sides. Maybe "droplets" was a bad word haha. A lot of condensation can cause mold & certain infections, but I have pretty basic tubs set up. Paper towel substrate, hides & water bowl. I always do a quick wipe down if I feel like it's a bit too humid. :D

alright guys, i got a couple pics up under members galleries names gabriel. i still havent figured this site out completely so let me know if you guys have any trouble. i had a video of him running around his tank but it took too long to upload!!!!....

If you go to imageshack you can set up a free account and post the photos there. You can then use the picture link button to paste the URL and post the picture here on this thread

Imageshack- 10-4!!!...he seems highly active, but my mentor said it was normal at their age. Still haven't gotten him out for any longer to check on him (literally 30 sec to a minute).

As far as me asking about traveling with him. I have no plans to go far with him, and nowhere with him at his age. Just curious bc I see owners carry theirs around to shows and schools, eventually I would like to carry to places here n there, but never far or for prolonged periods...

tomorrow will be my first attempt with feeding him the f/t pup, my friend will be over Wednesday to check up on my set up n help feed if he doesn't take to his new diet. She has had mixed responses in her experience with swapping diets...

thanks guys!!...you're being a great help!!...

Ok sweetie, I'll add a little bit.

A humidifer is NOT NEEDED. Especially an in tank one, there is a real danger of baby getting inside it and getting stuck. I could tell you some horror stories. Do yourself a big favor, visit the husbandry forums here and read, read, read. There is a LOT of info on tanks and tank setups. Tanks are much harder to maintain, but it can be done. In general, you do not want a screen top. Screen tops do not hold humidity at all. You can purchase or make a plexiglas top, you only need a small area left open for circulation. Heat lamps are unnecessary unless your house is cold. Ambient temps should be around 75-78, which is what most houses are normally kept at. Make sure his heat mat has a thermostat, that is critical, because they can and will cook your baby.

It's a very good idea to black out the back and both ends of his tank, he needs privacy and security, and that will help immensely. When you purchase items for his tank, be sure to buy snake safe items. Nothing with small holes, no plants with plastic loops where baby can get caught, nothing metal that might rust, nothing with chemicals or paint that will flake off or anything that might mold or mildew, with the high humidity it will happen if you aren't careful. If you choose a decoration for baby to climb on, make sure it is low and very stable. Ball pythons are not normally climbers, and are very clumsy and will fall easily.

As far as traveling with baby, you can now and then, but a big thing to remember is traveling exposes baby to all kinds of nasty things, including bugs and diseases. And a huge thing for us reptile keepers is, not everyone out there loves our pets the way we do, and it is up to us to make sure to respect that. Don't take baby to parks or stores or other public places without express permission or an invitation. The last thing you or any of us needs is to cause a scene with a phobic person and give the politicians and crazy animal groups more ammunition to take our pets away from us.

This place has the most info anywhere for caring for and loving our terrific pets, so read, read, read, read.

Gale

Hey Gale! Thanks a ton, based on what you've said I got his home adequate. I'll read the husbadries section for sure. And tonight I will make the first attempt to feed him f/t food. What is you personal take on feeding inside or outside his tank?...

Inside hon. Always inside. There is a persistent myth out there that feeding in the home enclosure causes aggression. With ball pythons that's just baloney. If anything, you are MORE likely to get bitten moving a recently fed snake who is still in hunt mode back into it's home enclosure, than you ever will be by feeding in the home enclosure. I have a total of 37 ball pythons, counting babies. And every last one get's fed right in it's tub. I've never been bitten as a result. I've had a few close calls as a result of being too slow with dinner, but that's not aggression. If you take too long with my food when I'm hungry, I'm liable to try and bite too.

There is a trick to feeding f/t. First you must make sure the prey is totally and completely thawed all the way through. I had a bad experience with thinking the food was thawed when it wasn't and it caused me a few sleepless nights when someone got sick as a result. Once the prey is totally thawed out, remove the hide or hides from the tank so the baby knows something its up. Make sure you DO NOT handle the prey just before reaching into the tank! Bring the prey next to the tank and lay it down. Get a hairdryer and a set of tongs, because an excited ball has lousy aim sometimes and accidents do happen. Use the hairdryer to gently warm the prey all over, being sure to blow the warm rattie/mousie breezes in the direction of the tank. Once the prey is nicely warm all over, grip it by the loose skin on the nape of the neck, and hit just the head with the hair dryer for 15-30 seconds. You want that head super hot. Ball pythons see in heat, and you want dinner giving off a massive heat signature when you offer it to minimize the chance of baby mistaking your warm hand for dinner. Offer the prey close to the baby, but not right in front of. Off to one side is best. Don't move it about wildly, just a gentle little giggle and if things go well, baby will have it off those tongs before you even know what happened. If baby is reluctant, do a slow and gentle wiggle back and forth an inch or two, make it seem like dinner is moving around on it's own. This is called the "zombie dance". The idea is not to imitate the Rockettes, but just to entice baby with this tasty, wiggly morsel. If baby still hesitates, gently remove the prey and rewarm the head before offering again. It's ok the second time to do a little more of a zombie dance. If baby still refuses. Gently lay the prey down, cover the tank, dim the lights and leave the room for 30 minutes. When you return, most likely dinner will be gone. If not, time to remove dinner and wait at least 5 days before trying again.

I wish you guys all the best.

Gale

He took it!!!!...I ran very very hot water over the lil moussie for a while, I did put Gabriel in a small box, and dangled the food over and around him. I feel bad though, it startled me the first time he snapped and I pulled away, with his dinner, I then sat it down, he scoped it out, but didn't take, I waited, rewarmed, the dangled again. He took it!!!...I very easily placed the box back in his tank, and when he crawled out and under I removed the box, and replaced his decor...it's awesome, truly!!!...

Gale: I didn't read this before I fed him, my phone died and I can't use the Internet at home while my wife is taking online test, I get a sense you're dead on though, I could be a little off w/ your formula above, and next time I'll be more persice...but it was a smaller dinner than I thought, I may try n give him another meal in a few days....honestly I need measurements to give so you guys can let me know exactly what size and/or how many he should be given....


Im so pumped right now!!!....like when I taught both my daughters how to ride their bikes w/ no training wheels, only down a couple notches, I mean it's not my flesh n blood, but highly priding!!!....

Glad to hear that he ate for you. The next time he poops, try to get a weight on him so that we can determine what prey size is appropriate for him. You can use a kitchen type digital scale that is commonly available at stores like Target or Walmart. I got mine at Walmart for about $20 and it can handle up to 5000g (11lbs). Ideally you want to feed him prey that is about 10-15% of his body weight, and large enough to produce a small lump in his body. You should also pick up a combination thermometer/hygrometer. Walmart also carries these....I bought Accurite model 00325W digital meters for all of my tanks for $8.94/each.