first snake

So i have always found snakes intriguing but my parents have never been okay with it so that dream had to wait. Well i have recently gotten an apartment and now am looking to get a snake. i have done quite a bit of research on them and believe myself to be ready. Because i have never owned a snake before i want a ball python due to how little maintenance they require compared to some other snakes. Someone i know had a 55 gallon glass tank with a locking lid that i was able to get and that's all i have so far. i have also contacted a friend of my mother and this is what i was recommended:

"I would go with a 100 watt basking bulb (Zoomed), Lamp fixture (Flukers). A mix of Eco earth bedding and Reptibark (zoomed) A large water dish big enough for the snake to fit in (Brand Doesnt matter) A large piece of driftwood for the hot side of the tank for basking (opposite the water dish) and your two thermometers for hot/cool side"

I want to provide my snake everything it needs to live a long and a happy life so does what i was told fit all the requirements for a ball python? i have done plenty of research and have more and more questions popping up in my head as I read more. will my tank be okay sitting on my hardwood floor or should i get a stand of some sorts? will a 100 watt bulb be enough for my snake? what are the general thoughts on CHE/UTHs? I know that two is the minimum for hiding spots, but should i get more?

I am not planning on purchasing the animal until my tank is set up fully and all my questions are answered to the point where i feel comfortable in my knowledge of how to care for a ball python.

Thank you in advance for all the help you guys can provide

Not sure about a che never used one but I use a regular heating pad like the ones you find at a drug store for around $15 on all 3 of my snake tanks and they keep the temp where it needs to be.

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Originally Posted by Ragnar

So i have always found snakes intriguing but my parents have never been okay with it so that dream had to wait. Well i have recently gotten an apartment and now am looking to get a snake. i have done quite a bit of research on them and believe myself to be ready. Because i have never owned a snake before i want a ball python due to how little maintenance they require compared to some other snakes. Someone i know had a 55 gallon glass tank with a locking lid that i was able to get and that's all i have so far. i have also contacted a friend of my mother and this is what i was recommended:

"I would go with a 100 watt basking bulb (Zoomed), Lamp fixture (Flukers). A mix of Eco earth bedding and Reptibark (zoomed) A large water dish big enough for the snake to fit in (Brand Doesnt matter) A large piece of driftwood for the hot side of the tank for basking (opposite the water dish) and your two thermometers for hot/cool side"

I want to provide my snake everything it needs to live a long and a happy life so does what i was told fit all the requirements for a ball python? i have done plenty of research and have more and more questions popping up in my head as I read more. will my tank be okay sitting on my hardwood floor or should i get a stand of some sorts? will a 100 watt bulb be enough for my snake? what are the general thoughts on CHE/UTHs? I know that two is the minimum for hiding spots, but should i get more?

I am not planning on purchasing the animal until my tank is set up fully and all my questions are answered to the point where i feel comfortable in my knowledge of how to care for a ball python.

Thank you in advance for all the help you guys can provide

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1. I do not recommend a heat/basking bulb. Ball Python's need a good amount of humidity (55-70%) and the water vapor (humidity is water vapor) will essentially rise and be "baked" out of the enclosure. Therefore I recommend getting an under Tank Heater (A.k.a UTH/Heat mat). You will also want something called a thermostat. It controls the temperature of your hest source (I.E UTH, Heat lamp) to prevent over heating and under heating. I can link one if you'd like. Other than that it sounds like your enclosure should be fine. Things you will want to invest in to complete your setup
1. Thermostat
2. UTH
3. Thermometer/Hygrometer combo. (Look up Acurite Home Comfort Monitor)
And then you'll want to cover 3/4 of the mesh screen with something to keep in humidity. Hope this helps!

Erik

Thank you for the prompt responses guys.
Erik, i do have a few more questions to you since you seem to know your stuff. You recommended me to not use a heat lamp, will a UTH alone be enough for the tank? also i know they come in different sizes and strengths, can you by any chance point me in the right direction with the UTH and a thermostat. and how does the UTH work exactly, does it go under the tank or under my substrate? is it for the entire tank or just one side (hot side)? I thoroughly appreciate all the help since i want to make sure that i have everything right before i do the snake shopping. Also, my mother's friend works at a local small pet store, is that a good place to purchase a snake or should i find a snake breeder or something? He has told me that they will be getting some CBB babies in two weeks. Thanks again.

Ragnar

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Originally Posted by Ragnar

So i have always found snakes intriguing but my parents have never been okay with it so that dream had to wait. Well i have recently gotten an apartment and now am looking to get a snake. i have done quite a bit of research on them and believe myself to be ready. Because i have never owned a snake before i want a ball python due to how little maintenance they require compared to some other snakes. Someone i know had a 55 gallon glass tank with a locking lid that i was able to get and that's all i have so far. i have also contacted a friend of my mother and this is what i was recommended:

"I would go with a 100 watt basking bulb (Zoomed), Lamp fixture (Flukers). A mix of Eco earth bedding and Reptibark (zoomed) A large water dish big enough for the snake to fit in (Brand Doesnt matter) A large piece of driftwood for the hot side of the tank for basking (opposite the water dish) and your two thermometers for hot/cool side"

I want to provide my snake everything it needs to live a long and a happy life so does what i was told fit all the requirements for a ball python? i have done plenty of research and have more and more questions popping up in my head as I read more. will my tank be okay sitting on my hardwood floor or should i get a stand of some sorts? will a 100 watt bulb be enough for my snake? what are the general thoughts on CHE/UTHs? I know that two is the minimum for hiding spots, but should i get more?

I am not planning on purchasing the animal until my tank is set up fully and all my questions are answered to the point where i feel comfortable in my knowledge of how to care for a ball python.

Thank you in advance for all the help you guys can provide

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First off, what temp is the room you're going to keep the tank in? This will help determine what type of heat source you'll need. A 55 gal is pretty darn big. I would recommend getting flex watt, otherwise you'll probably need about 4 UTH. I have a 55 gal acrylic tank that I flipped on it's side and added two hinged doors. I have to use a CHE on my hot side, and I'm pretty happy with it. I would stay away from a light emitting bulb, because you could have some drastic temp swings when you turn it off, especially if that's your only heat source.

You can use cypress mulch to help with the humidity issues you might have. I use aspen, with two humid hides filled with damp sphagnum moss. I also modified a humidifier to pipe into the tank. I don't usually use that unless it's shedding time though.

You could always start off with a CHE and whichever substrate, let that run for a few days, and see what your temps and humidity is like, then adjust from there. I know when I first started, I bought all this crap I didn't need (dual bulb light fixtures, bad hides, etc). Hopefully you can avoid that and save some dough!
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thank you mootworm, currently the house is sitting at 70 and the temp does drop a few degrees at night. so far my biggest concerns are the temp and humidity control. what are the biggest pros/cons of CHEs/UTHs? so far my plan of action is to first get all the stuff i'd need and set up the tank and see how my temp and humidity are before even getting a snake. but still, CHE, UTH, or flexwatt?

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Originally Posted by Ragnar

thank you mootworm, currently the house is sitting at 70 and the temp does drop a few degrees at night. so far my biggest concerns are the temp and humidity control. what are the biggest pros/cons of CHEs/UTHs? so far my plan of action is to first get all the stuff i'd need and set up the tank and see how my temp and humidity are before even getting a snake. but still, CHE, UTH, or flexwatt?

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Ok sounds like your house is pretty cool. You may struggle maintaining high enough temps. The biggest pros about CHE would be that they heat a large amount of space, are fairly inexpensive, and can be run 24/7. The only con is that they can dry out an enclosure unless you take measures to maintain humidity. I'd definitely recommend covering the majority of the screen with plastic wrap/aluminum foil/duct tape.

The issue with UTH is that they're small. If you only get one for the hot side, the cool side will be sitting around 70, which is far too cool. You could get away with a CHE on the hot side and a UTH on the cool side. But UTH are pretty expensive for what you're getting. I think even the medium size runs about 25 bucks. Flex watt can be a bit confusing, but there are awesome tutorials on how to get it set up, and it's only a few dollars a foot.

Oh, and I forgot to add, you'll need a separate thermostat for EACH UTH, which will really dig into your budget. Unless you get something like a herpstat 4.

Are you planning to get a hatchling? That tank might be a bit big, you usually want to start out with about a 10-20 gallon for a hatchling, because they can feel overwhelmed in a huge tank. Others may tell you to get something smaller for right now, but maybe not, I have no personal experience with that. If you are going to use it for a hatchling, you should darken 3/4 sides with black paper (or whatever you like), it may help. You'll really have to clutter it up in order for it to feel secure in there. I would say get a UTH and a thermostat to control it. You can get a cheaper thermostat for around $30 that will do the job (like a Hydrofarm). I need a lamp and bulb to keep the ambient temp of my tank at 80F, but only use a 60W blue night bulb for my ~40 gal enclosure and put it on the screen top in the middle. To combat the loss of humidity, I cover a lot of the screen top with aluminum foil. It's a good idea to get 2 identical hides for the cooler and warm (over the UTH) side. This is so they don't chose a favorite hide over thermoregulation. For the warm side get a thermometer with a probe to measure the substrate temp, and for the cooler side get a hygrometer/thermometer combo. Accurite make a good hygrometer/thermometer combo. The suggested substrate is fine, but I personally use aspen right now. A large piece of driftwood is nice to have, but not so much for basking (they are nocturnal and don't bask in heat from above), but they do have a tendency to climb on it, which is fun to watch and gives them something to do. I'd also buy some stick on vines and stuff to make him feel more secure and add to the clutter. The water dish doesn't have to be big enough to soak in, but with a cage that size, you might as well get a big one. I have heard on here by many people that a healthy BP shouldn't be soaking, and if it is, it probably has mites. Some people's healthy BPs may like to soak, I'm not sure, I know some poop in the water. Mine just drink from it. Oh, and I suggest looking at different morphs and picking one you like, if you get a normal and you come on here regularly, you will probably want a morph in no time. You can get some morphs like pastels for not too much more than normals.

You will find people's opinions on a lot of stuff will vary, and very rarely do 2 people do things in exactly the same way, so listen to the advice and then mix and match to do what feels right to you. Good luck getting your first snake!

so from what i understand i would want to get a CHE for the hot side and run it 24/7 (would i need a thermostat/rheostat to run with it?). and some flexwatt or another UTH for the cool side. would it be a problem if it's heating the hot side from the top and the cool side from the bottom? does the tank need a light as well or will the natural day/night cycle be sufficient for a snake? as you can see i'm really trying to get my ducks in a row before i actually own a snake. And i would need to cover a good portion of the screen with something to keep the humidity in, right? and it makes sense to me to have the hot side uncovered for the heat from the CHE to transmit heat properly.

Since most others have touched on pretty much everything, a 55 gal is way too big, I wouldn't even house a big adult in that.

Welcome to the forums on the other hand.

Shera, thanks for all the advice. so far i've been more or less mixing the people's recommendations and looking around the forum for cool stuff in between your guys' posts. ill have to add pictures once the setup is completed for more words of wisdom on what i did right and what i could improve on. thanks alot

Neal, thanks for the input, but is a 55 Gal still manageable? would it be too big even if i were to clutter it with lots of stuff. i don't mind the extra cleaning that comes with it since i have plenty of time on my hands and have no problem to get it all done?

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Originally Posted by Ragnar

so from what i understand i would want to get a CHE for the hot side and run it 24/7 (would i need a thermostat/rheostat to run with it?). and some flexwatt or another UTH for the cool side. would it be a problem if it's heating the hot side from the top and the cool side from the bottom? does the tank need a light as well or will the natural day/night cycle be sufficient for a snake? as you can see i'm really trying to get my ducks in a row before i actually own a snake. And i would need to cover a good portion of the screen with something to keep the humidity in, right? and it makes sense to me to have the hot side uncovered for the heat from the CHE to transmit heat properly.

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No you want the UTH for the warm side, and the CHE would just provide a boost to the ambient air temp, especially if your house is at 70F. I don't use a CHE, I use a blue night light bulb. you can get a dimmer for the bulb (at home hardware or where ever) or you can use a thermostat, it's up to you. For the UTH it's a good idea to use a thermostat instead of a dimmer, because it can be dangerous if it gets too hot. If you look up Hydrofarm thermostat on amazon you can see it, it's a seedling mat thermostat that was recommended to me here. When you place the UTH (which should cover roughly a quarter to a 3rd of the tanks bottom) on the bottom of the tank (you put it on the outside of the tank), you can sandwich you thermostat probe between the glass and UTH. This won't read the exact temperature that the snake will experience on the warm side, which is why you also want to use a thermometer, or you can buy a temp gun, and then you adjust accordingly (thermostat might be set to 92F, but the warm side is actually 90F, kinda thing, since it's on the other side of the glass. If there is a window in the room, then you don't need to provide any artificial light, but it's a good idea to keep the lights off at night for the most part. If anything didn't make sense, just ask and I will clarify.

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Originally Posted by Neal

Since most others have touched on pretty much everything, a 55 gal is way too big, I wouldn't even house a big adult in that.

Welcome to the forums on the other hand.

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I was worried about this too. What is the foot print of the tank (length and width) 36"x18" is fine for a full grown adult, but I have a 300g snake (so pretty small) in a 31"x19" and she's fine in there (eats great, and is growing rapidly), but I cluttered it up for her. The fear is getting a hatchling that is used to a shoes box sided bin, and plopping it into a huge enclosure and then it's scared and won't eat for you. Nothing is more nerve wracking than having a baby who won't eat.

A 55 is perfectly fine. I keep mine in one, he eats, poops and sheds regularly. It's just a bit more of a struggle to maintain. And cleaning is NOT fun lol. Just make sure you have plenty of cover :)


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See there you go, I know enclosure size is one of those things that people have differing views on, but if MootWorm can do it, it shouldn't be a problem.

Just a tip when setting up, don't use tape inside the enclosure, because they can get themselves stuck to it. If you need to stick something, use hot glue.

wow, sure am glad i joined this forum, the help i'm getting is tremendous. but yes, the footprint of the tank is 36"x18". so far from all the advice i have received i have put together this much

CHE on the hot side
UTH on the hot side
thermostat on the UTH
cover 25%-33% with UTH
probe between UTH and tank
cover most of screen with tinfoil or something to keep the humidity up
provide lots of stuff for the snake in the tank and two identical hides on each side
get a thermometer gun
artificial light is not necessary

am i on the right track so far?

Sounds like you're on the right track! Just remember, you'll have to tweak things as you, just find what works best for you. Good luck, and post tons of pics of your baby when you get him/her!!


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I have mine in a 40 gallon high. 2 hides and a few fake plants and very lrg water dish...he's always exploring and slithering around.. I am going to add some more fake plants this weekend to make it more cluttered

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Originally Posted by Neal

Since most others have touched on pretty much everything, a 55 gal is way too big, I wouldn't even house a big adult in that.

Welcome to the forums on the other hand.

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This was my thought also.

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Originally Posted by Ragnar

wow, sure am glad i joined this forum, the help i'm getting is tremendous. but yes, the footprint of the tank is 36"x18". so far from all the advice i have received i have put together this much

CHE on the hot side
UTH on the hot side
thermostat on the UTH
cover 25%-33% with UTH
probe between UTH and tank
cover most of screen with tinfoil or something to keep the humidity up
provide lots of stuff for the snake in the tank and two identical hides on each side
get a thermometer gun
artificial light is not necessary

am i on the right track so far?

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Yes, perfect. Remember to get a hygrometer(reads humidity)/thermometer for the cool side. You can just stand it up on the floor of the terrarium. Also make sure your lid is good and strong, these suckers are escape artists, check out my 6 week old baby pewter in her 16" high terrarium
http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f8...ps54432189.jpg

Oh and get everything set up in advance of getting the snake, just to make sure things are where they should be. It's a lot easier to make changes to a terrarium when you don't have a resident.

P.S. I know my hides aren`t identical, I got her faster than I should have, but the other exo-terra hide is in the mail :)

still loving all the feedback. and as far as my thermometers and hygrometers go, two thermometers, one for each side and i should be good with just one hygrometer?

I hate to be "that guy" but as a person that is some what new to snakes myself I would recommend not using the tank. I started out like you only with a 30 gallon. I had a heck of a time keeping the humidity up. I was able to do ok in the end but I went threw a few bad sheds in the beginning. My last shed with my girl in the tank was perfect and I think that was just dumb luck because my humidity still wasn't as stable as I would have liked.

I have now moved on to a steralite tub with a locking lid. I'm at work now so I can't tell you its exact size. What I did was put 2 one foot sections of heat tape under it long ways on the hot side. Both of those hooked to the same thermostat. My 520g female is still small enough to get completely away from the tape if she wants.

I started with 8 ink pen sized holes in the lid and the water dish on the cool side. This made my humidity 90+%. So every day I would check and add more holes as needed to vent the humidity until one day I had it at 55%. Now I can regulate the humidity by moving the water dish a little at a time towards the heat tape. So when its low for some reason or when she is starting shed I can move the water a little and raise or lower as needed. if I put it right on the tape I can get it to about 85%. Thats to high but to be able to get anywhere I want between 55-85% is great.

My little girl seems to be very happy with this setup and she explores the tub more then she did the tank. Every day when I come home I find fresh tracks in the 2.5" of aspen.

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Originally Posted by bigt0006

Not sure about a che never used one but I use a regular heating pad like the ones you find at a drug store for around $15 on all 3 of my snake tanks and they keep the temp where it needs to be.

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Do these not get to hot? Do you use a tank or tubs? I have used them before under my tubs, but thought maybe they were getting to hot. I didnt have anything to regulate the temps at the time.