Total Newb here!!

Ok, this post is going to be a little broken up, because in my attempt to make my first 3 posts so far, they have been deleted the second I try adding photos, so let me try this again. Hi, so I just bought my very first ball python yesterday! I had honestly no intentions of bringing any snakes home with me, just kind of wanted to get my feet wet and play with one to see how I like it and try picking out a type of snake, and before I know it I fall in love with this sweet little ball python. But now I have a ton of questions, and see sooo many contradictions online! So I need your help! 1. My general set up is a 20 Gallon tank (he's small, but he's about probably about 20 inches or so). We have 100% Pure Fir Bark (as recommended by pet store worker). We have a half log. We have a fake brank for climbing (he's climbed once or twice). We have fresh water supply large enough for his whole body, but not too large. Our two heating sources is a UTH and a mini halogen bulb (25W, Day Blue). We also have a thermostat at basking level, as well as a thermostat and hydrometer on the "cold" side of the tank. Heating sources all the way to the right, then the half log, then the branch, then the water source. At basking level, the temperature stays pretty constant at 88 f, which is a tad on the warm side according to what I've been reading, but the cool side is getting down to 75 F, and I know it should be a contrast, I don't know if it should be THAT MUCH of a contrast in such a small space. Plus I'm concerned with the water getting too cold. Any recommendations so I can make this a more comfortable home for my new pal? 2. I've read MUCH debate between the benefits of UVB rays and those who say there's no need. I would love to hear from anyone who's had experience between the two and their preference. 3. I have absolutely no idea what the difference is in breeds of ball python. I'm slightly curious as to what mine is, though I'm sure he's nothing extraordinary. I will post pictures in a separate post. Thanks for your help! I'd love to hear any other tips as well!

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So far everything sounds good. The tank is a bit large for your snake, so keep an eye for stress. If he doesn't eat or stops feeding I'd move him into a smaller enclosure. I'd love to see a photo of your set up.

/edit/ Do you have a thermostat or a thermometer for the UTH?

You could always put the water bowl on the warm side under the light or on UTH to help heat it up. That will also help with humidity.

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Here's the current set up. Husband and I are thinking of moving he branch all the way over, the log to where the branch is, and the water to where the log is. I don't have a thermometer or thermostat for the UTH itself, but we have the strip right above the basking area where the UTH is. Another question, is there too much bark?? It seems like a lot to me but my husband did that part so it would be level with the water bowl.

The stick-on thermometer is almost worthless. I would purchase a temp gun to achieve reliable readings for your enclosure. You can get an accurate and inexpensive temp gun from your local hardware store for under $30.00.


/edit/ I would move the analog therm/hygro closer to the bottom. Preferably on the hide.

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Originally Posted by cory9oh4

You could always put the water bowl on the warm side under the light or on UTH to help heat it up. That will also help with humidity.

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:gj:

This is what I do in my tub. You can use this to regulate the humidity so that you can raise it during the shedding cycle.

Also, I'm guessing you're using a standard aquarium with an open top. Make sure you have a SECURE screen top on it or you will be playing a game of find the python very soon. Open top aquariums are hard to keep the humidity up. Make sure top cover the top with something like a folded towel to help keep the humidity in.

Cover the sides and the back of the tank with paper to give your snake a more secure closed in feeling. BPs are used to living in small holes in the ground and normally don't like big open spaces to live in. Add a hide on the cool side so your snake can decide what it wants and still feel safe.

For the most part BPs don't need light. They are nocturnal. But the light may help with heat. I would recommend a ceramic heating element in place of the bulb. You will lose a lot of heat out of the top.

Other then that enjoy your new buddy and welcome to the forum.

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I will hunt down a temp gun now, thanks! I was wondering how accurate the stick on would be, and it read about 2 degrees lower than other thermostat when I put it in the same spot, so I knew I needed to get something better soon. Water bowl is now next to the uth and almost directly under the light. Placed a couple hand towels on the cold side, hopefully that will keep it above the 75 it's been at. We tried last night without the light to see if the UTH would be warm enough, and it just wasn't, so on the hunt now for ceramic, for sure. Dug out a little under the branch in the corner as a make-shift hide for now, with the towels, hopefully that will be good enough. I ordered a couple clips for the cage from amazon since the local store didn't have any. Will be using a couple books for now, I'm not terribly worried because anytime he goes towards the top of the tank, he tends to lose balance and fall over so he's kind of stopped trying. for the time being, and the clips should be here in no time. Since we got him yesterday, how long should I wait to let him adjust before I try feeding him? And he had been eating frozen mice, but should I introduce him to live? Also, if anyone noticed the scales that were kind of stuck from his last shed, I guess, my friend who has had numerous snakes told me to use luke warm water and a soft wash cloth to gently rub it off, so that's now gone. I don't plan on touching him again, he seems less active today, so I'm guessing he's stressed out now.

Less active is a good sign usually. The water on the stuck sheds was good advice. That was probably caused by not enough humidity during the last shed cycle. Personally with my BP when I bought her I found out what day of the week she was used to being fed and I just went with that and it worked for me. Find out exactly what the pet shop was feeding her and feed that for at least the first feeding so you know how it is doing. Later once you know it is eating you can switch to the feeding method of your choice. So if they where feeding live then feed live the first time. if they fed frozen/thawed then do that. When I bought mine I went so far as to buy a couple of the very same mice that she would have been fed had she stayed in the pet store on the day i brought her home.

Some others will say wait a week before feeding some will say it doesn't matter. That's what I did and it worked for me.

Congrats on your first BP. It sounds as though the previous posters got you going in the right direction.

Congrats!! Definitely invest in one of those temp guns (unless you want two digital thermometers in the tank). Do you have a hygrometer?
Also, MORE HIDES! :) There is definitely room for tonnes of hides - and fake foliage - and whatnot. You should have at least two (one for the warm side, one for the cold side). Many people don't like those half logs, as they don't provide much security, since both ends are wide open. That being said, out of the 5 hides + in my BPs 15 gal tank, he prefers the log.
You don't have to spend a lot of money on that either. If you prefer a more natural looking tank, you can buy faux rock hides and whatnot. If it doesn't bother you, you can cut and sand down holes in containers, cardboard boxes, (clean) coffee cups, etc. I would think you could easily fit 3-4 hides in there though. Clutter it up!!

:) Good luck!

I don't think this has been brought up, but do you have a thermostat? In your first post, you mentioned having two, but I think you may have that confused with a thermometer.

He's been chillin in the same corner as shown on the picture for the past couple hours. He poked his head up and looked at the water, then went back to being in a ball. He seems to like sitting in the light, which surprised me a lot, I just figured he was cold. Will make some more make shift hides for now. Plan on making the tank look much nicer next pay check, and I heard adding live plants can be really nice to, so I plan on looking into that as well. I will also call the pet store tomorrow and find out when they normally fed him. Best idea I've heard in regards to that, thanks! I don't really know the best way of feeding frozen (which is what the store was doing) so I will have to look that up as well. You are all so helpful, thank you!!!

When I had my girl in a tank I used a couple fake logs that where meant for an aquarium. One was typical log and the other was a stump that had a couple smaller holes so she could really hide. I used a dremal tool to cut out the bottoms as best as I could to get her out when I needed. I also picked up a couple fake plants and hot glued them to the logs so she had something to climb threw. She got big enough that I couldn't get her out on demand so I retired them for her safety buy she loved them. The plants I cut free and they lay in her tub now. I place them on both sides and she burrows in to the aspen bedding under them so it makes a hide in the tub. She seems to like that a lot.

Just use your imagination while walking threw different stores.

Hey great ball python and also i would say to not use the half log because they really dont like two open sides like that they dont feel secure i would recomend the exo tera cave hide realy best hide their is from ball pythons and really inexpensive to i bought mine for like $5 or $6 but congratulations on your new bp and enjoy cause their awesome snakes :)


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Congrats! Actually I would put a hide directly over the Uth... and cut down a bit on the substrate... I doubt much heat is actually getting to the top of the substrate.

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