Just Saying Hello(pic intensive)

Hello everyone hows it going. I've been on this forum for a while and have learned so much. I just recently made an account so I could start browsing and posting so I thought I would introduce myself and my new BP.

My name is Nick and this is my new 4-5 month old Pastel BP Monty.
http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2817/1...2b8533c7_z.jpg

I've had him for about a month now. I got him at 160g and now he is about 230. He's a great eater so far and is eating live mice. While he is not my first ball python or snake for that matter, he is my first male which is why I had to name him Monty(from Monty Python of course, favorite movie as a kid). He just went through a shed yesterday so I was waiting to get some good pictures of him. So onto the pictures.

Pre shed:

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8535/1...ebcda80a_z.jpg

http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3682/1...394a36ed_z.jpg


Post shed:
As you can see there is a little shed behind his head going down his neck a bit just on the top. I just put some repti shed aid on it and ill wait to see if he can get it off on his own. Other than that one spot he got most of the shed off on its own although I had a tough time keeping the humidity up.
http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5348/1...44e7cd97_z.jpg

This picture shows some of his great blushing and pattern. He is very yellow( picture does no justice) for a pastel and he was the nicest one the breeder had.

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8129/1...841466d6_z.jpg


Here is a picture of his enclosure that I have set up. ( Don't worry about the temps and humidity I had just cleaned the cage and put everything back in)

http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3813/1...fb3ddb41_z.jpg
I love tanks because it is much more visual and you can look inside of it. But now I am second guessing it because of the humidity problems, especially with a tank this tall. I've contemplated putting some plywood over the top and cut out sections for the heat light to keep the humidity in but then my temps would be a little to high.
I am also using a 100w heat lamp and a 100w UVB lamp because the breeder/pet store(friend of mine) said Ball Pythons cant regulate the heat that comes from underneath and overhead heat is better so they don't burn themselves out. I have thought about getting a UTH and a thermostat but now i'm rethinking the whole tank thing all together. Here's where I was hoping for some feed back. I was thinking about either switching to a rack system or a t8 AP enclosure because I want to add another female BP to my collection to breed in a year or two.
For one I would love a t8 enclosure but they are a little out of my price range. I've been considering racks but I don't think I need them right now because I am not planing on keeping a lot of snakes at this time. I was wondering what some of you had for enclosures and why you liked them.(pros and cons) Do any of you use alternative enclosures that are similar to the T8 for a cheaper price? Maybe something you created yourself but can still see inside. Id want something big enough to keep them in for their life time so I wont have to keep getting new enclosures as they get bigger. I was also wondering if I even needed the UVB bulb. I have heard that it is good for growth and young snakes while a lot of others say there is no point.

Any advice or suggestions would be great I am open to everything. I am just happy to say hello and be part of this great community.
(I'm sure I left something out and ill add it when I think of it :D)

Clear Sterilite tubs work wonders. Humidity is easy to maintain, and as long as you keep the room your snakes are in warm, you will only need the UTH for your warm side.

You can still see inside, and they come in all kinds of sizes.

Edit: Welcome!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by kat_black181

Clear Sterilite tubs work wonders. Humidity is easy to maintain, and as long as you keep the room your snakes are in warm, you will only need the UTH for your warm side.

You can still see inside, and they come in all kinds of sizes.

Edit: Welcome!

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Thanks I appreciate the reply. I think I will switch over to a nice rack system in a few months once Monty gets a little bigger and I acquire a female for him.
I was also of thinking of making something like this seeing as I am a skilled wood worker.
Well see how the budget plays out :D
http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e1...m/IMG_0261.jpg

No problem. If you're good with building things like that, you're already a step ahead of a lot of people, and can do it yourself for much cheaper than buying it. I say that's probably your best bet.

Just make sure to think it through, and know what materials will/won't work for these animals (heat and humidity wise).

Well I was using a heat bulb and uv bulb..but now I wonder is the uv necessary ..I say this because for one,my ball python hides 21-22 hrs a day and only comes out at night for a few hours.. 2nd,people don't have any sort of lighting when they have there BPs in a rack system..these are some things it am now wondering...I'm thinking all I need is one heat bulb for day and one heat bulb for night..

I also have both mine in glass tanks..29 gallon high has a 100 watt bulb and the 20 gallon long has a 75 watt bulb...my heat is always between 86-88 and humidity in tank is always averaging 40 give or take..I also have UTHs on both tanks and they get at about 85-88 degrees..so I don't get why you are having humidity problems.. I also leave a damp rag along the top of the tank covering about 60% of the top and that's not including what the light domes cover!but there is still plenty of room for fresh air...honestly,I did a lot of messing around,buying multiple bulbs and diff watts and moving the water bowl,using damp rags,moving the domes in diff spots and wel I've finally found exact what I need,took 5 weeks,but my tank is exactly where I need it to be. I really can't complain. My snake seems happy,eating and shedding with no problems,is healthy and active.

UVB bulbs are absolutely not necessary for ball pythons. They spend most of their lives in holes in the ground. No sunlight there.

Yup,that's what I said above...the snake hides all day anyway....I been thinking it a lot lately

Quote:

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Originally Posted by kat_black181

UVB bulbs are absolutely not necessary for ball pythons. They spend most of their lives in holes in the ground. No sunlight there.

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Lol, those things are expensive anyway. I have to buy them for my beardie.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by kat_black181

Lol, those things are expensive anyway. I have to buy them for my beardie.

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Uh,yeah they are,like $15 a pop lol,I have 3 sitting on my floor now,lol...that's $45.00 that I could have used for a bill or food for me my cats and snakes or towards CDs. I can go n and on,hahaha

Quote:

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Originally Posted by NYHC4LIFE8899

I also have both mine in glass tanks..29 gallon high has a 100 watt bulb and the 20 gallon long has a 75 watt bulb...my heat is always between 86-88 and humidity in tank is always averaging 40 give or take..I also have UTHs on both tanks and they get at about 85-88 degrees..so I don't get why you are having humidity problems.. I also leave a damp rag along the top of the tank covering about 60% of the top and that's not including what the light domes cover!but there is still plenty of room for fresh air...honestly,I did a lot of messing around,buying multiple bulbs and diff watts and moving the water bowl,using damp rags,moving the domes in diff spots and wel I've finally found exact what I need,took 5 weeks,but my tank is exactly where I need it to be. I really can't complain. My snake seems happy,eating and shedding with no problems,is healthy and active.

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My set up is the exact same except for the wet rag I had aluminum foil. I was also at a 42% average for humidity and I don't think it was enough for his most recent shed. Maybe ill try a damp rag for a while.

I was asking about the UVB bulb because I wasn't sure if they needed it or the pet store just wanted to make some money. Thanks for clearing it up.
The other thing I've heard is they need a light period so they know its day time. Is the ambient light from a window enough for them?

- Updated - - -

Quote:

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Originally Posted by MontyPython22

My set up is the exact same except for the wet rag I had aluminum foil. I was also at a 42% average for humidity and I don't think it was enough for his most recent shed. Maybe ill try a damp rag for a while.

I was asking about the UVB bulb because I wasn't sure if they needed it or the pet store just wanted to make some money. Thanks for clearing it up.
The other thing I've heard is they need a light period so they know its day time. Is the ambient light from a window enough for them?

- Updated - - -

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Windows light will be plenty. You just want to make sure they have a very dark night for 12 hours or so. I have even heard of so sleeping them in the dark 24/7 but I feel a day night cycle is nice.

If you are using a heat bulb stick with red or blue or a CHE. They kill your humidity as you know. I was using a CHE in a thermostat in my oak plywood cage. I used cypress mulch and poured water on it once or twice a week as required to keep humidity 50-65%. Cypress worked beautifully. Just very expensive. I switched to a melamine rack and love it!

Good see pics it never gets old seeing peoples pets.


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- - - Updated - -

Quote:

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Originally Posted by whispersinmyhead

Windows light will be plenty. You just want to make sure they have a very dark night for 12 hours or so. I have even heard of so sleeping them in the dark 24/7 but I feel a day night cycle is nice.

If you are using a heat bulb stick with red or blue or a CHE. They kill your humidity as you know. I was using a CHE in a thermostat in my oak plywood cage. I used cypress mulch and poured water on it once or twice a week as required to keep humidity 50-65%. Cypress worked beautifully. Just very expensive. I switched to a melamine rack and love it!

Good see pics it never gets old seeing peoples pets.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

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Thanks for the input. Im using a red light bulb right now. Im thinking of moving him and adding a thermostat and UTH to keep the humidity up until I can build him a new enclosure or switch to racks. I was wondering how damp I could keep the substrate during humidity. It's not aspen so I don't have to worry about mold. If it is nice and damp will this cause scale rot if its only for a few days? Instead of just a light misting.
Everyone loves pictures so I thought id add some. Thanks for the comments everyone.

You don't want your substrate wet. That will cause scale rot. I poured water using a spray bottle without the sprayer so it was just more wet than misting the surface. Cypress really absorbed it well and it never felt wet and no sign of scale rot. Just a heads up, glass tanks can be used but loose heat readily so you will be fighting the whole time. It can be done though. There is a thread called glass tank setup I remember. Try searching "glass tank setup".


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Thanks for the help. Just found out my guy had mites when I took him out today. Just ordered some Cyprus mulch and some reptile spray. Im taking everything out to clean it. Nothing but paper towels, clean hides and water until the spray comes in. I think he got mites from the substrate I got from the pet store. I'm gonna soak him for a little before he goes back in and hope the reptile spray comes in soon. First time I have dealt with this...woohooo :mad:

Mites suck! Sorry to hear that. I used NIX lice cream. It's a small bottle meant for humans but dilute the small bottle in 4L of distiller water and it worked like a charm. I went to a bare bones setup and sprayed everything including the animals two day in a row. Then once a week later and then again two weeks later.

I had no reptile spray available locally and would have to order from the states. If you have something for reptiles that others have had work then I always suggest erring on the side of caution and use that.

Good luck.


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Thanks for the help guys. Day one of the mite battle wish me luck....Found them early and there wasn't a lot of them so hopefully I will be able to get it under control.

Here's what the enclosure looks like now.
http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5540/1...5d496415_z.jpg

I bought some reptile spray for him to get rid of any mites that may still be lurking on him. Have to wait a while for that to come in though. Submerged everything in water with a little bleach and gave him a soak. Luckily I was also able to take the little bit of stuck shed off of him too.
I do have a few questions for anyone willing to answer. I bought reptile spray but I was wondering if I should also buy some PAM to get rid of any mites that are in the enclosure? or can I just spray a little reptile spray in there and maybe that will have the same effect? I also want to switch over to some cypress mulch from reptile basics. Should I bake it in the oven to get rid of any possible mites that are in there or is that just a myth?

Thanks again for the help everyone. For those of you that like pictures and all reptiles here's an extra. :D
http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2867/1...11eac00b_z.jpg

Any opinions on if the reptile spray can be used in the cage to fight the mites? and does baking substrate like cypress mulch kill any mites that could be in there?
Wanna find this out before my supplies come in the mail.

Yea, baking it does work. Someone might have a temp and time they have used.

Mix up some eco earth with your substrate, keeps in the humidity really well.

I've used coco fiber before for humidity but I wasn't sure if that might have mites in it or not. Thanks for the help I appreciate it. Ill look online for temps and the eco earth

edit: It is coco fiber lol, perfect ill grab some more of it.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by MontyPython22

I've used coco fiber before for humidity but I wasn't sure if that might have mites in it or not. Thanks for the help I appreciate it. Ill look online for temps and the eco earth

edit: It is coco fiber lol, perfect ill grab some more of it.

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Yeah just google your question and add bp.net after it. It works beter than the engine on this site.

I have an idea of the temps but i dont wanna throw out numbers im half sure on and ive seen people post diffrent times and temps to acomplish same result.

Good luck though