New Guy

Hows it going all? :D Im finally getting a BP, I've always wanted one!

Ive been going through this forum and Im finding great stuff and learning a lot. I just wanted to post what I have so far, my girlfriend was nice enough to go out and grab a Zoomed starter kit. While I'm sure everything will be just enough I know there are things that may need changed, such as adding an UTH. Anyway, heres what I have, opinions suggestions and so on are wonderful, such as where to place the probe for the thermometer (which I'm sure Ill be suggested to change :))

By the way I DO NOT have the BP yet, I want to make sure temps and tank will be stable and everything before I bring him to his new home! Thanks all!

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Welcome to the forum.

Only thing I can add is:

1) Changing the basking bulb for a CHE (Ceramic heat emitter) or for infrared red bulb.

2.) Get a UTH

The only problem having a glass tank is that the humidity goes low easily, when using snake apsen bedding like I do, the tip is to foil the whole screen top (2-3 layers which I do) really helps keeping humidity in. Well I cut a hole in the foil where the cool side will be and place my dome light there to maintain the 80-83 cool side temp (What I do).

Another thing I learned is that I freeze my bedding to kill mites. (just my opinion)

I'am fairly new to BP's, this what works for me

You wont need the basking light if you have UTH. Also have you checked humidity in your house? Because keeping humidity in a glass enclosure is headache.

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Originally Posted by Spencer88

You wont need the basking light if you have UTH. Also have you checked humidity in your house? Because keeping humidity in a glass enclosure is headache.

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I havent checked the humidity in the house yet. After reading some reviews I was going to purchase the probed acurite thermometer, so I should be able to get a good reading in the tank and outside the tank the next few days.

You are going about it the right way OP. Tuning the set up before you have the animal is something I consider very responsible especially for new styles of set-ups or new owners. You probably can make the glass work without too much headache.
I've found eco-earth helpful with humidity issues(i mix it with repti-bark but that is mostly for aesthetics) and, I cut lexan to close off part of the top to reduce airflow and in winter months run a small humidifier.

Do you have any hides for the snake?

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Originally Posted by CatandDiallo

Do you have any hides for the snake?

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Currently I have one hide, its in the left corner of the tank (placed just for a picture)

Tomorrow I am going to get an identical one, along with an UTH, thermostat and acurite thermometer. I believe Im also going to get an inferred light as well instead of the bright white light.

Raven01, its KILLING me knowing I have all the basic stuff and I don't have him yet, but I'm hoping by Saturday Ill have an idea of where everything should be

mike_yorkpa I don't know how big your bp will be or if your setting up a show tank, but if it's in the area of 70-350 grams a simple frozen dinner plate will work great. I'am currently using 6 bonquet tv dinner mac and cheese bowl their black, small and they all fit snuggley inside. it's cheap and all my snakes love it.

Here's What I'am using:

http://i1174.photobucket.com/albums/...ps55bab02a.jpg


http://i1174.photobucket.com/albums/...ps7fbfbef9.jpg

Welcome to the forum and the addiction! Here's a great tutorial of how to setup a glass tank setup.

http://ball-pythons.net/forums/showthread.php?t=201740



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Jessica, I'm doing a show tank so I picked up another hide identical to the one that came with the kit my girlfriend bought me.

I also bought a red light, UTH, a wrap around for the tanks sides and back, an acurite thermometer everyone on the forum was suggesting as well as a thermostat by Hydrofarm which should be here Thursday. I plan on running everything until Saturday afternoon to make sure all is well then picking up the little guy.


Random questions for you all, all of which I either missed in the 20+pages I've gone through on here or they just aren't there:

Once I have my bundle of joy, how long should I wait to handle, if any wait at all?
How often/long do you handle your young, adolescent and adult snakes?
Do I need a water treatment for when I replace his water?

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Once I have my bundle of joy, how long should I wait to handle, if any wait at all?

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Wait for a week, so he/she can be familiar with his/her new home.

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How often/long do you handle your young, adolescent and adult snakes?

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I handle them until the 2-days after their first feeding with me. So a total of 9-days I wait.
The first few weeks I handle them 2-3 times a week for about 20 mins. Now, they don't mind being held. It just takes patience.

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Do I need a water treatment for when I replace his water?

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My water here is a bit hard, so I use the zoo med water treatment only one droplet every 4-oz of water. Does it work? I don't know lol

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Originally Posted by jessica87

Here's What I'am using:

http://i1174.photobucket.com/albums/...ps55bab02a.jpg


http://i1174.photobucket.com/albums/...ps7fbfbef9.jpg

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I would round them sharp corners off a bit at the lips of them containers (Bottom of the opening) to prevent them from getting under your snakes scales, especially the belly scales. I had a friend of mine who had that happen and hadn't thought anything of it.

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I would round them sharp corners off a bit at the lips of them containers (Bottom of the opening) to prevent them from getting under your snakes scales, especially the belly scales. I had a friend of mine who had that happen and hadn't thought anything of it.

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You are right, It did this one last night for my newest addition's, I was rushing to take a photo and throw in the tub for the mean time, Thanks for saying something I forgot all about it today

First off thank you all for your help! I know newbies can get annoying sometimes :D Im a gun guy and i know hearing the same question over in a different context can be annoying sometimes

Okay well I have everything I have said I would get (Thermostat to arrive tomorrow)

I was bored so i set up the tank the way I think Id like to do it and put the heat lamp on and put the thermometer in to see what the humidity would be as well as what the ambient temp would be. Im sure this isn't much help but what can i say, IM DAMN EXCITED! :D Obviously theres no substrate or water in so I'm sure my humidity will go up a bit but looks like Ill have to cover part of the screen. Hot side is on the left, cool on the right.

Can you guys confirm this stuff I've found throughout the forum?

Hot side: 90-94 degrees (UTC will be installed under hide with thermostat)
Cool side: 80-92 degrees
Ambient: 80-90 degrees
Humidity: 40-60% up to 80% during shed

How do you guys feel about the heat lamp right in the middle?



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I would keep it either on the left or right where ever your cool side is, leaving it in the middle you would have one side cold where your bp will never go (which my did). I guess it depends on room temperature

Check this out:

http://ball-pythons.net/forums/showt...ius)-Caresheet

Heres the final product. Thermostat, Accurite, head pad, light, substrate and everything else is set. The Hydrofarm is set to 101, that gives me an inside temp of 91 as you see in the picture, cool side and humidity has stay constant for about 2 hours. The substrate was added about 3 hours ago so I'm sure as substrate dries a little humidity will go down.

What do you all think?

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Congratulations on your first BP! I've had my Oliver for about 1 month now, and he's a great snake. Your setup looks great :)

Looks good! One suggestion though: move the accurite to the cool side of the tank so you know what the ambient temp is.

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Originally Posted by Misha

Looks good! One suggestion though: move the accurite to the cool side of the tank so you know what the ambient temp is.

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It is actually on the cool side believe it or not lol the 50 watt red light is keeping the tank about 85 degree since about 5pm yesterday I double checked this morning at 8am. The hot side is 91 degrees because of the UTH

I would turn down the red light a tad. I think 85 is too high for the cool side. I try to keep mine at about 80. And just to double check...you have the probe for the Accurate under the substrate, under the hide on the hot side, right?

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Originally Posted by thejenius77

I would turn down the red light a tad. I think 85 is too high for the cool side. I try to keep mine at about 80. And just to double check...you have the probe for the Accurate under the substrate, under the hide on the hot side, right?

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Yep I do, hide, substrate, thermo probe, glass, stat probe and then UTH... In that order :)

I will grab a dimmer for the light today, I figured Id eventually need one anyway.

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Originally Posted by mike_yorkpa

Yep I do, hide, substrate, thermo probe, glass, stat probe and then UTH... In that order :)

I will grab a dimmer for the light today, I figured Id eventually need one anyway.

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I thought it looked like the light had a dimmer? Or is that just an on/off switch?

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Just and on and off switch

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Originally Posted by mike_yorkpa

Just and on and off switch

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Gotcha. The one I picked up looked like that but has a built-in dimmer. It's nice because the temps fluctuate so much in my house. If it gets too warm I can just turn it down a touch.

Looks like you're doing good though. Good luck with your new friend. :)

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Light dimmer is great to have, home depot sell's them.....$8-12 bucks.

He/she's here!! My baby ate this morning before picked up.

One worry i have is the last picture, i think that one hide is too small (right side in 2nd pic and last pic), its hard to tell from the picture but what do you guys think?

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Congrats! Pretty Snake! Hide looks ok. if anything you can always exchange it

He hasn't used his hide once yet... its only been 2 hours though. He's very content sitting behind the Accurite.

Hey all!

He has been here a week so far and has mites, so he is now on paper towels and a basic 2 hide and water bowl setup. He has also started a 5 day feeding schedule. He ate great on Tuesday but didn't want to go for the frozen thawed so he got a live one that he scarfed down right away.

I have a question for you guys that have an Accurite thermometer. How do you keep the probe in place over (through the glass) the UTH? It came with a little sticky pad but that stopped working and lost its "stickiness".