Trouble heating tank!

I am new to ball pythons and just got my first, Nagini !!! However i am struggling to heat my tank above 80 degrees. The tank is 30 inches long, 16 tall and 12 wide. I have a thermometer about 4 inches above the aspen bedding and I can only get it up to 80 degrees (on the hot side!), sometimes 81. I believe its because my tank is taller than most. I currently have two bulbs on the hot side of the tank, one 100 watt and one 150 watt (in a double bulb heat lamp). I know this may seem like a lot, but by taking one out the thermometer drops to around 75 (so naturally i worry). I have a heat pad under one shelter on the cool side. So basically i have two questions, is it ok that i have those two bulbs? and is there anything else i can do to bump up the tank a couple degrees? I wouldn't worry but he doesn't come out during the day unless i take him out, so she doesn't bask up near the lamps at all.

I'd appreciate any input!

-Fletch:snake:

I have a nagini too! Put the best pad on the warm side with the bulbs! Nothing on the cool side. Just a hide. Same hide as the warm side. So now you're warm side will have the heat pad and the bulbs. Your temp will definitely rise. Good luck. Keep us posted

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I'm guessing you have a glass tank with a screen top? If so put the heat lamp on the warm side of the screen and cover the remaining with a towel for now. The best way is to use aluminum tape and cover the screen with that. That will get your temps up and help hold in some humidity. Put a water bowl as close to the warm side as well to raise the humidity. You should only need one bulb after doing this unless your house is extremely cold. Most importantly, make sure you have a thermostat for the heat mat.

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Originally Posted by tafletcher123

I am new to ball pythons and just got my first, Nagini !!! However i am struggling to heat my tank above 80 degrees. The tank is 30 inches long, 16 tall and 12 wide. I have a thermometer about 4 inches above the aspen bedding and I can only get it up to 80 degrees (on the hot side!), sometimes 81. I believe its because my tank is taller than most. I currently have two bulbs on the hot side of the tank, one 100 watt and one 150 watt (in a double bulb heat lamp). I know this may seem like a lot, but by taking one out the thermometer drops to around 75 (so naturally i worry). I have a heat pad under one shelter on the cool side. So basically i have two questions, is it ok that i have those two bulbs? and is there anything else i can do to bump up the tank a couple degrees? I wouldn't worry but he doesn't come out during the day unless i take him out, so she doesn't bask up near the lamps at all.

I'd appreciate any input!

-Fletch:snake:

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Congrats on your first ball python!

What type of thermometer are you using to measure the temps? It sounds like you might be using a stick-on thermometer, which are known for being inaccurate. Your temps may be higher than you realize. It's better to use a digital thermometer or temp gun. Also, I would recommend measuring the temp above the heat pad. If you aren't using a thermostat for the heat pad, I recommend that you get one ASAP. An unregulated heat pad can get really hot and cause burns on your snake.

Thanks for the replies! I moved the heat pad and the aluminum tape is a great idea!

And yes i am using a stick on thermometer and ill be sure to get a digital one tomorrow. Any suggestions for a good one that is relatively cheap? And i don't have a thermostat for the heat pad! however i have reptile carpet and then aspen on that, is still possible for them to burn themselves? If it is ill definitely buy one tomorrow. and if so should i unplug it for now then or leave it over night?

I already love her to death and just want the best for her, i understand how easily people become attached:)

Accurite makes a great thermometer that you can get at Wal-Mart for around 10 bucks. It will say indoor/outdoor. Put the probe on the warm side and the unit on the cool side. You will be able to monitor the temps on both sides with it. Look over with the a/c filters and stuff. You absolutely need a thermostat on the heat mat. They get extremely hot. IMO if I could get the ambient air temp up to around 86-88 I would probably unplug the heat mat for tonight. I would rather my snakes belly to be a little cool for one night than to wake up with a nasty burn.

I put the carpet over the uth too with aspen. Once I did this, she went over there. She will sense of it is too hot. Get one but don't panic.

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Snakes don't sense that they are too hot until it's too late. That's why they get burns.

As Morris Reese said, Walmart has decent cheap Acurite digital thermometers. Mine looks like this one: http://www.acurite.com/environment/t...red-probe.html and was about $12, and I think it was on the same aisle as the light bulbs. It's really nice because it measures the cool side, the warm side, and the humidity.

I've heard that heat pads can get up to 130F, and ball pythons do burrow sometimes, so I wouldn't chance it personally. Do you know how warm the room is that the snake is in? If you can get the room temp above 75F, I would definitely unplug the heat pad.

Hope that helps!

Thanks for all the help guys!

I have a temperature gun now. So the 150 watt bulb keeps the hot side at an average of 91.2 degrees and the cool side at 82.1 degrees during the day, is that ok? Also, the heat pad is now set at 90 degrees. But the way the tanks stand is built makes the heat pad not directly touching the glass, and is aprox half a centimeter away (with a flannel between it and the glass, to keep it in place). I felt that was nice to prevent against burns, and when i shoot the temperature gun at the glass bottom (above the pad) it reads 88.5 degrees... should it be warmer... cooler?

Although I know they do not require a temp drop at night i have a 100 watt ceramic bulb. Which keeps the hot side at 90.3 degrees and the cool side at 80 degrees.

Does all of this sound about right?

This thread really helped me:

http://ball-pythons.net/forums/showt...-With-Pictures!

I use a dual domed heat lamp in the center of the tank (a slight modification) and have a fitted cardboard top with air holes covered in foil tape over the screened locking top (see this thread too: http://ball-pythons.net/forums/showt...e-using-a-tank! )


The Accurite thermometers indeed show different temps than the analog, as well as the humidity levels

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Originally Posted by tafletcher123

Thanks for all the help guys!

I have a temperature gun now. So the 150 watt bulb keeps the hot side at an average of 91.2 degrees and the cool side at 82.1 degrees during the day, is that ok? Also, the heat pad is now set at 90 degrees. But the way the tanks stand is built makes the heat pad not directly touching the glass, and is aprox half a centimeter away (with a flannel between it and the glass, to keep it in place). I felt that was nice to prevent against burns, and when i shoot the temperature gun at the glass bottom (above the pad) it reads 88.5 degrees... should it be warmer... cooler?

Although I know they do not require a temp drop at night i have a 100 watt ceramic bulb. Which keeps the hot side at 90.3 degrees and the cool side at 80 degrees.

Does all of this sound about right?

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Your temps sound great! And I love my temp gun! They're a lot of fun, and I use mine all the time.

I have never attempted housing a ball python in a glass tank, but I know that it is very difficult (especially if you are using a ceramic heat emitter) to keep the humidity up. It's one of the reasons a lot of people don't like housing ball pythons in glass tanks. Do you have anything to measure the humidity in the tank? A digital hygrometer is probably going to be the most reliable option (and the Acurite digital thermometer that was mentioned earlier in this thread contains a hygrometer). You want the humidity to be 50-60% normally, and then up to 70% when your ball python is about to shed.

The links scalrtn provided should be really helpful in covering the top of the tank to help trap in the humidity. Other ways to increase the humidity include using a large water bowl, using cypress mulch or coconut coir (they hold humidity really well), and spraying the tank with water, sometimes multiple times per day.

I am using a stick on thermometer however I am relatively confident it is accurate because it is brand new. I will still take your advice and invest in a digital one though. Currently it reads 65%. But i can knock it down to 60% by uncovering the half of the tank I have covered by a little more. I have reptile moss to keep the humidity up, should that be ok?

And YES it was very difficult to balance the temps, however after two days of fiddling around with things I have managed to get some good results!:)

She has eaten twice for me already, so I take that as a good sign that she is so far relatively stress free.

I am logging temp and humdity (daily), when she eats (weekly), and her length and weight (monthly).
If she is exactly 2ft, is there a good weight to be at (she is currently 175 grams)? or is it all unique based on the snake? Also is there any guesses to how old she might be from this?

Stick-ons are notorious for being inaccurate, so I would definitely get a digital one. Yes, reptile moss will work, as it's mold-resistant, too.

That's great that she's eating for you! Most people just keep track of weight and watch their general body condition, so I've never actually measured the length of my guys. I write down when they eat, when they shed, when they potty, and their weight after every potty. And unless you got her from a breeder, and they can tell you when she hatched, it's pretty much impossible to know how old she is. She could be 6 months old and has never been fed properly, or she could be much younger than that. Someone on this forum said that a guideline for good growth for babies/juvies is 50-100 grams a month, but that is assuming they are eating appropriately sized meals.

For reference, mine are from a breeder, and while he didn't provide me with their exact hatch dates, he said two were about 2 months old (and they were 101 grams and 134 grams when they came home), and the other was about 4 months (and he weighed 223 grams). That was almost 5 months ago, and they are now approximately 320 grams, 540 grams, and 650 grams, respectively.

If you post some pictures of her, that'd be an easier way to see if she looks like she's at a good weight (and everyone on this site loves seeing pictures of ball pythons :)).