New BP!

I just got a BP and I think I have everything set up pretty well. Here are the specs.

Enclosure - Sterilite tub 34.5" long, 18.5" wide, 12.5 inches tall.

Substrate - ReptiBark, because I hear it holds moisture well and I need that since I live in Arizona.

Heat Source - ReptiTherm UTH (8 watt version.)

I also have a humidity box inside the tub, it keeps the humidity between 70% and 90%.

Now I have a few questions.

1. Where do you measure your temps? My substrate is at about 85 degrees on the warm side, but the temp right on the tub above the UTH is at 127 degrees. Which one is correct? My cool side is at about 78 degrees. I'm just worried the warm side might be a little too warm, and if that's the case I'll get a dimmer or a thermostat to keep that in check.

2. I've tried a few different hides, but they never get used. My BP would rather chill between the water bowl and the tub wall. Is this normal?

3. I've noticed that he goes into the water bowl every once in a while. I've heard they do that when they have mites. But he doesn't do it all the time, just every now and then. Does it sound like mites, at all? I'm going to check him over to make sure, but I'm just looking for confirmation on whether or not this is normal behavior.

Any info would be appreciated. Thanks!

If the snake burrowed under the substrate it could get burned.

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Originally Posted by nightrainfalls

If the snake burrowed under the substrate it could get burned.

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Correction, without a thermostat controlling the UTH, your snake WILL get burned. You can either get a proportional thermostat like a Herpstat or Vivarium Electronic or on/off thermostat like Hydrofarm.

What are you using to measure surface temps and abmbient temps?

Soaking in water bowl can mean two things. One, like you said mites or it's too hot. He could be also going into shed soon.

I'll get a thermostat ASAP! Unfortunately, I'll have to order one via the interwebz. For right now, I'll get a dimmer from Home Depot and use that until it arrives. I'm using an IR temp gun to monitor the temps.

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Originally Posted by Deluge

1. Where do you measure your temps?Everywhere. The most important temps though are on the floor of the cage/tub. Place the thermometer probe directly on the bottom of the tub under a thin layer of substrate, 1/4 inch at most.

My substrate is at about 85 degrees on the warm side, but the temp right on the tub above the UTH is at 127 degrees. Which one is correct? My cool side is at about 78 degrees. I'm just worried the warm side might be a little too warm, and if that's the case I'll get a dimmer or a thermostat to keep that in check.I would unplug the uth until you get at least a dimmer. You can use a heat lamp to provide good ambient temps until your tstat comes in too. Herpstat ships there tstats fast. It took two days when I ordered one from them. The ones at most pet shops suck, don't waste your money. http://spyderrobotics.com/home/products.html

2. I've tried a few different hides, but they never get used. My BP would rather chill between the water bowl and the tub wall. Is this normal? What hides are you using? Pics? It may not feel safe and secure in it and chooses to go elsewhere.

3. I've noticed that he goes into the water bowl every once in a while. I've heard they do that when they have mites. But he doesn't do it all the time, just every now and then. Does it sound like mites, at all? I'm going to check him over to make sure, but I'm just looking for confirmation on whether or not this is normal behavior.Some snakes like to soak or swim and some don't. They all act different. If you had mites you should see small black dots moving on its skin and on your hands after handling. You should also see small black dots in the water. It may just be taking it dip.

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Originally Posted by Deluge

I'll get a thermostat ASAP! Unfortunately, I'll have to order one via the interwebz. For right now, I'll get a dimmer from Home Depot and use that until it arrives. I'm using an IR temp gun to monitor the temps.

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Cool, a dimmer will work for now. Just make sure that you check the temperature where the UTH is without the substrate to make sure it's 90F or lower. I also recommend getting a digital thermometer/hygrometer so you can monitor ambient temps and humidity. This is the one I use which is pretty accurate. You can probably find it at Walmart or a home improvement store a little cheaper.
http://www.acurite.com/digital-humid...tor-00309.html

So I got a dimmer and I was able to get the surface temp down to about 95 at the lowest setting, closer to 92 once I added some foil to dissipate some of the extra heat. I got one of those Acurite monitors, as suggested. So far the ambient temp is around 80, kinda fluctuates between 75 and 80. Humidity is at about 65%. Where are you mounting it? I have it on the inside, on a wall about 6 or 7 inches above the substrate. As far as the hide issue, I experimented with some different sized boxes. I think the hides I was using were a bit too big for his comfort. We seem to have found one that he likes and went right into it once I placed him back in the tub. He hasn't been out, since. Ahaha. So I guess that's a good sign.

I'm kinda not liking how the UTH is working. The surface temp is really inconsistent. Some spots are hotter than others, by about 4 degrees. I might order some of that Flex Watt after I receive the thermostat and see if I get better results.

Here's a pic of him chillin' on his warm spot.

http://i1141.photobucket.com/albums/...psywjclove.png

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Originally Posted by Deluge

So I got a dimmer and I was able to get the surface temp down to about 95 at the lowest setting, closer to 92 once I added some foil to dissipate some of the extra heat. I got one of those Acurite monitors, as suggested. So far the ambient temp is around 80, kinda fluctuates between 75 and 80. Humidity is at about 65%. Where are you mounting it? I have it on the inside, on a wall about 6 or 7 inches above the substrate. As far as the hide issue, I experimented with some different sized boxes. I think the hides I was using were a bit too big for his comfort. We seem to have found one that he likes and went right into it once I placed him back in the tub. He hasn't been out, since. Ahaha. So I guess that's a good sign.

I'm kinda not liking how the UTH is working. The surface temp is really inconsistent. Some spots are hotter than others, by about 4 degrees. I might order some of that Flex Watt after I receive the thermostat and see if I get better results.

Here's a pic of him chillin' on his warm spot.

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The acurite should have a probe, I put mine under the substrate on the glass that's over the "hot spot" or UTH. Then I set the unit over on the cool side on the floor. Since heat rises, you don't want it up high, but rather on the floor where your snake spends most of its time. It should give you two temp reads and a humidity read if it's the one I'm thinking of.

Glad ad you found a hide he likes, now get another one. :) You should have two, a lot of people put one over the UTH and one on the cool side.

To me, and I'm definitely not an expert on this, four degrees of temp difference doesn't seem like much. Especially when you take into consideration that substrate is thicker in some places than others, may be more wet etc. Again, not an expert on that though.

if you're a visual learner this is a nice "tutorial" for tub setups. http://ball-pythons.net/forums/showt...e-Basics-*DUW*

The Acurite I purchased doesn't have a probe, just reads ambient temp and humidity. I'm setting up a Flexwatt/thermostat as we speak, other than that I'm measuring surface temps with an IR temp gun. Everything is going well, it seems. Humidity is hanging around 80%, ambient temp fluctuates between 75-80 degrees. Right now it's at 80. Hot spot is at 85.

He just ate a medium sized rat last Friday, so he's eating without issue. I'm giving him fresh water every day and misting the tub when the humidity drops below 70%. I also put some moss inside his hides, that certainly helped steady the humidity. I also mist the moss once a day.

Now, I'm not sure if I have mites, or if I just saw a random bug. I was handling him last night and I saw a black bug crawling on my hand. At first I was like, damn he has mites! So I grabbed a flashlight and basically gave him a full cavity search, but I didn't spot any. So I took out his hides and searched...nothing. The water bowl didn't show any signs, either. Just that one random creeper. He hasn't been soaking. He's been in his hides a lot, but I assume that's normal. I'm thinking maybe I caught it before it has a chance to become a big problem? I don't know, but I'll keep an eye on it. I don't have any PAM readily available, but I know where to find basically the same stuff. Hopefully, it's not a mite issue, but I'm prepared if it is.

Also, regarding the UTH being inconsistent. I was taking the temps directly from the surface of the mat. So, there's that... :confusd:

Sounds like things are going well.

If it turns out you have mites check out Reptile Spray. It works great and you can get it at Petco.

Your humidity does not need to stay so high. You can get great sheds with it within the range of 40-60%. My tank stays at 30% and with moss in the hides I get perfect sheds. While low humidity can create issues, so can high humidity. You just need a good balance.

Yeah, I assumed I don't need it super high, but I guess I'm sort of compensating due to the a/c kicking on every so often and I know that tends to dry things out. But yeah, so far it's been going well. Super happy with my current setup.

As far as shedding, do you add anything like a piece of drift wood to help them out? I know when I had Corns, they needed something to scrape against to get things started. Or does the moss do the job?

My ball can shed with nothing at all as an aid but it has plenty to rub on if it wants. I have live plants, drift wood, and vines but I have found every shed in a tight roll in its hide. My bloods do not have anything to rub on and they shed fine as well.

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Originally Posted by Deluge

Now, I'm not sure if I have mites, or if I just saw a random bug. I was handling him last night and I saw a black bug crawling on my hand. At first I was like, damn he has mites! So I grabbed a flashlight and basically gave him a full cavity search, but I didn't spot any. So I took out his hides and searched...nothing. The water bowl didn't show any signs, either. Just that one random creeper.

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if the snake has mites it would most likely be soaking nonstop and you would have a water bowl full of drowned mites. Hopefully just a random bug.

I spotted another bug yesterday, still not sure if it's a mite problem, though. I gave him another thorough search, but still turned up nothing in the usual spots. He's still not soaking. I'm wondering if they're just random bugs coming from the substrate. I'll just throw it out and give the tub a thorough cleaning this weekend. I'll use paper towels for now, until I can confidently say they're not mites. I'm going to pick up some Reptile Spray, as well.

Thanks for all of the suggestions, guys! I appreciate it.

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Originally Posted by Deluge

I spotted another bug yesterday, still not sure if it's a mite problem, though. I gave him another thorough search, but still turned up nothing in the usual spots. He's still not soaking. I'm wondering if they're just random bugs coming from the substrate. I'll just throw it out and give the tub a thorough cleaning this weekend. I'll use paper towels for now, until I can confidently say they're not mites. I'm going to pick up some Reptile Spray, as well.

Thanks for all of the suggestions, guys! I appreciate it.

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Interesting that it's only one here or there. Good luck with the cleaning, hopefully the change to paper towels helps.

Seriously! I was expecting a full blown outbreak. I tossed all of the substrate, he's on newspaper, now. I got some Reptile Spray, wiped him down with it and let him soak for about 45 minutes. After all of that, I saw maybe 8 mites. I'm thinking I caught it before they had the opportunity to spread. I sprayed down the tub, as well and let that sit for a good hour. I didn't see any mites in the tub, at all, and I went over it with a flashlight. Today was feeding day, but he didn't take it. I'm assuming it's because he was a little stressed due to the treatment. I'll try again next week.

I also have a small piece of no-pest strip sitting on top of the tub, just to make sure I get any mites that decide to return. Hopefully that covers everything and takes care of them for good.

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Originally Posted by Deluge

Seriously! I was expecting a full blown outbreak. I tossed all of the substrate, he's on newspaper, now. I got some Reptile Spray, wiped him down with it and let him soak for about 45 minutes. After all of that, I saw maybe 8 mites. I'm thinking I caught it before they had the opportunity to spread. I sprayed down the tub, as well and let that sit for a good hour. I didn't see any mites in the tub, at all, and I went over it with a flashlight. Today was feeding day, but he didn't take it. I'm assuming it's because he was a little stressed due to the treatment. I'll try again next week.

I also have a small piece of no-pest strip sitting on top of the tub, just to make sure I get any mites that decide to return. Hopefully that covers everything and takes care of them for good.

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That's great! I'm sure he didn't eat because of the handling. Hopefully they don't come back.

So tonight I tried a frozen/thawed medium rat. I thawed it by submerging it in a container of hot water for about an hour, then I used a blow dryer to raise the temp a bit...And he took it so fast. Faster than a live rat. So, I guess he's on frozen/thawed, now.

I've lowered the humidity to about 60%, ambient temp is at 79. So far, so good. He hasn't shed yet, though. So I'm looking forward to that.

The mites seem to be gone, I've handled him a few times since his treatment and I haven't seen any. So that looks like it's been sorted. Super happy about that!

So things are going really well. He's eating like a beast. I was thinking about building my own rack out of one of those Home Depot plastic shelves. I have a few questions, though. First, here's my badly drawn plan.

http://i1141.photobucket.com/albums/...psy28or2wi.jpg

Obviously, the red/grey lines are the heating system I'm going to wire up. Just some Flexwatt, nothing special. However, I was looking at the Freedom Breeder heating inserts and I noticed it's just Flexwatt attached to some sheet metal. I can build that myself, I just need to know what type of sheet metal and what gauge/thickness I should use. So, if anyone can help me out with that, I'd appreciate it. Also, I'm going to build this to fit both 32qt and 41qt tubs. So I'm going to use 11" Flexwatt. For the 32qt tubs I'm only going to keep 1/3 of the tub on the heat source, so that shouldn't be a problem. I'd rather have too much than not enough.

Also, this rack is going to be setup in a relatively dark area and I'm looking into making some sort of cover for added privacy. With that being said, would hides be necessary? I noticed quite a few breeders don't use hides in their tubs, and I assume it's mainly because their tubs/rack act as a hide. Any info about this would be awesome, as well. Thanks!

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Originally Posted by AnnaK231

That's great! I'm sure he didn't eat because of the handling. Hopefully they don't come back.

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Hey, make sure you retreat the bp and his enclosure with the pam and reptile spray to kill any hatching eggs. Good luck.:gj: