Heat lamp stress?

So I've been looking every where and a lot of setups use heat lamps and some say the light stresses the ball python. My ambient temp is a steady 89-90 during the day and my uth is at 90. My humidity is a steady 56. I have a glass 20 long with black poster board on 3 sides and a screen top. Im using a 75 watt heat bulb. Does this light add stress to my ball its on from 8 am to 8 pm. From research my temps are all good and don't want to change anything but don't want to stress the snake.

Balls show stress in different ways. Is your eating, pooping, behaving, etc normally? If so, and your husbandry is on point (temps, humidity, etc), I wouldn't worry about it.

I haven't had him for more than 2 weeks. I fed him on saturday and he ate within 30 seconds. He hasn't pooped yet unless there poop is very small. I had a retail boa and remember her poops being rather large and the snakes are the same size. He's calm and great to handle.

For reference the poop or pee was white chunks with brown or yellow from what i remember when i cleaned it out.

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Originally Posted by kpla51

I haven't had him for more than 2 weeks. I fed him on saturday and he ate within 30 seconds. He hasn't pooped yet unless there poop is very small. I had a retail boa and remember her poops being rather large and the snakes are the same size. He's calm and great to handle.

For reference the poop or pee was white chunks with brown or yellow from what i remember when i cleaned it out.

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I think the white with chunks of yellow is like pee maybe because they also poop and its Brown and looks just like a dog poo or cat poo but small


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Originally Posted by Rafikiballpython

I think the white with chunks of yellow is like pee maybe because they also poop and its Brown and looks just like a dog poo or cat poo but small

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Correct. What you're talking about is called "urates" - a chalk-like whiteish/yellowish excretion that comes out with the liquid urine. You'll definitely know the difference when you "get to" clean up a BP BM.

Use a blue or red bulb. They can't see it. I have a blue bulb in each of my tanks 24/7

You have an UTH so throw the light out. There is no need for it. Lights for heat are a horrible idea imo. Tanks are hard to hold humidity and the light just makes it worse.

Lamps heat the air better than almost everything. You have things well in hand I would not worry about it. The fact remains pythons all see heat. Every thing that is warm is a light of sorts. People will speak about CHE RHP not showing light, it is not true, our eyes work differently pythons all have the ability to see heat and track it, so any heat source is a light. It is mostly the keepers that are concerned. The snakes don't seem to be bothered by any lamp red or blue over head, or any over head heater either.

Go with red bulbs, I use them in seven tanks. But hey if nothing's wrong count your blessings.

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Originally Posted by kpla51

My ambient temp is a steady 89-90 during the day and my uth is at 90. My humidity is a steady 56.

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In my opinion ambient temps of 89-90 are way too high. How are you measuring your temperatures? I personally shoot for an ambient temp in the mid-70's to low 80's with a hot spot of about 86-88 degrees. If you are concerned about the light, you can alway use a Ceramic Heat Emitter (CHE for short) instead of a light bulb. With a 75 watt light bulb hanging over a 20 gallon aquarium I can't imagine that you are having any kind of luck maintaining a decent humidity level, what are you using to measure your humidity? Cheap hygrometers are notoriously inaccurate.

Oh wow I missed the ambient temps posted. You really really need to get rid of that light. Those temps are way too high. Balls need a variation in temps so they can regulate their temps. My ambient is high 60s to low 70s.

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Originally Posted by bondo

Oh wow I missed the ambient temps posted. You really really need to get rid of that light. Those temps are way too high. Balls need a variation in temps so they can regulate their temps. My ambient is high 60s to low 70s.

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You are correct that an ambient of 90ish is too high. However, your own ambient temp of high 60s to low 70s is about 10 degrees too low yourself. I certainly recommend looking for a way to increase it a bit. :gj:

I missed that too! Wow yes far too high! Typically I target 80ºF ambient, Certainly not more than 85ºF under 'normal' set ups and I don't like seeing below 74ºF for any length of time either.

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Originally Posted by Eric Alan

You are correct that an ambient of 90ish is too high. However, your own ambient temp of high 60s to low 70s is about 10 degrees too low yourself. I certainly recommend looking for a way to increase it a bit. :gj:

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So you think my ambient should be in the low 80s? That is also too warm. Mid 70s I can live with but doesn't need to be that high. I never drop my heat tape temps in the winter but instead let the ambient temp go down for breeding. I have a very low slug rate. I have had 1 corn snake in my life get a respiratory infection. I have never had a python (ball, carpet, blood) get a ri. People don't give reptiles the credit they deserve. We force them to follow our rules instead of letting them self regulate what they need. I have girls wrapping their bowl in ambient temps in the upper 60s. They feel like ice but they know what they need better then I do.

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Originally Posted by bondo

So you think my ambient should be in the low 80s? That is also too warm. Mid 70s I can live with but doesn't need to be that high. I never drop my heat tape temps in the winter but instead let the ambient temp go down for breeding. I have a very low slug rate. I have had 1 corn snake in my life get a respiratory infection. I have never had a python (ball, carpet, blood) get a ri. People don't give reptiles the credit they deserve. We force them to follow our rules instead of letting them self regulate what they need. I have girls wrapping their bowl in ambient temps in the upper 60s. They feel like ice but they know what they need better then I do.

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My ambient temps were around 70(room temp) for a few months only, and my ball never left his hot hide unless for food or water. Now that my ambient temps are 80, he is always out exploring, climbing, and alternating between hides. Oh, and I also have a CHE over a glass tank with screen top(tin foiled) , perfect sheds every time.


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