First BP - Input appreciated

Hi all,

New here at the forums and would love some insight - I have put a deposit down on a 1.0 Pastel BP hatchling - it has eaten and shed once. So still a while longer until he comes home to me.

I have almost everything together that I think I need for him.

- Sterilite Tub - 14 1/4" L x 9 1/2" W x 6 7/8" H (a little bigger than what I wanted, but I intend to fill it up with fake plants/greenery to make it feel more safe)
- Flexwatt heat tape (being shipped as we speak)
- 2 black plastic hides from pangeareptile
- water dish
- Herpstat2 thermostat (being shipped)
- feeding tongs
- fake green vines
- a hideway log ornament (from petsmart)
- Aspen bedding
- Acu-rite thermometer/hygrometer from Wal-Mart

My room holds steady around 76-78 degrees - so going with just the UTH for now (unless more experience users think it will be necessary to use a heating lamp)

If there is anything else that any of you think I will need - advice is greatly appreciated.

I would post pictures - but not entirely sure how to do that - so I just posted them in my profile!

Cheers

http://ball-pythons.net/gallery/file...6/4/image2.jpghttp://ball-pythons.net/gallery/file...6/4/image1.jpg

I wouldn't have bothered with the log ornament as wood tends to mold quickly, and when (not if) your snake eventually eliminates on it, wood is almost impossible to clean and disinfect since it's porous.

I would also get another water dish. Your local dollar store's melamine cat dishes are fine, so you can just swap a dirty one with a clean one when your snake makes a mess in it (yes they do that), and put the dirty one in the dishwasher. Same with the hides, get a spare or two.

Just the UTH should be fine for heat with your ambient temps in the mid-upper 70's, especially if one of the hides is over the heat tape.

Thanks!!

I should have mentioned that the log ornament isn't real wood. It's made of resin!

but I will definitely get extra hides and water dishes.

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Originally Posted by coco32

http://ball-pythons.net/gallery/file...6/4/image2.jpghttp://ball-pythons.net/gallery/file...6/4/image1.jpg

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Wow gorgeous

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Originally Posted by coco32

http://ball-pythons.net/gallery/file...6/4/image2.jpghttp://ball-pythons.net/gallery/file...6/4/image1.jpg

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Almost looks like a bumblebee

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Thanks!!! I can't wait to get him home!!

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Originally Posted by bpgal9315

Wow gorgeous

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Kind of a newbie here too, but welcome! Pretty little snake you've got on the way.

Dave

Thanks! And yes, he's only about 3 weeks old On the 15th!

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Originally Posted by AKA Dave

Kind of a newbie here too, but welcome! Pretty little snake you've got on the way.

Dave

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Another quick question - say my ambient temps are great (hovering around 81) but the temp drastically changes in the house, is it okay to use a UTH on the cold side controlled by my thermostat to keep that side at 80-82 ??

(Hypothetical since I don't have my snake yet)

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Originally Posted by coco32

Another quick question - say my ambient temps are great (hovering around 81) but the temp drastically changes in the house, is it okay to use a UTH on the cold side controlled by my thermostat to keep that side at 80-82 ??

(Hypothetical since I don't have my snake yet)

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So hypothetically u would be using 2 UTH's? One on the cool side set for the low 80's and another on the hot side for the high 80's?

it seems unnecessary IMO unless you're house is freezing and a waste of energy. But in that case, turn up the heat in your whole house if possible.

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Originally Posted by Ax01

So hypothetically u would be using 2 UTH's? One on the cool side set for the low 80's and another on the hot side for the high 80's?

it seems unnecessary IMO unless you're house is freezing and a waste of energy. But in that case, turn up the heat in your whole house if possible.

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Yes - hypothetically 2 UTH's - my room temperatures is usually 76-78 degrees. But in the crazy chance that the temps in my room dipped below 75 - would it be acceptable to use the second UTH? Or would one use a lamp?