New ball python owner With questions!!

Hello! I just got my first ball python today. I have been wanting one for awhile now.
I purchsed it from petco. I didn't know where else to get one?
anyways, I have some questions and I just want to make sure I'm not doing anything wrong.
Right now I have a 10 gallon tank. I don't know how old the snake is...they couldn't tell me. Or if it is male or female?
I purchased a hiding rock, water bowl, a leafy tree, snake bedding and a "rug" for the bottom.
inalso got the under the tank heater, and a heat lamp. but the lamp seems to be getting very hot to me? Is it supposed to be very hot? It was making his rock very hot to the touch. So I ended up raising the lamp up some.
Right now the tank temp is only at 80 degrees...but I have only had it set up for about 2 1/2-3 hours...
and her humidity says 60.
also, the petco lady said they were fed yesterday and shouldn't need more food for another week or two??
i thought this seemed like a long time for a juvenile snake to go without eating....
and she also said I shouldn't handle it for at least two weeks? I this true? :/

thanks for the help. Hope to hear back soon!!

Is your heat pad on a thermostat? You can get a hydro farm from eBay for about $30. Herp stats are much better if you're willing to spend the money, but a hydro farm is better than nothing! Also, what are you monitoring your temps with? A digital thermometer, temp gun, one of those stick on gauges? You should have 2 hiding spots- one on the hot side and one on the cold side.
There are lots of great care guides on here- you should definitely give them a read so you'll have an idea of what kind of care your new BP will need!


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You shouldn't need the heat lamp if you have a UTH, it'll dry up the moisture in the air. I think the most important thing you need right now is a thermostat for the UTH if you don't already have one. This is a decent one for the price, it's better than nothing: http://www.amazon.com/Hydrofarm-MTPR...arm+thermostat

edit: got ninja'd by one minute... :P

Oh ok, I just wasn't sure if just having the under the tank heater would heat the tank sufficiently.
the only thermostats I have are the ones I found at petco. It's just a round plastic one, one for the humidity and one for the temp.

could anyone tell me why they don't want him to eat for at least a week and why I can't handle him for at least 2 weeks??

thanks:)

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Originally Posted by Finnsmom

Oh ok, I just wasn't sure if just having the under the tank heater would heat the tank sufficiently.
the only thermostats I have are the ones I found at petco. It's just a round plastic one, one for the humidity and one for the temp.

could anyone tell me why they don't want him to eat for at least a week and why I can't handle him for at least 2 weeks??

thanks:)

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It takes time for a snake to settle in its new home, so handling it or trying to feed it while it is trying to get used to its new home can be stressful, which can make the snake refuse food even if it has been a while since its eaten. Because the baby just ate yesterday, the little guys can be fed on a five day schedule (that's what I've been told and have been going with for my little ones). Some snakes settle faster than others, it depends on their husbandry and if it's set up properly. :) I go about a week before handling when I have a new snake, it's just better to leave them be for a while to get comfortable. Everyone has their timelines they go by. Congrats on your new baby!! You can offer food in five days to a week, it might not take it but that's normal too. Like I said, it takes a bit for them to settle in new homes. My little girl didn't eat for 2 weeks when I brought her home, now she eats no problem!


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Depending on age/size, ball pythons should eat every one to two weeks. If it's under a year old, more frequent feeding, like every 5 - 7 days is ideal since they are still growing. Remember to also feed an appropriate sized feeder - one that is the same size or a bit bigger than the circumference of your snake. Pics of the snake would be good if you want specific feeder size advice.

Not handling for at least a week allows the snake to settle in to it's new environment since the changes that come with moving into a new home can be stressful for them.

Good luck!

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Quote:

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Originally Posted by Finnsmom

Oh ok, I just wasn't sure if just having the under the tank heater would heat the tank sufficiently.
the only thermostats I have are the ones I found at petco. It's just a round plastic one, one for the humidity and one for the temp.

could anyone tell me why they don't want him to eat for at least a week and why I can't handle him for at least 2 weeks??

thanks:)

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Those aren't thermostats, those are thermometers/hydrometers - they only tell you what temp/humidity their environment is at, the thermostat controls the heat pad so it's doesn't get too hot and burn your snake.

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Ok. Well thank you guys for the help. I'm just worried I'll do something wrong and hurt him. Right now he's under his rock and it looks like he's breathing a little fast? Is that normal? I turned the lamp off since you said I shouldn't need it. The temp in the tank is saying between 80-83 degrees.
I'll wait a week to handle him and offer him food in a week as well.
I also will try and get a picture of him so I can show you guys and get advice on what size mouse to feed him.

Fast breathing can be due to stress, but still very normal. Just let him settle in and he should be fine! 😊

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Not sure what you mean by breathing fast. If you just got it today, I wouldn't worry too much since I bet it's still nervous being in a new environment. Do you have any way of checking the temps on the UTH?

What is the wattage in the bulb in the lamp?

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No not right now. I turned the lamp off, and the thermostat I have now is showing the temp dropping. But I do have that up by the top of the tank on the side the under the tank heater is on.
If the temp drops in the tank, will he still be ok since the heater is on under his rock?

Those round thermometers are kinda crappy, but if you're going to use it, it should be near the bottom of the tank where the snake is. It's no good measuring the air up above its head. :)

You need to go and unplug the heat pad right now....it is unregulated and will burn your snake....thermostats controls the heat pad at a set temp....a thermometer measures the temps...you should be getting your temps from the bottom were the snake actually lives.....you need to go into he care sheets and read on how to properly care for this snake before its to late...it seams you jumped in head first without properly researching ball python care...the last thing you need is to get vet bills from bad husbandry...this is what unregulated heat pads do...http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/09...07072678ed.jpg and to be honest im sick of rescuing snake because people didnt fully research the 30 year commitment these snakes are.

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Also ditch the dial gauges and get digital ones

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In my 10 gallon I'm using 60 watt day light, 50 watt night light, 5 gallon uth for heat. Substrate is 3 inches on cold side and 2 inches on hot side. My now sub adult pastel lived in it for 3 months before moving into a 20L. My 2 month old humblebee now lives in the 10 gal. Bedding I have 3 inches on cold side and 2 inches on hot side. And bedding depth I use for all 3 of my bp's. I put more in with my pastel cause he/she? likes to dig tunnels.

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to frostybp: he is not directly above the heat pad just so you know. so he is not getting burned. it is under the tank, with glass in between along with the fake astroturf and also a good inch of bedding on top of that. and no i did not just jump right into this, i have been reading about them for the past couple months. just because i asked questions didnt mean i have no clue what im doing. and im sorry i didnt know the dial gauges were not good. thats something i had to figure out. yes ill be taking those back and getting other ones today. and with all the info on the internet, its all not the same. so how am i supposed to know what to actually believe. some say just the heat pad under the tank, but others are using that along with a heat lamp? as far as keeping the humidity right, is it supposed to be wet in there? because once again. different information is what i am reading on various websites.
i joined this forum to get input on how to properly take care of him, not be bashed for not knowing what im doing. how am i supposed to learn if i cant ask questions?

Even if the UTH is under bedding/the tank itself, it's still possible to get burned without a thermostat. My thermostat probe slipped once without me noticing and the UTH temp had gone up to 120 degrees (snakes were all fine thankfully).

We're telling you so that you can have the best care for your snake, no one is bashing you. :) It's just that the pet store people don't tell you these things and frankly most of the time don't know that much about husbandry. I know I made mistakes with my first snake bc the employees didn't know anything so I had to learn everything online.

As far as humidity, it's not supposed to be "wet", but it should feel less dry than the room itself unless you live somewhere really humid. It shouldn't be dripping wet, but should feel "misted". I don't know if you mentioned it, do you have a mister? If not you can get a little handheld one at any dollar store.

Just curious....what did you mean by "a little rug for the bottom"?

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Snakes can burrow and will burn then selfs save your snake the pain or possibly death and unplug the uth until it is regulated..I am a very blunt when it come to care of a reptile...I you couldnt have researched to much If you only new petco had them there are thousands of reputable breeders that ship all over the country...please read the care sheet on this forum. They are the best and unplug the uth until its REGULATED im just trying to help but you need to listen to the advice people give you

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Hi there - congrats on your new addition!

It might be that you will end up using both the lamp and the heat pad. Lights are good for increasing the overall temperature of the aquarium when the room it's in stays cooler than the temperatures ball pythons prefer (around 80°, give or take a couple of degrees). Heat pads are good for creating an isolated warm spot on the very bottom of the aquarium (around 90°, give or take a couple of degrees) so that the BP has a temperature gradient in which to choose from in which to thermoregulate themselves properly.

If I were you, I wouldn't bother with the reptile carpet. They are infamous for being bacteria breeding grounds and are impossible to keep as clean as they need to be - especially when buried underneath other substrate.

As others have said, I would look into the digital temp/humidity gauges. Here's one that is commonly used in the hobby - you might even be able to find it at Walmart or somewhere similar to that: http://www.acurite.com/environments/...r-00891a2.html.

Also, as others have said, heat pads need to be controlled by a thermostat. Here is an inexpensive option: https://www.hydrofarm.com/p/MTPRTC. Here are much better options: http://www.spyderrobotics.com/home/products.html.

Left to their own devices, heat pads will easily generate temperatures of well over 100° on the glass above them which is incredibly dangerous for the BP in that enclosure. BPs can, and WILL, find a way to lay directly on the floor of the aquarium regardless of how much stuff starts off between the two. Your goal is to ensure that when they do this, they are still safe. Basically, you make sure the glass temperature above the heat pad never gets above the 90° range and then only put a thin layer of substrate on top of it. Simple as that. :)

Last, but certainly not least, here are two awesome links that I think you'll find very helpful. Enjoy the reads!

• Ball Python (Python regius) Caresheet - http://ball-pythons.net/forums/showt...s%29-Caresheet
• How to Setup a Glass Tank (20 long) With Pictures! - http://ball-pythons.net/forums/showt...With-Pictures!

If you have any questions, comments, or concerns with the above information, please feel free to let us know. Welcome to the community!

Best regards,
Eric

PetCo and PetSmart have basic care sheets and that's what I go off of. 85-90 on hot side and 75-80 on cold side, 45-65% humidity.

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I would suggest you check out this set up thread for glass tanks since that sounds like what you are using - http://ball-pythons.net/forums/showt...With-Pictures! Edit: Eric beat me to it! :(

It shows exactly how to set up your tank as well as links to the products used in the tutorial. You don't have to have a heat lamp (which actually lowers your humidity) or a ceramic heat emitter unless you're having issues keeping ambient at a comfortable temperature.

Frosty is right, if a bit blunt ;) The UTH needs to be regulated! I have a Spinner Blast that LOVES going under his substrate. He scared the crap out of me the other day because I didn't see him, so lifted up his hide and still didn't see him. I thought he had gotten out for a couple seconds until I realized he had gone under the substrate under his hide. The Hydrofarm on Amazon is one of the cheaper ones you'll find that is still reliable. You have to realize the UTHs can get up to 120°, heating up the bottom of the tank more than enough to give a snake a serious burn. The temperature probe from your thermometer needs to be under the substrate right above the UTH so you can keep the temperature at that level low enough to not burn if your snake decides to go spelunking. As a temporary fix (TEMPORARY, you still need to get a thermostat), I would suggest a dimmer switch from Lowes or Home Depot until you can order one and get it shipped in. Aaaand I can't seem to find it right now, but I'm sure any second now someone will jump in with the diagram on probe placement...
http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/05...c1c5e80bcc.jpg

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Originally Posted by locolobito

PetCo and PetSmart have basic care sheets and that's what I go off of. 85-90 on hot side and 75-80 on cold side, 45-65% humidity.

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When I went in to buy a UTH, PetSmart told me I shouldn't let my BP get over 75°. I wouldn't trust those people with a dead gold fish.

I just use care sheets from both places. Other than that I won't take advise from them cause they can not take care of the animals that sell.

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Originally Posted by SmoothScales

When I went in to buy a UTH, PetSmart told me I shouldn't let my BP get over 75°. I wouldn't trust those people with a dead gold fish.

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:O Geez! Petsmart is good for honoring competitor coupons, but that's about it. If I need cheap supplies I'll swing by there. If I have ANY questions about my babies, I come here!

Everyone seems to have covered everything, bit just a suggestion for the thermostat (I didn't use one for a while and believe me they are necessary if you want to avoid overheating) I have the reptitemp 500r from zoo med. they're only about $35, and they do work well, but you have to have a digital probe thermometer in order to set it to the right temp. I suggest the cheap zoo med digital ones for that. Honestly, for a hygrometer, I think the analog ones work just fine. For my 10 gallon, I place the UTH on one side regulated by a thermostat and a 40 watt heat bulb on the top, that way ambient temperatures get to the low 80s and the hot spot is 90. Hope that helps

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Congrats and Welcome to BP it's hard like you say you read so many conflicts its nuts but your here now and we will give our best shot at helping you. You have been pointed in the right direction the care sheets here which are tried and true I know that I learned alot from them their is also a cool post on setting up your tank the right way. I use a little moss in the hideout and I spray it every day along with a few squirts on the substrate my Ball and Blood Pythons need that moisture. Just a tip from me I have the hardest time getting a 10 gallon regulated If you could a 20 would be better and if not now maybe down the road. I will say alwsys use a thermostat for the under tank heaters its very Important. ....


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I personally hate heat mats, they don't stick well, they overheat, and only heat one portion of the tank. I like ceramic heat emitters for my ball python. It heats the entire cage, doesn't give off any stressful light, and has proven to be reliable. Either way, you will still need to regulate the temps, ceramic heat emitters and heat mats can both get dangerously hot! When I first joined this forum, I didn't believe anyone when they told me how hot the mat could get. Then I took the temps and the mat was 120f, so be careful!! Btw, if sticking with heat mats go with the exo terra brand over the zoo med. much more reliable.


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