A Soon To-Be BP Owner Has Some Questions

Hello, so I signed up for this forum today because I need some help. Basically, I have never owned a pet before and I have always been especially fond of BPs. I have looked after people's pets before as a sort of pet-sitter, though I was never allowed to have one of my own as long as I lived with my parents and in several months that is about to change.

Now, I have done plenty of research over the past few weeks on BP care though I feel the safest option I can possibly take is to completely confirm what I already know, and clear up the air on a few things I am unsure of - please be very specific because I tend to process things very literally due to my condition.

1. Should I switch off the red heat lamp at night and turn it back on when I wake up?

2. When I purchase pre-killed frozen rodents, how do I store them, and how would one go about defrosting it so it is suitable for my BP to eat? & When defrosting, how long should it take before I feed it to the snake?

3. Is Orchid Bark substrate ideal for BP's inside a vivarium?

4. What is the maximum amount of time one should handle a BP before returning him to his vivarium?

5. Should I put the snake in a safe container and move him to another room when I use a vacuum cleaner in my room? This probably an obvious one, but I HAVE to be 100% sure!!!

6. When people say to spray the hide with water using a sprayer, do I lift up the hide, spray the roof of it one time and put it back?

7. What is the most amount of times per week an owner should handle their BP? Once? Twice? ( Also, I am aware that you should absolutely never handle a BP until 48 hours have passed after feeding, since they can regurgitate their food if handled before its food is digested. )

8. On top of the red heat lamp, would there be any other lamps inside the vivarium to provide light? ( Again, another obvious one but I need to be completely sure. )

9. When feeding the BP, should I wait for him to come out of his hide, or lift up the hide and attempt to feed?

I believe that is absolutely everything I need to ask, I appreciate all answers. : )

1. BPs don't need lights, go with a CHE instead

2. Online supplier or shop around if you have reptile expos nearby or private breeders, store them in the freezer, leave it out in the room until it's completely thawed

3. I've never heard of orchid bark as a substrate and I don't know what kind of wood it is so I can't comment on this one

4. You're overthinking this one ;) handle him as long as you want...

5. I just vacuum my entire reptile room when it needs to be vacuumed, don't worry about it

6. You can spray inside the hide, or put moss or other humidity-holding substrate inside the hide and spray that.

7. Again don't worry about it, your snake is not going to be timing you lol. I handle my snakes whenever I want and they all eat fine and are healthy. As long as it's not out 24/7 or something ridiculous like that

8. You do not need light at all. It actually will stress your bp out. Get a CHE or UTH instead

9. It depends on the snake. Some of mine I just drop the rat in, some of them I dangle the rat in front of their hide. Try things out and see which one works for the both of you

Quote:

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Originally Posted by pariahdog

1. BPs don't need lights, go with a CHE instead

8. You do not need light at all. It actually will stress your bp out. Get a CHE or UTH instead

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I was under the impression you need to create a day/night cycle hence the need for a lights, and as for the heating I was under the assumption that the heat lamp is this red lamp that snakes can't see. I am wondering if one of those is good ( I am going to buy an adult BP so he'll happily settle into a 3 foot by 1.5 foot vivarium ) for keeping the enclosure hot and I was also wondering if that heat lamp should be switched off at night and switched back on in the morning.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Seviper

I was under the impression you need to create a day/night cycle hence the need for a lights, and as for the heating I was under the assumption that the heat lamp is this red lamp that snakes can't see. I am wondering if one of those is good ( I am going to buy an adult BP so he'll happily settle into a 3 foot by 1.5 foot vivarium ) for keeping the enclosure hot and I was also wondering if that heat lamp should be switched off at night and switched back on in the morning.

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The ambient light entering the enclosure from your room is plenty. Ball pythons are nocturnal animals, in the wild during the day they hide underground and they come out at night to hunt.

I hope you have a true reptile vivarium and not a fish tank with a screen top. Otherwise maintaining heat and humidity is a major pain in the patookus as the warm, moist air floats right out the top of the enclosure.

I've never used orchid bark. A lot of folks who want to use a natural substrate have started using PLANT!T Coco Planting Chips and swear it can't be beat for the price:
http://www.horticulturesource.com/pr...ducts_id=19891

For heat ball pythons seem to do best with an under-tank heater regulated by a thermostat.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by bcr229

The ambient light entering the enclosure from your room is plenty. Ball pythons are nocturnal animals, in the wild during the day they hide underground and they come out at night to hunt.

I hope you have a true reptile vivarium and not a fish tank with a screen top. Otherwise maintaining heat and humidity is a major pain in the patookus as the warm, moist air floats right out the top of the enclosure.

I've never used orchid bark. A lot of folks who want to use a natural substrate have started using PLANT!T Coco Planting Chips and swear it can't be beat for the price:
http://www.horticulturesource.com/pr...ducts_id=19891

For heat ball pythons seem to do best with an under-tank heater regulated by a thermostat.

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I haven't got it yet, I'm hoping to get the vivarium set up in August ( Once it's set up, up and running, temperatures all good etc THEN I will get the BP ) assuming I have moved into my new house. That's why I'm gathering information now. I'll be getting a true reptile vivarium, naturally. I'm in England so if that place doesn't ship to the UK then I'm plum out of luck.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Seviper

I haven't got it yet, I'm hoping to get the vivarium set up in August ( Once it's set up, up and running, temperatures all good etc THEN I will get the BP ) assuming I have moved into my new house. That's why I'm gathering information now. I'll be getting a true reptile vivarium, naturally. I'm in England so if that place doesn't ship to the UK then I'm plum out of luck.

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There are equivalent products on amazon.uk

I'll go look it up, thank you. If I can't locate any, if anyone who has ever used orchid bark as a substrate happens to be reading this thread, could you please let me know how good it is?

I have a day night cycle on mine, but the night cycle is my night cycle too lol But the lights provide no heat.

The heat comes from the under tank heaters and radiant heat panels.

Good on you for researching and asking about ball pythons before actually committing to one. :gj: You chose an awesome forum.

OH! If I could go back and start all over again, I would definitely use a PVC enclosure instead of tanks. Heat and humidity are stabilized almost effortlessly with pvc enclosures.
I takes more time and money (if you want it pretty) to do the same in glass tanks like the exo terra ones.

If you are in the UK hun, check out Swell reptiles. They have a great range and often have wonderful sales on. I just got 36x15x22 vivs for £49 each :)

I use aubiose as a substrate at the moment, although only changed to it very recently. Lots of uk keepers use orchid bark and it is said to help wtg humidity.

Xx

If you use a ceramic heat emitter inside the viv, then make sure you get a guard for it. A different heating option would be a radiant heat panel and this would not require a guard if placed inside a viv because these are designed to not be overly hot to the touch.
A number of people recommend under tank heaters, but you'll want to determine which heating sources you can use based on your enclosure. A UTH would need to be placed on the inside of a wooden viv for instance, and I'm personally not too keen on that.
I also second getting a viv or pvc cage because of heating and humidity.
I've seen people put lights in cages for ease of viewing, and there are a couple different lighting options. If you do put lights in, then you may need a guard for them to prevent your snake from getting into it. A fluorescent tube light is an example of one which would need a guard. You don't want your snake to pull it down and shatter the thing.
And just because it hasn't been mentioned yet. It'll be a good idea to let your snake settle in for a week before offering food.
Oh, and another option for thawing prey is to place them in a bowl of luke warm water. Be sure to check that there's no hardness in the rodents belly before you offer it. Hardness would indicate that it's still partially frozen. Time to thaw will depend, in part, on the size of the rodent so that can be hard to say.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Seviper

1. Should I switch off the red heat lamp at night and turn it back on when I wake up?
I have a ceramic heat emitter and a "blue night time bulb" both on thermostats. They stay on 24/7 since the thermostat keeps the temps stable. If your going to go the lamp route - this one works for me

2. When I purchase pre-killed frozen rodents, how do I store them, and how would one go about defrosting it so it is suitable for my BP to eat? & When defrosting, how long should it take before I feed it to the snake?
I take my frozen rats out or the freezer the night before or 1st thing in the morning on feed day and move them to the fridge. By 10pm that night the rats are thawed completely. Then about 10 min before feeding I put the rat in a bag (to keep it dry) and soak it in 101*F water to bring it to the same temp that a live rat would be, then I feed it.
3. Is Orchid Bark substrate ideal for BP's inside a vivarium?
I've never seen that, but if it is similar to coconut or cypress bark it's probably fine. I think the only things snakes shouldn't be on are cedar, low quality pine, and walnut
4. What is the maximum amount of time one should handle a BP before returning him to his vivarium?
That is going to be dictated by your snake when you get him. Some don't seem to mind, some are more shy, you'll learn his personality, and he'll let you know when he's done
5. Should I put the snake in a safe container and move him to another room when I use a vacuum cleaner in my room? This probably an obvious one, but I HAVE to be 100% sure!!!
I don't, mine does not react to the sound. However it's really important not to use strong chemical cleaners near the tank, I've read the bleach and lysol fumes can be irritating to their lungs
6. When people say to spray the hide with water using a sprayer, do I lift up the hide, spray the roof of it one time and put it back?
I never spray my tank. I use sphagnum moss and keep that moist in a 3rd hide that he can choose to use if he wants. To keep the ambient humidity up, I have a damp cloth on top of the screen top of the tank and cover the top (towel and all - leaving room around the lights) with aluminum foil. This keeps the humidity 50+%
7. What is the most amount of times per week an owner should handle their BP? Once? Twice? ( Also, I am aware that you should absolutely never handle a BP until 48 hours have passed after feeding, since they can regurgitate their food if handled before its food is digested. )
Other than after feeding I take mine out or at least check him over every other day when I change his water and look for messes
8. On top of the red heat lamp, would there be any other lamps inside the vivarium to provide light? ( Again, another obvious one but I need to be completely sure. )
Just because I like being able to see him when he does come out and to give him a better day/night cycle I have a thin strip of LEDs on the lid of his cage. These are attached to the outside of the lid with cable ties and are on a kitchen timer. The come on at 8am and go off at 8pm
9. When feeding the BP, should I wait for him to come out of his hide, or lift up the hide and attempt to feed?
Mine starts coming out and "hunting" about two to three days before feeding day (Sunday). Right before feeding I let the smell of the rat waft around his cage - he usually is trying to climb the sides of the tank by the time I open the lid. Some snakes will also eat if you just leave it sitting in font of their hide, so this will be trial and error to learn what your snake like once you get him

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Good Luck finding your new friend. This site has been incredibly helpful to me, as I am also relatively new to snake keeping. Welcome to the Forum :)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Seviper

Hello, so I signed up for this forum today because I need some help. Basically, I have never owned a pet before and I have always been especially fond of BPs. I have looked after people's pets before as a sort of pet-sitter, though I was never allowed to have one of my own as long as I lived with my parents and in several months that is about to change.

Now, I have done plenty of research over the past few weeks on BP care though I feel the safest option I can possibly take is to completely confirm what I already know, and clear up the air on a few things I am unsure of - please be very specific because I tend to process things very literally due to my condition.

1. Should I switch off the red heat lamp at night and turn it back on when I wake up?

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I have a red heat lamp on the warm side of the enclosure. It's on a timer like this one:

http://www.homedepot.com/p/24-Hour-P...5119/100685881

Around 12 hours on and 12 hours off (like the UTH) but I change it with the seasons so it's on longer in summer, shorter in winter.

As for handling: I handled it more often at first but over the long run: feed once per week, handle once per week. And as for duration, observe the snake and it will let you know when it's had enough, by trying to move away or 'escape' from your handling. Mine is generally okay for 30-45 minutes.

Also sometimes I will return it to the tank but hold it outside, so if it wants to go back in it can, and if not, it will either grip me harder or try to go somewhere but not into the tank. So I'll give it another 10-15 minutes to explore outside the enclosure.

One more point about the red light, in addition to the timer it's also on a dimmer so I can control the intensity.

http://www.homehardware.ca/en/rec/in...1ey/R-I3674485

>1. Should I switch off the red heat lamp at night and turn it back on when I wake up?

Doing this depends on the temperature range in the room. If you do, use a cheap timer for turning lamps on and off automatically. It has worked for me.

>2. When I purchase pre-killed frozen rodents, how do I store them, and how would one go about defrosting it so it is suitable for my BP to eat? & When defrosting, how long should it take before I feed it to the snake?

Store in a freezer. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator. Or thaw under a warm light bulb. Or thaw on top of a snake cage. Or thaw in a plastic bag placed in warm water. Method is not critical, as long as there are no hard (frozen) spots inside the rodent when it is fed to the snake.

>3. Is Orchid Bark substrate ideal for BP's inside a vivarium?

Never used it. For what it's worth, there are a number of acceptable substrates, but I have never found any that I consider ideal.

>4. What is the maximum amount of time one should handle a BP before returning him to his vivarium?

I would not handle one for more than four hours. This would be after the snake has settled in and is eating well.

>5. Should I put the snake in a safe container and move him to another room when I use a vacuum cleaner in my room? This probably an obvious one, but I HAVE to be 100% sure!!!

I will not argue if you want to do it, but I don't think it is necessary. Snakes have to put up with thunder storms in the wild. I am against playing a radio or television at levels where you can feel the sound vibrations in your lungs.

>6. When people say to spray the hide with water using a sprayer, do I lift up the hide, spray the roof of it one time and put it back?

I would only do this when the snake is getting ready to shed. One to three sprays should be adequate.

>7. What is the most amount of times per week an owner should handle their BP? Once? Twice? ( Also, I am aware that you should absolutely never handle a BP until 48 hours have passed after feeding, since they can regurgitate their food if handled before its food is digested. )

I absolutely never use the term "absolutely never." :) IMO, the 48 hour rule is a good guideline instead of an iron-clad rule. For example, some people feed snakes in a separate container. Then the snake must be handled gently for a few seconds to return it to the vivarium.

I wouldn't handle a BP more than 20 times per week. Again, this limit is for a snake that has settled in and is feeding well.

>8. On top of the red heat lamp, would there be any other lamps inside the vivarium to provide light? ( Again, another obvious one but I need to be completely sure. )

There could be if required for heat. Like others, I prefer an under tank heater or radiant heat emitter.

>9. When feeding the BP, should I wait for him to come out of his hide, or lift up the hide and attempt to feed?

I put the rodent on the cage floor a couple of inches from his head if the head is outside the hide. If the head is inside the hide, I put the rodent's head right at the door. IMO, lifting the hide is unnecessary disturbance.

Crowfingers I made a 5 minute video showing the cleaning and setup of a terrarium for a snake that's around 18 months old now. Might help you.

There's a UTH on the left side, it's obvious when I check the temperature. Controlled with a Herpstat 1.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QQtxirwlOR0

I'm using orchid bark for my 2 year old male. It keeps the humidity up fairly well even in a screen topped tank and it's big enough he doesn't have any problems like ingesting it during a meal. All of the reptile stores near me use this as well for most of their BPs. Hope this helps! :)