Is my cool side too warm? BPs spending a lot of time soaking

I have brought home 3 adult balls this week. 2 of which seem to be spending a lot of the time soaking in their bowl.

My Temps are 88-89 on the warm side and about 82-83 on the cool side. Humidity is 73% inside the tubs.

The little girl has not soaked in her bowl at all that I noticed. She moved all her bedding out of her hide and is happy as a clam laying right on the bare plastic right on top her uth.

The male has been in his bowl soaking 2/3rd of the time I check. The guy I bought them from said he was soaking all day the day I bought him and would shed soon.

The big girl though... I have yet to see her out of her bowl! I think she has exited because the bedding was pretty wet in between the water bowl and hide.

Should I be worried?

I have obsessively checked all 3 for mites using a magnifying glass, and haven't seen any on the snakes or in the water. I ordered some PAM anyways and should have it in a few days.

Thanks,

- nervous new snake mom.

Is there any signs of shed? What's are you using as hides? I've heard of some people's snakes thinking there water bowl is more secure. Cool side temps are fine. What are you using as your heat source and where are you taking the temp of the hot side? If you have a thermostat and taking hot spot temps correctly then they shouldn't be soaking bc there to hot.

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My hides are 7 plastic oil pans (black) with a cut out about 1/4 inch bigger then the biggest snakes thickest area if that makes sense.

The water bowls are white plastic shoe box sized containers with a little section cut out so they have easier access to the water with the lid on.

My heater is a typical under tank heater/seed germination mat by vivosun. I do have a thermostat on them.

I'm taking my temp readings using one of the lazer temp guns. I shoot the lazer into the hide and angle down onto the surface of the substrate. I also took temp readings outside the hide on the substrate surface as well. It's about a degree or two warmer inside the hide then out.

No obvious signs of shedding as of yet, no blue or cloudiness, but they are new to me so I don't have a base line as to if they are darker then normal.

Thanks :)

Everything sounds good. How big is your enclosure and what type of material? Shoebox tub water dishes sound huge, they don't have to be big enough for them to get in. If you have lids on them they might like to hide in them. Change out water bowls with regular reptile ones or ceramic ones, since there adult you can use bigger ones but not big enough for them to get all the way in. I would change them out and see what happens.

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They are all in 41 qt sterilite tubs with aspen bedding. Do you think it's possible she doesn't like the substrate?

No lids on the water boxes. They're a bit smaller then shoe box size... i guess 6 qts maybe? I wasnt paying attention but they are large enough for the beasties to all soak in. They're completely open.

I'll pick up some smaller bowls and give it a go.

Think I should treat for mites just in case?

Wouldn't hurt treating for mites just in case.
Very rare you'll see them on the snake so they could easily have them without noticing.
6qts is a lot of water. All my big ones have 500ml of water which is half a quart if I'm not mistaken

My post posted twice for some reason sorry.

How were their conditions in their last home? They might be dehydrated and trying to make up for it now that they have a good water source.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by voodoolamb

Think I should treat for mites just in case?

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You would definitely see tiny black specks in the water if they have been soaking that long but it wouldn't hurt. I would treat all the new snakes not just the ones soaking. Make sure you follow the PAM instructions exactly! Take snake and any water bowls out and then spray and let the cage air out good, you will have to wait at least 15 minutes I usually give mine 30-45 minutes to be safe. The fumes can actually kill your snakes that's why you take out water source and snake.

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If your using a rack and have more then those 3 snakes then your going to have to take every snake out or move tubs to different locations so the Pam airing out doesn't affect the others, that's if there all in the same rack. You actually should PAM any snakes in the same room as them but like I said make sure no animal is around while it airs out. Whether you have those 3 or more just take one tub at a time and move it to a different room and spray and let it air out and then after put snake and tub back and grab another go to different room then spray air out, etc.


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Well... I got a smaller water bowl and it went over like a lead balloon. She dumped the entire thing trying to soak. She had her big 2500 gram body smushed into it with the centimetre or so of water that was left. It was both the most hilarious and most pathetic thing I have seen snake wise.

On the bright side the male who was also soaking a has decided to quit the swim team. He has been enjoying his hide for the past 36 hours or so.

The two that are not soaking are a bit thin. The soaker seems to have the best body condition of the 3. But maybe they all were a bit dehydrated and she is just making up for it. No wrinkles on her skin. I'm going to offer food tonight so if that is the case a nice juicy rat might help.

Still no black specs in the water. Still no PAM either though. Shipping delay due to holiday

Thank you everyone for your help and advice :)

At least the new water bowl worked for one of them lol sorry it didn't for the other. The one that is still using the water bowl has she ever used her hides? If not try showing her the hot hide. What I do when I get a new hide is handle one for a bit and then when I put the snake back I'll place there head right inside the entrance of the hide. If I don't see them using the cool side when I handle next I'll do the same thing for the cool hide. If your feeding tonight though I wouldn't attempt to show them a hide after a meal, I would wait at least 48hrs after unless you feed in a different tub (which I personally don't recommend).

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Yes. She has gone into her hide. When I handle her and put her back into the tub she immediately slithers into her oil pan.

Maybe she wants to be an anaconda when she grows up lol

Oh and she'll be fed in her own tub :)

Well up.. big girl is deep in the blue today. Maybe all this soaking was a pre shed ritual. I gave her back her big bowl which she happily slithered into.

Checked on big girl tonight. She shed and pooped and was happily tucked away in her hide!!!! No soaking. Yay.

I think I just learned my first rule about snake club. The snakes know more about snaking then I do. If my set up is good and the snake is otherwise healthy - don't sweat their quirks.

Now someone is going to have to remind me of that when I go through my first fast. Lol

Lol wait until she turns into an adult and goes into the fasting modes during winter. My advice is buy a boa or burm or retic to become the garbage disposal for your BP during the winter lol. My girl fasted for 5 months this past winter. She quit eating around Oct/Nov and didn't start eating again until end of Mar. My boas were happy though as they got an extra helping every couple weeks. Now the BP is back to being a garbage disposal too lol.