Am I doing good so far ?

Hello everyone,

I just purchased my first BP after years of waiting. I have been reading and reading and reading and one thing I have learned so far is that no two snake people can seem to agree on anything. Here is my situation, I live in central Texas, very hot , very humid. I have a juvenile male a little over 12" in length and about 1" width at his largest part. Currently I have him in a 10 gallon tank with the back and sides covered in a jungle scene. I have a digital thermometer probe about half way under the substrate on his hot side. Currently I am only using a UTH with no thermostat. So far the readings I am getting have been anywhere from 91.2-96.8 degrees Fahrenheit. My analog temp and humidity gauges are reading about 79-82 degrees ambient air temp and about 60-70% humidity. I know 70% is too high unless he is shedding and I have got that down to about 60%. My question is do I need a thermostat for the UTD? I know many people in colder states do need it but so far (depending on how deep the probe is) the temps have been fairly stable in the mid to low 90's. What concerned me is at first I had the probe all the way underneath between the substrate and the glass and it was saying it was a whopping 102 !!! Now I moved the probe closer to the surface (1/4" below surface) and the temps are perfect. I currently have about 1 1/2" of substrate on his hot side, and am using aspen bedding to help keep humidity down. Do I really need a thermostat for the UTH? I am such a worry wart when it comes to my pets, I want everything to be as close to perfect as I can get. I also am not having any problem keeping heat and humidity in the tank even with the full screen top, as I said it is very humid here and I unlike most am having to find a way to LOWER the humidity. I would like to it stay around 55-60% and bump it up to 70 when he sheds. I have been reading forum after forum freaking out thinking I am hurting my poor snake...can someone tell me if I am doing ok so far ?

Other notes..he has a rock hide on his hot side and a more natural log and plant hide on his cold side. Also, since I got him he has been VERY active. He seems to LOVE climbing and has been spending most of his time either in the middle of the tank or on the cold side up in the fake fern I got for him. He did spend his first night under his hot side rock hide after I covered his tank with a towel (he is in my office and I stay up late gaming and didnt want the light to disturb him) He does not have any burns or anything...but the temp reading I got when the probe was against the bottom side glass scared the hell out of me. I have another digital thermometer/hydrometer coming in the mail for his cold side. As of now I have the digital thermometer on his hot side and the analog thermometer/hydrometer in the middle of the tank. What suggestions do you fine people have for me ?

One other quick question is I do vape, should I not vape in the room I keep him in, out of good practice I have not been because as you know they really produce a lot of vapor and there is nicotine in the vapor.

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Originally Posted by Melluns07

Hello everyone,

I just purchased my first BP after years of waiting. I have been reading and reading and reading and one thing I have learned so far is that no two snake people can seem to agree on anything. Here is my situation, I live in central Texas, very hot , very humid. I have a juvenile male a little over 12" in length and about 1" width at his largest part. Currently I have him in a 10 gallon tank with the back and sides covered in a jungle scene. I have a digital thermometer probe about half way under the substrate on his hot side. Currently I am only using a UTH with no thermostat. So far the readings I am getting have been anywhere from 91.2-96.8 degrees Fahrenheit. My analog temp and humidity gauges are reading about 79-82 degrees ambient air temp and about 60-70% humidity. I know 70% is too high unless he is shedding and I have got that down to about 60%. My question is do I need a thermostat for the UTD? I know many people in colder states do need it but so far (depending on how deep the probe is) the temps have been fairly stable in the mid to low 90's. What concerned me is at first I had the probe all the way underneath between the substrate and the glass and it was saying it was a whopping 102 !!! Now I moved the probe closer to the surface (1/4" below surface) and the temps are perfect. I currently have about 1 1/2" of substrate on his hot side, and am using aspen bedding to help keep humidity down. Do I really need a thermostat for the UTH? I am such a worry wart when it comes to my pets, I want everything to be as close to perfect as I can get. I also am not having any problem keeping heat and humidity in the tank even with the full screen top, as I said it is very humid here and I unlike most am having to find a way to LOWER the humidity. I would like to it stay around 55-60% and bump it up to 70 when he sheds. I have been reading forum after forum freaking out thinking I am hurting my poor snake...can someone tell me if I am doing ok so far ?

Other notes..he has a rock hide on his hot side and a more natural log and plant hide on his cold side. Also, since I got him he has been VERY active. He seems to LOVE climbing and has been spending most of his time either in the middle of the tank or on the cold side up in the fake fern I got for him. He did spend his first night under his hot side rock hide after I covered his tank with a towel (he is in my office and I stay up late gaming and didnt want the light to disturb him) He does not have any burns or anything...but the temp reading I got when the probe was against the bottom side glass scared the hell out of me. I have another digital thermometer/hydrometer coming in the mail for his cold side. As of now I have the digital thermometer on his hot side and the analog thermometer/hydrometer in the middle of the tank. What suggestions do you fine people have for me ?

One other quick question is I do vape, should I not vape in the room I keep him in, out of good practice I have not been because as you know they really produce a lot of vapor and there is nicotine in the vapor.

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I will answer to what is in bold

Here is what happen when you do not use a thermostat https://ball-pythons.net/forums/show...highlight=burn - https://ball-pythons.net/forums/show...ght=belly+burn - https://ball-pythons.net/forums/show...ght=belly+burn (those are only a few example of what we see every year on this forum) , a thermostat is not a optional gadget it is something you MUST have no matter where you live. If you have a UTH you MUST have a thermostat and a reliable one.

Analog gauges are completely unreliable so discard those and use a temp gun.

If your BP is very active during the day then something tells me that your husbandry is off, whether it's the hides not providing enough security, the enclosure be to big or your temps.

Thanks for the quick reply,

Are the Zoomed brand thermostats any good ? Currently if I want to get one today that is my only option. I have checked him for burns and do not see any, his belly is a little pink but I am pretty sure he is about to start a shed as his eyes are also a little cloudy. I guess I should not say he is super active. He kind of just goes back and forth and hangs out in each side for about 5-10 mins.

I'll just start with the most important part....YES you REALLY need a thermostat! Unless of course you want a burned, injured or dead snake....
Unplug your heat sources and run ambient Texas temps until you get a thermostat.

As Deborah said, if your snake is active during the day you probably need to make some husbandry changes. A BP should spend the vast majority of the day in one of his/her hides, and occasionally coming out to explore a bit at night. That being said, you will notice a bit more activity when it is close to feeding day, since your snake will be hungry and on the lookout for a meal.

I also vape, and I just err on the side of caution and go to another room or go outside. Not sure about whether or not a bit of vapor in the air would be an issue, even in my fairly large animal room, but why risk it? I at least have the ability to choose whether or not I inhale the vapor, they don't have the option if you're blowing it into the air they breathe.

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Originally Posted by Melluns07

Thanks for the quick reply,

Are the Zoomed brand thermostats any good ? Currently if I want to get one today that is my only option. I have checked him for burns and do not see any, his belly is a little pink but I am pretty sure he is about to start a shed as his eyes are also a little cloudy. I guess I should not say he is super active. He kind of just goes back and forth and hangs out in each side for about 5-10 mins.

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Ok, so if you're seeing a pink belly and cloudy eyes, your snake is going into shed. A snake going through the shedding process will feel extremely vulnerable during this time and want to stay hidden and safe. My snakes don't leave their hides while in shed. You want yours to find a place where he feels safe and secure. So, if your snake is still active during a shed cycle, then you most certainly need to make some adjustments.

Thanks everyone,

I have already shifted his stuff around on the cold side and made a more effective natural hide with plants and a log, he has since gone back there and not moved. I am trying to go find a thermostat today but for whatever reason petsmart does not keep them in stock. I am worried about unplugging the pad as my gf keeps the house COLD, we normally keep the a/c around 74-76 and down to 71 at night. Are the rest of my temps and humidity good ? Again my ambient temp is about 78-81 and humidity bounces from 55-70%

Your UTH isn't there for ambient temps, it is there to provide a hot spot, primarily used for digestion. If your ambient temps in the room don't remain 82-86 you will need an additional heat source.

And YES you should unplug the UTH. No question, no debate. Unless of course you want to risk serious injury or worse to your snake.

Your snake can handle mid 70s a lot better short term than it can a heat spike and or/burns

I understand that, but again right now those are the ambient temps in the tank . And define short term, 2 days 3 days? The ambient temp in my room is usually 76-78. Again with the inconsistency I see you say I need another heat source yet I have read in dozens of places heat lamps should not be used on balls...so tell what my other option is.

Is your UTH unplugged????

Your options are heat bulbs, Ceramic Heat Emitters (CHE) or Radiant Heat Panels (RHP)

Bulbs and CHEs do drain humidity, but in your case that won't be a problem.

Ok the UTH has been unplugged and I have ordered the Zilla 500 watt thermostat it will be here on the 3rd. There was not a single store around me that had it or I would have gone there. Thank you for telling me to do that I noticed he has now gone to his hot side and has not come from it since, he is only half way in his hide with his head laying up on the top of the hide. I guess I didnt realize burns are more likely than the snake getting hypothermia. I am going to keep my A/C set to 76 and keep the door to my office closed, I also have my gaming PC in here so that helps put some heat out into the room, the actual temp in my office is 78.6. The tank analog (I know is inaccurate) is reading 79. Should he be ok for the next 2 days or should I let the UTH run for an hour of so if his hot side drops below 86 or so? He was just fed Thursday at the pet store, so feeding should not be an issue until next week.

Ok awesome. You're making progress and on your way. I promise it gets easier once everything is properly set up and dialed in.

Your snake will be fine in those temps for a few days until your UTH arrives, just don't let it drop below 75, at least not for long.

Yes it has been unplugged for about an hour, I moved the probe directly between the substrate and the glass, the current temp is 86. He is a lot more calm now. I actually ordered the Hydrofarm brand thermostat. I have a buddy who breeds ball pythons in this area and he told me all I need is a heatpad but a GOOD thermostat is a must. I will post a link of what I got, it will be here on Monday.

https://www.amazon.com/MTPRTC-Contro...RTC+Thermostat

Thank you so much for the help...its crazy I have been reading all about how to do this since I was a kid and now that the time is here its all hectic, to be honest I rushed, I thought about me more than the snake, I am tempted to go take it back to them and ask them just to hold it until I can get the hab set up properly. I feel like an ass for having bought it all at once and rushing it.

Here is some pictures of my setup and temps. Also do you think he can handle rat pups at his size ?

http://tinypic.com/r/3347oe9/9

http://tinypic.com/r/16hthyf/9

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Melluns07

Yes it has been unplugged for about an hour, I moved the probe directly between the substrate and the glass, the current temp is 86. He is a lot more calm now. I actually ordered the Hydrofarm brand thermostat. I have a buddy who breeds ball pythons in this area and he told me all I need is a heatpad but a GOOD thermostat is a must. I will post a link of what I got, it will be here on Monday.

https://www.amazon.com/MTPRTC-Contro...RTC+Thermostat

Thank you so much for the help...its crazy I have been reading all about how to do this since I was a kid and now that the time is here its all hectic, to be honest I rushed, I thought about me more than the snake, I am tempted to go take it back to them and ask them just to hold it until I can get the hab set up properly. I feel like an ass for having bought it all at once and rushing it.

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If your room ambient temps are within the proper range for ball pythons, yes you can use only a UTH.

I am happy to help. I absolutely love these animals and am more than happy to help somebody to enjoy this hobby as well.

Don't beat yourself up. More people impulse buy than you would think. You're certainly not alone. You're on the right track now and your snake will be fine while you make your adjustments.
Now you know to have everything ready before bringing your next snake home :D

Quick Update, I went ahead and bought a lamp with an infra-red 50 watt night bulb now the ambient temp in the tank is 86 on the hot side and the surface temp is about 84.6 while the cold side is about 76 surface temp. He immediately moved to the hot side and is acting like a ball python now, he is chilling in a ball, I have noticed he really actually likes laying on top of the hide more than in it, usually with half his body inside. I also bought him food for the second time :rolleyes: I first bought him some pinkies not knowing how small they really were, his head is bigger than they are. He is about as big around as a quarter in his widest spot. I bought two frozen thawed mice that are 19 grams each. Petsmart called that a large mouse, I looked at rat pups but they were too big. Does 19 grams sound too big for him ? Right now they are kinda curled up and cant tell how big around they are and I do not want to thaw them out as he does not need to eat until next week.

Ok sounds great!!!

As for prey size, I'm not sure of the weight of your snake, but those mice should be good.

I find this chart to be helpful:

https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...d1ee375ca1.jpg

Sent from my SM-J700T1 using Tapatalk

So thanks to everyone here for the help, the thermostat has made a HUGE difference, and I plan on dropping some cash on a serious one here soon as I see the difference they make. Currently he has been in his hide since my last post with very obvious signs of him coming out at night and moving crap around lol. His hot spot is staying between 86-90 degrees and I had to go ahead and buy an infrared heat lamp 50 watt bulb to keep ambient temps up. Turns out even in hot Texas I need it because my PC is in here and it cant be in a hot room. He did successfully feed last Saturday night and the meal was perfect size for him. He missed his first few strikes so I left it on his hide and he gobbled it down quick. For whatever reason petsmart calls a a 19 gram mouse that is a little under 1" in diameter a "large mouse" I want to try and get him on rats as soon as possible as I hear they are much better for him.

Also, I placed the probe for the thermostat directly against the glass under the substrate as the mat has already been installed on the tank, I figured the glass should be the exact temp the pad is. I also thought if he burrowed and moved the probe I would notice the temp on the thermostat got cooler as it has a digital display. I have about 1" of aspen in with the second probe just barely under the surface in his hide. The thermostat is set to 90 and that usually keeps the hot spot between 86-90 through shutting off and turning back on. As I said I plan on buying the herpstat so the temp can stay stable 24/7 and want to know if it is ideal to place the thermostat probe between the UTH and the tank, if so I will buy a new mat with the thermostat.

Just got here, but glad to see things worked out! What I do is I have a UTH with a thermostat that keeps the service temp of the warm hide right around 90°, then I have a ceramic bulb with another thermostat that keeps the ambients on the warm side 82°-83°. The cool side naturally sits around 76°. Since it's summer, the swamp cooler in the apartment all day keeps her tank at around 60% humidity, but in the winter I have to keep on it. :)

Ok, glad your tstat has arrived and is helping you out.
Ideally, yes, you want it outside the enclosure between the UTH and the glass. Where you have it no is ok, but you still may have headaches with it there. Your snake can and will move the probe. This, in turn, could cause a heat spike because the probe is no longer reading the actual hottest part resulting in inaccurate readings which in turn will kick the temps up.