New BP owner blues

So I'm a total newbie and a hot mess. I feel like I'm just screwing up left and right.:tears:

I did loads of research and lurked here for a couple months. I got a hatchling on september 10th. She came from one of the better breeders you could purchase a snake from. I did my initial set up before I got her...except I forgot to put paper towel substrate down... d'oh. I've been monitoring my husbandry and I just can't seem to get it right. I only handled her twice to check for possible shedding(once Tuesday, once yesterday) and that was for 5 minutes each time.

Ambient is 78-82
Humidity - 60-72
Hotspot - 88-92 (when all is well)

I have her in a small 9qt RUB, paper towel substrate, VE-100 thermostat, UTH (probe taped with foil tape, in the middle of the UTH, initally set to 100 to get the substrate temps to 90), digital humidity/ambient monitor, and a Ryobi laser thermometer(it's about 4 years old), 2 small hides for hot and cold end, and a small water dish. I had been monitoring the hot spot temps and Coco's and her movement, if any. She stays in her hot spot all day and the temps had initially been around 90. I checked her temps this morning, and the heat gun said 78...which I panicked and tuned her thermostat up to get the hotspot temps up. ( I had it set to 100 so the substrate would get warm enough). I even checked the heat gun on my hand to make sure it wasn't messed up and it read correctly.

About 45 minutes I had may have blasted the poor thing with heat and she was pressing herself up against the cool side of her tub, behind her hide. I have a computer with lighting FX next to her tub (just steady green light), so I put a hand towel over the tub, and checked on her about 30 minutes later, and she was back in her hot hide. I measured the temps again just inside of her hide and it said 86 (Thermostat was at 110, bumped it up to 113).

She hasn't been showing any signs of "hunting" at night, or interest in food, and the last meal when she was with the breeder was a week ago. That's the other issue, is she was on live hopper mice, and I'm trying to get her to take a F/T hopper. I thawed/heated the hopper's up near her tub (30 minutes in a plastic bag and hot water). I offered it to her and she pulled away from it. I had removed her hot hide to feed her, and I was this giant heat source sitting next to her, so I'm sure I terrified her. So I'm not entirely sure what to do as far as the feeding goes.

So I'm stuck, is she too cold, and not wanting to feed? Is the light bothering her, so she doesn't want to feed? Is my temp gun or thermostat malfunctioning?

I'm screwing things up, being a hot mess, and doing a horrible job getting her to adapt. Any of the seasoned BP owners ever feel like this when they got their first BPs? Thanks in advance, I'm sure you guys read a ton of these T_T.

https://ball-pythons.net/gallery/fil.../7/0/tub01.jpg

https://ball-pythons.net/gallery/fil.../7/0/tub02.jpg

you need to be taking the hot spot temperature measurement from the ABSOLUTE bottom of the enclosure, NOT the substrate. i can guarantee you the bottom is FAR TOO HOT for the snake.

take your measurement from the bottom and adjust accordingly.

Aw crapola T_T So bottom of the enclosure, not the substrate temp...oh no O_O!

Thanks tttaylorrrr!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Quahog

Aw crapola T_T So bottom of the enclosure, not the substrate temp...oh no O_O!

Thanks tttaylorrrr!

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it'll be alright. :) let us know how it goes once the temps settle down.

Just took a temp reading from the enclosure bottom, not through the substrate, 86, argh, getting closer!

Got a lil' hiss from scaring her when I put the hide back on top of her. :(

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Quahog

Just took a temp reading from the enclosure bottom, not through the substrate, 86, argh, getting closer!

Got a lil' hiss from scaring her when I put the hide back on top of her. :(

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what's the thermostat set to?

The thermostat was at 100 this morning. Bumped it up to 105, it was only reading 82 about 2 hours ago. Bumped it up to 110, heat gun read 86 from bottom of the enclosure.

So I just bumped it up to 115. Thanks again for helping me get this figured this out , tttaylorr :)

115 wow. mine is at 92 to 94 and I get 91 on hot spot.

K, checked the temp from enclosure bottom, it's at 92, and she's in her cold hide now. Going to bump the temp down to about 112 and see what the reading is in a bit.

She's in her cold hide now, towel down. It's only the second time all week, during the day, in which she's been thermoregulating. Not sure about night time.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Quahog

The thermostat was at 100 this morning. Bumped it up to 105, it was only reading 82 about 2 hours ago. Bumped it up to 110, heat gun read 86 from bottom of the enclosure.

So I just bumped it up to 115. Thanks again for helping me get this figured this out , tttaylorr :)

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Quote:

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Originally Posted by Newbie39

115 wow. mine is at 92 to 94 and I get 91 on hot spot.

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yeah, that's seems way too hot of a temp for a normal hot spot. are you sure your temp readings are accurate?

Yeah, that's my intial reaction too, Newbie ;) No cooking my snake!

I'm using one of those UTH that looks like a big ol heat tape strip since I'm a bit suspect of the heavy plastic UTH's with fires etc. The chap I bought it from said I "didn't need a thermostat" since they don't draw much electricity. Though glad I got one since I'm not doing the best atm :\.

Ok, took another reading, as you guys went "Uhhhh too hot homie", it read 97. *head desk* Back down we go!

Maybe I should consider a new heat gun!

Is it the ultratherm heatpad?
http://www.reptilebasics.com/ultratherm-heat-pads

What size did you get? I'm guessing you've made absolutely sure that the probe is secured nice and tight? No possibility of it shifting around?

That's it :)! Yes, I have taped it down so there's no wiggly jiggle! I believe I got the 6x11, so only about 1/3 of the tank has the heater on the bottom :)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Quahog

Yeah, that's my intial reaction too, Newbie ;) No cooking my snake!

I'm using one of those UTH that looks like a big ol heat tape strip since I'm a bit suspect of the heavy plastic UTH's with fires etc. The chap I bought it from said I "didn't need a thermostat" since they don't draw much electricity. Though glad I got one since I'm not doing the best atm :\.

Ok, took another reading, as you guys went "Uhhhh too hot homie", it read 97. *head desk* Back down we go!

Maybe I should consider a new heat gun!

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No worries about fires. Temps aren't high enough. I got the zoo med one.


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Quote:

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Originally Posted by Quahog

That's it :)! Yes, I have taped it down so there's no wiggly jiggle! I believe I got the 6x11, so only about 1/3 of the tank has the heater on the bottom :)

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I actually have the exact same size/model!

Is the heat pad pressed flat against the tub or is there a fair bit of arch/lift between the pad and bottom of your tub around where the probe is attached? If that makes sense?

Because if the probe is lifting it the pad enough where there isn't much contact then that may explain why you need to run your uth so hot just to get through the plastic. I actually bumped into this issue but fixed it by placing thin, flat strips of styrofoam where I wanted more contact, just not on the probe head directly.

I'm using a pvc cage (Animal Plastics T12, pretty thick bottom) and have mine set to 96 to get the my hot spot (under substrate) at a steady 89-91.

Yay heat mat twins! ;D LOL!

Ohhh, you know what there is a bit of a gap now that you mention it! It looks like the bottom of tub may have arched up a bit because of the heating! That could explain the crappy heat transfer!

Yeah see if that helps! Also I'm taking a look at your picture and having a hard time telling if you are using a riser? Is that the board on the left of the tub? Is your heat pad actually taped against the tub?


(That moment when you realize you made a typo after the edit window has expired lol. I meant to say "of"your tub instead of "or" in my last post @-@)

Ah yeah I did that to level the tub since the probe kind of made it crooked :( Per your suggestion I need to get it onto the tub. It's affixed to the top of my book shelf instead of the tub.

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Originally Posted by Quahog

Ah yeah I did that to level the tub since the probe kind of made it crooked :( Per your suggestion I need to get it onto the tub. It's affixed to the top of my book shelf instead of the tub.

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You might wanna try using risers or furniture pad for the tub itself to level and lift it evenly. Just enough for it to give space for your uth and probe, I found .5 inch or so was enough. That way you can tape your uth directly under your tub and keep it all neat and tidy :)

Ah cool! Thanks again for the great suggestion :)!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Quahog

Ah cool! Thanks again for the great suggestion :)!

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No prob! Let us know how it works out!

Okie doke, so I went and got a better infrared thermometer and some small furniture sliders to get better clearance for the bottom of the tub, and so I could attach the UTH underside of the tub. Used handy foil tape and got the UTH onto the tub so now we wait to see if there's improvement in her temps. I also noticed a minor curve to the bottom of her tub when I flipped it. Not sure if it's heat warping or a detail I didn't notice on the RUBS (really useful bin).

There was about a 2 degree different between the New Thermometer (Klein Tools) and the old Ryobi thermometer, so I'm going with the Klein reading. Tub was reading 84-88 on the tub base before I made any changes.

Took out Coco, since I figured flipping over her tub with her in it was a horrible idea. She didn't hiss or strike, though she wrapped around my arm / watch, most likely to get warm. She did a little exploring and some tongue flicking, though still sure she wasn't a happy hatchling.

I placed her hides and water back in, then put her back. She went back behind her cold hide again, so she was not happy...at least I know what scared Coco looks like.

Tonight I'll power down my computer so the lights aren't blasting into her tub and take the towel off.

Fingers crossed that I'm making proper adjustments! Thanks for your help everyone!

Small update on Coco. I kept the hand towel over her tub last night, and I set my lights to Red (Let's here it for Hue lights!) so I could see what she was up to. She was doing some exploring, and then the other times I checked, she had gone from her hot to cold hide and vise versa. Temps are at a steady 88-92 on the hot side, ambient steady at 78-80.

She had a poo and a wee last night, so I put fresh paper towel in. Sidenote: She looks SUPER wrinkly this morning, this look normal? Her skin feels very dry, and so I'm assuming the next day or so she'll shed? her eyes were a bit cloudy earlier in the week and they were clear last night and this morning. It's been very humid this week, and her tub is at 70% humidity now.

https://ball-pythons.net/gallery/fil...rinklycoco.jpg

Umm...I don't own a BP, but I've never seen a snake, even a hatchling, pictured with that much loose skin. She looks dehydrated to me. If no one else chimes in on this thread, because husbandry problems look solved, please post again about this snake's condition. Not an expert, but it doesn't look right to me.

Yeah I figured I'd ask... she didn't feel dry last night, and it's my first shed with a hatchling :(

I gotta run so I'm hoping someone can go into more detail for you, but that looks like a possible stuck shed to me. You may need to set up a sauna for her. Here are links I hope will help in the mean time.

https://ball-pythons.net/forums/show...hed-No-problem
http://wheremyscalesslither.tumblr.c...edding-process
https://ball-pythons.net/forums/show...edding-Process

When did she last shed? Has her sheds been in one piece? That looks to me like a shed that has not come off yet. I could be wrong but dehydration doesn't really look like that alone. It could be a combination of factors but I think the primary and maybe only reason your ball looks like an old man is because one, she is about to shed or has not had a successful shed and two, she is white and it shows it off more predominantly in that picture.

I just hope this isn't looking at a stuck shed (I am not thinking so). What is the humidity at?

Thanks @MissterDog!

@SDA, I just got her a week ago and noticed her eyes were a bit cloudy earlier this week. She's about a month and half old at this point and this is my first shed with her. I have a reptile basics hydrometer, 70-72% and has been reading this for a couple days. She had a wee and a poo this morning in her hot side, away from the hydro probe.
I contacted the breeder and he mentioned she looked dry, so I'm a bit perplexed on what happened :(. His diagnosis was she's stuck, and that I need to give her a nice soak to help her out.

I have an Accurite thermostat and hydrometer with a wireless probe, so I dropped that into her tub and I'll see if the readings are similar. I've had it in there for about 10 minutes and it says 63%-64%, I'll see what the levels are in a few hours. If the reptile basics one is broken, that could give insight into why she's so dry...poor thing :(.

Thanks for the helpful feedback, much appreciate to help me get these issues fixed!

Make sure when you put her in a tub to soak that you monitor it at all time. Don't walk away as you never know what might happen.

I have had my share of stuck sheds over the years and what always works is luke warm water (80 degrees is a good number giver or take a few) with paper towels on the bottom. Don't fill it more than half way to 2/3 the height of the snake's body. Let them soak for 20-30 minutes and if the shed isn't off by then you can start assisting gently.

In the future a wet/humid hide box solves all these issues.

Snake Discovery has a great video on how to make a humid hide

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tjBFKkbJrRE

The reptile basics hydrometer is for sure inaccurate, Acurite is reading 60% and the Basics is still at 72%. Earlier in the week it was reading 55%...so that means it was 45%, YIKES! No wonder she's stuck!

Thank you soooooooo much @SDA :)! I'm going to get supplies to make her a wet hide box :)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Quahog

The reptile basics hydrometer is for sure inaccurate, Acurite is reading 60% and the Basics is still at 72%. Earlier in the week it was reading 55%...so that means it was 45%, YIKES! No wonder she's stuck!

Thank you soooooooo much @SDA :)! I'm going to get supplies to make her a wet hide box :)

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Almost forgot but I think the video touches on it... wet hide is only for when they are in shed. Would not want them to get too humid on their little bellies. ;)

Thank you! :)

I'm no expert by any means but I'd also suggest it was dehydrated ...

I'd be tempted to give it a 25 minute soak in a container that fastens down for safety .
It's not a practice appreciated by everyone but I can virtually guarantee that it will look plumper and healthier immediately afterwards .. nothing lost by trying ..


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@Zincubus - I'm giving her a nice soak as I type this. She's not super happy about it, though she's soaking away in a small container in her tub. :) Thanks for the advice :)

I really appreciate everyone who's given advice and how to adjust my husbandry errors, and with that I have some really good news and some really awful news:

Really good news is, with help,98% of her shed is off, except her head. I may do the snake bag / washcloth trick later, but I'm hesitant because I feel like I terrorized her enough yesterday and...

Awful news, she's probably got an RI. She did a little gasping yesterday, checked her mouth didn't see anything, but her gasps have gotten more frequent this morning and I hear little bubbles popping on occassion. No wheezing, no drooling, but vet time will be this week.

Between funky temps and an inaccurate hydrometer, I thought I was doing ok on husbandry, guess not :(. My computer fan is circulating air near her tub, and I had a fan circulating air as she's being housed on a shelf below a table. I don't know if i need to get a new tub and redo the ventilation holes, if the fan contributed to something negative, if I need to put her in a different location, but I'll ask the vet what I can do different. And of course if you guys have suggestions I'm all ears.

I feel awful that I made so many mistakes, and all my screw ups made her sick :tears:

https://ball-pythons.net/gallery/fil...hed_128654.jpg

https://ball-pythons.net/gallery/fil...7/0/cocori.jpg

The stuck/shifting shed on her head could very well be giving her trouble breathing. (obstructing nostrils) You need to get that shed off. Whether you end up going to a vet or not.

Put her in a wet (not dripping) cloth bag or small pillow case. Anything that will keep the wetness on her without drowning her, of course. Make sure she doesn't get to cold. You can also try to rub a very wet/warm wash cloth over her head and then gently try to pull it off. Gently !! You need to get the shed off of her face/nostrils. This may take a while, make sure the old skin is well hydrated before attempting to remove it..

Yes, all this will end up stressing her more, but at this point, you have to fix this before proceeding. Once the shed is off she MAY just stop breathing funny. If not, its time for a vet for sure.

After all this is over with, its time to give her a LONG and good rest before even attempting to feed her. Make sure the temps and humidity are right. Get her away from fans and light. And let her be.

After at least one week of perfect husbandry and complete privacy you can attempt to feed. Do NOT remove her hide for feeding, they usually take food better if they are IN their hide (if they are shy). Just hold the food at the opening. If she doesn't go for it, leave the food in the cage and leave her be overnight. Yes, even thawed food that may get cold. Some snakes, esp. after being stressed, need the privacy to start eating.

Good luck! Hope she will be alright..

Please don't beat yourself up about anything !!

We all make mistimes and learn at the same time ..


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Thank you so much @zina10, this really helped me out, and @zincubus, thank you for the kind words <3.

So I have a lot of really good news :)!

Coco is 100% stuck-shed free! I used the wet cotton bag and warmish paper towel method to help get the stuck shed off of her head. The head was difficult as I wanted to get it to start to come off of her snoot instead of going against her scale grain (which I stopped going against the scale growth once I saw that it would tug on her eye scales going the "wrong" way). I put her in the cotton bag and got her to "push" through the neck of the bag as I used just enough pressure as to where she would have to force her head through the material a little and start the shed in the proper direction. Once I got this going, I took her into the bathroom and used a slightly warm, wet paper towel and very gently went between holding the wet paper towel against the stuck shed, and very gently, rolling the shed back. I mainly used the paper towel to roll the skin off her face, my fingers would slip too much and I didn't want her to jerk her head away violently, which she did a couple times, as she was scared. It was slow going, though I avoided the skin tearing around her heat pits and nostrils, and her little nose was clean as a whistle once the stuck shed came off. Her eye caps came right off and in one piece. She was surprisingly docile, no hissing, no striking! Of course she pulled her head away a lot at first, though maybe she just started feeling less uncomfortable as that stuck shed came off of her head. Worst thing, I think she peed on me, LOL! There was a sudden drip of liquid in a not dripping wet bag XD!

The other pleasant surprise, she didn't gasp a single time as I was working to get the shed off and that was for about 3 hours. I'm going to passively monitor her, though I am still going to take her to the vet in the next week or so to be positive she doesn't have a Respiratory issues. Like zina pointed out, the stuck shed may have obstructed her nostril(s).

I also took the opportunity to line her tub with Aspen since my big issue was humidity and now she'll be able to burrow if need be. I figured one last little bit of stress today is better than stressing her out another time to adjust her home. Hopefully she'll eat next week!

Two questions, she had a poo and wee in her hot hide yesterday morning. There wasn't anything stuck to it and I spot cleaned, should I clean it, or just leave it? Also, the breeder had been giving her live hoppers, should I try that ,or try F/T on her since I'd assume she'll be ravenous at that point?

Thanks again everyone, I appreciate your experiences and knowledge!:hug::hug:

https://ball-pythons.net/gallery/fil.../cleancoco.jpg

https://ball-pythons.net/gallery/fil.../cocoaspen.jpg
Still using the reptile basics for thermometer, though looking to get an Acurite that does temp and humidity.

https://ball-pythons.net/gallery/fil...cocowander.jpg
Some stress wandering, hopefully will pass as she acclimates.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Quahog

Yeah, that's my intial reaction too, Newbie ;) No cooking my snake!

I'm using one of those UTH that looks like a big ol heat tape strip since I'm a bit suspect of the heavy plastic UTH's with fires etc. The chap I bought it from said I "didn't need a thermostat" since they don't draw much electricity. Though glad I got one since I'm not doing the best atm :\.

Ok, took another reading, as you guys went "Uhhhh too hot homie", it read 97. *head desk* Back down we go!

Maybe I should consider a new heat gun!

---

Sounds like you have one of those Ultratherm heat pads... I read that everyone in the UK loves them so I thought why not and started out with one of them for my gecko a few years ago. I had the exact problem you are describing and ditched it for a better UTH. Absolutely awful!!!! :no:

Good job !!!

That really needed to come off and that may have been what the breathing problems were all about.

Now, this is completely up to you, but honestly, if this was my snake, I would not take it to the Vet, given that there are no more signs that point to a URI. After all this commotion and excitement what the baby needs is PRIVACY and to relax and get comfortable (safe feeling) in its tub.

While a Vet visit is important for a sick snake, I do not much believe in "checkups" for snakes, unless there is a valid reason. Being that it will be stressful and for now this little one had enough stress. Of course if there is ANY indication of sickness, by all means, a vet visit should be done.

Just one more piece of advice, aspen doesn't really help with low humidity. I've used aspen for years (although far smaller pieces then yours) and it was fine. But to up humidity you need to mist it, and Aspen molds quickly. If you need to have better control over humidity, I find the "coco" substrates far better.

But for now its most important to let the snake come down from all that stress. Given the temps are good, just leave everything be for now. Mist the aspen lightly on one side every so often. NO HANDLING of the snake, other then some maintenance. Offer the most privacy you can. No bright lights, either.

Give it a good week before offering food, or at least a few days. If the snake was on live hoppers, that is what I would start with. You want her started well and good, before you introduce different ways of feeding or a different food item (rats). If she takes the food quickly and problem free, you can always work on switching later.

Get at least 2 good meals into her before you start handling. In the beginning keep the handling sessions short and sweet.

I know its difficult in the beginning. But just think...these snakes can get 40+ years old. You have a TON of time with this sweetheart and doing things the right way now, will pay off and make things easier in the future.

I think you and your baby will be just fine :)

Oh, btw.

Don't ever leave "live" food unsupervised unless its young enough not to cause injury to the snake. I have left "dead" (frozen thawed) overnight and the snakes will often take it just fine, even hours later.

But never live food.

Now, I have left mice hoppers with the hatchlings while they figure out what to do (first feeding). But I leave a piece of "rat food" or "dog food" in the tub for the hopper to work on. And I peeked in the tub with a red light to check on things...

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Jus1More

Sounds like you have one of those Ultratherm heat pads... I read that everyone in the UK loves them so I thought why not and started out with one of them for my gecko a few years ago. I had the exact problem you are describing and ditched it for a better UTH. Absolutely awful!!!! :no:

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Aw really? I've only had good experiences with the Ultratherm heat pad so far and actually have the same size as OP's. I found they work very well if installed properly. I bumped into the same issue and shared a solution in an earlier post. It sounds like it's working fine for OP now?

That being said I am curious which uth did you decide to go with?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Quahog

Thank you so much @zina10, this really helped me out, and @zincubus, thank you for the kind words <3.

So I have a lot of really good news :)!

Coco is 100% stuck-shed free! I used the wet cotton bag and warmish paper towel method to help get the stuck shed off of her head. The head was difficult as I wanted to get it to start to come off of her snoot instead of going against her scale grain (which I stopped going against the scale growth once I saw that it would tug on her eye scales going the "wrong" way). I put her in the cotton bag and got her to "push" through the neck of the bag as I used just enough pressure as to where she would have to force her head through the material a little and start the shed in the proper direction. Once I got this going, I took her into the bathroom and used a slightly warm, wet paper towel and very gently went between holding the wet paper towel against the stuck shed, and very gently, rolling the shed back. I mainly used the paper towel to roll the skin off her face, my fingers would slip too much and I didn't want her to jerk her head away violently, which she did a couple times, as she was scared. It was slow going, though I avoided the skin tearing around her heat pits and nostrils, and her little nose was clean as a whistle once the stuck shed came off. Her eye caps came right off and in one piece. She was surprisingly docile, no hissing, no striking! Of course she pulled her head away a lot at first, though maybe she just started feeling less uncomfortable as that stuck shed came off of her head. Worst thing, I think she peed on me, LOL! There was a sudden drip of liquid in a not dripping wet bag XD!

The other pleasant surprise, she didn't gasp a single time as I was working to get the shed off and that was for about 3 hours. I'm going to passively monitor her, though I am still going to take her to the vet in the next week or so to be positive she doesn't have a Respiratory issues. Like zina pointed out, the stuck shed may have obstructed her nostril(s).

I also took the opportunity to line her tub with Aspen since my big issue was humidity and now she'll be able to burrow if need be. I figured one last little bit of stress today is better than stressing her out another time to adjust her home. Hopefully she'll eat next week!

Two questions, she had a poo and wee in her hot hide yesterday morning. There wasn't anything stuck to it and I spot cleaned, should I clean it, or just leave it? Also, the breeder had been giving her live hoppers, should I try that ,or try F/T on her since I'd assume she'll be ravenous at that point?

Thanks again everyone, I appreciate your experiences and knowledge!:hug::hug:

https://ball-pythons.net/gallery/fil.../cleancoco.jpg

https://ball-pythons.net/gallery/fil.../cocoaspen.jpg
Still using the reptile basics for thermometer, though looking to get an Acurite that does temp and humidity.

https://ball-pythons.net/gallery/fil...cocowander.jpg
Some stress wandering, hopefully will pass as she acclimates.

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Congrats !

Looking good as well :)

I'd seriously consider swapping substrate to Orchid bark ( maybe called ReptiBark over there ) as it holds moisture really well for the humidity and the dark substrate will make the snake look even more eye catching !!




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Continued ..

White on black :)

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...0be812cca8.jpg


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Quote:

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Originally Posted by Quahog

https://ball-pythons.net/gallery/fil.../cleancoco.jpg

https://ball-pythons.net/gallery/fil.../cocoaspen.jpg

https://ball-pythons.net/gallery/fil...cocowander.jpg

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OP Quahog: i was gone all weekend so i couldn't help, but you got a bunch of solid advice from other awesome members, and Coco looks so good with a fresh coat of paint!!!

you're doing a great job, and it seems you're learning something new every day! everyone makes mistakes, but the important thing is to learn from our mistakes. i just want to say: YAY!!! :gj:

Thanks so much everyone! I'm so fortunate to have this knowledge base of people to help me get this figured out!:hug::hug: I've learned a ton going through all this. Part of me wishes it hadn't happened, but happy I could learn and hopefully help other people in the future!

@zina10: Okie doke, I'm tending to side with you on this with the vet situation. I'll give her a look over this weekend, as besides giving her fresh water, I'm leaving her alone :) After she's eaten a couple times, I'll consider some new substrate like the Orchid or Coco bark that you and @Zincubus are recommending ;) The idea of mold is...NOPE!

As far as the UTH go, besides my "derp" moment measuring heat in the wrong place(thanks @tttaylorrr and @MissterDog for helping me get this sorted)!, I haven't had much trouble with my current UTH. More me just being a doofus. I won't rule out not trying another UTH in the future. If in the next few months it's not keeping temps up as it gets cooler, I may switch. I just want my lil' noodle to settle in more before I make any other adjustments.

I think my bigger issue equipment wise is an inaccuracy with my hygrometer and a "cheap" Ryobi heat gun (USD $29.99). I spent the extra $$ and got a Klein Tools temp gun($59.99 USD), the Kelin tools has better readings and is backlit so I can see it better in low light. I was using a Reptile Basics ($24.99 USD) temp/hygrometer, and it was reading went from 55% to 72% a few days before her shed. So when I found out she was in a horrendous shed / dehydrated, I went "Wait, but my hygrometer looked fine". Maybe I just got unlucky with a bad hygrometer, though it was stressful for myself and Coco. The RB hygrometer is also SLOW af when it comes to changes in the environment, no bueno, espcially if things go awry! Put in the Acurite ($59.99 USD), immediately read a 10% difference, and it's quick to update. Winter is coming as well, and it gets very dry. So I don't want Coco to look like an old man again!

IMO, If you're a newbie like me, spend the extra money on your environment monitoring tools! It'll help when the wonderful people on this forum help you troubleshoot husbandry issues!

Thanks again to everyone who helped and gave great suggestions :)!

Just a follow up on Coco, she took her first F/T overnight Monday-Tuesday! So she's a shy feeder atm, though very happy she took the F/T!

I thawed the hopper just outside of her tub for a few hours. After about 6 hours, I put the hopper in a plastic bag, and submerged the bag in hot tap water in a small dish for about 20 minutes. I put it in her tub and put a hand towel over, checked in the morning, and the hopper was gone :)!

I also removed the aspen. She was wrapping herself around the outside of her hides and smashing herself between the side of the tub and her hide, and laying on her side with her head hooked around the corner of her hide instead of going inside the hides. As soon as I removed the Aspen she began using her hides again.

Had a brief handling session this morning, and after an initial moment of stress, she was happily exploring and tongue flicking. And no signs of R.I., just a jaw stretch. No bubbles, no wheezing, no head elevation.