Noob looking for pointers

Hi Folks!

New BP keeper here. Im looking for some friendly advice on cage setup, feeding and all things pythons.. because, this is my first snake.

Here is some basic info about me and my banana:
He is 4 months old and weighs 85 grams. He arrived from the breeder on Friday and is hanging in a 20 gallon tank with coconut substrate, 3 hides (all snug for his size), fake plants and a water dish. I have a UTH on the warm side and an ceramic heat emitter above. I live in Colorado so its cooler in my house and i feel both are necessary to keep the temp warm enough for him. I also have a heat emitter on the cool side. Without it, temps would get super low. Ive been using a spray bottle to keep humidity up.

I didnt realize i needed thermoSTATs so, those are arriving in a couple days. I have a thermometer on each side of the tank and a heat gun to check temps around the tank.

So, I know he has gone through big changes and is still getting comfortable... today was his feed day but he didnt seem interested in the live mouse I tried to feed him.

Anything you suggest Im doing incorrectly or could be doing better? There are a lot of factors and Im here to make everything the best I can. Any suggestions are welcome!

Val

2 heat emitters will dry the cage fast. Cover the cage lid with tinfoil or a towl or something.

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Ive been using a towel but its hard to regulate the temp before the thermostat gets here

Unplug the UTH! An unregulated heatmat can easily reach over 100 degrees and burn your snake! A UTH doesn't do anything for your ambient temp. A RHP (radient heat panel) would help create a temperature gradient.

How long have you had the snake for? He might be stressed if you recently got him so it's best not to handle him at all until he's had at least 2-3 consecutive meals.

I'm glad that you have plenty of hides, plants, and a heat gun! Your setup is pretty good but just needs some tweaks. Welcome to the forum and don't hesitate to ask if you ever have more questions or concerns :)

Thanks for the advice. The UTH is on the warm side. Should i still unplug it? Temp looks perfect at the moment.

Any suggestions for a radiant heat panel?

I just got him 3 days ago. So, I'm staying hands off for a while.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Valrie87

Thanks for the advice. The UTH is on the warm side. Should i still unplug it? Temp looks perfect at the moment.

Any suggestions for a radiant heat panel?

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Yes unplug the uth

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Quote:

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Originally Posted by Valrie87

Thanks for the advice. The UTH is on the warm side. Should i still unplug it? Temp looks perfect at the moment.

Any suggestions for a radiant heat panel?

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Yeah unplug it until you can get it hooked up to a thermostat. Here's a good place to get an RHP:

http://pro-products.com/pro-heat/

Read that page and it says how to order one. Since he is still settling in and he refused the last meal that you offered I would recommend waiting a week until offering again. I can't wait to see pics of your little guy! Does he have a name?

Hookay. It's unplugged. Once i get thermostats, it's cool to start using that again? I saw a good drawing of how to setup the thermostat and thermometer to get accurate readings.

Here's my little guy! He's a Banana and his name is Cashew!

https://preview.ibb.co/jeicuG/IMG_20...171338_931.jpg
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Quote:

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Originally Posted by Valrie87

Hookay. It's unplugged. Once i get thermostats, it's cool to start using that again? I saw a good drawing of how to setup the thermostat and thermometer to get accurate readings.

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Yeah you can plug the UTH back in once it's attached to a thermostat :) That way you never have to worry about it overheating! I've seen pictures of burned snakes and it's painful to look at.

He's a handsome boy! I love the name!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Valrie87

Thanks for the advice. The UTH is on the warm side. Should i still unplug it? Temp looks perfect at the moment.

Any suggestions for a radiant heat panel?

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In a 20 gallon tank your going to have a hard time fitting a RHP. Not sure what the dimensions are of the smaller 40 watt RHPs but I do know people with 3'x12"x12" ovc enclosures order custom sizes and your 20 gallon tank is as small if not smaller than that plus you have a plastic Ring around the top. Id wait on the RHP for when you upgrade the enclosure and get the correct size one at that point. Once you look at the Caging section on here you will see all kinds of different enclosures you like including PVC which start at $190 delivered so take your time and look around. For now Id cover 3/4 with tin foil and leave open the spot where your CHE is. You don't need a CHE above your UTH. The uth will provide the hot spot alone. You will have better luck with humidity without the 2nd heat emitter. Also cover 3 sides of the tank with Cardboard from a old box. Cut it and tape it to the outside ( no tape inside ever) . This will not only insulate the glass some but will give the snake a better feeling of security instead of feeling like things can come at them 365 degrees. It may take a bit for a successful feeding. Dont worry, its a snake not a dog. It might go a month or more especially when its winter time.
Very cute BP. Welcome to the Forum.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Valrie87

Any suggestions for a radiant heat panel?

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It may not be worth investing in a RHP for a 20 gallon enclosure. We're already half way through winter, which is horrible for glass enclosures. Once your UTH and CHEs are properly regulated it will be much easier to maintain proper temps. And as the winter weather starts to change to spring and summer weather temp and humidity control are much easier.

Plus, your snake isn't going to be in a 20 gallon for all that long, so you may be spending decent money on a product you really don't need for more than a few months. Plus, like CALM said, it may be hard to find a RHP that fits a 20 gallon.

My two cents: save your money for a PVC enclosure your snake will be in for his entire adult life. Buy a RHP for that and you'll be good for 20+ years.