New Tub Set-Up

I am creating my first ball python enclosure this week, and have been searching this forum up and down for opinions and advice on keeping balls in tubs. I am picking up the snake Sunday, but here's my dilemma; the seller is also selling me a thermostat since they had an extra and they have always found the brand to work wonderfully. I will have the tub, thermometers, hides, uth, etc by Saturday, but I have a few questions about how to make this transition as seamless as possible for her since it will not have been completely set up and running with the thermostat..also, just a few general husbandry questions. Thanks for any info you can provide!!

-How many holes/how big/how far apart should I melt in the tub for adequate air flow?
-should I avoid testing the heat pad before I have the thermostat, in the event it could melt the plastic?
-How can I ensure that the ambient temperature is appropriate with a plastic tub, since I can't use a heat lamp? Increasing the temp of the entire room is not an option.
-I am planning on using newspaper for a substrate due to ease of cleaning. How often should it be changed, and if I must mist the tub to maintain humidity is this a poor choice of substrate?
-how far above the surface of whatever the tub is sitting on should the heat pad be? I don't want it to ruin the desk I am planning on keeping her on. Also, any suggestions as far as feet go for attaching to the tub to lift it up? I heard bottle caps somewhere but that doesn't seem like much space

Ok, I guess most of those didn't have much to do with the late arrival of the thermostat. Still, I'm big on planning everything ahead so that part is giving me a bit of anxiety. Any advice is greatly appreciated! Thanks!

Hey congrats on your first BP, I got mine almost 3 month ago an also went the tub route. the people here have helped me a ton. I am by no means an expert or very experienced but ive studied a ton before getting mine and have learned alot from the people here an so far i am having alot of success.
First of all i suggest holding off on getting your BP untill you have success keeping temps and humidity up in the tub without the snake. I did an it allowed me to work out the errors before putting in a live animal. Do a 2 day test run.
1. I dont think it matters how big the holes are as long as the snake cant fit through. i put a bunch of holes about 3-4mm wide around the upper portion of the tub, about half inch to an inch apart. sand off the residential plastic.
2. i wouldn't leave the heat pad running without a thermostat, i guess just to see if it works first, but dont leave it running, no real point.
3. Sure you can use a heat lamp, just keep the CHE a foot or more away from the lid an regulate with a thermostat, the heat will penetrate the lid without melting it. I use a 150w CHE.
4. I dont use paper so i wont speak on it. I do use cypress chips an i dont think ill switch to anything else. Kinda pricey but spot cleaning is easy. It soaks up the pee so my girl is sitting in a peepee puddle. An ive found it to be easy to keep humidity in my dry room. i spot clean every day and 100% clean everything once a month.
5. Not sure, mine is on a wood desk an up less than a bottle caps height an its been fine. think youll be good with bottle caps, good idea i might do that lol.

Again im not an expert an i hope someone will correct me if i said anything wrong.
Do a test run for at least 2 days, temps are very important. I did an i glad i did because i had problems lol. good luckhttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...fd652b1882.jpg

You can use Legos to raise up the tub. The best part about Legos is you can adjust the height to your liking

Thanks so much! Is there any harm though in putting the thermostat probe on top of the uth but in the tub, so theres a layer of plastic between it? I figure it wouldn't make a difference, or might even be more accurate since it's closer to where the snake will actually be, no?

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Originally Posted by purpleroan

Thanks so much! Is there any harm though in putting the thermostat probe on top of the uth but in the tub, so theres a layer of plastic between it? I figure it wouldn't make a difference, or might even be more accurate since it's closer to where the snake will actually be, no?

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Putting the probe in the enclosure isn't a good idea. If the snake moves it or poos on it, the uth will think its cold and heat up to much

What C0r3y0s3 said, the snake will move it/pee or poo on it. Put the thermostat probe between the UTH and the tub. It is the safest way possible to accurately regulate your heat mat. Then put a thermometer probe in the tub under the substrate to see what the real temp is on the inside.

I did put the thermostat probe inside my tub for one day an went to work. when i got back the temp was almost 100°! luckily it was only one day and she wasn't directly on the plastic.

An you may need to set the thermostat higher than you actually want the temps to be on the inside.
For example I have my thermostat set to 95° and the thermometer inside the tub reads between 89-91°.

Ah, that makes so much sense! Thanks guys! Just have to figure out how to gingerly unstick my uth since I jumped the gun a bit.

you can just pull it off. it will loose its stickyness but you can use metal foil tape to stick it back on.

I have a glass tank, but is a UTH ok to use on plastic tubs or acrylic? I’m guessing with the use of a thermostat, it wouldn’t get hot enough to melt the plastic, just wanting to verify, in case I ever go the more economical route and use plastic tubs.


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Originally Posted by Sgt7212

I have a glass tank, but is a UTH ok to use on plastic tubs or acrylic? I’m guessing with the use of a thermostat, it wouldn’t get hot enough to melt the plastic, just wanting to verify, in case I ever go the more economical route and use plastic tubs.


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perfectly fine, you shouldn't use any heat source without some kind of thermostat device. plastic tubs won't melt unless it gets around 170°

at least 170 some can go up to 260.

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Originally Posted by Virago

at least 170 some can go up to 260.

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Thank you for the confirmation!


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It's definitely fine! I was worried at first too but this forum reassured me and I've had mine set up for a few days now with zero issues. As long as there's a thermostat it won't melt (and I watched mine climb to about 103 before I got the stat [and snake don't worry] and there still wasn't an issue, maybe long-term but you're definitely safe to use it normally).

EDIT: Sorry, I didn't see that Virago had replied!