New BP Owner

I'm completely new to snakes and BPs. I just adopted my little guy on Tuesday. I'm a little unsure of how to regulate his humidity and make sure he's happy and healthy. I had a thermometer but I'm going to go out and buy a digital one tonight or tomorrow. I'm also worried about regulating the temperature of his enclosure as I know their environment should be more or less stable when it comes to temperature, but my home tends to be very cool. I don't like leaving the lamp on either, especially since I don't want him to bask so much that he ends up being burned. He does have a UTH. I placed it on the side of the enclosure as it seemed to be the only place I could put it that wouldn't prompt any potential issues. I started putting a flannel over the top so that the heat is kept in the enclosure better (it's not a fish tank, however it does have a screen––I plan on putting a latch on it soon so he doesn't have the ability to make a grand escape), and just the other day I put the light on here and there so that it peeked through the flannel and he could selectively choose where to migrate. He has a nice little tree hide and he went up to the top of it where the light peeked through and hung out for a bit. Temperament wise, I haven't seen any indication of him being stressed or ill. He goes out and about sometimes and other times he'll just relax inside his hide. I had him out for about a minute the other day just on my arm and he was totally fine.

I'd also love any other advice or of the sort. I'm still planning on getting him a lot more leafy stuff and hides. My friend thought he was a pastel? Is that right?

https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...om/zzTGiGc.jpg

Hi! Welcome to the forum! This is an awesome place to learn, so please stick around.

You'll need to (quickly) acquaint yourself with the basic husbandry needs of ball pythons as you're a bit of a mess right now. And I say that with love, because we all start somewhere!

For starters, BPs need belly heat to digest their meals. Your UTH needs to go under the tank to provide that belly heat. You must also have the UTH on a thermoSTAT to regulate it as an unregulated heat source can spike and severely burn your snake. Most of us use Herpstats (on the high end) or Jumpstart (moderately priced) thermostats. Hot side temps should read 88°-90°, nothing over 90°. ThermoSTAT probe goes between UTH and bottom of tank, not inside the tank. Measure surface temps inside the tank with a temp gun.

Cool side temps should read 77°-80°. Ambient air temps should be high 70s to 80°. You may need a Ceramic Heat Emiter (CHE) to get your ambient temps right if your house is cold. CHE needs to also be on a thermostat to keep in range.

Humidity should average around 55%-60%, but bump it up to 70% during their shed cycle.

Get a hygrometer to measure your humidity. Get a temp gun to measure your temps.

Identical hides on each side of the tank, one on hot and one on cool.

This is a ton of info, but husbandry is the most critical element to your snake ownership, so it must be dialed in.


Nearly forgot one MAJOR point! Many newbies use those zoomed stick-on thermometers in their tanks. Never, never, ever, never, ever put anything adhesive inside your tank. Never. Nothing remotely sticky ever. Your snake can and will find it and the injuries caused can be horrific. Google if you're brave.

Can we gat a pic of your entire set up enclosure. Also what are your temperatures on hot side, cold side, and ambient. Your uth should be under the enclosure regulated by a thermostat.

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Oh and welcome to the forum! Congrats on your baby.

First off, welcome to the forum. I see you have heat sources running without thermostats, you should unplug it as unregulated heat sources can get too hot and burn your snake. As an immediate fix I'd put that light on a dimmer and get a heat gun to measure surface temps. You're gonna need order or pick up a thermostat, I like the Herpstat line. Not really sure what placing the UTH on the side will really do. Since you're using a glass tank, I'd give your snake two identical hides. This way he won't have to choose security over thermoregulation. Blacking out the sides will also help with helping him feel secure, just make sure there isn't any tape on the inside of the enclosure.

I'm aware it should be under the enclosure, however my friend who has owned multiple BPs, bred them and is well-rehearsed in veterinary medicine said he always put his UTHs on the side and his BPs were fine. I did a lot of reading so I was aware they are generally put under, but with the advice of my friend and having read a few posts, I decided it was best on the side.

I'm feeling a little overwhelmed right now lol. I did my best to buy all that he needed and I know he needed more hides and we would need the thermostats and otherwise but nonetheless.

Doing my best.

Thank you for all the advice.

Is he versed and have a degree in herpetology? Specifically in snakes? I can take my snake to a regular vet and get care it doesn't mean it is correct? Also if your friend has bred snakes what type of enclosures does he keep them in? Racks? Different set ups. They need the heat under them for digestion In your type of setup. I know you are over whelmed. There are dozens of breeders here with decades of experience. Listen to the many and not just your one. Please listen to the help we are here to give.

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Originally Posted by hopelessopus

I'm aware it should be under the enclosure, however my friend who has owned multiple BPs, bred them and is well-rehearsed in veterinary medicine said he always put his UTHs on the side and his BPs were fine. I did a lot of reading so I was aware they are generally put under, but with the advice of my friend and having read a few posts, I decided it was best on the side.

I'm feeling a little overwhelmed right now lol. I did my best to buy all that he needed and I know he needed more hides and we would need the thermostats and otherwise but nonetheless.

Doing my best.

Thank you for all the advice.

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First off, welcome to the forum and the wonderful world of snake keeping.

I'm not trying to discount your friends experience, but the knowledgeable keepers and breeders on this forum who have decades of experience with thousands of snakes should probably be considered more valuable than what one person said.

Of course, there's more than one way to do things, but years of experience among many people should Trump one person.

It's called an UNDER tank heater (UTH) for a reason. Its not called a STH. The UTH is there solely to provide a hot spot to aid in digestion and not for ambient temps. For ambient temps you will need an additional heat source.

VERY IMPORTANT: ALL HEAT SOURCES SHOULD BE REGULATED BY A THERMOSTAT. Heat sources left unregulated can result in heat spikes which can cause serious burns or worse to your snake. This will also regulate the temps, which you said was a concern.

You said you did a lot of reading, but are overwhelmed and your setup is inadequate. I highly suggest reading the "husbandry 101" stickies and the "how to set up an enclosure" srickies.

We're here to help, so ask any questions you may have. But I would basically start from scratch and read the very basic stickies I suggested. They answer a lot of questions all in one convenient thread.

Don't be discouraged, we were ALL new once...

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Originally Posted by hilabeans

Hi! Welcome to the forum! This is an awesome place to learn, so please stick around.

You'll need to (quickly) acquaint yourself with the basic husbandry needs of ball pythons as you're a bit of a mess right now. And I say that with love, because we all start somewhere!

For starters, BPs need belly heat to digest their meals. Your UTH needs to go under the tank to provide that belly heat. You must also have the UTH on a thermoSTAT to regulate it as an unregulated heat source can spike and severely burn your snake. Most of us use Herpstats (on the high end) or Jumpstart (moderately priced) thermostats. Hot side temps should read 88°-90°, nothing over 90°. ThermoSTAT probe goes between UTH and bottom of tank, not inside the tank. Measure surface temps inside the tank with a temp gun.

Cool side temps should read 77°-80°. Ambient air temps should be high 70s to 80°. You may need a Ceramic Heat Emiter (CHE) to get your ambient temps right if your house is cold. CHE needs to also be on a thermostat to keep in range.

Humidity should average around 55%-60%, but bump it up to 70% during their shed cycle.

Get a hygrometer to measure your humidity. Get a temp gun to measure your temps.

Identical hides on each side of the tank, one on hot and one on cool.

This is a ton of info, but husbandry is the most critical element to your snake ownership, so it must be dialed in.


Nearly forgot one MAJOR point! Many newbies use those zoomed stick-on thermometers in their tanks. Never, never, ever, never, ever put anything adhesive inside your tank. Never. Nothing remotely sticky ever. Your snake can and will find it and the injuries caused can be horrific. Google if you're brave.

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As above ^ !

The only time I put a heat mat on the outSIDE of a viv was for two of my climbing , tree dwelling critters namely a Crested Gecko and a Rhino Nosed Ratsnake ..... even then those side mounted heat mats were 'extra' heat sources added to an existing UTH .


One single side mounted heat source is just not enough as it just warms up the area of glass where it's stuck and the AIR around it .


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UTH don't raise ambient temps at all, that will warm up the side of the glass but how is any of that heat getting to the snake? The point of them is to create a hot spot your animals can lay on.

Don't be overwhelmed. It seems like a lot at first, but once you get all the settings right - you're done! Then it's just a matter of monitoring and slight tweaking where needed.

All you have to do is look at the basic biology of the ball python to know heating the enclosure from the side does nothing for them. That's not how it works for them in their natural habitats and it's illogical in captive habitats. They will search out a ground hot spot after a meal because their instinct dictates this must be done to digest properly. They can't get their underside curled up on the side of the tank, and a UTH doesn't radiate enough heat to do anything for your ambient air. So it's just pointless for this species. As Zinc mentioned, it is done for other species, just not for balls because that's not how they work.

Your friend's setup may work for him. But who knows what other variables are at play? What his home temps are like, what environmental circumstances may allow his snakes to get along fine kept in inadvisable ways.

Do you want your snake's environment to just work (and that's a totally subjective term), or do you want it to be ideal?

If you want his habitat to be optimal - and who wouldn't? - then please listen to what you're being told here. Make a shopping list, hit up Amazon, do all the things, and watch your new pet thrive.

Welcome to the forum! I was watching a video of a guy that has been breeding ball pythons for over 20 years and what amazed me is that he was totally self taught and never looked at any websites or asked around about what others do. Everything he did was completely opposite of what we repeat over and over on this forum. But it worked for him, I was actually amazed he had so much success. I think it can be a bit overwhelming at first because there is so much information out there and a lot of people have their own strong opinions about every topic. For now I would just act like a sponge and take it all in!

:welcome:

Let me preface this with “there is more than one way to skin a cat” that being said what will work for an experienced owner is not always what should be recommended to a new owner with limited experience. The key is to find what works for the animal then yourself.

When I give advice to new owner I do it based on what I know is foolproof and will work for them as they learn more about their animal and before they start experiencing around.

For example 8/9 months of the year I do not provide a hot spot at all, that’s right no belly heat, I also do not provide hides however those two things among many other I do are not things I would recommend to someone just starting.

To that you also need to add common sense and efficiency, for example why belly heat instead of side or back heat, because in the majority of cases especially when you have a cool room it is more efficient, less heat loss (keep in mind that heat also goes up)

So it’s really about providing proper heat which means never falling behind 75 on the cool side and in the mid 80’s on the hot side to facilitate digestion.

If you can do that and your animal is eating you are doing it right, now if you do not manage to provide those temps is when you will start having issues.

Do you need to relocate your UTH? Depends on your temps a little secret is getting a reading of the body core temp of the snake itself when being on either side.

So will the UTH being under be better maybe, maybe not, but it will be more efficient and less heat loss at the bottom especially in a cooler room, of course that means a T-stat which you should already have because even on the side it can get hot enough to crack the glass.

I dont think the heat source absolutely has to be located under the enclosure. In the wild, the sun bakes the Earth which in turn creates belly and ambient heat. In the same way, a ceramic heat emmiter will heat up the ground and also the ambient air and can be left on 24 hours a day as long as it is controlled by a thermostat. A lot of people on here seem to have multiple heat sources but unless the enclosure is very large, ie 8 feet plus, it's not needed. Just as long as the heat source creates a basking spot, maintains an ambient temperature and has a wattage appropriate to the size of the enclosure.

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Originally Posted by Valaryan

I dont think the heat source absolutely has to be located under the enclosure. In the wild, the sun bakes the Earth which in turn creates belly and ambient heat. In the same way, a ceramic heat emmiter will heat up the ground and also the ambient air and can be left on 24 hours a day as long as it is controlled by a thermostat. A lot of people on here seem to have multiple heat sources but unless the enclosure is very large, ie 8 feet plus, it's not needed. Just as long as the heat source creates a basking spot, maintains an ambient temperature and has a wattage appropriate to the size of the enclosure.

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I don't disagree. I only use one heat source a few months out of the year when the ambient temps where I live give me that option.
Deborah touched on this in her reply above as well, and I agree with what she said about it not being great advice for beginners. She mentioned giving newbies foolproof advice since they don't have the experience to identify stress or other issues.
When it comes to beginners I think it's best to stick to what is proven to work time and time again.

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Originally Posted by craigafrechette

I don't disagree. I only use one heat source a few months out of the year when the ambient temps where I live give me that option.
Deborah touched on this in her reply above as well, and I agree with what she said about it not being great advice for beginners. She mentioned giving newbies foolproof advice since they don't have the experience to identify stress or other issues.
When it comes to beginners I think it's best to stick to what is proven to work time and time again.

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I think having multiple heat sources over complicates things though tbh. Having to set up two heat sources and ensure they don't over heat each other seems too much when it's not needed with a CHE.

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Originally Posted by Valaryan

I think having multiple heat sources over complicates things though tbh. Having to set up two heat sources and ensure they don't over heat each other seems too much when it's not needed with a CHE.

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It's not complicated at all, and, like I said, is proven time and time again. Is it the only way? No, but proven.

This is why getting things dialed in prior to bringing the animal home is recommended. Set your heat sources up on thermostats, tinker a bit, get it right, bring animal home, monitor, enjoy pet...

I use a Uth on the side for my water python and sunbeam snake right behind their hides, but only because the tanks are humid and with low ventillation, so the air and hides near the heater tend to form a "pocket" of heat.

I pulled up the how to build a glass tank enclosure sticky. I’m going to the store to get what I can. Can I have a compiled list of what I should have? I know I should have had this prepared beforehand but the lady at the store I got him from said the enclosure I purchased had everything I would need and I failed in that respect to be informed. I’ve been checking on him consistently and he seems to be fine, I just need a list so I can make sure I have at least the bare minimum to sustain him until I can order the remainder of what I cannot get front Petsmart online. I really appreciate all the help.

-THERMOSTAT!!! One for each heat source.
-2 proper hides (Not trees or half logs, but single entry caves)
-water bowl.
-digital thermometer/hygrometer
-infrared temp gun

The rest is up to you...but the above are the staples among with your heat sources.

Stay away from stuff made for aquariums or any hollow decorations/trees etc...

NEVER any tape or anything like it inside an enclosure

Unfortunately, you learned the hard way not to trust the people at the stores. They are often times uneducated on the animals they sell and driven by sales.
I always tell people to cross reference multiple sources before believing anything. Just because one person says it doesn't make it true...

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Originally Posted by craigafrechette

It's not complicated at all, and, like I said, is proven time and time again. Is it the only way? No, but proven.

This is why getting things dialed in prior to bringing the animal home is recommended. Set your heat sources up on thermostats, tinker a bit, get it right, bring animal home, monitor, enjoy pet...

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Yeah that's what I did. I let the silicone dry for a week and then ran temps for a week to make sure.

I think husbandry practices are different across the pond though. Here in the UK more than one heat source is unheard of unless the enclosure is huge.

It's probably because we use wooden vivariums a lot more that hold a lot of heat.

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Temp gun? I bought a digital thermometer & hygrometer, another digital thermometer with a probe, and a thermometer strip.

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Originally Posted by hopelessopus

Temp gun? I bought a digital thermometer & hygrometer, another digital thermometer with a probe, and a thermometer strip.

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Yes, temp gun. It's the only way to get accurate surface readings. You are going to want to get temps ON THE SURFACE not the substrate because snakes can and will burrow to the glass beneath the substrate.

Your t-stat probe will be outside the enclosure.

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Originally Posted by Valyrian

Yeah that's what I did. I let the silicone dry for a week and then ran temps for a week to make sure.

I think husbandry practices are different across the pond though. Here in the UK more than one heat source is unheard of unless the enclosure is huge.

It's probably because we use wooden vivariums a lot more that hold a lot of heat.

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Yeah, using UTHs on wood is pretty pointless!! Hahahaha. I moved my Kingsnake to a wooden enclosure a while back and don't use a UTH for his enclosure.

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Originally Posted by craigafrechette

Yeah, using UTHs on wood is pretty pointless!! Hahahaha. I moved my Kingsnake to a wooden enclosure a while back and don't use a UTH for his enclosure.

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Ha ha. Although I have seen a US keeper using heat tape under melamine enclosures. He said it worked well.

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​Got a temp gun at Lowe’s!

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Originally Posted by hopelessopus

​Got a temp gun at Lowe’s!

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Yoyre getting there!! And I PROMISE once your setup is correct and dialed in its just simple maintenance and daily equipment checks. It honestly gets easy once all set up properly.

Alright! I’ve switched around his enclosure quite a bit. I put the UTH under. Got all the probes and stuff set-up, rearranged a bit. I’m still using the flannel to keep the humidity in and I have the bulb on for now to vaporize the water I sprayed on the sides to get the humidity up. He has a hide on the cool side as well and some more decor. I’ve still got one side to put the background cover on but other than that I think I’m set? Unless I missed something?

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Originally Posted by hopelessopus

Alright! I’ve switched around his enclosure quite a bit. I put the UTH under. Got all the probes and stuff set-up, rearranged a bit. I’m still using the flannel to keep the humidity in and I have the bulb on for now to vaporize the water I sprayed on the sides to get the humidity up. He has a hide on the cool side as well and some more decor. I’ve still got one side to put the background cover on but other than that I think I’m set? Unless I missed something?

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Sounds like progress .. :)

You have a stat regulating the heat mat ?

It will now be more efficient under the tank and has to be regulated ..


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Yes I have a digital thermometer regulating the UTH. Temp is reading 89.8 degrees :)

Yay! You're doing great! Feel free to post a picture of your set up so we can get eyes on it, but sounds like you've just about got it.

https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...om/QOULVfa.jpg

Voila! There's the thermometer & hygrometer over on the left and the other regulating the UTH is off to the right.
This little enclosure is just until he outgrows it but he seems to like it (:
The background wraps around the back and the side.

Went out for a few hours, came home. Temp is good, humidity 50-60%. He was fed, all comfy on his UTH in his tree.

A word of caution, I believe that tree hide is one multiple members have found their snakes stuck inside of the gaps. Both had to carefully tear the hide apart with the snake inside.

Might wanna switch that one out for something else.

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Originally Posted by hopelessopus

Yes I have a digital thermometer regulating the UTH. Temp is reading 89.8 degrees :)

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Welcome to the forum and congratulations on your new family member!

I just want to verify here. Do you have a digital “thermometer” or a “thermostat” regulating the UTH?

Be careful not to confuse the two. A thermometer will not regulate. It only monitors and gives you a reading.

A thermostat, will regulate the UTH and reduce/shut off power to the heat source if the temp rises above the set point.

You do do need both, but please understand the difference.

The thermostat probe gets sandwiched between the UTH and the bottom of the tank, on the OUTSIDE underneath.

The UTH gets plugged into the Thermostat.

The thermometer probe goes INSIDE the tank, on the floor of the tank (either hot glued or suction cupped, NEVER taped) and directly over the center of the UTH.

In many cases, the thermostat will need to be set for several degrees higher, in order to have the thermometer probe read 90 degrees. I use the thermometer probe merely as a guide and the thermometer gun to verify the temps, by moving any substrate aside and aiming the thermometer gun directly at the bare floor of the tank.

I hope this wasn’t too confusing, but let me know if you need clarification.

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Originally Posted by Starscream

A word of caution, I believe that tree hide is one multiple members have found their snakes stuck inside of the gaps. Both had to carefully tear the hide apart with the snake inside.

Might wanna switch that one out for something else.

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:::raises hand sheepishly:::

i was one one of them and you will Be next if you don’t ditch that hide!

its not worth it unless you can and enjoy preforming surgery on plastic items that swallow snakes

you will need to be very precise and calculated as you pull little sharp piece by litttlr sharp peice apart and as you do it try not to impale your snake. It’s not fun nor easy.

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Originally Posted by Sgt7212

Welcome to the forum and congratulations on your new family member!

I just want to verify here. Do you have a digital “thermometer” or a “thermostat” regulating the UTH?

Be careful not to confuse the two. A thermometer will not regulate. It only monitors and gives you a reading.

A thermostat, will regulate the UTH and reduce/shut off power to the heat source if the temp rises above the set point.

You do do need both, but please understand the difference.

The thermostat probe gets sandwiched between the UTH and the bottom of the tank, on the OUTSIDE underneath.

The UTH gets plugged into the Thermostat.

The thermometer probe goes INSIDE the tank, on the floor of the tank (either hot glued or suction cupped, NEVER taped) and directly over the center of the UTH.

In many cases, the thermostat will need to be set for several degrees higher, in order to have the thermometer probe read 90 degrees. I use the thermometer probe merely as a guide and the thermometer gun to verify the temps, by moving any substrate aside and aiming the thermometer gun directly at the bare floor of the tank.

I hope this wasn’t too confusing, but let me know if you need clarification.

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i second this big time. Just catching up on this thread but I think you are confused... thermometer and thermostats are two very diff things. Both very important but if you have a laser gun you don’t even really need the thermometer. I still use both but some don’t. But you must nust have a thermostat. Is your UTH just plugged in an outlet and running full go???

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Originally Posted by hopelessopus

Yes I have a digital thermometer regulating the UTH. Temp is reading 89.8 degrees :)

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I'm afraid you're confusing themoMETER and thermoSTAT.
A METER simply measures temps, but does not regulate temps. A STAT will regulate temps, keeping them a consistent temp regardless of temp fluctuations within the room. It also, more importantly, prevents dangerous heat spikes which can cause serious burns or worse to your snake.
Please unplug the UTH until it's on a THERMOSTAT.

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Originally Posted by Starscream

A word of caution, I believe that tree hide is one multiple members have found their snakes stuck inside of the gaps. Both had to carefully tear the hide apart with the snake inside.

Might wanna switch that one out for something else.

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Exactly. That's the type of stuff I suggested avoiding in a previous reply. Your snake can and WILL find it's way in there and cause you nightmares. We've had several threads within the last few months about snakes getting stuck in them.

The half log should be replaced as well.

As for the flannel, it's actually going to absorb humidity out of the tank. If you can get a piece of plexiglass to fit tgat is best. I also use foam board insulation cut to size. Its 1/2" thick and has waterproof foil paper which reflects heat and humidity back in. Another option is cardboard cut to size and wrapped in aluminum foil. The foil will have the same effect as the insulation.

Please don't get discouraged. You've made fantastic progress in just a few days and you're SOOOOO SOOOOOOO close!!!

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Originally Posted by Sgt7212

Welcome to the forum and congratulations on your new family member!

I just want to verify here. Do you have a digital “thermometer” or a “thermostat” regulating the UTH?

Be careful not to confuse the two. A thermometer will not regulate. It only monitors and gives you a reading.

A thermostat, will regulate the UTH and reduce/shut off power to the heat source if the temp rises above the set point.

You do do need both, but please understand the difference.

The thermostat probe gets sandwiched between the UTH and the bottom of the tank, on the OUTSIDE underneath.

The UTH gets plugged into the Thermostat.

The thermometer probe goes INSIDE the tank, on the floor of the tank (either hot glued or suction cupped, NEVER taped) and directly over the center of the UTH.

In many cases, the thermostat will need to be set for several degrees higher, in order to have the thermometer probe read 90 degrees. I use the thermometer probe merely as a guide and the thermometer gun to verify the temps, by moving any substrate aside and aiming the thermometer gun directly at the bare floor of the tank.

I hope this wasn’t too confusing, but let me know if you need clarification.

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VERY well explained, spot on.

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Originally Posted by Phillydubs

:::raises hand sheepishly:::

i was one one of them and you will Be next if you don’t ditch that hide!

its not worth it unless you can and enjoy preforming surgery on plastic items that swallow snakes

you will need to be very precise and calculated as you pull little sharp piece by litttlr sharp peice apart and as you do it try not to impale your snake. It’s not fun nor easy.

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There have been many, please don't be the next...

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Originally Posted by Starscream

A word of caution, I believe that tree hide is one multiple members have found their snakes stuck inside of the gaps. Both had to carefully tear the hide apart with the snake inside.

Might wanna switch that one out for something else.

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I highly recommend the Exo Terra cave hides. They're very secure, not easy to tip over and look naturalistic. The newer ones in the picture come already smooth inside. The older models had sharp edges that needed to be filed down [emoji1474]https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...6a0ca33e06.jpg

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Originally Posted by Valyrian

I highly recommend the Exo Terra cave hides. They're very secure, not easy to tip over and look naturalistic. The newer ones in the picture come already smooth inside. The older models had sharp edges that needed to be filed down [emoji1474]https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...6a0ca33e06.jpg

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I personally love these and would definitely recommend them.

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Originally Posted by Starscream

I personally love these and would definitely recommend them.

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I love that natural look and they hold heat well too.

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Originally Posted by craigafrechette

VERY well explained, spot on.

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Thank you, brotha!


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Originally Posted by Valyrian

I love that natural look and they hold heat well too.

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I use them as well on 2 of 3 enclosures. The third one had the reptile basic black boxes but I may end up just going w them in all 3 cages. I like that they are rounded as well and they do look and feel great have some weight To them as well.


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Originally Posted by Valyrian

I highly recommend the Exo Terra cave hides. They're very secure, not easy to tip over and look naturalistic.

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I too had issues with hides and difficulty removing snake from some. I tried the black RB hides which were OK but they just didn't look good in a display tank.

So, I also highly recommend the ET hides Valyrian suggested, they look great/natural, they're heavy and EZ to clean. The ET water dishes are also nice and robust.

https://ball-pythons.net/gallery/files/6/8/3/5/8/b1.jpg

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Originally Posted by vikingr

I too had issues with hides and difficulty removing snake from some. I tried the black RB hides which were OK but they just didn't look good in a display tank.

So, I also highly recommend the ET hides Valyrian suggested, they look great/natural, they're heavy and EZ to clean. The ET water dishes are also nice and robust.

https://ball-pythons.net/gallery/files/6/8/3/5/8/b1.jpg

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That enclosure looks awesome. Is that an Etekcity temp gun I see there? I've got that one it's pretty good.

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Originally Posted by Valyrian

That enclosure looks awesome. Is that an Etekcity temp gun I see there? I've got that one it's pretty good.
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Thx, the Boaphile 322 is great, and yes it is an Etekcity 774 - works great