New ball python help?

I just recently got a baby ball python (August 28th), he was shipped and is over a month old. I got his terrarium all set up and I'm having trouble maintaining humidity and temperature. The basking temp has reached over 95 degrees and the humidity does not stay between 55-60%. Whenever I do cover the top mesh cover with towels, the temperature slowly starts to rise. So I have to keep misting the terrarium. How do I go about keeping them maintained? The only way I could lower the basking temp is turning off the infrared heat lamp, and I've spooked him a few times trying to mist. I know I am most likely stressing him out, so any advice?

He is in a 20gal terrarium. The cool side is always the same; 78 degrees. The current humidity is slowly dropping down to 54% and his current basking temp is 93 degrees.

I'm a first-time owner, so anything helps.

Also, yesterday was supposed to be his feeding day, but his food has not arrived. I don't live anywhere near where I could get good quality hoppers. Will he be okay till next Friday without food?

(There's a lot going on, I know)

Temps should not rise if you have a thermostat, do YOU?

Temps on the hot side should not be higher than 90 degrees, ideally with an hatchling 88

Your enclosure is also to big for an hatchling.

Basically you need get back to the basics.

I don't have a thermostat, but I will be sure to get one. Until then, do you have any tips on what should I do about the temps?
I'll see what I can do about his terrarium as well

And yes, he'll be OK without food for another week...it's actually PREFERABLE that you do NOT feed a snake you just got, especially one that was shipped to
you, as it takes some time for them to de-stress. If fed too soon, many will regurgitate their meal & that is a further set-back that you don't need or want.

Most important is to get a thermostat hooked up & let him settle in with the right conditions in his cage. Do NOT handle him (for best results) until he has fed
at regular intervals for you for 3 times. It's best to allow new snakes to settle in for several weeks...their food drive is MOST important, it's not fun if they start
refusing to eat, and handling them can do just that...interfere with their instincts about feeding.

Also, for best success, feed exactly what he was fed before, & if you don't know, now is the time to ask the seller. Welcome, by the way....:welcome:

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Originally Posted by Traceur

I just recently got a baby ball python (August 28th), he was shipped and is over a month old. I got his terrarium all set up and I'm having trouble maintaining humidity and temperature. The basking temp has reached over 95 degrees and the humidity does not stay between 55-60%. Whenever I do cover the top mesh cover with towels, the temperature slowly starts to rise. So I have to keep misting the terrarium. How do I go about keeping them maintained? The only way I could lower the basking temp is turning off the infrared heat lamp, and I've spooked him a few times trying to mist. I know I am most likely stressing him out, so any advice?

He is in a 20gal terrarium. The cool side is always the same; 78 degrees. The current humidity is slowly dropping down to 54% and his current basking temp is 93 degrees.

I'm a first-time owner, so anything helps.

Also, yesterday was supposed to be his feeding day, but his food has not arrived. I don't live anywhere near where I could get good quality hoppers. Will he be okay till next Friday without food?

(There's a lot going on, I know)

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I'm sure there are those who will be able to offer more help than I can, but to get you started please research the following. 1.) Ball pythons don't need a basking light, they really aren't a basking snake. They DO need belly heat, so forget about the light (which dries out the environment) and provide a source of bottom heat. 2.) It's critical that you have a thermostat to prevent your heat source from getting hot enough to burn your snake, NOT having one puts your snake at risk, of serious injury due to burns. 3.) Relating to #2, your snake will appreciate 2 hides, one in the warm area, one in the cool area. This allows him to feel comfortable and secure in either temperature range. Some snakes would rather be too hot/cold than be out in the open and if their temperatures aren't correct, it may affect their appetites and ability to digest their food. 4.) It is recommended that a new snake should be given a week to settle in before offering food, so you're o.k. In future, however, try to ensure you always have enough for at least 3 weeks at a time. This will ensure that you're prepared in the event of a delay in your order or difficulty in getting to a pet store (or wherever you buy your food). Hope these suggestions are helpful, and hopefully someone else will chime in as well.

Awesome, glad to hear!
Do you think it would be okay for me to move him so I could put the background back in?

The terrarium came with this back piece to make it look like a rock background, so maybe that could box his terrarium in a bit?
I'm just using what I have at the moment

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Originally Posted by Traceur

Awesome, glad to hear!
Do you think it would be okay for me to move him so I could put the background back in?

The terrarium came with this back piece to make it look like a rock background, so maybe that could box his terrarium in a bit?
I'm just using what I have at the moment

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Not important...let him relax...shipping is terrifying and to him, you're still an unknown potential predator. Wait until after he's fed a few times to make such
changes (like when the cage needs cleaned)...but DO fix the temperature & humidity regulation, and yes, I also recommend 'belly heat' (aka UTH). Personally use Flexwatt but others are good too, and ALL need controlled so your snake isn't harmed (burned) though...they don't realize until it's too late. For now, fix what's important...decor can wait. (installing decor would require handling him...a "no-no" for now)

But one thing you CAN do for now that he might appreciate is to cover the OUTSIDE of the glass with paper on the back & sides...just temporarily reducing
the number of "scary things" going on around him that he can see. Hopefully his cage is in a low-traffic area?

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Originally Posted by Traceur

I don't have a thermostat, but I will be sure to get one. Until then, do you have any tips on what should I do about the temps?
I'll see what I can do about his terrarium as well

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Unplug your UTH NOW until you get a thermostat.

I don't have an UTH, but I did turn off the heat light

Yes, it is in low-traffic area. I'm usually out doing stuff 5 out of the 7 days of the week, so he'll only be seeing me every early morning and afternoon when I return

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Originally Posted by Traceur

I don't have an UTH, but I did turn off the heat light

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So is he totally without heat now, with that light turned off? That's not gonna work...

While a thermostat is BEST & SAFEST -until you get one with UTH hooked up- & IF all he has for heat now is that heat light...you should buy a "lamp dimmer" from your
nearest hardware or home improvement type of store; easiest to buy the kind already installed on an extension cord (& very handy for using on ANY lamps) with a slide-
control to dim the light so he's not being "cooked". Leaving him at ambient room temps. (you said 78*?) isn't going to keep him healthy or able to digest.

You also need to measure his temps. accurately. Obviously, it would have been best to set up his cage a week ahead of time & well before moving him into it,
so you could have made adjustments to temp. & humidity without stressing your new snake. (you'll know for next time?)

Those ten dollar digital temp guns off eBay or Amazon are fabulous ..

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I’d ditch the background all together unless you are planing on it eill
enjoy fishing him out if it on a daily basis.

As I quickly learned as a first time owner. Not worth it and does more harm than good

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Originally Posted by Bogertophis

So is he totally without heat now, with that light turned off? That's not gonna work...

While a thermostat is BEST & SAFEST -until you get one with UTH hooked up- & IF all he has for heat now is that heat light...you should buy a "lamp dimmer" from your
nearest hardware or home improvement type of store; easiest to buy the kind already installed on an extension cord (& very handy for using on ANY lamps) with a slide-
control to dim the light so he's not being "cooked". Leaving him at ambient room temps. (you said 78*?) isn't going to keep him healthy or able to digest.

You also need to measure his temps. accurately. Obviously, it would have been best to set up his cage a week ahead of time & well before moving him into it,
so you could have made adjustments to temp. & humidity without stressing your new snake. (you'll know for next time?)

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Don't worry, I did switch the light back on. The warm side is about 91-92 degrees. However, I did order a thermostat earlier today and it already shipped (as you can tell, my best option is shipping which is kinda bad). My order with my terrariums stuff actually arrived quickly, so it'll be here soon.
As for setting up the terrarium, I didn't know when he'd be available. I emailed xyz reptiles about the hatchlings about 2 weeks before I got an email about his availability, and the response was that their was no luck with the eggs. I was at work when I got the email, and I ordered him on Sunday (arrived on Tuesday), so I did set stuff up before I knew he'd be here. Only thing was that my shipping address was out of town. So after he arrived he had to sit through a 45 minute drive. Yikes.

I honestly still feel bad about it. He had to sit with a tub and a human heating pad (under a towel, of course) for hours before I could actually have the time to get home. But it all worked out.

He was exploring a lot last nigh though, was nice seeing him out and about since he's usually in his leaves on the warm side (it's quite shady). Doesn't seem to like the water though

Also, should I worry if it's a red infrared bulb? That's the one I'm using

Until you get an alternate heat source and thermostat, you can also try using a lower wattage bulb. In my early years of keeping, the only local choice were heat lamps or ceramic heat emitters. I had to play around with wattage to find what worked best for the style enclosures I had - some glass tanks, some homemade wooden or melamine cages. I switched to under cage heaters for several years when I bought all Vision cages (plastic). I switched to radiant heat panels a few years ago when I upgraded to pvc cages - too thick for exterior heat in my opinion. As everyone else has said, a thermostat is a must, regardless of heat source. Best of luck with your new little one!

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Originally Posted by Dianne

Until you get an alternate heat source and thermostat, you can also try using a lower wattage bulb. In my early years of keeping, the only local choice were heat lamps or ceramic heat emitters. I had to play around with wattage to find what worked best for the style enclosures I had - some glass tanks, some homemade wooden or melamine cages. I switched to under cage heaters for several years when I bought all Vision cages (plastic). I switched to radiant heat panels a few years ago when I upgraded to pvc cages - too thick for exterior heat in my opinion. As everyone else has said, a thermostat is a must, regardless of heat source. Best of luck with your new little one!

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Thank you! :)

I must ask, what on earth does a thermostat do? I did tons of research before I decided I was ready for a ball python, but I honestly heard mentions of them like 3-4 times up until now. I looked further into the temps, knowing that they shouldnt be anywhere over 95 degrees. I did search them up but I am still having trouble understanding what they are exactly

Thermostat will keep the temperature of the heat source exactly where it should be. Meaning it won’t get neither hotter nor colder than that. With unregulated heat sources you are risking giving your snake a very bad burn so a thermostat is definitely a must. Also 95 is still too high. 89-90 is a good range to be in.

Should I leave the lamp where it's at right now? His water dish and hiding spot are close to the heating lamp. And I did move the heating lamp on the opposite end of the warm side and it made his hiding spot area exactly 90 degrees. Only problem is that I don't know what the temperature would be if it were directly over his water dish. But do you think that would help till my thermostat arrives? What would be best?

I think the best would be to have a dimmer for that lamp but if it’s not an option you’ll just have to monitor his temperatures closely and make sure it’s neither too hot nor too cold by switching the lamp on and off every once in a while. Pain in the ass for sure. Placing your heat lamp over a bowl of water shouldn’t influence the temperature much I don’t think but it will make water evaporate faster (you’ll need to keep refilling it) and will bring up your humidity a bit. Which could be a good thing if you’re struggling to keep humidity up. Just keep in mind that humidity has to also be within and acceptable range (55-60% seems to be a good spot) except for when in shed (then it should be in the 70s) if humidity is constantly too low the snake will be dehydrated and it’s a big no-no. If humidity is constantly too high it may lead to other health
issues like RI.
Its a lot of stuff to figure out but once you have UTH, thermostat and good temperature and humidity gauges (electronic one is a must) you’ll find it a lot easier :)

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Originally Posted by Sallysmom

I think the best would be to have a dimmer for that lamp but if it’s not an option you’ll just have to monitor his temperatures closely and make sure it’s neither too hot nor too cold by switching the lamp on and off every once in a while. Pain in the ass for sure. Placing your heat lamp over a bowl of water shouldn’t influence the temperature much I don’t think but it will make water evaporate faster (you’ll need to keep refilling it) and will bring up your humidity a bit. Which could be a good thing if you’re struggling to keep humidity up. Just keep in mind that humidity has to also be within and acceptable range (55-60% seems to be a good spot) except for when in shed (then it should be in the 70s) if humidity is constantly too low the snake will be dehydrated and it’s a big no-no. If humidity is constantly too high it may lead to other health
issues like RI.
Its a lot of stuff to figure out but once you have UTH, thermostat and good temperature and humidity gauges (electronic one is a must) you’ll find it a lot easier :)

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For the heating lamps, why does it seem like a lot more people use them more than UTH? Honestly that's where I kind of believed he would be fine with just a heating lamp. But on the other hand, I'm hearing how much UTH either don't work or have caused burns. I also hear that UTHs are rather optional than required. Why is that?

Apologies for sounding so lost, still new to this

It's good that you're asking questions! Ball pythons aren't basking animals (like bearded dragons - just think of how much time BP's spend hiding), so generally a heat lamp on its own isn't enough. They need belly heat to digest, hence the UTH recommendation. But UTH's can get waaay too hot if they aren't regulated in some way, which is why they need a thermostat to control the temperature, very similar to how a thermostat in your house keeps a specific temperature by turning the air or heat on/off.

In addition to belly heat, ball pythons need a thermal gradient so they can choose to either warm up or cool down at different points in their tanks. UTH's don't really heat the air (otherwise known as ambient temperature), just the ground. So depending on how warm the room is where the cage is, you might need a heat lamp or a ceramic heat emitter in addition to a UTH.

As an example, we use UTH's and infrared bulbs. The UTH is hooked up to a thermostat to provide a hotspot of 88 to 90 degrees under the hot hide, whereas the heat lamp is hooked up to a dimmer to provide an ambient temperature of 80 degrees in the enclosure. We had to play around with the settings on both to get the temperatures right, and we spot check temperatures with a temp gun. We also have a thermometer/hygrometer in each cage to monitor humidity and ambient air temperature.

There are other ways to heat cages as well, including heat tape, Flexwatt, and radiant heat panels. we are planning to upgrade our glass aquariums to PVC enclosures, and when we do, those will be heated by only radiant heat panels unless we need the extra oomph heat tape provides.

Hopefully this helps! You've come to a great place to learn about BP's. :)

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Originally Posted by WhompingWillow

It's good that you're asking questions! Ball pythons aren't basking animals (like bearded dragons - just think of how much time BP's spend hiding), so generally a heat lamp on its own isn't enough. They need belly heat to digest, hence the UTH recommendation. But UTH's can get waaay too hot if they aren't regulated in some way, which is why they need a thermostat to control the temperature, very similar to how a thermostat in your house keeps a specific temperature by turning the air or heat on/off.

In addition to belly heat, ball pythons need a thermal gradient so they can choose to either warm up or cool down at different points in their tanks. UTH's don't really heat the air (otherwise known as ambient temperature), just the ground. So depending on how warm the room is where the cage is, you might need a heat lamp or a ceramic heat emitter in addition to a UTH.

As an example, we use UTH's and infrared bulbs. The UTH is hooked up to a thermostat to provide a hotspot of 88 to 90 degrees under the hot hide, whereas the heat lamp is hooked up to a dimmer to provide an ambient temperature of 80 degrees in the enclosure. We had to play around with the settings on both to get the temperatures right, and we spot check temperatures with a temp gun. We also have a thermometer/hygrometer in each cage to monitor humidity and ambient air temperature.

There are other ways to heat cages as well, including heat tape, Flexwatt, and radiant heat panels. we are planning to upgrade our glass aquariums to PVC enclosures, and when we do, those will be heated by only radiant heat panels unless we need the extra oomph heat tape provides.

Hopefully this helps! You've come to a great place to learn about BP's. :)

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This really does help! Much appreciated:)
Do setups kind of vary from owner to owner as well? Some say they use just a heating lamp, others say they use just the UTH, and then some say they use both. Of course people have mentioned the heating tape. Is it kind of varied amongst everyone?
From what I've gathered, people either have the same or a completely different answer on how they maintain their temps. And people say pros and cons for just about every heating source, but is there an actual right answer?

I have to say it's kind of interesting being a reptile owner. Its cool having all these options and answers:)

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Originally Posted by Traceur

This really does help! Much appreciated:)
Do setups kind of vary from owner to owner as well? Some say they use just a heating lamp, others say they use just the UTH, and then some say they use both. Of course people have mentioned the heating tape. Is it kind of varied amongst everyone?
From what I've gathered, people either have the same or a completely different answer on how they maintain their temps. And people say pros and cons for just about every heating source, but is there an actual right answer?

I have to say it's kind of interesting being a reptile owner. Its cool having all these options and answers:)

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Unfortunately, there are almost as many ‘right’ answers as there are keepers. :rolleyes: Thereare a few factors to consider. First would be the ambient temperature of your room, either dedicated reptile room or just the room where your pet is displayed. If you keep a cooler home, intentionally or not, then often you will need both a way to heat the enclosure as a whole to keep it in the correct minimum range plus a way to create that hot spot. My house was built in 1945, and though I’ve done some upgrades to make it more comfortable for all of us, I still have to consider seasonal temperature fluctuations. That’s the main reason I switched to radiant heat panels. My thermostat is set for the hot spot with the sensor probe nearest that point, with only a 5 degree fluctuation between on/off current if the hot spot drops below my minimum setting and turns it off when it exceeds the 5 degree climb I programmed. That keeps my hot spot on point and the overall ambient temp where it needs to be.

The second would be the type of cage you are using - sticking with just ball pythons here...different species, whole set of other factors. Many of us started with glass tanks...readily available and often cheap if used. Glass is a little harder to heat and keep the humidity up without some tweaking. Covering part of the top with glass or plexiglass boosts humidity. Homemade/purchased wood or melamine cages are easier to heat and hold humidity better, but they have to be well sealed and tend to wear out after a few years due to humidity and excrement. Plastic or pvc cages tend to be easy to heat, hold humodity well, are easy to clean/disinfect, and last pretty much forever. When I upgraded from my Vision cages, I had no problem selling them because they were well maintained and kept clean while in use...even though I’d used them for 10-15 years, depending on the cage. I’ve had the Monster Cages plastic cages for about 4 years, give or take. They look just as good today as when they were delivered. They’re textured plastic, so they are a little harder to clean versus the smooth Vision cages that could just be wiped down, but nothing a scrub brush can’t accomplish.

The last major consideration is the type of substrate you use. Thin layers such as newspaper, paper cage liners, reptile rugs, fabric (I used old sheets), or a thin layer of bark or shavings work well with UTH. Thicker substrates such as deep layers of bark or cypress shavings don’t allow the heat through, so you’re back to heat lamps, ceramic heat emitters, or radiant heat panels. Ultimately we all find what works best for us and keeps our animal healthy...some just require more work to maintain the correct range of heat and humidity. Luckily we have the internet these days, so we can order the type of cage, heat system and thermostats we want without being limited to what is carried in the local pet store. :D

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Originally Posted by Traceur

This really does help! Much appreciated:)
Do setups kind of vary from owner to owner as well? Some say they use just a heating lamp, others say they use just the UTH, and then some say they use both. Of course people have mentioned the heating tape. Is it kind of varied amongst everyone?
From what I've gathered, people either have the same or a completely different answer on how they maintain their temps. And people say pros and cons for just about every heating source, but is there an actual right answer?

I have to say it's kind of interesting being a reptile owner. Its cool having all these options and answers:)

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Different types of reptiles have different husbandry requirements. With ball pythons UTH is a must. The heat lamp is optional. I chose to do both as a way to not only regulate the hot spot (UTH+thermostat) but also help with the ambient temperature over all (lamp + dimmer) plus I like he badass red light the lamp gives me :)
As people have mentioned BPs need belly heat to digest and stay healthy and properly warmed up. Also as cold blooded creatures they rely on the temperature of their environment to thermoregulate so it’s important for them to be able to cool down or warm up as needed.

Thanks for the help everyone :) I appreciated the advice and info you all gave!:snake: