My new snake room

Hello. Despite just having started keeping balls this year, I have suddenly managed to acquire 20. Well not all at once.
I even have a pair of 100% het albinoes from Adam. He was stupendous! Great guy!
Thought I would share my currant set up. If there are any concerns about it please speak up! I am trying to make it ideal.
I live in a small place but it does have a 2nd bathroom. I put all the snakes into it as I can keep that room warmer. At this point a electric radiater style heater(No fire hazard unless someone chews the cord!) keeps the entire room about 88-90 F. The humidity seemed low, but once the water dishes were placed into the plastic tubs, the plastic tubs were at 60% humidity or higher. The room however seems to hover around 30%. Which is fine with me, as long as the snakes are happy.
I found sterilite plastic tubs for most of the medium/large ball pythons. Their lids snap into place with latches on either end and seem quite secure as I have only had one get loose from them and it probaly didn't get latched.
The smaller guys are in plastic drawers I found at the dollar store, and unfortunately I did have one guy who insists he doesn't want to stay in it. One small piece of duct tape later the drawer stays closed unless I WANT it open and he is happy staying in the drawer. The drawers stack nicely too.
I drilled holes in all the containers along the top edge about 2 inches apart. Sometimes the humidity is too high, so that means I should drill more holes right?
Each enclosure has a plastic water dish from walmart(got em cheap cheap) and I line the bottom with newspaper and put aspin shred in as well. The snakes seem much more relaxed since I put in the aspin. Each one also has some fake vine in there to hide behind. I have not yet found suitable hides for the low containers, but the snakes seem to not mind as the enclosures are opaque somewhat, and with the solid white lids they seem to feel they are hiding well.
SO far everyone seems to be eating once a week no problems, and they have been shedding like mad, getting full length sheds(before I had my 3 balls in the tanks at my shop, temp too low no humity and they would scrape the skin off in patches, now full skins come off entirely)
The main problem I have is going once a week to get mice almost an hours drive. It is ridiculous. But right now I guess I have to do this.
I love the site! Soon I may have some of the snakes I don't need up for sale as well.
My local town believes me to be insane because I say I have 20 snakes in my house.
Happy days ahead.
Wolfy

sounds like things are working for you. for hides you can use plastic flower pot bottoms(the things you put under the pots to catch water) you can get them a t walmart,lowes or any garden store. they come in different sizes, just cut a hole in it and flip it upside down. for bigger snakes i use a small kitty litter pan (plastic) about 2 bucks.(walmart). you might want to think about a thermostat to back up the one on the heater, better safe than sorry.


vaughn

If I was in your shoe's I would either breed the mice/rats , or I would try and get my snakes on f/t frozen thawed which you could order from Rodentpro.All that extra driving is unnecessary and gas isn't to cheap.

if you ever get tired of soo many snakes, i can take those 100 het albinos off your hands! sounds like an awesome room to hang out in.

No Nooooooooooooooooo! Not my 100% het albinoes!!! Take the granite, or the pastel siblings! Not my albinoes!!!
LOL. I was thinking of the themostat but looked in homedepot and all but couldn't find one. Any suggestions? I love back-ups! Must have back-ups.
I live in Florida so the heat in my bath is not exactly a big deal, same as going outside pretty much. I tried scolding the one that got loose, but I really don't think he listened.
W.

you can use a ranco or johnsons control thermostat, just plug the heater into it and set your temp. to help keep those tops on you can use big binder clips.


vaughn

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I drilled holes in all the containers along the top edge about 2 inches apart. Sometimes the humidity is too high, so that means I should drill more holes right?

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Yup, but 60 sounds good. In tubs it's generally easier to add humidity then to take it away. So I'd drill a few more holes if the humidity is going over 60 regularly.

~Jim

I don't think the ambient room temp needs to be quite so hot if your heating individual enclosures as you should. I don't keep the ambient temp in my room any higher than 80, 85 on a rare occasion...I don't know about you but that is just way to much heat for me in an enclosed room.

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Originally Posted by TekWarren

I don't know about you but that is just way to much heat for me in an enclosed room.

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Yeah, but the snakes love it! ... That's why I'm still wearing shorts when it's 20 degrees outside ... cause it's cookin in my baby room.

-adam

I just wander from the cooler rooms into the 80 degree snake room and back out again. Kinda nice cuz now I can't tell if it's the room temp changes or menopause coming on! LOL

Adam in shorts....hmmm...well I'll be nice and not comment (quick ladies jump in here so I don't have to! :P )


~~Jo~~

Right now I am not heating individual containers, which is WHY I have the room that warm. I kinda like it too, walk in soak in heat and then go back out. The individual cages are staying very stable. The humidity does get too high in some, so I will be drilling mroe holes I guess.
Where can I find that Themostat? And.. uhhh, what are binder clips and where would I find those?
Thanks so much for the feedback. No comment on the whole Adam in shorts, as I might want more snakes from him later.
Wolfy

www.mgreptiles.com for all you heating needs :) Give Matt(justcage) a call or email and he will help you out with your setup. He is the best herp heat supplyer out there ;)

....so you are currently keep ball pythons with no heat except the room temp? If so, I would suggest investing money in a proper setup before purchasing any more snakes....less trouble that way ;)

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Originally Posted by wolfy-hound

And.. uhhh, what are binder clips and where would I find those?

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http://www.jerrysartarama.com/images...BinderClip.jpg

You can find these at Staples, OfficeMax or any similar office-supply store. Probably even at Kinko's or other copy-stores.

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Originally Posted by wolfy-hound

I live in Florida so the heat in my bath is not exactly a big deal, same as going outside pretty much.
W.

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What part of Florida? I recently(year and a half ago) moved from Miami to the East side of Orlando.

I'm north of Gainesville. I was wondering though about the comment of heating individual cages as opposed to heating the whole room. Why would one be better than the other? Serious question here. With fish tanks the larger the mass you heat, the more stable the temp is, so I thought that heating the entire room would be much more stable than trying to heat each individual cage. If it is better to do individual cages by all means I would change my set up. I just want to know the why of it so I don't make a set up that is not any better.
Wolfy

i have heard of people that do not have individual heaters for each enclosure and i heard it can work out ok

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Originally Posted by snunior

i have heard of people that do not have individual heaters for each enclosure and i heard it can work out ok

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It is just ok....the ball pythons will not die if the temp is proper.....but it is not ideal and does not allow proper thermoregulation. If you are planning on keep animals and breeding them....wouldn't you want ideal conditions?

Yes that is why i haVE SEPERATE HEATERS

Yes, I do want ideal conditions, that is why I continue to ask questions. I just wanted to know why it was better. I have thermometer/humidity sensors in most of the containers that give me hi/lo for each. They have been very stable and in the ideal ranges. I just wanted to know.. is there any specific reason for individual heaters? Do you need to increase temp at certain times.. because I could see that being a real pain if I only have the room to regulate the temp. I am planning on moving the whole group to a different room in the next month to a rack system I will be building. Any links to racks built for ball pythons would be appriciated. I am searching them up on the site and online in general.
Wolfy

When ball pythons are young heat and food all the time are good things ... in my baby rooms, the ambient temps are always in the mid to upper 80's and the hot spots in the cages don't get much attention. I keep them warm and feed them like crazy.

As they mature into adulthood and gain some size, the ability for them to be allowed to naturally thermoregulate themselves becomes more and more important, especially if your goal is breeding. Older ball pythons should ideally be offerend an environment where they can choose between temps in the 82-84 degree range and a hot spot in the 92-94 degree range.

-adam

I got new containers ordered that will be self heated now. I also got a few small bowls in the xmas section of wally world for hides for the babies. Everyone seems happy and content and I took one outside to play inthe yard with me while I planted some pepper plants. He was pretty happy getting some sun.
Wolfy

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Originally Posted by wolfy-hound

No Nooooooooooooooooo! Not my 100% het albinoes!!! Take the granite, or the pastel siblings! Not my albinoes!!!
LOL. I was thinking of the themostat but looked in homedepot and all but couldn't find one. Any suggestions? I love back-ups! Must have back-ups.
I live in Florida so the heat in my bath is not exactly a big deal, same as going outside pretty much. I tried scolding the one that got loose, but I really don't think he listened.
W.

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Weeeeelllll, since you're not giving up your het albinos, I'll not be greedy and will snatch your pastel sibs!!! ;)
sloooooooobber, droooooool!! All those wonderful snakes to love, and hug, and care for ("and I will call him George.") Hee hee hee:laughing:

Seriously contact me if you are really interested in the pastel siblings. I do actually want to sell them. All male though.
Wolfy! (Big grins I love to play with the snakes!)

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Originally Posted by frankykeno

Adam in shorts....hmmm...well I'll be nice and not comment (quick ladies jump in here so I don't have to! :P )


~~Jo~~

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Dear God,I have been away, way too long. I missed it all.