New to all of this.....LOTS OF QUESTIONS

I'm hoping I can get some help here....we purchased a baby ball python two days ago from what we thought was a good store....seemed knowledgable, etc. We read alot on the net prior to making the purchase so we thought we kinda knew what we were doing. We were told that the python is approximately 6 months old. We purchased a 10 gallon aquarium, screen, 8 watt under the tank heating pad thing, hiding logs, water dish, and I believe cypress bark (the dark stuff), a crappy temp gauge - actually have two now....one of those strip things and one is a dial looking one. We were told at the time of purchase that we did not need a humidity gauge or a heat lamp...that the heat pad would work just fine. Got the snake home...set up the tank....realized that the pad was not working very well....is that normal? First night...it was approx. 73 degrees on the warm side and God only knows on the cool side. SOOOO...went to another store to purchase a heat lamp....the person there told us that the heat pads really don't work well so we're getting even more confused. Got the heat lamp and two bulbs - both 75 watts - one is a infrared and the other just regular lighting. We were able to heat up the warm side to approx. 92 degrees but the cool side remains at approx. 76 degrees or so. And now after reading the forums....I'm becoming concerned and really don't know where to go for answers since we've lost some faith in the place where we bought it. The snake seems to be doing okay....still hiding the majority of the time but seems 100% happier since we got the light. Any advice you all could give us would be great....
1. How can we get the temps up to what they need to be based on the tank we have, etc
2. What additional supplies should we buy if necessary?
3. Do we need a humidity gauge? Do we need to mist the tank due to the lamp?
We are looking for some sort of direction here....we want our snake to be happy so any advice, tips, secrets, etc. you may have for a new snake owner would be GREATLY APPRECIATED.

Thanks in advance:)

Ok.. go to mgreptiles.com (or send Matt who is justcage here on the forums a message) and get two pieces of flexwatt that are wired. You will need something to control these under tank heaters, so you'll need two thermostats. The zoomed ones are the cheapest.. you can get away with them, but I recommend the johnson or ranco thermostats.

The problem with lamps is that they remove too much humidity. YES, you need a humidity gauge! Go to walmart and get an accurite (this is the most popular brand among herp keepers) indoor/outdoor thermometer/hygrometer.

Temps should be 92-94 warm side 82-84 cool and humidity should be 50-60%.

A couple of thoughts ...

1. It is EXTREMELY difficult to provide a proper heat gradient in a 10 gallon tank ... the dimensions don't leave much room for creating multiple "zones" of temperatures. Also, since heat rises, glass tanks with screen tops don't hold heat well at all.

2. The stick on thermometer and plastic dial are basically worthless. They have no reliable accuracy and your snake needs precision when it comes to temps.

3. Pet store employees have to be knowledgable about A LOT of different species of animals ... usually they know "just enough" about each one to skate by even in good pet stores ... a well versed, expert pet store staff is rare, but they are out there.

OK, now on to what you can do.

1. Most important ... get yourself a digital thermometer from Walmart, Target, Home Depot, etc ... it will be the best money you've ever spent on your snake ... anywere from $9 - $30.

2. If the UTH isn't working right, I would set the 10 gallon up with 2 heat lamps for now ... You'll have to play around with different wattage red bulbs, but if the 75 watt bulb is getting the one side to 92, then maybe a 25 watt red bulb can get the other side into the low 80's.

3. Keep asking questions ... you'll get there.

In the long term, you might want to research other caging options that are easier to heat as well as look into investing in a quality thermostat to hook your heating devices to, that will maintain the temperatures your snake needs automatically.

-adam

First off throw those dials and strip things away! They stink. (I was suckered into them too :rolleyes: ) Go to Walmart/Target/Home Depot/whever and get a digital indoor/outdoor thermometer. You can even get one that measures two temps and the humidity. (Yes you need a humidity gauge)

You'll probably need to cover your lid with plastic wrap to help keep the humidity up, but you definitely need an under the tank heating pad.

You also need two hides, one for each side of the tank. I really don't like those hollow logs. Goto the dollar store and grab a couple rubbermaid containers. Make sure they are small hides. If they are too big, they're worthless. The idea is for them to be very snuggly in there. ;)

You can also use a space heater to help with the room temps. You do not want any temps below 80! 92-94 on the hot side and 92-94 cool side is ideal.

Here's a link to the caresheet too...
http://www.ball-pythons.net/modules....warticle&id=52

How's that for a fountain of information! LOL!

Oh, and welcome to the site!! :D

Is that 8 watt UTH a Zoomed?

I found this very helpful when I was getting my first BP...

http://www.ball-pythons.net/modules....warticle&id=40


Its under the caresheets link. It will will explain step by step how to use a plastic cage which seems to be prefered by many. Good Luck

THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU.....I really appreciate this.....I'm off to the store right now....I have two hiding logs.....one smaller than the other...but you guys don't like those??? And should the UTH be working better? I mean there's little to no heat coming off of it.....

Quote:

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Originally Posted by justcage

Is that 8 watt UTH a Zoomed?

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No...it's an Exo Terra Heat Wave.....

Remember your body temp is ~98.6, so anything warm to you is probably pretty warm. Try not to have too thick of a layer of bedding. That will not allow good heat transfer. Get the thermometer before you worry too much about temps. You need to have an accurate reading before you can decide what you have to have.

For hides, anything that is completely enclosed and dark will work. (tissue boxes and cool whip containers depending on the size of the snake) Oh and small too. I prefer rubbermaid like containers with a hole melted into them, but that's just me. :D (I use a nice cheap soldering iron from Walmart to melt the holes - I love that thing!)

More questions -

How do you keep the heat and humidity in w/the screen top?
What should the humidity be at?
Any other alternatives to a screen top on a glass aquarium?
Is this heating pad just crap or defective? Should I get another kind?
Is the cypress bark okay to use?
Should we use the carpet instead?
And if so...should we wait to change it....we are worried about stressing the snake out more..
If I do get an additional lamp....should I mist the tank several times daily?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Adam_Wysocki

A couple of thoughts ...

1. It is EXTREMELY difficult to provide a proper heat gradient in a 10 gallon tank ... the dimensions don't leave much room for creating multiple "zones" of temperatures. Also, since heat rises, glass tanks with screen tops don't hold heat well at all.

2. The stick on thermometer and plastic dial are basically worthless. They have no reliable accuracy and your snake needs precision when it comes to temps.

3. Pet store employees have to be knowledgable about A LOT of different species of animals ... usually they know "just enough" about each one to skate by even in good pet stores ... a well versed, expert pet store staff is rare, but they are out there.

OK, now on to what you can do.

1. Most important ... get yourself a digital thermometer from Walmart, Target, Home Depot, etc ... it will be the best money you've ever spent on your snake ... anywere from $9 - $30.

2. If the UTH isn't working right, I would set the 10 gallon up with 2 heat lamps for now ... You'll have to play around with different wattage red bulbs, but if the 75 watt bulb is getting the one side to 92, then maybe a 25 watt red bulb can get the other side into the low 80's.

3. Keep asking questions ... you'll get there.

In the long term, you might want to research other caging options that are easier to heat as well as look into investing in a quality thermostat to hook your heating devices to, that will maintain the temperatures your snake needs automatically.

-adam

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Adam -

Just realized you are in Maryland just like me.......are you going to be at the reptile show in Havre De Grace this weekend?

Humidity should be 50-60%. I used to use contact paper (but plastic wrap or anything nonporous would work well) to seal up the screen lid. Allow a hole for the lamp, and one or two small opening for good ventilation.

Cypress bark is ok. Some people use the reptile carpet and like it, others don't. I use aspen myself.

I don't know what to tell you about the heating pad. I would fiddle with the thickness of bedding and get accurate temps before deciding what is needed there.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by ziggy7

Adam -

Just realized you are in Maryland just like me.......are you going to be at the reptile show in Havre De Grace this weekend?

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I might be up there delivering some snakes to a customer, still trying to work that out.

What part of Maryland?

-adam

Quote:

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Originally Posted by tigerlily

Humidity should be 50-60%. I used to use contact paper (but plastic wrap or anything nonporous would work well) to seal up the screen lid. Allow a hole for the lamp, and one or two small opening for good ventilation.

Cypress bark is ok. Some people use the reptile carpet and like it, others don't. I use aspen myself.

I don't know what to tell you about the heating pad. I would fiddle with the thickness of bedding and get accurate temps before deciding what is needed there.

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Thanks Christie! I never thought in a million years that I'd have a snake....my son and boyfriend were dying for one and I finally gave in....funny thing is....I'm getting attached to it already......

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Adam_Wysocki

I might be up there delivering some snakes to a customer, still trying to work that out.

What part of Maryland?

-adam

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Baltimore....Belair Road/Overlea area....

I looked at your website.....you've got some great looking snakes.....kinda makes me wish I had known about you before my purchase....not that I'm disappointed w/this snake.....seems to be healthy, etc....I just hate not knowing what I'm doing.....

Quote:

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Originally Posted by ziggy7

Thanks Christie! I never thought in a million years that I'd have a snake....my son and boyfriend were dying for one and I finally gave in....funny thing is....I'm getting attached to it already......

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They do have a way of "snaking" their ways into your heart, don't they? I started with one pet ball python. Figured that was it (this was in July). Now I have three girls coming at the end of the month and am making plans to purchase some het males for future breeding. I've been bitten bad!

Welcome to the forum, it's really one of the best places on the net with great people here to help you!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by ziggy7

Baltimore....Belair Road/Overlea area....

I looked at your website.....you've got some great looking snakes.....kinda makes me wish I had known about you before my purchase....not that I'm disappointed w/this snake.....seems to be healthy, etc....I just hate not knowing what I'm doing.....

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You're close ... my shop is right off of 695 in Catonsville. It's cool to meet local people ... don't worry about the snake ... you'll get there.

2 books to look for this weekend at the show ...

"The Ball Python Manual" - It's a classic and it's cheap ... covers a little bit of everything ... some parts are outdated, but it's a "must have" in any ball python owners house.

And

"The Complete Ball Python" by Kevin McCurley ... It's a little more expensive because it's a hard cover, but it covers everything you could ever want to know about keeping ball pythons. Kevin is THE MAN when it comes to ball pythons and his book ROCKS!

-adam

Quote:

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Originally Posted by rabernet

They do have a way of "snaking" their ways into your heart, don't they? I started with one pet ball python. Figured that was it (this was in July). Now I have three girls coming at the end of the month and am making plans to purchase some het males for future breeding. I've been bitten bad!

Welcome to the forum, it's really one of the best places on the net with great people here to help you!

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Oh wow.....I do tend to be a bit obsessive at times so it's possible I may turn into a snake person....

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Adam_Wysocki

You're close ... my shop is right off of 695 in Catonsville. It's cool to meet local people ... don't worry about the snake ... you'll get there.

2 books to look for this weekend at the show ...

"The Ball Python Manual" - It's a classic and it's cheap ... covers a little bit of everything ... some parts are outdated, but it's a "must have" in any ball python owners house.

And

"The Complete Ball Python" by Kevin McCurley ... It's a little more expensive because it's a hard cover, but it covers everything you could ever want to know about keeping ball pythons. Kevin is THE MAN when it comes to ball pythons and his book ROCKS!

-adam

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Catonsville...what a small world...I grew up in Woodlawn so I'm familiar w/that area.....

I have the first book already....I'm gonna hit the library for the other one along w/the store for a decent thermometer.....

Thanks for all of your help.....I'm sure I'll be on here quite a bit w/plenty more questions......

The library most likely will not have Kevin's book because it just came out and it's kind of a specialty book.

Oh.. and I started off with one snake when I came here too, now I have 22. :P

Few more questions....I think I'm almost squared away....got the thermometer (which ROCKS by the way) and put foil on top of the screen on the cool side.....I'm getting temps of 91 on hot and 78 on cool. Humidity is only around 40% (I forgot to get a spray bottle to mist the tank)....once I get that....will that work for the humidity? I'm planning on putting contact paper on the screen w/a few holes for venilation and the lamp.....and do the temps sound good to you guys??


Regarding the clips....I've read alot about snakes getting out and mine tried to last night...I could hear him hitting the lid and when I went to check on him....he was trying to push it off....question is...do the clips work? I'm so paranoid that I have weights on there as well....what do you use w/a glass aquarium and screen lid to keep your snake from getting out?

Again...thanks for all the great advice...

Quote:

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Originally Posted by ziggy7

I'm getting temps of 91 on hot and 78 on cool.

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Try to get the cool side bumped up a few more degrees, closer to 82. :)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by ziggy7

Regarding the clips....I've read alot about snakes getting out and mine tried to last night...I could hear him hitting the lid and when I went to check on him....he was trying to push it off....question is...do the clips work? I'm so paranoid that I have weights on there as well....what do you use w/a glass aquarium and screen lid to keep your snake from getting out?

Again...thanks for all the great advice...

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I use the clips and Kashmire has never gotten out. I use two on each side (length-wise).

[QUOTE=rabernet]Try to get the cool side bumped up a few more degrees, closer to 82. :)

Any ideas on how to get it warmer? Will the contact paper on top help?

You will want to try and insulate the sides of the tank, to keep the heat from escaping. You can try styrofoam or insulation, or heck even a blanket might work. I use a space heater myself, to boost room temps. :D (It's my favorite room in the house!)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by ziggy7

Any ideas on how to get it warmer? Will the contact paper on top help?

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Well, I use a 75 watt IR bulb on the cool side, but I sacrifice humidity. But it's been the best way for me to keep the temps up on that side, due to where the tank is located. It makes me a slave to Kashmire (with the misting I have to do), but apparently it's worked well enough that he had a complete one piece shed on Monday! :banana:

One day poor Kashmire will get a tub of his very own and maybe mice or rats can live in that glass tank.

Well, I use a 75 watt IR bulb on the cool side, but I sacrifice humidity.

So you use a light on both sides??? I use the 75 watt IR bulb on the hot side.....

Quote:

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Originally Posted by ziggy7

So you use a light on both sides??? I use the 75 watt IR bulb on the hot side.....

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No, I use the light on the cool side, and a UTH (Flexwatt) on a thermostat on the warm side. I have him in a 20 gallon long.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by ziggy7

Catonsville...what a small world...I grew up in Woodlawn so I'm familiar w/that area.....

I have the first book already....I'm gonna hit the library for the other one along w/the store for a decent thermometer.....

Thanks for all of your help.....I'm sure I'll be on here quite a bit w/plenty more questions......

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Another MD'er! Wow!

Welcome and Adam is the MAN!

I'm in Bowie, MD and I bought my BP from Adam this summer. He's a great person and a good source of BP info. Much respect to him from me!

Hope to see you around!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by bg1906

Another MD'er! Wow!

Welcome and Adam is the MAN!

I'm in Bowie, MD and I bought my BP from Adam this summer. He's a great person and a good source of BP info. Much respect to him from me!

Hope to see you around!

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Thanks and yes...Adam seems to really know his sh*t:) You will definitely see me around....since I found this site....I've been on here constantly....trying to get as much info as possible.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by ziggy7

Oh wow.....I do tend to be a bit obsessive at times so it's possible I may turn into a snake person....

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Sounds very familiar ... that's exactly what happened to me - our little Ball is my daughter's snake - she'd wanted one for a couple of years but we held out on it because I didn't really want one and my husband HATES all snakes - but she finally got her way and this little creature was infiltrated into our home some few months ago. I totally adore her and now have a (rescue) Corn of my own :) There's definitely something about BPs though .... :)

My goal is to get one of Adam's Morph Balls ;) - even though I live in the UK!!

I have finally (as in, this week) gone heat-lamp free, and I think it's terriffic! The humidity is finally consistantly over 50%. I didn't believe it was possible to get enough heat with UTH's alone, but it is. Of course, I have a larger tank, a 40, with a UTH on each side, each controlled by a probe thermostat. I'm certain you couldn't manage that with a 10 gallon. I'm so fed up with heatlamps. I got to a point where I was using three at once, and they're the biggest pain in the butt! I can only hope you don't end up buying tons of stuff you won't need like I did, lol. This snake of mine has cost me a fortune.

By the way, I don't recommend those half-logs either. I know they look all rustic and stuff but they really don't make the snake feel secure as they aren't "enclosed". You want something not only small in width but low and flat as well. They don't need headroom. And I use the cage carpeting because the aspen I used to use impeded the UTH's heat transfer way too much. I think newspaper might be okay, but the UTH manufacturers don't recommend it. My vet however said it was fine, even with the UTH's.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by neithersparky

I have finally (as in, this week) gone heat-lamp free, and I think it's terriffic! The humidity is finally consistantly over 50%. I didn't believe it was possible to get enough heat with UTH's alone, but it is. Of course, I have a larger tank, a 40, with a UTH on each side, each controlled by a probe thermostat. I'm certain you couldn't manage that with a 10 gallon. I'm so fed up with heatlamps. I got to a point where I was using three at once, and they're the biggest pain in the butt! I can only hope you don't end up buying tons of stuff you won't need like I did, lol. This snake of mine has cost me a fortune.


By the way, I don't recommend those half-logs either. I know they look all rustic and stuff but they really don't make the snake feel secure as they aren't "enclosed". You want something not only small in width but low and flat as well. They don't need headroom. And I use the cage carpeting because the aspen I used to use impeded the UTH's heat transfer way too much. I think newspaper might be okay, but the UTH manufacturers don't recommend it. My vet however said it was fine, even with the UTH's.

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Oh I'm slowly but surely spending a fortune....I'm thinking of just screwing the whole glass aquarium thing and getting a cage that Adam recommended......heating it is for the birds:(

Quote:

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Originally Posted by neithersparky

I have finally (as in, this week) gone heat-lamp free, and I think it's terriffic! The humidity is finally consistantly over 50%. I didn't believe it was possible to get enough heat with UTH's alone, but it is. Of course, I have a larger tank, a 40, with a UTH on each side, each controlled by a probe thermostat. I'm certain you couldn't manage that with a 10 gallon. I'm so fed up with heatlamps. I got to a point where I was using three at once, and they're the biggest pain in the butt! I can only hope you don't end up buying tons of stuff you won't need like I did, lol. This snake of mine has cost me a fortune.

By the way, I don't recommend those half-logs either. I know they look all rustic and stuff but they really don't make the snake feel secure as they aren't "enclosed". You want something not only small in width but low and flat as well. They don't need headroom. And I use the cage carpeting because the aspen I used to use impeded the UTH's heat transfer way too much. I think newspaper might be okay, but the UTH manufacturers don't recommend it. My vet however said it was fine, even with the UTH's.

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Question for you....is your tank a 40 gallon glass aquarium? And if so...I'm assuming you have a screen top...how do you keep the heat in there? I need to do something to make my snake less miserable....and now I think he's sick.....God I hope I don't kill him.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by ziggy7

Question for you....is your tank a 40 gallon glass aquarium? And if so...I'm assuming you have a screen top...how do you keep the heat in there? I need to do something to make my snake less miserable....and now I think he's sick.....God I hope I don't kill him.

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My snake got sick the first week I had her because the &%#@ (as explained in another thread :) ) who sold her to me gave me a bunch of wrong info, namely, the wrong temp range, and sold me an inadequate setup. I'm going to give you some advice: take your snake to a vet, an exotics vet if you have one there. I'm not telling you to spend a hundred bucks on bloodwork, just have a vet *look* at the snake. I didn't take Duchess to a vet until last month, almost a year after getting her, and that was a mistake. I'd never had a snake before and I had no idea that she didn't even *look* right let alone as the bloodwork showed, had lots of problems. :( At least find somebody that you *trust* and know that they know what they're doing to look at the animal. Especially if its wheezing (as I assume you mean when you say its sick). Duchess is on antibiotics for her recurring respitory infections now, that's a total of seven injections over the course of a month I have to give her myself. It's to my advantage that I am a diabetic and am skilled at syringe-fu. ;) I'm not trying to freak you out, I just think if you've never had a snake before that you should find someone to look at it and feel it and listen to it breathe, and just make sure you didn't get a "lemon" like I did (I love Duchess but holy cow, she came with some serious baggage). But if it means anything, they're tough little buggers, as Her Royal Duchess plainly demonstrates. :) I doubt you'll "kill" your new baby.

Anyways yes I have a glass tank with an all-screen top. I'm thinking about covering the top with contact paper but I don't know if it will be necessary. I have had no problem with the heat, not now and not when I used heatlamps. The humidity is great, and that is with me running a humidifier in the room, not by humidifying the cage in any special way. If I put contact paper on now I figure that will actually *reduce* the humidity as the humidity of the room wouldn't be able to get in.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by neithersparky

My snake got sick the first week I had her because the &%#@ (as explained in another thread :) ) who sold her to me gave me a bunch of wrong info, namely, the wrong temp range, and sold me an inadequate setup. I'm going to give you some advice: take your snake to a vet, an exotics vet if you have one there. I'm not telling you to spend a hundred bucks on bloodwork, just have a vet *look* at the snake. I didn't take Duchess to a vet until last month, almost a year after getting her, and that was a mistake. I'd never had a snake before and I had no idea that she didn't even *look* right let alone as the bloodwork showed, had lots of problems. :( At least find somebody that you *trust* and know that they know what they're doing to look at the animal. Especially if its wheezing (as I assume you mean when you say its sick). Duchess is on antibiotics for her recurring respitory infections now, that's a total of seven injections over the course of a month I have to give her myself. It's to my advantage that I am a diabetic and am skilled at syringe-fu. ;) I'm not trying to freak you out, I just think if you've never had a snake before that you should find someone to look at it and feel it and listen to it breathe, and just make sure you didn't get a "lemon" like I did (I love Duchess but holy cow, she came with some serious baggage). But if it means anything, they're tough little buggers, as Her Royal Duchess plainly demonstrates. :) I doubt you'll "kill" your new baby.

Anyways yes I have a glass tank with an all-screen top. I'm thinking about covering the top with contact paper but I don't know if it will be necessary. I have had no problem with the heat, not now and not when I used heatlamps. The humidity is great, and that is with me running a humidifier in the room, not by humidifying the cage in any special way. If I put contact paper on now I figure that will actually *reduce* the humidity as the humidity of the room wouldn't be able to get in.

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Wow....sounds like we bought our snakes at the same place.....gotta love it....I was given all the wrong info and just hope the snake doesn't suffer because of it...I have an appt. lined up for next week to take the snake in.....my boyfriend keeps saying we should get a bigger tank....he likes the critter cage...the one w/the sliding screen...is that what you have?

I don't know, it's a 40-gal glass tank with a sliding screen, don't know the brand name anymore. It's good that you're actually going to a vet, a lot of people don't even think that exotics need to go to a vet, for some reason. *shrug* Go figure people. :)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by neithersparky

I don't know, it's a 40-gal glass tank with a sliding screen, don't know the brand name anymore. It's good that you're actually going to a vet, a lot of people don't even think that exotics need to go to a vet, for some reason. *shrug* Go figure people. :)

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Sounds like the critter cage...got the lock thing in the front???

Yeah...Adam recommended a vet for me to go to.....for me so not being a snake person and actually getting freaked out if I saw one at the store to this....wow....go figure.