Got my cage neeed some help

I got my cage 20L and I got this snake cave thing and a branch and a water dish. Also got a heat pad and a thermometer and hygrometer. The humidity is 55% and the temp in the Basking Zone is only 75 degress I have a heating pad it is the Exo terra desert medium heat pad. The substrate is aspen and Im getting the BP in a month or as soon as the pet store gets babies in from teh breeder. But my question is how do i boost the heat on the basking side the temp in the room is 68 degres.

Im also going to feed frozen mice in a rubbermaid container.

I'm no expert but will do what I can to help...
First your room temp is WAY to cold....the ambient air temp in the tank needs to be atleast 80 degrees.....I keep mine at 82 degrees.
If your room temp is higher I think the warm side temp would come up also but I could be wrong about that.
what kind of tank do you have? Is it a screen top? If it is you can go to the cage forum and find the thread on covering most of the screen top with plastic wrap and aluminum foil to help retain some heat.
also you really need two identical hides...one for the warm side and one for the cool side of the tank so that your snake can thermoregulate.
Hope this helps a little bit:)
I'm sure someone with more experience will jump in and help.

To help figure out where the issue lies...where do you have the thermometer placed? It should be down near the substrate as that is where the temp matters...if it is way up high then move it down.

Also, you didn't mention a thermostat to control the heatpad or light? Do you have one...if not you need one so that you can regulate the temps and not end up burning your snake.

Zeke's points are right on too...especially about covering the top if you are using a screen topper (which my guess is you are since you are using a tank)

Make these adjustments and then let the tank sit for a few hours to normalize and then let us know where we stand.

Also, there is no need to feed in a seperate container this will just cause your snake more stress then is needed.

Yes I do have a screen top and I checked my room temp and it is at 72 now and i moved my thermometer down to the substrate area should i put it right in the substrate?

Yes I do have a screen top and I checked my room temp and it is at 72 now and i moved my thermometer down to the substrate area should i put it right in the substrate? Also how much and where do i get a thermostat?

You shoul dhave a digital thermometer with a probe, with the probe right on top of the glass where the UTH is placed.

As for a thermostat, low end you can get a ZooMed 500R for $19.99 plus shipping at reptilesupply.com. It's an inexpensive on/off thermostat but works fine and reliably. I've had several of them going on my corn snake tanks for over a year.

If you want to spend more, there are Ranco or Johnson Controls on/off thermostats for around $75, and proportional thermostats start at around $109 for a herpstat.

I dont think that i will buy a digital thermometer because the there is a guy at the pet store and he owns bp's and he said that youu dont need a digital thermometer. the screen top for the cage hasnt come in yet would that make a difference for the tempeture?

I'd have to say I disagree with the guy who says you don't need one - if you can't tell the temperatures and humidity with a decent accuracy how do you expect to know if the snakes needs are being met adequately?


Lack of a top might make a slight diference but less so if it is an open screen (you will probably want to block most of that screen anyway to help with humidity if it proves to be a problem).



dr del

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by exoticz

I got my cage 20L and I got this snake cave thing and a branch and a water dish. Also got a heat pad and a thermometer and hygrometer. The humidity is 55% and the temp in the Basking Zone is only 75 degress I have a heating pad it is the Exo terra desert medium heat pad. The substrate is aspen and Im getting the BP in a month or as soon as the pet store gets babies in from teh breeder. But my question is how do i boost the heat on the basking side the temp in the room is 68 degres.

Im also going to feed frozen mice in a rubbermaid container.

---

you can set up your 20g like this mine is a 65g though but everything i have in my 65 came outta my 20 with the exception of the real plants (they are all small though and i would not recomend for a smaller tank its a pain to keep your humidity right with the waterings and all.

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y27...r/DSCN1043.jpg

u can see my ghetto side with the black trashbags on top of the tank i ran outta duct tape half way through. lol
http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y27...r/DSCN1042.jpg

That half log hide is WAY too big for your BP.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Sausage

That half log hide is WAY too big for your BP.

---

yeah i have a i guess what you would call a cave underneath the log i used to have a hide inside then the little cave but she mainly uses the little cave so i took the other hide out. and you cant see but i have another hide behind the plants on the far right side. she never uses that side at all. lol

So how much do the digital thermometers cost and how to i use it in my cage? I mean do i leave it in there or just check the temp periodically?

Digital thermometers are usually under $20 from walmart or target.

I leave the temperature probe (you'll see what I'm talking about when you get one) in the location that I'd like to know the temperature, which is literally right where the snake spends most of its time, inside the hide. That way, just walking by the cage, I can see at a glance what the temps are doing, and make adjustments if necessary.

Hope that helps.

Thanks thats a big help. I have another question that has nothing to do with the origianl post but what do i do if i thaw out the mouse and the BP won't eat it?

I think you can refreeze it if it hasn't been too long. Like if you left it overnight... you probably wanna throw it away.

Thanks and two more questions since you were such a big help:) do you feed your bp in a big rubbermaid container? and how to you thaw your mice?

You can feed your ball python right in its own enclosure. I know what you're thinking...the myth out there that doing that makes them aggressive...not true at all...

You can thaw mice by placing the mouse in a cup of warm water, and periodically replace the water as it cools off with more warm water to bring the prey item up to temperature. Repeat the process until it is completely thawed, warmed, and then offer it to your snake.

Thanks again

Dr Del is 100% correct!!! I too would have to disagree with the guy at the pet store. A digital thermometer is one of the most critical elements to a successful BP habitat. The small round dial type meters are usually wrong by at least 10 degrees or 10%. The digital that I use is a AccuRite digital thermometer / hygrometer with a probe. It gages the temp on both the cool side and warm side plus the humidity. $12.95 at Home Depot or Lowes in the garden center. Don't forget a thermostat!! both are a small price to pay for the health of your herp!:2cent:

Thanks plan on getting the digital thermometer tonight

I have several from home depot and I love those things. I got the ones with a suction cup that you stick to the side for $10. I use a different type to measure my basking area, but they are great for measureing your ambient temps/humidity.

What can i use to measure basking area

Infrared thermometer.

how to i add pics to show u guys what my thermometer looks like

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by exoticz

how to i add pics to show u guys what my thermometer looks like

---

Here's a nice little tutorial on how to post pictures:

http://www.ball-pythons.net/forums/s...ad.php?t=32416

what would the infrared thermometer look like

why cant the digital do both sides

A digital thermometer with an "outdoor" probe attached can read both sides.


I just like having two seperate ones to avoid a wire running through my tank. The ones I get at Home Depot suction cup to the side and read temp/humidity. The other I sit directly on the floor of the warm side.

i use two digital thermometers... both indoor/outdoor (one of them has a hygrometer in it). i stick the probes (outdoor temps) under each one of my guys hides (cool and warm ones) so i know exactly what temp he is in. the ambient temps (indoor temps) are usually lower then that it is right on the substrait, so by having the 2 probes helps alot.

i got both thermometers at lowes for like $20 total... and the thermostat im using was only $25.... a small price to pay to keep my guy healthy

Ok so im gonna get the AccuRite and how am i gonna set that up and do I need any other things to monitor the tempeture/humidity?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by exoticz

Ok so im gonna get the AccuRite and how am i gonna set that up and do I need any other things to monitor the tempeture/humidity?

---

An Accurite is all you need to monitor the temps/humidity! It's an all-in-one unit. The unit itself stays on the cool side and will give you the "indoor" (cool side) temp and the humidity and a probe on a wire will go on the warm side and give you the "outdoor" (warm side) temp. You'll be able to see both the "Indoor", "Outdoor" and Humidity all on the screen simultaniously! Accurites are a beautiful thing.

They sound absoultly amazing :) where can i buy the unit again

I buy mine in the garden center of Home Depot or Lowes for $12.95 I've also seen them in Wal-Mart. Good luck.