I need an advice

Ok guys. Help me out here plz.

I've had my BP Buddy in his new home for 6 days now without touching him. The tank is a 20 gallon long tank, which is set up to best of my abilities. I finally got the temp working. One side is usually around 89.5-92 F while the other one is 80-83. I've got two hides on each side. I have Aspen substrate on top of a thick layer of newspaper. I also have a medium size dish bowl for the snake to soak in + for humidity. I usually refill it every 2-3 days. My humidity is always around 55-59% (I think Buddy might be about to start shedding because his skin kinda got darker) so I may need to increase humidity. So my question is, can I spray water on Aspen substrate to increase humidity? What if there are 2 UTH on one side of the tank (not the side with the water bowl) I know of few other ways to increase humidity ( such as moving the water dish closer to the lamp)

Another thing I'm worried about is that Buddy doesn't seem to like his hides at all. For a week he's been chilling outside. Thankfully he hasn't been exploring too much as of the last 1-2 days and instead just chilling (before he would explore and look for ways to escape) What should I do to get him to use his hides?

Also when is time to feed him? He might start to shed soon. I haven't fed him for about 2 weeks now. I offered him F/T mouse (small one) and he refused to eat about a week ago but I think that might be because I was handling him too much right after bringing him home but ever since i set up his tank I haven't touched him (for almost a week)

I bolded the questions so that they are easier to be found. THANKS A LOT EVERYONE. I LOVE this site and it's been awesome in educating me on how to care for a BP.

Yes, you can spritz some water onto the aspen. It won't hurt anything. Just don't get it soaking wet. But if your humidity is staying that high and constant, you probably don't have to do anything at all.

What kind of hides are you using? Are they small and tight-fitting for him? Or the open-sided half-logs? If you're using the logs, try replacing them with small plastic bowls or saucers that you can cut an entrance into. If they're already small and snug...then you just have to wait for the snake to find them and feel certain (in its own little primitive brain) that no other critters have or will claim those perfect little caves. You don't have to MAKE him do anything. ;)

As for eating...if it's feeding day, try to feed him. Do you know what he was eating before you brought him home? Best to stick with that, whatever it was...and then, once you're certain he's comfortable enough to eat with you, you can start the process of trying to switch methods if you prefer. If you don't know what he was eating and can't find out....then try what you wish and see if he'll eat it. It may take a few weeks to find the right meal for him....but be patient and don't try to feed too often. Once a week is plenty, even if he's refusing. Offering food more often than that can cause more problems than it is likely to solve.

if you have a glass tank I highly recommend using "distilled" or "purified" water to mist unless you prefer looking at water spots instead of your snake. You can get it cheap at the grocery in gallon jugs. I use distilled for everything.

Also, to expand on what Judy said: do you know if he was eating F/T before? If he has been eating live then this probably isn't the best time to switch him.

To raise humidity in your enclosure you can

Switch to a substrate holding humidity better (Cypress Mulch, Repti-Bark)
Spray your enclosure
Have a humid hide
Place and additional water dish on the warm side above the UTH
Partially cover the screen top of your enclosure

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What should I do to get him to use his hides?

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What type of hides do you use? Are they tight (all sides touching your BP's body) and identical?

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I offered him F/T mouse (small one) and he refused to eat about a week ago but I think that might be because I was handling him too much right after bringing him home but ever since i set up his tank I haven't touched him (for almost a week)

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Has your BP ever ate successfully for you? Was that BP eating F/T before you acquired him? Because if not I would suggest you to feed live for 2 to 3 feedings before attempting to switch, getting him to eat for you should be the priority for now switching to F/T should be secondary and switching can take time depends on the individual.

When it comes to size of hides... use this thread for reference.
http://ball-pythons.net/forums/showt...highlight=hide

But yea... ditto on what has been said previously on your other questions. They are great anwsers by knowledgable keepers.

Now that I think of it, I would be inclined to give the hide situation priority over the food. If he's not using his hides he probably isn't feeling too comfortable and that is certainly enough to keep a BP from eating.

In general, I think 6 days is a bit early to start really getting worried. A BP that old can go a few weeks without food easy. However, this might be a good time to collect any history on him you can. What do you know about his prior arrangements? Was he a picky feeder? If the people you bought him from are halfway reputable, the will be able to give you helpful advice in this case. I would avoid being accusatory or emotional with them, though.

Also, my experience is that they all act a bit funny during the shedding process.

One more thing. I just got done reviewing your last thread and I wasn't sure about how things turned out.

One thing I noticed was that your thermometer is suction-cup mount type. This isn't bad, but if you are getting a read off of a thermometer stuck to the side of the glass then you can be sure that your hides are running several degrees warmer.

This is the most recommended thermometer: Acu-Rite 00891 Digital Thermometer (google it). It can be found in most wal-marts for about $13. I has a small wire probe that will allow you to accurately measure the temperature inside your hides.

I'm mentioning this because there are only two times when my BP leaves his warm hide: when he's pooped in it, and when its too hot.

Thanks for the replies all. I was only asking about spraying Aspen because once he starts shedding I would have to raise humidity.

My snake is just 18-19 inches long and hasn't had any food for two weeks now. I got him on the 14th of October. Tried feeding f/t on around the 23rd i believe. On the 24th I finally finished setting up his tank (with everything he needs) and decided to wait another week. I have no idea what they fed him before, but I dont know what else to feed him other than F/T. Since he's just about 19 inches I doubt he can kill live food yet (or whether it is safe or not)

He has two half log hides. I pressed them against the back glass wall so that only the front is open. Both are rather small and the first 2 days my BP seemed to stay in the cool sides half logs, but then got out and won't go back in. The tank enclosure is covered from 2 sides so only 2 sides are open. Also before I added the 2nd hide, and fixed up his tank, he used to hide all the time in one of the hides. Also I am in a tight money spot so I was thinking maybe I could alter the half logs to make the entrance smaller?

By the way I have two thermometers. One is Acurite (not suction cup mount) and the other is this one: http://www.reptilesupply.com/product...roducts_id=655

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Originally Posted by hammerhead

My snake is just 18-19 inches long and hasn't had any food for two weeks now. I got him on the 14th of October. Tried feeding f/t on around the 23rd i believe. On the 24th I finally finished setting up his tank (with everything he needs) and decided to wait another week. I have no idea what they fed him before, but I dont know what else to feed him other than F/T. Since he's just about 19 inches I doubt he can kill live food yet (or whether it is safe or not)

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I use half-log hides (cork bark) with no problem but I know its not considered the best thing to use.

So, your snake can most surely kill live food. I bought mine at about 18" and I fed him small mice at that time (I guess juvenile but will all their fur and full mobility). You might try a live mouse if he won't eat. Just make sure to get a small one that has a body about the size of a large person's thumb.

He would be able to kill live food. I would just make sure that the mice that you choose are not any larger around then he is at his widest point. Both of my girls eat live with no problems!!:) (One of them is just shy of being 3 months old, the other is an 07 hatchling herself but a few months older.)

And I would definately take out the half log hides. A real inexpensive way of getting awesome hides is by using flower pot saucers (the things you put underneath the pots to catch the water). Just cut a hole in them for your BP to enter by, I use these and put the entrance in the sides, but I have seen others on here put there entrances on the top. They make really nice tight fitting hides and very inexpensive. Or you can also go to the dollar store and get a couple of plastic bowls, my other girl uses these and they work very well also!!

Something maybe 25% smaller than this should do the trick:

http://animal-world.com/encyclo/crit...se/dmouse1.jpg

Thnx guys. Around Nov 8th im going home for the weekend and will buy/get the new hides. For now I'm stuck with the half logs.

But there is a new problem. I just realized what my bp is doing. He pulled all the substrate aside and is laying directly on the newspaper under which are the UTHs. Is this bad?

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Originally Posted by hammerhead

But there is a new problem. I just realized what my bp is doing. He pulled all the substrate aside and is laying directly on the newspaper under which are the UTHs. Is this bad?

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My older girl is in a tank and does this also sometimes. It is not bad, as long as you know what the temps are at that spot, and they don't get higher than 94*. If the temp right above the newspaper is too hot then she could get burnt, and that would be bad.

In my tank I don't put any newspaper under my cypress mulch. I have the probe to my digi therm on the glass under the cypress, and I just put a thin layer of the cypress in the tank. What is your temp at the top of the substrate over the UTH's? If it is too low, she may be trying to burrow down to get closer to the heat source?? I would just keep an eye on your temps at varying spots (underneath and above your substrate). :)

Just a thought on the hides:

I bought the clay saucers for my little girl and she has only used them once. She just doesn't like them. I know this because I have several sets of hides which I continually rotate (for my pleasure, not hers. :oops:) and she will "run" to these little paper cups I have for her, but when I put in other things she either doesnt use them (in the case of the clay pots) or uses them only some of the time.

So, long story short, my suggestion is to try several types of hides. He probably just doesnt like the ones he has; it's not that he doesnt know how to use them.

-Haylee

Well I only have one thermometer with a probe. The probe is at the warmer side, which reads 88.5 right now. I'm not worrying about that too much. It seems to drop slightly as the temp in the house drops. Either way i'm planning on getting tinfoil and insulating the top pretty soon. As for the cool side, it's at 80 degrees in the air, so I'm guessing it might be warmer on the glass.

Here is a question: My cool side is warmed with UTH while the warm side is warmed with a light bulb. Is this a bad idea? Since I'm sure the glass above the UTHs will probably we warmer on the cool side than the warm side.

88 seems kind of cool for a warm side. Low 90's is what I run the inside of the warm hide at. Sunny1 has the right idea but maybe a bit conservative. 94 will not burn your snake. Consider that the average human body temperature is 98.2 and the range considered healthy is 97.8 - 99.1. I dont' think you could even come close to burning your snake with your body - even if you stuffed him in your armpit. :O

Its important to note that I'm talking about "contact burns" that could injure your snake's skin. Your snake could develop health problems if he was subjected to ambient temperatures in the high 90's long term.

Anyhoo... My setups all have two UTH's and a heat lamp on one side. On one setup, the heating pads are both large and identical so the heat lamp creates the "warm" side. On the other setup, I have a large UTH on one side and a small UTH on the other. In that case, the warm side is over the large UTH and I use a low-wattage heat lamp and the small UTH to create the cool side. So, utimately, you kind of have to rearrange things so they work with your setup.

So, how is your guy doing? Has he tried his hides yet?

With tank setup's another cool trick for boosting humidity is instead of spraying the substrate, spray the inside walls of the enclosure. Someone i know has a cooks tree boa in a glass tank and the humidity has to be so high that mold and what not is possibilty, so he showed me that trick. His humidity is always through the roof.:gj: Hope this helps.

I still seem to be having problems with the temps. My cool side always reads around 80 because its controlled by the 2 UTHs, but the warm side fluctuates all the time. When the room temp drops, the tank temp drops to like 87. I can't seem to be able to control it. How can I insulate the tank? The top is currently covered by 2 towels up to the lamp (so like 80% of the top screen is covered) ...this also holds humidity, so at times when it got too humid I would open it up slightly until humidity dropped again. Also one side is covered with a towel to create more of a "close" surrounding for the snake and hopefully insulate the tank.

Buddy is doing ok. Still not using he hides. I dunno, should I try and feed him? I have 1 F/T mouse left, and if that doesn't work im gonna buy small fuzzy or something. Actually I think I'll take a pic of the tank later tonight and post it. Hopefully that might help.

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Originally Posted by bearhart

94 will not burn your snake. Consider that the average human body temperature is 98.2 and the range considered healthy is 97.8 - 99.1. I dont' think you could even come close to burning your snake with your body - even if you stuffed him in your armpit. :O

Its important to note that I'm talking about "contact burns" that could injure your snake's skin. Your snake could develop health problems if he was subjected to ambient temperatures in the high 90's long term.

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Maybe I didn't make my post clear enough earlier in this thread, but thank you for clarifying it for me. :) I wasn;t trying to imply that 94* would burn your snake, I was refering to 94* since the warm side of the tank shouldn't be much higher than that. What I was trying to get to is that your snake will be okay burrowing to the glass if it is around 94* but if the temps at the glass are too high then your snake could possibly get burnt. :):)

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Originally Posted by hammerhead

I still seem to be having problems with the temps. My cool side always reads around 80 because its controlled by the 2 UTHs, but the warm side fluctuates all the time. When the room temp drops, the tank temp drops to like 87. I can't seem to be able to control it. How can I insulate the tank? The top is currently covered by 2 towels up to the lamp (so like 80% of the top screen is covered) ...this also holds humidity, so at times when it got too humid I would open it up slightly until humidity dropped again. Also one side is covered with a towel to create more of a "close" surrounding for the snake and hopefully insulate the tank.

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What is the bottom of the tank like? Providing some insulation at the bottom helps considerably.

Also, what kind of UTH's do you have and how are they attached?

How thick is your substrate?

http://img96.imageshack.us/img96/4905/img00084vc3.jpg
http://img218.imageshack.us/img218/7991/img00085kb8.jpg
http://img218.imageshack.us/img218/7083/img00086ru1.jpg
http://img143.imageshack.us/img143/8949/img00087bo0.jpg
You can kinda see the thickness of the substrate here. It's not very thick at all.

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Originally Posted by bearhart

What is the bottom of the tank like? Providing some insulation at the bottom helps considerably.

Also, what kind of UTH's do you have and how are they attached?

How thick is your substrate?

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There, I posted few pics. Should give a general idea.

The bottom of the tank is the glass, layer of newspaper and layer of Aspen substrate. The UTHs are attached to the bottom of the tank on the right side. The tank is lifted slightly so that excess heat can escape.

I have 2 of these: http://www.reptilesupply.com/product...roducts_id=459

So the thermometer on the left has a probe into the warm hide and the one on the right does not? The first thing I would do is move them to the bottom of the glass - or at least move the one that doesn't have a probe.

I'm kind of surprised that you are reading 80 at the top and only 87 in the warm hide. I'm really curious what temp it is at the floor on the cool side.

Does he sit still directly under the heat lamp alot? Does he sit still pressed up against the glass alot?

The way the tank is sitting you are going to be losing alot of your UTH heat. At the very least I would set it on something that is as large as the base (no overhang). In addition, I would consider placing it on something that is insulating. Also, its very likely the heat will eventually screw up your table which is another reason to use some insulation.

He moves from side to side all the time. Sometimes he's on the warm side, sometimes on the cool side and sometimes in between. He likes to get on top of the cool side's half log sometimes. He presses against the glass most of the time. Dunno why.

Now, the probe is placed next to the warm side's hide and so is the probe for the thermostat. Also at the cooler side with the UTHs, it is directly over the stand. It's just the warmer side that is kinda hanging off the stand.

Is your uth on a tstat or a dimmer or anything? If not i suggest you invest in one. Without one you will be fighting temp fluctuations forever. Also i suggest you move your accurite and flukers temp/hygro down to the substrate, you will have a better idea of what your temps are at, on the little guys level.... Also last but not least, have you considered a tub setup??? A hell of a lot easier to manage temps humidity, and way easier to clean...:gj: Good luck

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Originally Posted by hammerhead

He moves from side to side all the time. Sometimes he's on the warm side, sometimes on the cool side and sometimes in between. He likes to get on top of the cool side's half log sometimes. He presses against the glass most of the time. Dunno why.

Now, the probe is placed next to the warm side's hide and so is the probe for the thermostat. Also at the cooler side with the UTHs, it is directly over the stand. It's just the warmer side that is kinda hanging off the stand.

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hmm...

Behavior-wise, if Buddy is always cruising and pressing his nose along the glass or down into the substrate, I would interpret that to mean that he is uncomfortable and trying to get away. When things are too warm, I have also seen mine press himself up against the glass for long periods to cool off.

Try a couple of things:

1) place the probes for the warm hide *inside* of it and see what effect that has on the readings.
2) put the tank on a towel or thin blanket and slide it so the warm side isn't hanging off. see if that helps.

Also, have you felt the UTH to verify that it is actually working? It seems to me that if the probe is lying beside the warm hide with the heat lamp shining directly on it, that's enough alone to make it register 87,88.

Another experiment you can try is to just turn the heat lamp off for a while and see how that affects the temperatures. Also, see what Buddy does. Maybe he hates the heat lamp, who knows.

Thnx again guys. I appreciate every single reply!

I actually have some great news. He is in the warm side's hide!! I just went over to check on him.


juddb: Yes I have 2 thermostats, one for each side. The problem isn't as much with the cool side (UTH side) than the warmer side. UTHs seem to be doing a great job with the heat. However the Lamp is the one that can't heat it up enough.

I'll try placing the towel under it, but won't that be a fire hazard since cloth will be in direct contact with the UTHs?

Great news! Hopefully he eats soon. Mine went through a weird super-active phase recently. Maybe its the onset of winter.

The fire risk comes in if the UTH happens to fail by shorting out. A properly operating UTH will not start a fire.

To be fully safe, you might consider using a thin fire-retardant blanket instead.

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Originally Posted by bearhart

Great news! Hopefully he eats soon. Mine went through a weird super-active phase recently. Maybe its the onset of winter.

The fire risk comes in if the UTH happens to fail by shorting out. A properly operating UTH will not start a fire.

To be fully safe, you might consider using a thin fire-retardant blanket instead.

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His head is slightly poking out of the hide. Do you suppose I should try feeding him? It's been almost 3 weeks. If he refuses, I'll go get live food in 3-4 days.

Wohoooo! SUCCESS. Buddy just ate his first F/T. It was awesome. after thawing I put his "food" (lol) on top of the tanks screen and left it there for 10 mins and then using pliers (don't have tongues yet lol) dangled it infront of him. He kinda started smelling it (tongue coming out) and then struck at it 2-3 times before finally grabbing on and coiling around it. Finally he swallowed it within like 30 seconds. WOOHOO I'm so happy but at the same time kinda disappointed. I really wanted to feed him live haha.

P.S. First time he struck at it I kinda twitched haha and dropped the F/T infront of him, and then when I tried picking up he tried grabbing on again but missed.

http://img214.imageshack.us/img214/1...0094dj3.th.jpg http://img149.imageshack.us/img149/4...0089ip6.th.jpg

http://img171.imageshack.us/img171/265/img00088si6.jpg http://img130.imageshack.us/img130/4094/img00091cb7.jpg
http://img214.imageshack.us/img214/7721/img00090dr6.jpg

Sorry for the crappy quality. BLACKBERRY PEARL SUCKS! lol

Btw I covered the other end of the half log to give him more privacy:
http://img213.imageshack.us/img213/6740/img00093iw4.jpg

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Originally Posted by hammerhead

juddb: Yes I have 2 thermostats, one for each side. The problem isn't as much with the cool side (UTH side) than the warmer side. UTHs seem to be doing a great job with the heat. However the Lamp is the one that can't heat it up enough.

I'll try placing the towel under it, but won't that be a fire hazard since cloth will be in direct contact with the UTHs?

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When i used a tank for my first bp i was pretty successful just using a uth and a human heat pad... I also dont agree with putting a heat lamp over a towel, thats a pretty dumb idea. Here is what you do. Go to ace hardware and ask for reflectix. It's like a dollar per ft. What you do is cover three sides of the tank with this stuff, and pretty much what it does is reflects the heat back into the tank. When you try this and it works you can thank me later;). Good luck:gj:

Sounds like Buddy is starting to settle in a bit. BP's hate that wide open space feeling of a large open aquarium. Buddy would probably do better in a ten gallon tank rather than a twenty. The smaller the enclosure the easier it is to maintain temps and humidity. But he will probably adjust to the twenty.

The sides can be covered with rolled cork, or that cheap foam board. But it is important to cover most of the top with something more than a towel. I used Plexiglass on one of mine. I just taped it to the screen top with duct tape. If you cut the plexi about a half an inch too short you can leave a quarter inch space on the cool side for air to enter, and a quarter inch at the warm end for air to escape. This is how I finally got temps and humidity right.

What I did to make my tank seem smaller was I added a bunch of fake bush. They cost like $3-4 and they add a bit of scenary and the make the BP feel more secure.

Like Jeff said... You just need to find something to take up space.. If you got 2 hides and a water bowl there might be some extra space ... give em something to climb on or put some fake brush and you should be good.

I need an advice lol

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Originally Posted by juddb

When i used a tank for my first bp i was pretty successful just using a uth and a human heat pad... I also dont agree with putting a heat lamp over a towel, thats a pretty dumb idea.

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Yea, you're right, putting a towel under a heat lamp is a dumb idea. Fortunately, he's referring to putting a towel under the tank to insulate the bottom.

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Originally Posted by Brimstone111888

What I did to make my tank seem smaller was I added a bunch of fake bush. They cost like $3-4 and they add a bit of scenary and the make the BP feel more secure.

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What kinda fake bushes? Can u post a pic of ur tank? I keep hearing people say that but i haven't been able to find any from anywhere.that would look nice in a tank.

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Originally Posted by hammerhead

What kinda fake bushes? Can u post a pic of ur tank? I keep hearing people say that but i haven't been able to find any from anywhere.that would look nice in a tank.

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garland?

found at craft stores.

How often should I feed my juvenille ball python?
She's 20 inches long. I heard DO NOT feed a snake only once a month. Is that true? I feed my juvenille BP once every 14 days. Is this a good feeding schedule?

jalsdiablo, you should feed more often than that.

Please read the Feeding section in our ball python care sheet

Also, you should consider starting your own thread rather than responding to an existing thread that is irrelevant to your issue. If you need any assistance, just ask :)