Help with Care.

Hi there guys. I'm totally new with taking care of a Ball and my question come from the fact that my brother in-law can't take care of his any longer. He says that it's about 3' now and he has had it for a long time. The housing is a big box with one lamp on the right side, in the middle you can place a fixture and the back has a mesh opening. It's pretty big.

Now, his house doesn't have Central AC like mine and it's always hot. We live in Miami Florida. My house does stay cool. The temps in the Ball's home is about 80F.

I've seen it a couple of time when he comes out, but he's always balled up in his hide out right under the UV light. I'm worried. It hasn't eaten in about 2 - 3 weeks. how much more light does he need to raise up that temp? My home is on a steady 75F all day because of the wife.

I'll post some pictures also cause I know that he finished shedding, but I'm not sure if some skin is still on his eye. Can you guys let me know if he seems healthy?

Thanks in advance.

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http://img143.imageshack.us/img143/4016/ballvm7.jpg
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http://img409.imageshack.us/img409/1723/ball4yr3.jpg
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http://img402.imageshack.us/img402/1545/ball6xb3.jpg
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http://img409.imageshack.us/img409/3049/ball7tp9.jpg

Sorry if the pictures are too big. I originally saved them this big.

BP do not need UV light they do however require belly heat and very specific temperature.

In a lot of cases food refusal are due to husbandry problems, which is obviously your case. The good news it can be corrected with a little work.

You need to offer gradient temps and never let temps fall below 75 degrees.

Temps below 75 degrees will increase the risk of RI, respiratory infection.

Here is something I wrote a while back that will cover the basics from proper supply to husbandry requirements.

Quote:

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Supply Check list

1 Enclosure

Your enclosure should not be too big the bigger the enclosure the more stress you will cause to your Ball Python, remember that in their natural environment they spend 70 to 80 % of their time in a tight termite mount.

You can use a glass tank, keep in mind that is you do it will be harder to control temperatures and humidity.

If you get a baby you will only need a 10 gallons to start with and if you chose an adult a 30/40 gallons is all you will ever need. Use the rule of thumb the enclosure should be 2/3 of the length of your Ball Python.

A lot of people chose plastic tubs (Sterilite or Rubbermaid), which allow an easier control of the temperatures and humidity and make Ball Pythons feel secure.

When it comes to plastic tubs here are the sizes you will need according to your Ball Python's size (Remember you will need a drill or solder wand to make holes for airflow)

Up to 500 grams – 15 Quarts (17"L x 11 1/8"W x 6 3/8"H)

Up to 1500 grams – 32 Quarts (23 1/2"L x 16 1/4"W x 6 3/8"H)

Above 1500 grams – 41 Quarts (34 3/4"L x 16 1/2"W x 6"H)


No matter which enclosure you chose remember to secure the lid as Ball Pythons are real escape artists.

1 UTH (Under Tank Heater)

Here are some products that will allow you to provide belly heat and achieve the required gradient temperatures in your enclosure: Ultratherm Heat Pads, T Rex Cobra Pads and Flexwatt Heat Tape (Unlike some other they do not stick permanently to the enclosure).

1 Thermostat

Regardless of the device you chose to provide heat you will need a thermostat, this will allow you to maintain proper temperatures and avoid over-heating.

I would highly recommend you to invest in a digital thermostat such as Ranco ETC-111000 and Johnson on the lower end, or Herpstat Digital Proportional Thermostat and Helix on the higher end, they might seem expensive but they are worth it. Keep in mind that if you get a cheap thermostat like the ESU 1 outlet or 3 outlets starting at 25 dollars you will get what you paid for, considering how long your BP will live you will want to invest in something durable, reliable and safe.

2 Hides

Provide one hide on each side of the enclosure. Ideal hides must be dark, tight (All side touching your Ball Python's body) and identical so your Ball Python does not chose between security and thermo-regulation. In my opinion the best hides are ESU/Zilla Creature Cubbyholes.

1 Water Dish

Contrary to what many believe the water dish does not have to be big enough for your BP to soak (Healthy, mite free BP rarely soak).

1 Thermometer/Hygrometer

When it comes to temperatures and humidity you cannot guess you MUST know. (Avoid stick and dial devices as they are not accurate). To get an accurate reading I would recommend a digital device such as Acu-Rite Hygrometer/Thermometer that can be found at Walmart for 12$ or Zilla Terrarium Hygrometer/Thermometer.

Substrate

Here are some substrates that can be used in your BP's enclosure: Newspaper - Paper Towel - Aspen - Repti-bark - Cypress Mulch etc. DO NOT use pine or cedar bedding as they contain phenols that can be toxic to your snake.

Basic Husbandry

Temperatures

You will need to provide your Ball Python with a warm side between 90-94 F (32.5-34.5 C) degrees and a cool side between 80-84 F (27-29 C) degrees.

Humidity

You should provide your Ball Python with a constant 50%-60% humidity level. This level can be increased to 70% during the shedding period if necessary.

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Welcome to the wonderful world of ball pythons!

As far as the eye goes, it looks like there may be a retained eye cap, though I am not sure (someone else might have a better idea, I'm sure)

When it comes to caging, it sounds like you might need to look into something different for the snake. Ball pythons really do best with a thermal gradient. This means that he would need a cool side temp of 80-82 and a hot side temp of 92-94. You'll find that this may be easier to obtain if you switch him to a tub or even an aquarium if you cover a screen top with aluminum foil. You can find some great posts on setting up the right husbandry by checking the Sticky posts at the top of the husbandry section.

Do you have any pictures of his current set up?


Edit - See, Deborah already beat me to it! :)

http://img170.imageshack.us/img170/8272/housingvf0.jpg

Alright, it's about 29" across, 24" depth & 24" height. As you can see,the thing on the right holds the Heat Lamp. It's one of those black light ones. That's what he gave me. The left is some driftwood and his water bowl. The middle has one of those heat rocks.

I'm totally new to this and he really didn't explain to me anything. I really want to care for it cause it's such a beautiful animal. The middle have the opening for the fixture and the back has a grill opening.

I spoke with the wife about getting a breeder tank (aquarium) or such. About 20 - 30 gallons. I would actually like a long one that why I mentioned breeder. But help me guys. I don't want this kat to suffer. The more I take him out and handle him, the more I care for it.

First, get rid of the heat rock, they can burn BP's. Second, before investing in the set-up, go ahead and get the enclosure you want for him (for now, not necessarily forever once he's big). Third, yes you need belly heat, an under the tank heater with a dimmer or rheostat on it to make sure it doesn't get too hot is good.

Temp. gradient is important like others said, with identical hides on each side. Also, humidity should be 50% to 60%.

The eye cap may still be there, hard to tell. Can you check the shed skin to see if they are both shed?

He gave it to me once he shed. As you can see in the 1st picture, it looks like some stuff on his eye. So that's where I thought that he might just have something on it. It was taken with a macro lens. But I don't know it's enough to show the info.

The rock isn't connected at all. It's just there. I kind of thought about it the first time since it doesn't have anything to regulate the temps. So that's why I didn't plug it in.

It will be a while till I can get the housing cause I really need to pay bills. He didn't have it as bad as I do, but maybe next month I'll get at least the tank and heat.

As far as the heating goes, what's the most inexpensive I can go with but enough to keep him comfortable in a 20 - 30 gallon tank. I'm really going to try for a breeder tank which I think is a 20 or 29 long. Can't remember, I've quit fish keeping for a while.

Also, if he does have that cap on his eye how can I take it off? And how can I make him feel a bit better so he can eat.? What can I do to make his current home a bit more nicer for him? Can I buy something to heat it up for the time being?

I just went through some of the setups you guys have and I'm going to try and imitate it. It looks so much comfortable for the Balls.

Great site by the way.

:D

Ok guys, he came out of his hiding. He's sliding around and hanging around the driftwood. I offered a mouse and he was all over it but didn't strike. So I won't force it. So I'll check tomorrow.

Now...

If I were to start over and forget about the whole display tank and I just want him to be comfortable and go for a minimalistic look, what do you guys recommend? I've read the post and I have ideas, but I want to see what you guys would go for. I would rather keep him in my room and just bring him out once in a while.

Minimal cleaning, minimalistic look but yet comfortable.

The second pic makes me want to say that he has a retained eye cap. Although it may just be the glare of the camera. Are those crease-type things present when you look at him?

Even my wife noticed that the right eye is a dark black compared to the left. I want to say that I'll wait for the next shed or I'll even try a warm damp towel just to see if it's true. You can tell he can see of the left eye. I tried sudden movements from far on both eyes and he responded the same way. I'll try it tomorrow with something cold to see if he notices. I know that the heat I radiate can play a part in it, so that's why I'll try something cooler.

As far as the housing, do you guys think it's better to go with something way smaller? After looking at some of the setups around here, it's a pretty radical change from what I have.

Based on reading about other people's experiences, a single layer of retained eyecap is likely to fix itself with the next shed as long as temps and especially humidity are good in the meantime. So I wouldn't worry about it too much since you aren't even sure if there is one retained or not.

Instead, focus on fixing up the environment the snake is in and/or getting a new enclosure. You said you aren't attached to doing a display tank, so look up information about how to set your BP up in a tub. It is less expensive than a tank, and makes it easier to maintain the proper temps and humidity.

I have some good news for you. You said that you're strapped for cash (don't I know the feeling of that.. :) Well, plastic tubs (such as Rubbermaid and Sterilite) make great housing for these snakes. They're low, with less height to them, and are easier to heat and more secure for the snake to live in. The best part; a tub is much less expensive than a tank, and so easy to clean. I recommend using newspaper as a substrate; it can be completely removed and changed whenever the snake messes it up. A tub is also easy to clean, in that you can completely lift it into the sink easily rather than lugging a big tank around.
An undertank heatpad, on a rheostat dimmer, works great for providing a heat gradient. I would keep the snake in a room that stays around 80 degrees, as is it so much easier to heat the air around the tub, than to have to heat the tub itself to two different temperatures.
I hope that someone with pics of a tub setup will post them. Basically, it's the tub (about long enough for the snake to stretch out diagonally if it wants to.) Then, a substrate, such as several layers of newspaper, or aspen shreddings, or cypress mulch (pine is bad because of its oils.) Then, you'd want 2 identical hide spots, that can be something as simple as 2 identical plastic cereal bowls, flipped over with an entryway cut into them, and a size so the snake can snugly hide inside (they do this most of the time.) One would go over the heat spot, and the other one would go on the cooler side. A water bowl, heavy ceramic works great, would go in the center.
You could apply these principals to a tank if you wanted to, but I would rec. covering the screen lid with plastic wrap mostly to retain humidity. When the snake's eyes start going blue, a shed is coming, and I would jack his humidity up by spraying with a water spray bottle that you can buy at garden stores.
Last but most important, is the lid of the tub (or tank.) I get the tubs (for my snakes that are not in a rack) that latch on both sides, but I still place a heavy brick atop to keep snakes in :)

I amde some diagrams for ya :)

tub setup
http://i149.photobucket.com/albums/s...es/HAHAHAA.jpg

undertank heater placement
http://i149.photobucket.com/albums/s...tubsidevue.jpg

LOL! Ginevive, my oh my, what species is that gorgeous and peachy-colored snake you have there?

It also looks as if he has a lot of build up in his "end" area. It must be a blood.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by bender29

LOL! Ginevive, my oh my, what species is that gorgeous and peachy-colored snake you have there?

It also looks as if he has a lot of build up in his "end" area. It must be a blood.

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That is a Ginevive-Was-Tired-And-UP-Past-Her-Bedtime snake!

Thanks for the help guys and gals. Now, what brands of equipment should I get that's readily available say from Petsmart, Petco or such? If I really need to get something from the Net I will, but I wanted to see if these stores have some items I can get just by walking in.

I have a BIG bag of Aspen and the bowl. It's a 3' 1/2 snake. What other items?

Zoo med is a brand i use for undertank hearters and zilla digital theremoeters.

I use ZooMed undertank heat pads with the same brand of rheostat. I would actually really recommend getting a high-quality thermostat (such as a Helix) and hooking some Flexwatt to it. This works better in a room that tends to change temperatures often. A heat pad on a rheostat works in a room with consistent, relatively warm temperatures, but cannot really be the only source of heat unless the room is around 80-odd degrees and you're using the uTH for a hot spot.
You could get the ZMed stuff for now, as a temporary fix, and get the thermostat and flexwatt in the near future..

I was snake-sitting my bro-in-law's BP as well, and I fought and fought with a glass tank trying to get temps and humidity proper.

He's taking his snake back, so I bought one for myself. I took everybody's advice and got a tub, and ho-lee crap is it easier. The glass took days of tweaking to get it right, and lots of tricks to get the humidity up. The tub, on the other hand, hot more humid than necessary, with just the water dish. After I drilled a few more holes in the side, it settled down and was ready to go.

In short, plastic is WAAAAAY easier.

plastic tub=$6(walmart)
Heat mat=$17
Rheostat=$22
DIGITAL thermometer/hygrometer=$12 (walmart...Accurite with probe)
hides=$2 (plastic bowls)
happy healthy BP=priceless:)
You said you were a bit strapped for cash so this is an inexpensive list of items that you could use to have a good working setup. Tubs are great for humidity levels and holding temps. Get a good clear one with locking latches on each side. I'd be willing to bet that
after a week in this setup and being left alone that he will eat for you:)
I would eventually look into getting a good thermostat as well, but being cash strapped does not usually equal a shiny new Helix or Herpstat.

Yo...Thanks a lot guys. This is great information. I'll be going to Walmart at lunch time to get some stuff. I saw that 41qt or so, and I'll look for some bowls and the Accurite.

With the heat mat and say the Aspen, will that be enough to heat up one side to about 90F+? Would I still need to use a heat lamp for that size of tub?

Anywho, I really appreciate all your help guys.

:gj:

You can say goodbye to the heat lamp with the tub. Just get the proper size UTH and you should be fine if your room temp is over 70. The UTH should cover approx 1/3rd of the bottom of the tub. Without a rheostat or thermostat the hot spot will soar to over 110 so don't leave that out. Good luck and let us know how it works out for you.

Yeah; heatlamps are generally more trouble than they're worth for BPs. I guess that if you had to, you could get 2 UTHs and set one lower for a cool side, and set one to your hot spot temperature. As others mentioned, a digital thermometer/hygrometer is a must. They are pretty inexpensive and often sold as "indoor/outdoor" thermometers. Just make sure to switch it so that it's reading the temp. of the probe (outdoor part!) or you could just be reading your room's ambient temperature, where the thermometer unit itself is!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by deeplove

Yo...Thanks a lot guys. This is great information. I'll be going to Walmart at lunch time to get some stuff. I saw that 41qt or so, and I'll look for some bowls and the Accurite.

With the heat mat and say the Aspen, will that be enough to heat up one side to about 90F+? Would I still need to use a heat lamp for that size of tub?

Anywho, I really appreciate all your help guys.

:gj:

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A 41-quart tub is great for a subadult-to-adult BP. With aspen substrate, I would only use a relatively thin layer, so that the heat from underneath can get through. You don't want to use too much, and overheat it, because the snake can burrow into it and get into contact with the underside of the tub anyway, and would possibly get burnt if you were measuring the temp. on the surface of a thicker layer of substrate. I hope that this makes sense!

uh, not too much aspen so the heat can go through. maybe a thick layer of a different substrate below? can I just use newspaper below the aspen?

http://img262.imageshack.us/img262/9025/startyw2.jpg

Alright. I got the 66qt one but I don't have enough money for the heating pads at the moment. I'm testing out the light to see how hot it gets and the humidity. As for the holes, how much should I put on it? Can I go with the lights for the time being? Oh, and that's aspen in there.

I found that two rows along the top of the sides of tub (all the way around), one spaced about 2 inches apart, and the other row at 4 inches (so they end up forming triangles) and then a grid on the top spaced at about 3 1/2 - 4 inches between each worked out very well for humidity and air flow. It depends also on how large you make the holes.

You think I can go with 1/2" spaced out about 6" - 8"? 1/2" is a decent sized hole. I can place about 5 of them on the left and right sides. I could probably squeeze in 2 of them on the front and back.

Money right now is going to be very tight. My car just broke down and I'm not looking to spend money on my car anymore. I'm going with a new one.

I'm going to try my best to get the heating mats on my next check, but if I can't then I have to stick with the lighting. They're 100w ZooMeds. Those basking lights. I have a black heating bulb also. I think that's about 75w. All this was given to me so I wish had more for the good stuff.

But anywho. The tepm in there was about 90 - 94 degrees. It hovered around 40% - 50% with a small disposable bowl. Now, I'm making the holes, I'll be adding the bigger water bowl for the snake and 2 covers. Do you guys think that the one water dish for the snake will keep the humidity +/- in the 50%'s?

All this needs to be for the time being until I can invest on the heat mats.

The holes don't need to be that large.... Think more the size of your average nail or screw.

It's the only drill bit I had. Well, I did put it about 12 holes on each side. With the lamp on top it's about 94 degrees and the humidity at about 49% - 53%. The cold side is about 77 - 82 degrees with the 75w bulb.

I can see why you would go with the Thermostat. Could a Thermostat work with these bulb setups?

When I put the ball in there, he was looking around a lot. He was trying to push the lid off. Is that normal? he did go into it's hide on the hot side.

Put clips on the sides so any escape attempts are thwarted, then, hopefully, he'll give up.

What can I use to keep the humidity up other than spraying in the tub? For now, I have a large bag of aspen and when I'm done with that, I'll be going with a moisture retaining substrate. My humidity is hovering on 43% - 49%.

I will go for the UTH next week. I see that it's harder with the lamps to keep the humidity and temps straight. For the 66qt tub, how big does the UTH have to be? Mind you, I'm going with the ZooMed UTH since it's readily available for me. I'm a couple of block away from Petsmart.

I'll be using the Rheostat with it for the time being.

My problem right now is keeping the humidity up.

Hm.. heat lamps will dry the cage out, making humidity retention a bit more difficult. Is it a cage with a screen lid? If so, I would cover most of the lid with saran wrap, leaving maybe one-tenth open for airflow.
A ZM heatpad with the rheostat will work fine if your room stays at a good strady temperature of around 75-80. I actually use these heatpads in my rack, and they have always served me well. They do get too hot without the rheostat though!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Ginevive

Hm.. heat lamps will dry the cage out, making humidity retention a bit more difficult. Is it a cage with a screen lid? If so, I would cover most of the lid with saran wrap, leaving maybe one-tenth open for airflow.
A ZM heatpad with the rheostat will work fine if your room stays at a good strady temperature of around 75-80. I actually use these heatpads in my rack, and they have always served me well. They do get too hot without the rheostat though!

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Sorry, I just saw that you switched to the tub :) Tubs hold in humidity pretty well; sometimes, too well. I would cover some of the holes you drilled in with plastic wrap (taped to the outside of the tub so that the snake can't get to the tape if it were to stick its tongue through the hole somehow.)

Question on the Cypress Mulch. I went to Home Depot and they had a couple of Mulch bags there. Of course, Cypress was one of them. I'm having problems keeping my humidity higher that 33%. I'm using a tub. 60qt. It's fairly low profile. Thin but long and wide.

When I looked at the mulch, it was pretty broken up and had a lot of dust. Some other Mulch were bigger and had less dust or particles. Especially the Red Mulch.

My question... Can I buy the Mulch at Home Depot and which one?

http://img299.imageshack.us/img299/8712/setupgu4.jpg

That's the current setup. I know that the fish tank is a complete eyesore, but I'll be hanging or getting some stands for the lights till I get money for the UTH. I'm strapped with cash at the moment.

Hmmmmm.. I am wondering how you are measuring your humidity? Are you using a digital hygrometer? I have one girl in a tub right now (my other girl is getting switched in the next few days to a tub) and with my tub, when I first set it up, I had to put in a bunch of holes to keep humidity down. I wonder if the lights are still sucking the humidity out, even in a tub set up?? I use newspaper and a very small waterbowl in my tub, and when she knocks some water out or when she goes potty, the humidity sky rockets. I think for now I would just keep misting the aspen in your tub, to bring up humidity to 50 - 60%, it may change and be easier to maintain once you get your UTH.

As far as the cypress at home depot, you can use it, I would just check to make sure that it is not a cypress blend. The Home Depot near me carries a blend, but does not list what the "blend" is so I have never used it just to be safe (since pine and cedar are both harmful to BPs). If you do use it, I would bake it before putting it into your enclosure, to kill off any bugs, etc. that may be in there. I don't believe that any of the bugs would harm your snake, it's just more of an annoyance in having extra lil critters running around your tub.

Good Job so far in getting your BP into a much better environment!!

The Fluker's Digital Thermometer / Hygrometer is what I'm using.

Right now I sprayed inside to moisten things up and it's hanging at 69% - 70%. I hope that's fine. I'll check back in a few to see if it stays there. If so, then misting the pad would be ideal. I'm sure I wouldn't have this problem with a UTH. But for now, this must do.

I was reading on the Cypress Mulch and it seems to be some what of a headache just to put it in there. Boiling, heating and stuff...

I want to do the most minimal of work. I'm lazy.

But I'm going to see how this works out. I need to get a red bulb for the night time and another lamp. The black light is keeping the cool side in the 80s. If I put the day light with the red light on a timer, I'm sure that I won't mess with the whole daylight cycle. Correct me if I'm wrong.

He's roaming around more and I hope that he'll eat soon, but for now I'm really trying to keep it as minimal until I get some money. This was all given to me other than the tub, thermometer and the aspen.

if your lazy i would reallly go with newspaper. Its easy to clean and see poop/urates quickly. Its cheap and many people around here use it. For the day night cycle the red bulbs are still very bright so for now I dont know how much of a day night cycle your going to achieve and if you were going to purchase another lamp i wouldnt bother. The price you will pay for a red bulb and another lamp will be as much as a UTH. If you cant afford a good thermostat, just get a lamp dimmer from the hardware store to turn the UTH down, but be sure to measure the temp often of the UTH.

Simplified- You could use the lamp and black light you have over the cooler side and grab a UTH with a dimmer for the warm side, and newspaper for substrate. IMO you dont really need a day night cycle, they like dark, so if its dark all of the time, all the better.

I'm surprised your only reading 30% with a tub and living in florida. If you have the extra dough, I would get another hygrometer. I always had a problem with too much humidity, and I live in Michigan!

I'm pretty confident that the hygrometer is not reading correctly.

I don't think you should have said your lazy about the husbandry on a forum of people crazy about reptiles.

If your having problems with temps coming through from the UTH, then remove that thick layer of substrate. They really dont need that much, even more so when they have adequate hiding spaces.

If you want to be lazy about his husbandry, then use newspaper.

Get rid of the heat lamps and see if you cant rely solely on the UTH for heat. He should have a gradient, a hot spot around 90 degrees. The cool side can be 80. With those heat lamps gone, your humidity will raise up.

Let us know how it goes. There are many excellent points in this thread. Maybe you should reread the first post by GA_Ballpythons. She has an excellent write up that will help you.

I dont think he has a UTH yet. Correct me if Im wrong.

I didnt read the whole thread... I always assume people would buy a UTH after they've been told it's really recommended. He did say he was going to buy one on 2/07...

He doesnt have much money and hasnt purchased one yet, unless I missed something, I read the whole thread and he is tight on money and has taken this snake in to try and give him a better life because a relative of his couldnt manage it anymore. I think thats the gist of it all.

Gotcha. I did get a dimmer for the day bulb for now. it's keeping the bulb at 92F. The humidity is staying at 65% - 70% after spraying it a bit. If it goes well, then I might just get the stands for the bulbs and go with a red bulb. I don't know if others have used a red bulb over night, but if I can find a black bulb rated at about 150w then I'll go for it. That day bulb is 150w.

The aspen is holding, actually...The tub is holding the moisture well even with the aspen. I'm constantly checking it today since it's my day off, I'm also playing Guitar Hero 3 while doing it.

:D

But the Rheostat is working well. I've yet to adjust it. I somewhat eyeballed it at the beginning and it's looking good. I also have my AC at about 75F for us.

If it goes well then I'll be sticking with the bulbs for the time being. Once I get some more money, I'll have to options. Go with the UTH or go with Reptile Basic and get a rack that will FORCE me into getting more Balls.

Like if I wouldn't want that.

:rolleyes:

edit: quick fingers there deeplove... I see you have everything straightened out! :)

I have used the infared red bulbs overnight and like I said, they are VERY bright. Keeping temps up is more important than keeping the tub dark but long term that would be a little bit mean because bp's enjoy darkness. They are nocternal. For now that should work but when you can, you should really consider the UTH, they are like $20, and you already have a rheostat to reduce the power to the UTH. The reptilebasics racks and enclosures would be awesome for sure though! Good luck!!

Good red bulbs only emit red light, which BP's cannot see and it will not stress them.

Red bulbs (infrared) are specially coated to stop any other light from going through.

awesome! I did not know that! I have a red infared bulb that was sooooo bright I just gave up on it. It also zapped the humidity. Thanx for that tip!

Thanks guys or gals. I'm trying my best here. I really care for the Ball even if I didn't raise him myself. I was pushed into the hobby without any knowledge. But once I found this spot, you guys have literally opened my eyes to a pretty interesting hobby.

I was thinking about going with one of those Heat Emitters but for the price, I'll try my best to get a UTH. My only local store is Petsupermarket, Petco and Petsmart. They're all a minute away. So I guess it will be easier to turn something in if it doesn't work.

But looking into Reptile Basic, I'm wondering about the UTH heating they have. It seems cheap enough, but how much or what size should I get for the 66qt tub that I have?

Missi said half UTH and half bulb. That would be very cheap for me and I would assume, beneficial for the Ball.

I havent had much of a look at what reptilebasics has and do not have anything from there myself, so hopefully others with experience using reptilebasics products can help you with that question.

Missi, what UTh have you been using?