Help! Can't get the set up correct

I just brought my new little girl home yesterday afternoon and she's in very deep shed, so I need to keep the humidity higher than usual, or so I've read. At first I had one of the 10 gallon uth pads on the side of the tank in the back right corner, but it's heating the whole tank evenly, so there's no gradient. I just moved it to the back of the tank to see if that would help develop a gradient. I'm also having a problem keeping the humidity high. It keeps dropping to about 30%. I went and got my old aquarium lid and put it over top of the screen top I already have to see if that would help some. I have her water bowl in there, too, but it doesn't seem to evaporate much at all. Any suggestions?

I would suggest going out and buying tubs instead of a glass tank. Glass is harder to keep humidity in than plastic but I'll admit they arn't showy. You could try putting some foil over part of the screen lid to keep some in. I would NOT however use any kind of sponge as they can house bacteria and all sorts of iky nasties. Hope this helps!

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by RoyalGuardian

I would suggest going out and buying tubs instead of a glass tank. Glass is harder to keep humidity in than plastic but I'll admit they arn't showy. You could try putting some foil over part of the screen lid to keep some in. I would NOT however use any kind of sponge as they can house bacteria and all sorts of iky nasties. Hope this helps!

---

How would you heat the tub, though? Would I have to buy a rack with that? Cuz the uth says not to use it with plastic, I thought.

You would heat the tub with flex watt.

Lets work with what you have going on...
-Put foam board or rigid insulation around the sides of the tank. Not only will it help to hold in the heat, but it will also provide an added sense of security for the snake!
-You need to have the UTH controlled by a thermostat or, if your environmental temps do not differ by more than a degree or two, you can get a rheostat.
-You need to foil or plexi the top of the tank for heat and humidity.
-Placing damp sphagnum moss into each of the hides will help a lot right now for the shedding process.
-Place a shallow and large surfaced bowl of water near the hottest part of the cgae floor. This will help with evaporation.
-Mist the cage with water to help bump the temps up.

If you are successful with this-- kudos!! If not, here's a link: http://www.reptilebasics.com/2x3-Cag...h-p-16286.html :D

^ What she said. Also, put the water dish near the uth to get it to evaporate faster. I would use the foil method by putting foil around part of the lid to trap in humidity. Its not attractive looking but it will help.

(By the way, I forgot to give you that aspen I had left. Sorry about that. :()

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by starmom

You would heat the tub with flex watt.

Lets work with what you have going on...
-Put foam board or rigid insulation around the sides of the tank. Not only will it help to hold in the heat, but it will also provide an added sense of security for the snake!
-You need to have the UTH controlled by a thermostat or, if your environmental temps do not differ by more than a degree or two, you can get a rheostat.
-You need to foil or plexi the top of the tank for heat and humidity.
-Placing damp sphagnum moss into each of the hides will help a lot right now for the shedding process.
-Place a shallow and large surfaced bowl of water near the hottest part of the cgae floor. This will help with evaporation.
-Mist the cage with water to help bump the temps up.

If you are successful with this-- kudos!! If not, here's a link: http://www.reptilebasics.com/2x3-Cag...h-p-16286.html :D

---

I'm at work right now, but first thing tomorrow I'll try the foam board/insulation and the moss ideas. Those sound really great, thanks! I do have the uth on a rheostat at the moment. I wanted a thermostat, but I couldn't find one smaller than a 50 gallon tank. When I called the pet store, she also suggested using plastic wrap over most of the tank and just leaving a couple inches open at one end for ventilation. Will this work and be safe? I do have a water dish in the tank, but it's not next to the heater. I'll try rearranging the hides so I can get the dish closer to the heater and see if that helps. And I'll continue doing the misting if I still have issues. Thank you so much for the advice!

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Jay_Bunny

^ What she said. Also, put the water dish near the uth to get it to evaporate faster. I would use the foil method by putting foil around part of the lid to trap in humidity. Its not attractive looking but it will help.

(By the way, I forgot to give you that aspen I had left. Sorry about that. :()

---

That's ok, little sis. I found these reptile safe carpet things at petsmart earlier to use in place of the paper towel I had, and I got really excited cuz I read about them somewhere and it seems like they work well. Plus, it seems easier to clean up than the aspen bedding, too. Maybe when she moves up to the 20 gallon eventually I'll switch to the aspen. Is there a benefit with aspen over the reptile safe carpet I have right now?

A thermostat is not rated for tank, cage, or tub size. A thermostat regulates the heat source. Without proper regulation, temperatures can swing wildly and that is never good!

Check out the thermostat FAQ section on the Reptile Basics site here: http://www.reptilebasics.com/Thermostat-FAQ-sp-10.html. These are the thermostats that Reptile Basics sells: http://www.reptilebasics.com/Thermostats-p-1-c-250.html and also . Rich at Reptile Basics is a terrific guy and is very available to answer further questions after reading the FAQ.

These t'stats are also top notch: http://www.spyderrobotics.com/products/index.html. Dion is also terrific to deal with and is available for questions.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by wilwarin712

That's ok, little sis. I found these reptile safe carpet things at petsmart earlier to use in place of the paper towel I had, and I got really excited cuz I read about them somewhere and it seems like they work well. Plus, it seems easier to clean up than the aspen bedding, too. Maybe when she moves up to the 20 gallon eventually I'll switch to the aspen. Is there a benefit with aspen over the reptile safe carpet I have right now?

---

Aspen can be thoroughly tossed after each pee and/or poo. Snakes pee A LOT!!
Carpet tends to harbor yuckiness and breed yuckiness. That's just...yucky!!!

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by starmom

A thermostat is not rated for tank, cage, or tub size. A thermostat regulates the heat source. Without proper regulation, temperatures can swing wildly and that is never good!

Check out the thermostat FAQ section on the Reptile Basics site here: http://www.reptilebasics.com/Thermostat-FAQ-sp-10.html. These are the thermostats that Reptile Basics sells: http://www.reptilebasics.com/Thermostats-p-1-c-250.html and also . Rich at Reptile Basics is a terrific guy and is very available to answer further questions after reading the FAQ.

These t'stats are also top notch: http://www.spyderrobotics.com/products/index.html. Dion is also terrific to deal with and is available for questions.

---

Ok, I was a little confused cuz the thermostat I found said that it worked well on tanks 50 gallons and up. And I didn't know about that problem with the carpets. Even if you change it often and soak it in water to clean it out, it'll still have those problems? Will it make her sick?

I have heard of people having two pre-cut sections and they put one in a bleach wash and use the clean one. I guess I'm lazy cause that sounds like a lot more work than just using paper and replacing it or using aspen and replacing it. And yes, the carpet can certainly harbor bacteria that could lead to illness. It can also be smelly and gross :P

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by starmom

I have heard of people having two pre-cut sections and they put one in a bleach wash and use the clean one. I guess I'm lazy cause that sounds like a lot more work than just using paper and replacing it or using aspen and replacing it. And yes, the carpet can certainly harbor bacteria that could lead to illness. It can also be smelly and gross :P

---

Well, since I already started using the carpet and I can't really return them now, I might just try doing the alternating bleach water thing (the package came with 2 for that specific purpose). I'm lazy, too, so we'll see how long that lasts (my poor beta hasn't had a water change in over a month...I need to do that on my day off tomorrow, lol). Thanks again for all the advice and help. It really has helped put some of my anxieties at ease.

Glad I could help.... now go change your fish water ;)

I have my snakes in glass and it took a lot of tweaking and advice I found here. Everything everyone has said so far is what I would say too.

I have foil over part of the screens and plastic wrap over the other part. There is a small section for ventilation. In addition, my husband made me the homemade humidifier that is shown in a sticky here, but I don't know how to put the link in my post. I think it's in the husbandry section. I add damp moss during sheds for that extra bump.

I used the carpet when I first started, but tossed that pretty quick. Went with the newspaper/paper towel advice I got here and I love it! It's in sections so it's so easy to spot clean (and you can actually see the pee rather than just smelling it) since everyone's right...they pee a lot! It also makes weekly deep cleans a snap.

Trust me...you can't go wrong asking folks here...they know their stuff :D

Robbin

wilwarin712, I have the carpet as well with aspen on top to help with humidity. My tanks are wraped with reflextix. ( http://www.homedepot.com/webapp/wcs/...cStoreNum=8125 ) I taped poster board to the glass first because the green, or blue looks nicer than aluminum. I also use this to cover the top to keep heat and humidity in. Cheap carpet http://www.reptilesupply.com/index.php?cPath=38_107

I put a wet towel over 2/3 of the screen. You may need to get it quite wet. This is okay because the towel is rather absorbent and the screen acts as a barrier (due to surface tension), stopping the water from dripping into the tank (you would have to be reasonable with how much water you use). I use a black towel folded to fit the top exactly (without any over hang). This can be an attractive way to set up a glass enclosure with a screen top.

Keep in mind, this is okay if you do not have a butt load of snakes. Mainly because you have to wet it every 2-3 days and wash the towel every week (preventing build up of bacteria). Having said that, I think this would only work (even if you only have one snake) if you were willing to take the time (10 minutes every couple of days and the time to do a load of laundry) the snake needs/deserves to properly set up a visual enclosure.

There is also the option of buying a PVC enclosure with a clear front for viewing. This is a more expensive route to take but it sure does look great.

I know there are a lot of people who have MANY snakes on this site and it makes sense for them to use tubs/racks. However, there is a niche group of people looking for information on how to successfully set up display enclosures to show their pets off. Lets use the collective knowledge of snake husbandry, and help us out.

Jimmy

Ok, so I taped black foam board around 3 sides of the tank, leaving one of the long sides uncovered so you can see in. I kept the carpet, but moved the heating pad to the bottom of the tank (it included little plastic feet to put on the bottom of the tank for airflow, too). I also doctored the screen top so that most of it is covered in tin foil and duct tape, but left a strip of screen about 2 in or so in the middle uncovered for ventilation. I also put a little of the damp sphagnum moss under each hide. The heat got up to 92 on the warm side and about 82 on the cooler. However, the humidity still wouldn't get up high enough, so I put a layer of aspen bedding down over the carpet and put the sphagnum moss on top of it under the hides. The rheostat is on its highest setting, but the warm side of the tank is sitting at 85 and the cool side at 78. The humidity is still only around 52. I'm misting more often than I think is healthy for my little girl. I'm running out of ideas here. I might try taking the carpet out and just trying the bedding and moss to see if that allows more heat into the tank to evaporate the water from the bedding and moss and get the heat back up as well. What do you guys think?

Honestly? I think you need a thermostat and maybe a larger wattage UTH.
I think that clearly the carpet or the aspen would work as substrate, but not both.
You could put containers of moss around the cage as well as the moss you have in the hides to help bump the humidity.
Understand that glass tanks are really challenging to get to work and to be a stable environment. Have you read this: http://www.ball-pythons.net/forums/s...d.php?t=56846? It is a very good guide for glass tank set-ups.

If all efforts should prove fruitless, might I suggest this: http://www.reptilebasics.com/2x3-Cag...h-p-16286.html.

Are you using a probe to measure your warm side? If not, get one and put it directly above the UTH on the glass inside the tank. If you are just measuring the air temp it will not give you a correct reading.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Kaorte

Are you using a probe to measure your warm side? If not, get one and put it directly above the UTH on the glass inside the tank. If you are just measuring the air temp it will not give you a correct reading.

---

i have a digital thermometer/agrometer sitting on top of the hide on the warm side. It's one I'd have to stick to the inside of the glass if i use the adhesive that came with it. I have a digital thermometer w/ a probe that I'm using with my beardie, but her tank is as stable as they get. I could move that thermometer over to the ball python's if you think it would work better.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by starmom

Honestly? I think you need a thermostat and maybe a larger wattage UTH.
I think that clearly the carpet or the aspen would work as substrate, but not both.
You could put containers of moss around the cage as well as the moss you have in the hides to help bump the humidity.
Understand that glass tanks are really challenging to get to work and to be a stable environment. Have you read this: http://www.ball-pythons.net/forums/s...d.php?t=56846? It is a very good guide for glass tank set-ups.

If all efforts should prove fruitless, might I suggest this: http://www.reptilebasics.com/2x3-Cag...h-p-16286.html.

---

I might try what you suggested about putting more moss in there until after she sheds. And I realize glass terrariums aren't that great, but I had it left over from a couple failed attempts at keeping fish, as well as some mice for a year or so after that. I figured since I had the tank that I'd use it. I didn't realize I'd have to doctor it so much to get the result I need, but I'll do what I need to to keep my little girl healthy and happy. What would you suggest I switch to when she outgrows the 10 gallon, since using my beardie's soon to be old 20 gallon doesn't seem wise?

Another way to keep humidity up and I have recently tried this and it works amazing! is to get a piece of plexi-glass and just put that over 1/2 to 2/3 of the tank (if you don't feel like having it cut for you) mist and watch that humidity rise. I think I got my piece of plexi-glass for like $10 bucks at a hardware store...I tried the foil thing and while it worked, it didn't work the way I wanted it to.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Basketball303

Another way to keep humidity up and I have recently tried this and it works amazing! is to get a piece of plexi-glass and just put that over 1/2 to 2/3 of the tank (if you don't feel like having it cut for you) mist and watch that humidity rise. I think I got my piece of plexi-glass for like $10 bucks at a hardware store...I tried the foil thing and while it worked, it didn't work the way I wanted it to.

---

Yeah, I read on the tank setup sticky that she uses plexiglass as well. I might look into that cuz it seems like it would work better than the foil method, although I must say that the foil method is a huge improvement over my original setup of nothing extra on the screen.

I honestly don't understand why you're having such a hard time keeping the humidity in a 10 gallon glass tank. When I had a 10g, all I did was cover 2/3rds the top with a dry towel all the time and it worked fine. Now, I have a 20gal critter cage and I covered 2/3rds the top with tin foil on the back of a piece of cardboard and the humidity is stable with daily misting. I use aspen bedding and have no need for moss or anything.

It could be that my area has less humidity than yours? Or maybe it just needs a little more time to stabalize?

That's very possible...however, I'm in Denver which is infamous for having one of the dryest climates around...I have tried using wet paper towels on the bottom/top and keeping a moist towel on the top and the plexiglass has worked best so far. However, your location being Virginia, and having visited there, you should be able to very easily keep the humidity up...if this is your first glass tank and ball python, and from what I've learned (as I have my first ball python as well) it's very much a trial and error process. The only thing you really have to worry about with too much humidity is upper respiratory illness and you do not want any of that mess. So keep trying and you'll find something that works.

Thanks, Bball303, and thanks everyone for your advice/help. I just got Ari out of her tank and she shed successfully, in one whole piece :D i'll take some pictures now that she's shed so you guys can see her true colors!