Just few notes to BP Husbandry FAQs...

I'm noob here so first what I have done is read FAQs. Is that possible I have bit different experience so far that some answers are? Is my snake that different or I have been making some mistake or what? Let me share and please give me some opinion :). Thanks in advance...

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3. Can I use a heat rock?
Heat rocks should never be used. They can cause thermal burns and are not a reliable source of heat.

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I have heat rock with thermostat (I have set max temp as 35°C/95F) and operation only during day cycle. I have read somewhere snake need some heat source from bottom to be able digest better... dunno...

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6. How far should temps drop at night?
Your temperatures should not drop at night. Cooler temperatures leave your BP susceptible to illness. The only time you should drop temps are if you are actively trying to induce breeding.

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Really no drop? So... is in Africa the same temperature during day and night? :O. I have read many times that drop is needed as part of day/night cycle for reptiles... however temperature must never drop below 21°C/70F. That's what I have read... so my average temp during day is 26°C-27°C/78-80F and during night 23-24°C/73-75F. Is that really bad?

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8. Does my BP need UVA/UVB lighting?
No. BP’s are nocturnal and do not require it.

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No UVB needed at all? UVB is for optimal calcium metabolism plus converts vitamin D into vitamin D3. So guy from local terra-shop has recommended me this Repti Glo 5.0 Compact Tropical Terrarium Lamp... ???

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16. What makes a good hide?
Any small, opaque, enclosure that your BP can squeeze itself into. They prefer to feel the hide “hugging” them all the way around and will almost always prefer something that seems too small than something that is more generous. Also make sure that there are no sharp edges that could injure your snake.

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Big surprise for me what she thinks is good hide :). I have prepared amazing hide from old wood (scrubbed with heat to be sure it's not contaminated). Really luxury hide on the ground, wide to provide colder and warmer end... however she has chosen to hide behind plant "on the first floor" (left-middle dark side in pictures below)

http://photos-f.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-...57541_3388.jpg

http://photos-a.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-...57544_4013.jpg

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19. Does my BP need something to climb on?
No, it is not necessary. BP’s are primarily terrestrial, but may climb a bit if a branch is offered.

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She loves to climb! I have seen her only once on the ground for my eyes... I'm sure she is on the ground only for two reasons: poop (right corner) and drink (left corner) see picture below :))

http://photos-g.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-...57542_3601.jpg

What you think? Thanks for comments again...

Just a few notes...

Have you ever seen a snake that has curled up inside of light dome? I will assume not... if nothing else get that light out of your enclosure ASAP. Burnt snakes are the worst in that it is always 100% avoidable.

Heat drops are not needed, you maintain a temp gradient and your snake will find the appropriate end of the enclosure day or night and thermoregulate on this own.

UVB lights are not necessary. BPs are nocturnal. I would take the bulb back and get your money back.

Pet stores are notorious for selling product you do not need. And VERY expensive products at that. Regular day and evening light in the room are sufficient for your snake to have a proper schedule.

Bruce

As far as the UVB arguement... that arguement works for lizards that bask daily and will get sick, not for snakes.

Bruce

As for the heat rock... those wonderful pet store heat rocks have a very high fail rate.

Your snake will not know it is too hot until it has been burned... so again, get that out of the tank.

When we recommend "belly heat" we are referring to an Under Tank Heater (UTH)... this is beneficial to aid digestion. You want two temps... 80 on one end of your enclosure, and 90 on the other. With an identical snug hide on each side.

These need to regulated with a quality thermostat... some people will recommend dimmers, but personally I would not use one. Dimmers are only good if you check them daily and EXPECT lots of temp fluctuations, and are only good if the room stays a constant temperature.

Hides... people use inappropriate hides all the time. Why? Not sure when a proper hides is not hard to find. But given the option of laying out in the open (BPs have MANY natural predators - especailly from above) they will pick the hide.

But for OPTIMAL husbandry, two tight identical hides are recommended.

These FAQs and guidelines are not randomly thought up, they are based on the quantitative experience of keepers that have kept 100's-1000's of BPs flourishing.

Bruce

Regarding night drops - the termite mounds and burrows that ball pythons spend most of their time in, are very good at keeping consistent temps around the clock. Very well insulated - so, no - they don't really experience many night drops.

And since ball pythons are nocturnal (sleep in said termite mounds and burrows during the day), they don't require UVB for metabolism.

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Originally Posted by Malpaso

She loves to climb! I have seen her only once on the ground for my eyes... I'm sure she is on the ground only for two reasons: poop (right corner) and drink (left corner) see picture below :))
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Sorry to say but this is exactly what you don't want to see. It means the snake is stressed out and trying to find adequate shelter. If you want a snake that is out climing around all the time, I would recomend a different species. A happy ball python will spend probably 90% of its time in its hide. A BP that is constantly climbing around is stressed, and a stressed BP turns into big problems.

That is such a beautiful setup. If it were me, I would stick the BP in a tub and put a kingsnake in that tank instead.

Just a quick note too - based on her climbing all the time, coupled with her refusal to eat (from another thread), she's throwing some very clear signals to you that her enclosure is a bit overwhelming and she's not feeling safe.

You may wish to move her to a smaller enclosure with tight hides until she's eating with consistency for you. :)

I think everyone has pretty much addressed all your points...but sometimes I just can't ignore the urge to put my own two cents into the mix. :P So here's a point-by-point response:

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Originally Posted by Malpaso

I'm noob here so first what I have done is read FAQs. Is that possible I have bit different experience so far that some answers are? Is my snake that different or I have been making some mistake or what? Let me share and please give me some opinion :). Thanks in advance...

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First off, there is no single perfect way to keep any animal, including BP's. Different people find different methods that work for them and that's fine. What we try to do with our caresheets and faqs and other advice we offer is to distill ALL the different methods into the most basic and "tried-n-true" methods that any new person can apply with a confident expectation of success.

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I have heat rock with thermostat (I have set max temp as 35°C/95F) and operation only during day cycle. I have read somewhere snake need some heat source from bottom to be able digest better... dunno...

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Belly heat is accepted by most to be the optimal source of heat for ball pythons. However, this is best accomplished with a UTH, rather than a heat rock. I'm glad you have it controlled with a t-stat...that's certainly more than most folks will do if they have one. But those rocks are very poorly made and you still run a high risk of causing burns with it.

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Really no drop? So... is in Africa the same temperature during day and night? :O. I have read many times that drop is needed as part of day/night cycle for reptiles... however temperature must never drop below 21°C/70F. That's what I have read... so my average temp during day is 26°C-27°C/78-80F and during night 23-24°C/73-75F. Is that really bad?

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I don't think it's "bad"...it's just not necessary. Why add to the complication of keeping them if it's not needed? If you enjoy doing it, and your snake continues to eat well and thrive with it, then that's fine. If, however, your snake should stop eating or shows other signs of stress, you might consider constantly fluctuating temps as one source of stress that you can try removing.

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No UVB needed at all? UVB is for optimal calcium metabolism plus converts vitamin D into vitamin D3. So guy from local terra-shop has recommended me this Repti Glo 5.0 Compact Tropical Terrarium Lamp... ???

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As has already been pointed out, these are nocturnal animals and don't typically bask in the sunlight. When they need to, they'll come out after the sun has gone down and bask on rocks warmed by the sun earlier. If they're not seeking UVB in their natural environment, why should we force it on them in captivity?

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Big surprise for me what she thinks is good hide :). I have prepared amazing hide from old wood (scrubbed with heat to be sure it's not contaminated). Really luxury hide on the ground, wide to provide colder and warmer end... however she has chosen to hide behind plant "on the first floor" (left-middle dark side in pictures below)

http://photos-f.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-...57541_3388.jpg

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I can't really tell what your "hide" is like from your pictures. If the hide itself is big enough to have a warm side and a cool side...then it's hardly a snug little cave that they prefer. Just give it a try...get a really small "cave" (you can buy them at the pet store, or you can make your own out of any inexpensive opaque plastic container...just cut a hole in the side) and put one on the cool side and one on the warmer side of the enclosure. Give the snake a few days to figure out that they're there and convince himself they're safe...and I'll bet you you'll see your snake using them all the time.

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http://photos-a.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-...57544_4013.jpg

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While you're enclosure is, without a doubt, beautiful....that exposed light is dangerous. Seriously dangerous. Ball pythons aren't the brightest of critters...and they don't experience pain when exposed to heat as we might think they do. They can easily burn themselves quite severely on something like that.

In addition to the danger that light exposes your snake to...it is also a source of stress. As has been pointed out several times, these animals like to come out at night...and spend the day snugged up in their burrows or little caves. They don't like bright light...and having something that bright and close is a source of high stress.

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She loves to climb! I have seen her only once on the ground for my eyes... I'm sure she is on the ground only for two reasons: poop (right corner) and drink (left corner) see picture below :))

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Young ball pythons do like to climb. And if you enjoy maintaining an environment that allows it, there's certainly nothing wrong with providing them stuff to climb on.

What you want to be looking for, though, is not a snake that is constantly climbing and moving around, but a snake that usually only comes out in the evening or nighttime to explore and move around a bit. A happy ball python is a lazy snake, even when young...and they spend most of their days (sometimes days and days at a time without moving at all) sleeping in their little caves.

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What you think? Thanks for comments again...

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So, there ya go. That's what I think. I think your enclosure is beautiful. You just need to get that light out of there. That's the critical point I can't stress enough. And I would also highly recommend trying small, snug hides that hug the snake on all sides. If it seems too small, it's probably perfect. And I would highly recommend exchanging that heat rock for a proper UTH.

Hope that's helped some!

I'm noob here so first what I have done is read FAQs. Is that possible I have bit different experience so far that some answers are? Is my snake that different or I have been making some mistake or what? Let me share and please give me some opinion :). Thanks in advance...

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Malpaso

I have heat rock with thermostat (I have set max temp as 35°C/95F) and operation only during day cycle. I have read somewhere snake need some heat source from bottom to be able digest better... dunno...

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Your snake does need heat to digest properly. So that means your snake wants to curl up in a hide and have belly heat. Do you have a hide on top of your heat rock? If not its useless.

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Originally Posted by Malpaso

Really no drop? So... is in Africa the same temperature during day and night? :O. I have read many times that drop is needed as part of day/night cycle for reptiles... however temperature must never drop below 21°C/70F. That's what I have read... so my average temp during day is 26°C-27°C/78-80F and during night 23-24°C/73-75F. Is that really bad?

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Like everyone is saying, your snake stays in a burrow in the ground most of the time. When it comes out it comes out to find food and then goes in a burrow. The only time its out for long is during breeding season. So provide a night drop if you are breeding. Otherwise don't bother. Its harder for you to provide and hurts your snake. Remember that your snake needs the heat to digest properly. When you lower the temp you slow down the digestion process.

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Originally Posted by Malpaso

No UVB needed at all? UVB is for optimal calcium metabolism plus converts vitamin D into vitamin D3. So guy from local terra-shop has recommended me this

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Lets say you had a bat. The flying mammal kind, and I said, "Hey your bat needs UV light to metabolize calcium and convert d to d3." What would you assume. Would you assume that you need to provide a UV bulb or that both you and I don't really understand bats bio chemistry that well since they are nocturnal and all.

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Originally Posted by Malpaso

Big surprise for me what she thinks is good hide :). I have prepared amazing hide from old wood (scrubbed with heat to be sure it's not contaminated). Really luxury hide on the ground, wide to provide colder and warmer end... however she has chosen to hide behind plant "on the first floor" (left-middle dark side in pictures below)

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I looked at the picture of your enclosure and I do not see any hides. I see places that your snake goes to try and hide. Your snake sits there scared poopless then thinks damn I gotta find a better place to hide.

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Originally Posted by Malpaso

She loves to climb! I have seen her only once on the ground for my eyes... I'm sure she is on the ground only for two reasons: poop (right corner) and drink (left corner) see picture below :))

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Ahhh where can I hide, maybe over here......no.....maybe if I climb over there......no.....ahhhhhh.

Your snake is looking for a place to hide. It wants out of that enclosure.

I got some new hides from reptile basics last night. I am not making this up. I though, man these look a bit large for her. I took her hide off, put the new hide over her. I looked back 10 minutes later she had left the new hide on the warm side and gone to the nice tight hide on the cold side. So I took the big hide out and put the little one back and now she is back in the little one.

This is why you offer the small hide. You offer what the care sheet says to offer. If your snake is doing something different from the rest of ours. Do you think its because your ball python is totally different from everyone else's, or you are doing something wrong. Not to be mean, but think about it.

Thank you all for response. I'm so glad I have joined this site... just to provide you more information to all "issues":

general:
I'm aware of burn risks so that bulb inside vivarium is not common bulb... it's LED one. It's absolutely no heat around it... That was my first choice of light source (no-heat, extremely economical). After that "UVB" info from local shop I have bought external box for that UVB bulb (so now I have two places where to put some light source)...

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f2...era_light2.jpg

...and planned to change that LED for some night bulb (to be switched on manually and only when I want to watch my BP in the night). So currently looks like this:

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f2...tera_guide.jpg

heat rock:
As you see in the picture above it's in the corner and away from any hides... True is I have not seen her using it so far and after reading your arguments I'm afraid buying it was probably just waste of money :(

night drop:
Understand it's waste of energy... hard to understand but based on huge experience... So no more questions.

UVB:
I hate that shop guy... Real waste of money :(

hides:
Let me show you more pics... This is hide I have prepared:

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f2.../tera_hide.jpg

...and this is place she has chosen:

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f2...tera_hide2.jpg

climbing:
First time I put her it vivarium she made exactly this journey:

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f2...m/tera_way.jpg

So... you really think she is just stressed and can not find better place on the ground to hide than above that plant? But she ate two times from there (amazing response on prey)... I had no feeling there is any trouble with that...

Is that change anything already written???? Thank you so much...

thats not an led bulb its a floressant bulb and it still does get hot because of the balist. they do generate head im unsure how much. ill check my 7W with my thermal gun when i get home.

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Originally Posted by JeffJ

thats not an led bulb its a floressant bulb and it still does get hot because of the balist. they do generate head im unsure how much. ill check my 7W with my thermal gun when i get home.

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Ditto X2. I would suggest getting the bulb out of there completely.

JonV

No need much of anything since I think the experts covered all in the first few posts.

Keep in mind that the UVB is not only unnecessary, but could cause sunburns.

If the 7w i have feels hot to me and body temperature is 08*F chances are it could cause burns.

my english must be really bad because I have not posted any picture of that LED bulb yet :(. Only that UVB... sorry for misundertandings :(

yeah just ditch the lights on the inside of the cage. Get the heat rock out and put in a ugh. Offer her more proper hides. Reptile supply has some nice natural looking ones for fairly cheap. Just because she is eating well doesn't mean she isn't stressed. You are asking us what you can do to improve her living conditions and we are telling you :)

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Originally Posted by Kaorte

yeah just ditch the lights on the inside of the cage. Get the heat rock out and put in a ugh. Offer her more proper hides. Reptile supply has some nice natural looking ones for fairly cheap. Just because she is eating well doesn't mean she isn't stressed. You are asking us what you can do to improve her living conditions and we are telling you :)

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i agree, i asked just a week ago for suggestion i took them all and wow i cannot tell you how pleased i am with the outcome and i cant tell for sure as my BP done vocalize but i think he is living muck more comfortable as well! never been better from my husbandry aspect!

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Originally Posted by Malpaso

So... you really think she is just stressed and can not find better place on the ground to hide than above that plant? But she ate two times from there (amazing response on prey)... I had no feeling there is any trouble with that...

Is that change anything already written???? Thank you so much...

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In the wild a ball python is going to go into a rodent burrow, eat whats inside, and sleep of its meal. Most of their natural hiding places are under ground. If your Ball Python is hiding behind a fake plant, then its stressed. The log you show in the picture does not simulate being underground in a tight space.

Im sure your tired of hearing all this but we cant tell you enough...

You really need to get sufficent hides for your snake. Shes not feeling secure at all. Both hides should be identical for her, she should not have to chose security over temperature.

Ditch the heat rock all together, they are known to fail very BAD! Your snake wont know it and it WILL get burned. Replace it with an under tank heater with a thermostat on it. Thats the best route to go. You dont need UVB at all, its pretty much a waste of money. The natural light that is in the room will do fine.

Were all not trying to jump down your throat and tell you how horrible your setup is, we simply want to help you to provide the best living environment for your animal.

Hi Malpaso! :welcome:

I ABSOLUTELY LOVE YOUR VIV! Okay, so my husband and 2 kids are the "snake" people while I'm the "viv" girl. They do the picking of snakes and I do my HGTV-for-snakes on their viv. I love doing it. But, after months of messing with vivs I learned that it's a delicate balance between pretty and functional. I'm getting pretty good at it now. I just put together a 10-gallon on the spur of the moment yesterday when my husband decided to get a bp on the spot. I think it was a great success because after a few hours of cruising all over town, our new bp finally settled and all day today, I haven't seen hide nor hair of her (or rather, head nor tail. whatever) - well, except for the little bit showing through the hole in the hide. She moved once - from one hide in the cool spot to the other hide in the warm spot. And that was all I saw of her. But the biggest test is Sunday, feeding day. I'll find out then if my little set-up worked. I got pictures all over this forum, I'm just lazy to link to them... yeah, I'll have to remember to put it in my gallery or something.

Anyway, I completely understand how difficult it is to make a functional set-up and still make it look pretty. I'm thinking you might find this DIY hide perfect for your needs. You can shape and color it however you need to make it match the rest of your decor. And because it is very cheap to make, you can have as many made as you need with all different shapes and sizes to put some interest on your viv.
http://www.ball-pythons.net/forums/s...ad.php?t=77863

Check it out and hope it helps!

I currently have a 55 gallon exo-terra viv which is designed to mimic a rainforest for my 2 year old 900gram pastel. She's a really finicky snake - prissy and easily stressed. I have a ceramic heat lamp over the viv to keep the ambient temperature stable which is sucking up the humidity. She hasn't eaten in 3 weeks, so, this weekend, I'm going to move her to a 20 gallon jam-packed with stuff to make her feel more secure, get rid of the ceramic heat lamp, and rely solely on the UTH. I found I can do this to a 20-gallon. I've learned ways to make a 20-gallon look really amazing for cheap. I'll let you know how it all works out for me.

Just for reference a 7W Noma Foressant bulb's balast gets 140*F on the dot.

I really appreciate all of your posts. When I sound "not happy with response" it's maybe only because I'm afraid I have not expressed everything right... And I do not want to make more mistakes just because I'm not able to say exactly what I want to say... so my own update according to your posts:

general:
get rid of anything that light inside of viv

heat rock:
remove it... it useless.

night drop:
as I said... it's waste of energy...

UVB:
as I said... waste of money

hides:
not proper hides provided... just provide two small easy ones on the ground

climbing:
if she climbs something is wrong... until she not move to the ground something is wrong.

Big thanks again to all!!!

It's a nice set up, just needs to be tweaked some, as stated before loose the lamp and heat rock, get 2 identical hides for both ends of enclosure and a uth simple fix. content snake :)

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Originally Posted by Malpaso

Iclimbing:
if she climbs something is wrong... until she not move to the ground something is wrong.

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Climbing in and of itself is not wrong. She WILL get out and move around and explore her viv...that's natural. It's constant or frequent movement that you need to be concerned about and watch for.

Once you get the little hides set up, give her a couple days to discover them and reassure herself that they are safe and hers alone. And if she continues to choose the less secure areas of the cage to "hide" in, or if she continues to move around a lot during the day, then double-check your temps and make sure they're accurate and within proper ranges at the ground level as well as around the climbing areas.

update:
I owe you detailed pic of that LED bulb...

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f2...m/P2204152.jpg

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f2...m/P2204156.jpg

...as you can see I can touch it w/o any problem because is cold (plus you may notice body of bulb is made of plastic not glass).

Also I have made three new hides for her from common ceramic flower-pot. Costs zero, zero, nothing :)

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f2...g/P2204139.jpg

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f2...g/P2204133.jpg

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f2...g/P2204142.jpg

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f2...g/P2204144.jpg

I hope she move into some soon...

You are doing the right things. That piece of wood was not a good hide. Your snake will like the ones that you made. We commonly use "flex watt" as an under the tank heating (uth) source here. While this may not be available to you, there is a product called "Ultratherm" which you should be able to locate and purchase in Europe. This is a heat pad that you tape to the bottom of your viv. I would buy the smallest one to put on a glass bottom.

that looks much better :)

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Originally Posted by dsirkle

You are doing the right things. That piece of wood was not a good hide. Your snake will like the ones that you made. We commonly use "flex watt" as an under the tank heating (uth) source here. While this may not be available to you, there is a product called "Ultratherm" which you should be able to locate and purchase in Europe. This is a heat pad that you tape to the bottom of your viv. I would buy the smallest one to put on a glass bottom.

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thank you for advice. Just make it more clear for me. You mean put it on the glass (bottom of viv) and cover with substrate or put it under the glass (under whole vivarium)?

You place your ultratherm under the whole viv, not inside the viv.

Bruce

You put it on the bottom of the viv from the outside, not acutally in the enclosure. Most put it under the warm side hide so that the snake has a nice warm place to digest meals. It may take a little trial and error trying to get the right thickness of substrate to allow the proper heat to transfer through. The general rule for under tank heaters is that they cover 1/3 of the floor space on the viv. Hope this helps and ask for more clarification if you have any doubts. You did a great job improving your set up.

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Originally Posted by Spaniard

You put it on the bottom of the viv from the outside, not acutally in the enclosure. Most put it under the warm side hide so that the snake has a nice warm place to digest meals. It may take a little trial and error trying to get the right thickness of substrate to allow the proper heat to transfer through. The generale rule for under tank heaters is that they cover 1/3 of the floor space on the viv. Hope this helps and ask for more clarification if you have any doubts. You did a great job improving your set up.

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Yes indeed!

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Originally Posted by dsirkle

You are doing the right things. That piece of wood was not a good hide. Your snake will like the ones that you made. We commonly use "flex watt" as an under the tank heating (uth) source here. While this may not be available to you, there is a product called "Ultratherm" which you should be able to locate and purchase in Europe. This is a heat pad that you tape to the bottom of your viv. I would buy the smallest one to put on a glass bottom.

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Yes! I have found it in local shop for sale... They have available:
size (mm) / input (W)
142 x 274 mm / 7W
278 x 274 mm / 14W
414 x 274 mm / 22W
550 x 274 mm / 30W
728 x 274 mm / 38W
866 x 274 mm / 46W

My viv is 1000 x 50 mm so option 22W seems to be the best solution for me right?

However that placement is still confusing me... "they say cover with 10mm substrate for best results". Still I hope I have found the right thing... name is Ultratherm Viv Mat 22 and pictures below.

http://www.fenixgroup.cz/pages/files...s/folie_d1.jpg

http://www.fenixgroup.cz/pages/files...s/folie_d2.jpg

http://www.fenixgroup.cz/pages/files...s/folie_d3.jpg

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Originally Posted by Malpaso

Yes! I have found it in local shop for sale... They have available:
size (mm) / input (W)
142 x 274 mm / 7W
278 x 274 mm / 14W
414 x 274 mm / 22W
550 x 274 mm / 30W
728 x 274 mm / 38W
866 x 274 mm / 46W

My viv is 1000 x 50 mm so option 22W seems to be the best solution for me right?

However that placement is still confusing me... "they say cover with 10mm substrate for best results". Still I hope I have found the right thing... name is Ultratherm Viv Mat 22 and pictures below.

http://www.fenixgroup.cz/pages/files...s/folie_d1.jpg

http://www.fenixgroup.cz/pages/files...s/folie_d2.jpg

http://www.fenixgroup.cz/pages/files...s/folie_d3.jpg

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That is what you need. You place it on the outside of the tank. on the glass. Then you put your substrate in the tank. They say to put substrate over the top because the glass is going to get hot. You want to use the UTH to heat the glass and the glass heats the substrate and the substrate heats your snake and the air. You want to put that on a rheostat or a thermostat though. You absolutely need to regulate the temp. A 22 watt can get pretty hot.

So... Today morning I have installed that 22W Ultratherm Viv Mats. I can say after 24hrs test top temperature is 36°C/97°F on surface. So covered with 1/2 - 1 inch of substrate temperature must be (IMHO) perfect.

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f2...H/P2234169.jpg

Also I have improved hides for her :). that left one is on heating mat and that right off it... so I hope I have provided warm and cold hiding place she needs...

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f2.../new_hides.jpg

Have to say all of this looks great on how you are improving the enclosure. The UTH (heat pad) needs to be on a rheostat so you can regulate the temperature of it. 97 is a little high for the warm end. You want the warm end to be around 90 and the cool end to be around 82-84 (that I've read). Do you have any way of knowing the temperature of both ends of the viv? Also, are you still using the light inside the enclosure?

Oooh! Those hides are cute!!!

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Originally Posted by southernboagurl

Have to say all of this looks great on how you are improving the enclosure. The UTH (heat pad) needs to be on a rheostat so you can regulate the temperature of it. 97 is a little high for the warm end. You want the warm end to be around 90 and the cool end to be around 82-84 (that I've read). Do you have any way of knowing the temperature of both ends of the viv? Also, are you still using the light inside the enclosure?

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Actually I have my heat tape at 97 also, you must keep in mind that the temperature of the tape does not necessarily mean it will be the same in the tub/tank. With that said I go safer than sorry and control all heating elements with a thermostat. You may want to have a thermometer on the glass below the substrate just to get an idea what the surface temps are down there, with this UTH being new to your set up and all. Your snake can burrow down in the substrate to get more heat and you want to make sure its not hot enough to cause burns.

To southernboagurl: that temp 97 is on surface of that mat. So on substrate should be less... However I have still just one thermometer with probe and just moving that probe to check temperature on both ends... I know it's not ideal, just waiting for another thermometer. That light I use from 7am to 8pm every day (switched on/off with timer).

To anatess: thank you so much :). Your post gave me this idea ;)

To Spaniard: Good point about that burrow down... I will move sensor to the glass. Thank you.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Malpaso

To southernboagurl: that temp 97 is on surface of that mat. So on substrate should be less... However I have still just one thermometer with probe and just moving that probe to check temperature on both ends... I know it's not ideal, just waiting for another thermometer. That light I use from 7am to 8pm every day (switched on/off with timer).

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Well just curious cause sometimes they can burrow down and be directly on the glass itself. And I asked about the light since so many people have suggested taking it out completely.

I absolutely love what you did with those hides! Did you just glue the bark chips onto them? They look great!

To southernboagurl: I got your point... I have measured temp on substrate and it's 30°C/86°F so that 36°C/97°F is real maximum she can possibly get... With that light I had the same comments. However since she can not burn from it I will keep that light there to be sure she has regular day/night cycle because sometimes I just keep sunblinds closed on windows and there is not enough day light in the room...

To fallupinreverse: As you see in some older pics they are just common ceramic flower-pots. And anatess gave me that idea to cover hides with substrate... so I bought some special paste clay for ceramist and covered those pots first. Than just pushed substrate in still soft clay and let it harden 24hrs :)

Here you have pics from "first tests" :D...

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f2...o/P2254195.jpg

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f2...ipBoard-26.jpg

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f2...ipBoard-32.jpg

...and "first real introduce at home" :)

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f2...o/P2254222.jpg

Looks great

Ahh okay well as long as she can't burn herself, I can understand the reasonings behind keeping it. She looks like she's very happy with her new home and hides :gj:

Great Job! She looks quite content with her new hides :D

just a few things 97 is way to hot for anything in there!
they dont need a day/night cycle!
how are you going to wash the hide with all that bark glued to it?

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Originally Posted by Malpaso

To southernboagurl: I got your point... I have measured temp on substrate and it's 30°C/86°F so that 36°C/97°F is real maximum she can possibly get... With that light I had the same comments. However since she can not burn from it I will keep that light there to be sure she has regular day/night cycle because sometimes I just keep sunblinds closed on windows and there is not enough day light in the room...

To fallupinreverse: As you see in some older pics they are just common ceramic flower-pots. And anatess gave me that idea to cover hides with substrate... so I bought some special paste clay for ceramist and covered those pots first. Than just pushed substrate in still soft clay and let it harden 24hrs :)

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So I have to ask. What has the effect been on your snake? Have you noticed that she uses the new hides more? Does she still hang out behind the plants? Is she climbing as much? Does she switch hides often? IS SHE STILL EATING? I have to say it looks great but that's all for you. How is the snake responding to the husbandry changes?

Oh and one last thing. Resist the urge to make bigger hides until she can hardly fit in the ones she has. Those hides are in my opinion a bit big for her now. She should grow into them quickly though.

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Originally Posted by Egapal

So I have to ask. What has the effect been on your snake? Have you noticed that she uses the new hides more? Does she still hang out behind the plants? Is she climbing as much? Does she switch hides often? IS SHE STILL EATING? I have to say it looks great but that's all for you. How is the snake responding to the husbandry changes?

Oh and one last thing. Resist the urge to make bigger hides until she can hardly fit in the ones she has. Those hides are in my opinion a bit big for her now. She should grow into them quickly though.

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As you may noticed those new hides are there for (about) 36hrs. So since they were introduced she is using them. That's only response. About eating there is no issue at all (see my other post here) and never had (shed cycle not counting. As I know is nothing unique refuse food during shed cycle). So please let me know what in your opinion should be an issue?

To nixer: are you sure about that "way to high" about temperature? Yes I'm aware of FAQ #4 and #5... About that day/night cycle... sorry hate me if you like but I will keep providing that. I have no problem with plug one bulb to clock controlled socket plug and let it working. Washing hides is not an issue as well. It's just clay, pot and bark... nothing that should not be washed...

To Spaniard: It looks like that so far :). I'll post update after this weekend.

To southernboagurl: I'm pretty sure max temp she can have is that 36°C/97°F. On substrate is that 30°C/86°F. And she still have second hide on "medium" side (sounds horrible... I know :)) and last one on cold side. I post temps after the weekend for sure...

To llovelace: Thank you Lisa. It's my only one snake so I try as I can :)

folks... I do not have colony of snakes at hope (and newer will... one more is probable but that is max.) so I do not have any problem provide her what she needs. Not just necessary basics. For me is Yukiko something like part of family. That's why I'm here and trying to share with issues and as you see history of this thread I follow your advice! So every comment is appreciated.

Martin

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Malpaso

To nixer: are you sure about that "way to high" about temperature? Yes I'm aware of FAQ #4 and #5... About that day/night cycle... sorry hate me if you like but I will keep providing that. I have no problem with plug one bulb to clock controlled socket plug and let it working. Washing hides is not an issue as well. It's just clay, pot and bark... nothing that should not be washed...
Martin

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I don't think anyone is saying that you should not provide a day/night light cycle. Its just that you do not need a special bulb to give your snake simulated daylight or to provide a day/night heat cycle. I believe that all animals need a day/night light cycle and I for one have both my fish and snakes on a 12/12 cycle. What everyone is trying to say is that
A. You do not need to buy a special bulb, if you did already then fine.
B. You should not be changing your temps from day to night. You should strive to maintain a constant heat gradient from one side to the other. Your lighting should not effect your heating or you need a thermostat to compensate for the effects.

Did I miss the discussion on humidity and digital thermometers\hygrometers?

How's the humidity in there and how are you measuring it?

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Originally Posted by wafisherman

Did I miss the discussion on humidity and digital thermometers\hygrometers?

How's the humidity in there and how are you measuring it?

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No you didn't because there were no discussions about it :). I had just few questions to FAQs about heat rock, night drop temp, UVB, hides and climbing... And everything answered... ;)


However... to everyone: I have promised to share with response. She started using new housed from first day. Second day I found her on her old place in the morning...

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f2...m/question.jpg

the same day evening I have found her again in new hide on ground. Now it's week and she is still using new hide on the ground... she even ate from that hide 2x already. I do not know why she returned for one day behind that plant...