new stuff for my bp?

i finally got some money to spend on my bps house. i dont have things like heat lamps and temp regulators or any of that. i deal with plants alot and kinda keep a sense of tempature. here in the southeast has been a little chilly lately and Haze has been in his hide since i fed him a week ago. i have about 50 to spend now, so what is needed?

Get a $10 lamp fimmer from Home Depot to regulate the heat, get An accurite temperature guage to start. you need a way to regulate and measure the temps. heat lamps are not a must . but they work for ambient temperature if your having issues. they are cheap $25 should get you a 50 watt bulbe and a good aluminum hood. (50 watts should be more thne enough for a 10-30 gal tank. you may even want to get a dimmer for the heat lamp as well incase it its a little to warm at full wattage.

get some cheat Terricotta dishes (the kinds flower pots siti n so when u water them it dont make a mess) and make your own hides that are tight fitting if you dont already have some...

probably best to explai nwhat you have already and post a few pictures.

Heating pad with thermostat is a must.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by llovelace

Heating pad with thermostat is a must.

---

i thoguht they had one already. just unregulated but im confused.

well i have one hide a large grape wood branch a water bowl and reptibark for substrate, the light on top is a 10in clampable work light with a walmart "grow" bulb. the houseing is 55 gal with a reptile top. i am kinda special when it comes to computers i couldnt figure out how to post this really gnarly pic i took so i ma try to put it in my albums and move it or something.:taz:

I have a 55 gal too. Its hard to regulate temps and humidity, but it can be done. The heat pad is a must. Make sure you cover 3/4 of the top of your tank with a wet towel, or plastic wrap. It took me almost a week to get the humidity right. Remember bad humidity will almost always cause a bad shed. I don't use a lamp at all because with that much area it dries it out, but it's probably the bulb i used, not the lamp. I bought a waterfall, which helps a lot. Of course, that would put you over 50. Sorry, i'm not much help. Start with a heat pad and a digital therm to read your temps and humidity. Try the towel, and go from there.

Hides, thermometer, heat and thermostat - you can't

Quote:

---

kinda keep a sense of tempature.

---

.

I'm surprised you didn't have all this before you got the snake?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by rabernet

Hides, thermometer, heat and thermostat - you can't .

I'm surprised you didn't have all this before you got the snake?

---

x2 i had all my stuff a week before i even got my bp.... i tend to set up stuff for any new animal in advance.

ok i just got back from my local pet store. i bought a thermometer and humidty dials. a bigger hide. i heat bulb new water dish and a brown mouse. i took him out and placed him in a tub and put the area together then replaced him with his "treat". the other owner fed him two mice every two weeks. is this adequate? i kinda feel like he was underfed and that is why he is "small" or "dwarf" as the previous owner called it. you all are awesome and thanks for your input. i love to get different perspectives on the same thing. i love learning all this new stuff.:banana::banana::banana::banana:

please post pictures then we al lcan give great advice to you.

i tried to post pics in the box with my msgs but i couldnt finger it out

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by ParmleyStyle

i tried to post pics in the box with my msgs but i couldnt finger it out

---

upload to www.tinypic.com

embed image with the button located at the top of your reply box it s the little yellow square scenery button.

ok this is gonna be a before.C:\Users\user\Pictures\2009-03-12\004.JPG and here is after.http://tinypic.com/usermedia.php?uo=...Q%3D%3D..thank you jeffj.

before.http://i42.tinypic.com/o7836o.jpg

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by ParmleyStyle

before.
http://i42.tinypic.com/o7836o.jpg

After
http://i41.tinypic.com/2vnnsxv.jpg

---

i fixed your images for you. and your old hide was better those log hides are not very preferred by ball pythons they provide no sense of security. the water dish is good. you need to get a UTH to help keep the hot side surface temp at 90-94 and you need another hide. one for the warm side one for the cool side.

ok... i will put it back in a lil while. he stays in the other hide all the time. what can i do to help him be more active?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by ParmleyStyle

ok... i will put it back in a lil while. he stays in the other hide all the time. what can i do to help him be more active?

---

staying in the hide during day hours is a sign of a happy pythong. they are nocturnal. usually active at night.

also those needle style gauges are not very accurate. we suggest digital with probes. an accu-rite digital gauge is around $12

People have been giving you great advice on things to buy and have been asking you questions and you have been ignoring them.
So once again:
Do you have any heat sources other then the lamp? If not you NEED to get an under tank heater and a way to control it, either a dimmer, rheostat or even better, a thermostat.

Are you measuring your temperatures? From the picture, it looks like you are not. You mentioned you bought some "dial thermometers" so I presume those are the crappy stick on kinds that are very INACCURATE. Please go out and purchase a $15 accurite indoor outdoor thermometer. You can find these at home depot, lowes, or walmart.

Get two identical hides. One for the cool side and one for the warm side (above the UTH).
Please remember, a happy BP is a hiding BP. These are not display snakes. They spend 90% of their time in a hide. Make sure your hide has a small opening and the BP fits snugly inside.

Feed your snake %10-15 of its body weight every 7-10 days. The meal should be about as thick as the thickest part of the BP

i do nnot have a uth.. the stand is siting on a closed register. i should have rememberes the lowes thermostate i use them in m green house. ok cool i can get that stuff..... hiding is gd i will make him more comfortable. this snake was bought to help out a friend who kept it in his house with less than i have now. i just want the snake to be as happy as possible. is he supposed to be the thickness of a half dollar and 38-40 in long.i see other normal bps that are around the same age but larger. i really do appreciate the help/advice/hints/crap it can only help me.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by ParmleyStyle

i do nnot have a uth.. the stand is siting on a closed register. i should have rememberes the lowes thermostate i use them in m green house. ok cool i can get that stuff..... hiding is gd i will make him more comfortable. this snake was bought to help out a friend who kept it in his house with less than i have now. i just want the snake to be as happy as possible. is he supposed to be the thickness of a half dollar and 38-40 in long.i see other normal bps that are around the same age but larger. i really do appreciate the help/advice/hints/crap it can only help me.

---

Get a scale to measure your Ball pythons weight. This will give us a better idea of how big he is. All ball pythons grow at different rates, but he does sound a bit on the thin side. Just get some properly sized meals in him and he will plump up :D

Here is a pic of a nice tank set-up

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by ScottyDsntKnow

http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f1...tank_final.jpg

---

one suggestion i will make is if you feed live. but a cheap tub for $3-$4 and make a setup with a small water dish and some hamster food. that way if there is a refusal you can house the food item properly to keep it healthy untill it is eaten, just because its food does not merrit letting it starve in some loansome tupperwear container. besides thats a waste. this is what i do. made a lil rat tub. has some aspen shavings in it, food, water and a little house made from a small plastic plan pot with a door cut in it.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by JeffJ

Here is my current viv

http://i39.tinypic.com/2a7ikja.jpg

---

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by JeffJ

Here is my current viv

http://i39.tinypic.com/2a7ikja.jpg

---

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by JeffJ

one suggestion i will make is if you feed live. but a cheap tub for $3-$4 and make a setup with a small water dish and some hamster food. that way if there is a refusal you can house the food item properly to keep it healthy untill it is eaten, just because its food does not merrit letting it starve in some loansome tupperwear container. besides thats a waste. this is what i do. made a lil rat tub. has some aspen shavings in it, food, water and a little house made from a small plastic plan pot with a door cut in it.

---

thanks for that. i already have a cage and stuff for mice i will eventually breed my own.

thats good.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by llovelace

Here is a pic of a nice tank set-up

---

That is a nice setup, I hope to make one like that. What size is the tank? a 20L right?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by ParmleyStyle

i deal with plants alot and kinda keep a sense of tempature.

---

:eyepoppin kinda' won't cut it when it comes to your temps. You need to get a UTH, and for a glass cave the size of the one you have, you're gonna' need a big UTH. You also need to get a T-Stat or at least a rheostat to control the temp.

Using those analog humidity guages is kinda' like knowing what the humidity is as well.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by ParmleyStyle

ok... i will put it back in a lil while. he stays in the other hide all the time. what can i do to help him be more active?

---

The best way to make your BP more active is to trade him in on a Corn Snake. You don't want your BP to be more active. A hidding BP is a happy BP. If he's out of his hide doing a kabooke dance all over the place, he's stressed.

You've gotten some good advice in this thread...please take it.