Switching from classic tank to exo-terra. Advice? :)

So right now my baby girl is in a ten gallon tank and I can *not* stand it anymore. I have a medium low exo-terra I'm currently getting set up for her. I want to really have the space to get adequate hides and foliage and water dishes for her. Her 10-gallon right now is basically just adequate - and anything less than wonderful isn't good enough for my baby girl. She's five and a half months old right now, and unfortunately I don't have her weight at this moment.

As for the exo-terra, obviously I'm going to have to re-set-up my heating supplies and I'd like to get more high-tech with it. Can someone tell me more about using thermostats on heating apparatuses, and how you have your tank set up? (I know tubs are easier but I just love, love, love watching her when she comes out to explore and want to be able to always see her and her home). I know humidity is difficult to keep up in a tank so I'm experimenting with substrate to see what works best. I'm open to all advice! What I did for the screen top of her tank is I cut three pieces of cardboard that are the exact size of the sections of the screen top and wrapped them in tinfoil so that they fit perfectly snug, leaving one section of the screen top open for her heat lamp. But then, of course, heat lamps aren't humidity's best friend. But a heating mat just doesn't seem to be quite enough.

I'd love help and advice getting her new home set up so I can switch her over soon. :)

I'll gladly give you some advice, but in order for me to give the best possible advice, I would like to know your budget and what your long term goal is.

They have a wide array of thermostats you can use, some way cheaper than others, and some I wouldn't recommend anybody use.

What kind of substrate are you using as some work better than others and some are easier to maintain humidity, being you live in Oregon I'm guessing that's an issue.

What does your thermostat normally stay on in the house, as different wattage heating elements can be used, along with overhead or even under tank.

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Originally Posted by Neal

I'll gladly give you some advice, but in order for me to give the best possible advice, I would like to know your budget and what your long term goal is.

They have a wide array of thermostats you can use, some way cheaper than others, and some I wouldn't recommend anybody use.

What kind of substrate are you using as some work better than others and some are easier to maintain humidity, being you live in Oregon I'm guessing that's an issue.

What does your thermostat normally stay on in the house, as different wattage heating elements can be used, along with overhead or even under tank.

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Thanks! I appreciate it. :) As for budget I don't quite have a strict number to stick to, but I'm aiming to get supplies that are mid-grade. Nothing extremely fancy and bank-breaking but I definitely don't want the cheapest version of everything either. Right now for substrate I just have the lame aspen that the pet store said 'would work fine' and I'm hating it haha. I had someone else recommend aspen mixed with forest floor but I haven't made the active switch just quite yet. I wanted to see what opinions people had first. Being in Oregon it's such a strange back and forth. Because the state itself is super humid and moist very often, and we have a dehumidifier in the basement. But then it gets too cold and we turn on space heaters and it gets super dry. Our house thermostat is at 70 degrees, but like I said I often have a space heater on in my room in the winter. And during the summer houses here don't have AC units so we all overheat and die, and so I have a window unit in my room to help it cool off in there, but I myself reaaaaally do not like being cold and would rather exist at a constant seventy four or so all the time. So finding stability within my environment is tough, and I haven't had her for too long so I haven't had to dial in what it's like at different times of the year.

But yeah, even if I have to wait a week to get paid again I'm alright with that. My goal is to have her new tank set up within two weeks or so. :)

Here's a photo of our current setup. We wrapped most of each screen in tinfoil and are using tiles on the rest to allow just enough space for the heat lamps. Those PVC pipes in the back corners are connected to a humidifier and vent directly into the tanks. We just played around with the lamp height/dimmer settings in combination with the UTH to achieve desired temperatures. We are using JumpStart thermostats, about $30 on Amazon, but will eventually be getting a Herpstat 4.

This setup works great for us and allows all of our specs to be spot on but also pretty adjustable if needed. Glass tanks work, they just typically require modifications. :) Best of luck!https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...6cb807b26c.jpg

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Originally Posted by WhompingWillow

Here's a photo of our current setup. We wrapped most of each screen in tinfoil and are using tiles on the rest to allow just enough space for the heat lamps. Those PVC pipes in the back corners are connected to a humidifier and vent directly into the tanks. We just played around with the lamp height/dimmer settings in combination with the UTH to achieve desired temperatures. We are using JumpStart thermostats, about $30 on Amazon, but will eventually be getting a Herpstat 4.

This setup works great for us and allows all of our specs to be spot on but also pretty adjustable if needed. Glass tanks work, they just typically require modifications. :) Best of luck!https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...6cb807b26c.jpg

Sent from my Vivo X using Tapatalk

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Ahh thank you!! I love the photo too. It helps so much! You're wonderful.

I have a 40gal long traditional tank, and an Exo-Terra "large/wide", both are a pain to maintain humidity but the Exo-Terra is especially difficult. Their design gives amazing airflow, which sucks the moisture out of the tank even with plastic wrap over the top. 90% of the time it isn't an issue, but if you notice your BP going into shed spray often and add some moist sphagnum moss.

This is not a bad review for the Exo-Terra system, I actually really love the cage. Just something that isn't advertised when purchasing it.

Honestly, save yourself a lot of aggravation and just go with a snake enclosure instead of the Exo Terra.

Something like a PVC enclosure (AP, Boaphile, etc) or a Neodesha cage. They are made to make heating and humidity easier, they offer the privacy a snake (esp. Ball Pythons) craves and you can even order some with the heat installed. Even setting them up yourself, is a piece of cake.

You will have to mist that Exo Terra all the time. You will have water spots. You will need to cover the sides and back of it if you want to give the needed privacy to your Ball Python. Its more difficult to heat, and if you heat it properly it will suck all humidity out even worse. Personally I would rather just get things done right, now, instead of constantly having to tinker around trying to make the other tank work.

But thats just what I would do ;)

I agree with Zina on this one...It'll be cheaper in the long run to go with a pvc cage that is built to hold humidity and heat. The larger exo terras can easily range $300 or more and you will need to insulate the sides, buy glass inserts for the top, do heat tape on one bottom side, and use a CHE or RHP for heating ambient temps...Which can be hard to do, as you don't want the CHE sitting on glass (it will crack) but you also need to keep humidity up.

If you go with a T8 from AP and have heat tape put on one end, you'll basically be paying what you would just for the Exo itself. You will need a good t-stat with either setup.

I own an exo terra x-large x-tall (3x3x18") and it is crazy heavy and has been hard to deal with...and I'm keeping tree frogs in mine.

I have to chime in and also agree with zina and art. I had the 18” cube exo for a little bit when I first got my boy thunder and while it did the job for a
but it was a constant battle because the humidity would be fine maybe for a day or even a few hrs and then it would fall. I was using reptchip and I would get it good and damp but still between the screen the air flow the he’s the lamp it was like everything was working against it.

I didnt try a CHE which I hear does help things a bit so if you are dead set on the exo def try a che. They are heavy as another member said as well so factor that. Some folks use them and love them but they live in areas such as Florida where the real weather mimics what the snake needs already. Look up a user aeries he has tons of them but again it’s florida so it’s very different. Here in NY temps and humidity are allll over. I went with pvc enclosures because I was worried what if I wanted to take my kids away for a long weekend my humidity would be rock bottom and I couldn’t have that on me and enjoy my snake and my life.

I wish I could afford a pvc enclosure right away but it will be several months right now. I got the exoteric on sale at a pet shop also using a 20% coupon I got from them so it was a steal. I know humidity can be an issue, but I have a warm air humidifier im thinking of directing into the tank! Runs for 24 hours and I don’t mind refilling it daily at all. That may help! But as far as an exoterra goes I’m stuck right now. Not for forever though. I’ll get some of the decorative jungle type paper to cover the sides for her too.