(Semi) newbie here with many, MANY questions!

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Originally Posted by Mr. Misha

He's gorgeous! Congrats!

Once the substrate dries out the humidity will fall as well.

Sounds like your setup really came together. Once you get the CHE I'd recommend running that before he comes in so you can dial in the temps and you'll be all set!

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Right. I'll get it running as soon as it gets here. :gj:

I've finally done it. After several hours of testing the parameters are set to perfection on dual thermometers. 90 degree Fahrenheit hot spot, 80 degree ambient, and mid 70s gradient for cooler side with a (so far) consistent humidity in the mid 50's to low 60s range with easy adjustment if it gets too dry or humid with aluminum foil panels.

Snug log hides at both both ends so he can be secure at any temperature and are rough for shedding assistance, 3 glass sides fitted with black foam board and lots of fake plants for further security, sticks for climbing and a large enough water bowl set halfway on the hot spot if he ever wants to bathe, and all on about a couple inches of coconut fiber substrate.

Got all the other external equipment as well. Feeding tongs, spray bottle and weighing scale.

All. Is. Ready.
https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...92289eac8f.jpghttps://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...f642889bce.jpghttps://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...accf7cc9b7.jpg
(Sorry about the glare, no ceiling lights close enough to the tank to avoid reflections well enough).

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It really came together, looks great!

Now for the notes ;): Try to make sure that your cool side doesn't slide below 75 degrees. I'd usually recommend 78-80 for the cool side. Also, what kind of log hides are they? You want to make sure the hides are dark so your BP has a place to hide. Don't forget they like dark spaces, especially during the day. These have been my favorite for a while. They're not as realistic but my BPs absolutely love them and they provide great security: https://www.reptilebasics.com/?p=cat...arch_str=hides

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Originally Posted by Mr. Misha

It really came together, looks great!

Now for the notes ;): Try to make sure that your cool side doesn't slide below 75 degrees. I'd usually recommend 78-80 for the cool side. Also, what kind of log hides are they? You want to make sure the hides are dark so your BP has a place to hide. Don't forget they like dark spaces, especially during the day. These have been my favorite for a while. They're not as realistic but my BPs absolutely love them and they provide great security: https://www.reptilebasics.com/?p=cat...arch_str=hides

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The cool side has stayed in the upper 70's so that's all good (the one front corner with the pile of leaves beside the bare glass dips just a tad lower to 73-ish I've found but that should be fine). I'll be sure to keep a watchful eye on temperatures once autumn starts to set in and adjust my thermostats as needed.

The hides are small half logs (the ones that make a tunnel) that have one end pressed up against the tank walls, which are covered by black foam board, so there is only one entrance to make it perfectly dark and snug inside. That and it's naturally quite dim here in the basement (I had all the lights on so I could take pictures, they're normally off). Some light comes through a couple window wells but not a whole lot.

Yea, watch the temps because 73 is too low.

Personally, I'm not a fan of half logs because they don't provide that tightness that BPs love but see if it works for you.

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Originally Posted by Mr. Misha

Yea, watch the temps because 73 is too low.

Personally, I'm not a fan of half logs because they don't provide that tightness that BPs love but see if it works for you.

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I figured out why that front corner gave a weirdly low reading. I apparently pointed the temp gun from the outside glass so it was reading room temperature. Changed the angle so it was actually pointing in the tank from above and it read 78 degrees. Getting used to getting proper readings in general, like making sure the tinfoil panels aren't in the way and not aiming too close to the heat lamp.

As for the logs I made sure they were small ones (in fact I saw baby BPs at the store hiding in the same ones and they looked pretty snugly squished in) so hopefully they should work out. But if he's still stressed after the settling in period then I'll look into the hides you linked. :gj:

Oh, forgot to ask this, but with coconut fiber how often is it recommended to replace it since my enclosure is not bioactive? Obviously spot cleaning any poops and such will be in order but I'm more asking about the whole enclosure's worth.

Meanwhile the snake still isn't here yet (as mentioned before, waiting on an update for when he sheds, after which he will be shipped, should be around the weekend or so) but I'm keeping the setup up and running and monitoring it daily. Temperatures and humidity are still maintaining the perfect zones. :)

Full bed changing will depend on you. If you're spot cleaning and changing water on continuous basis, you may want to do a full tare down and change bedding every 3 months. Some people do it on a monthly basis. Just depends how messy your terrarium gets.

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Originally Posted by Mr. Misha

Full bed changing will depend on you. If you're spot cleaning and changing water on continuous basis, you may want to do a full tare down and change bedding every 3 months. Some people do it on a monthly basis. Just depends how messy your terrarium gets.

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Sounds about right from what I was thinking, monthly full cleans

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Well, still waiting. Haven't heard back from the breeder yet in regards to him shedding (I imagine it has to be within the next couple days at this point, but if I don't hear back by late Monday I'll shoot a text just in case).

In the meantime I admittedly am thinking about some kind of lighting in the enclosure since it seems a little silly that I put so much work into making the setup look nice, only to be barely able to see anything even during the day since it's so dim down here in the basement. But between the CHE and the aluminum panels there's not really anywhere on the lid surface to put a light fixture, so any suggestions? I've thought about LED strips but I'm not sure where I'd affix those since I obviously don't want to use anything adhesive-based, but I can't simply screw them into the enclosure either since it's glass. Though I suppose I could cut a slight sliver from the panels (they're just cardboard after all) to make room for a strip. With that in mind, do LEDs need to shut off at night like a regular ambient light would? I can get a timer so it's like a day/night cycle if that's the case.

On an unrelated note temperatures will be dropping a few degrees over this week. Still warm (70's) but considering that he will be coming from Miami where it's still in the 90's that means he might not come with a heat pack and could get a little chilled, and I heard from Snake Discovery that if they come in cold, you do not want to introduce them to their enclosure too soon after arrival if they're chilly as the drastic change in temperature could put them in shock and possibly death. The solution is to leave them at room temperature until they warm up, but how long does that typically take? And where should I put him to do so?