Questions

[PastelPython]

I am thinking about getting a BP this year and I am in the process of making a shopping list of everything I will need to buy. I am going to buy a heating pad along with a ceramic heat emitter for heat. About how many watts should the UTH and heat emitter be?

Also, is a 20 gallon tank ok for a BP? I will be starting out with a baby BP and some people say that it will be stressed in a large tank. Is that true? Also, will the 20 gallon long be ok for when my BP gets older? The tank I have my eye on is 36 x 18 x 16.

[Vypyrz]

If you want to use a tank, a 20gal would be the largest I would recommend for a juvenile. Plus, a 20gal gives you a little more flexibilty when choosing your new BP, in case you find one a little older than a juvi. You will just need to clutter it up a bit with some fake plants and stuff to fill in some of the open space.

Another option is to use a plastic tub. They aren't as nice looking as a display tank, but they are better at holding temps and humidity. It's up to you what you choose and prefer to look at.

Once you choose an enclosure, then you can select an appropriately sized Under Tank Heater. Ideally the heater should cover at least 1/3 of the enclosures floor space, but not more than 1/2.

The most important thing you will need is a way to control the heat sources. I recommend a thermostat for the UTH and a dimmer for the ceramic heat emitter.
There are several styles and brands of thermostat to choose from that will cost you from $25 all the way up to over $300. Some of the good starter thermostats are the Repti-Temp 500R and the Hydrofarm MTPRTC. There are a few others and these will all run you $25-$40. The mid priced thermostats will run you about $80-$150. These are the Helix, Ranco, Johnson, and Herpstat Basic.

Your shopping list should include:
-Enclosure
-Thermostat
-Under Tank Heater
-Ceramic Heat Emitter
-Dimmer
-2 Identical hides
-Water bowl
-Digital thermometers (one should have a probe to measure warm side) or a temp gun
-Hygrometer to measure humidity
-Substrate

Here are some other threads to help you with some ideas...

http://ball-pythons.net/forums/showt...thon-CARESHEET

http://ball-pythons.net/forums/showt...p-w-pics-*DUW*

http://ball-pythons.net/forums/showt...tment-Tutorial

[PastelPython]

Thank you so much! I am going to write down all of the things I will need. I plan on ordering a herpstat for the UTH. Those links really helped me a lot. Thanks again ^-^

[Vypyrz]

If you need links to some of the online reptile supplies websites, let me know and I'll post some for you...

[1stpalindrone]

If you need links to some of the online reptile supplies websites, let me know and I'll post some for you...

Thx Vypyrz, Those links were helpful and if ya could post your favs on online suppliers I'd appreciate that as well... Thx again