Question about BPs and lighting

[deadempress]

Hey, I have a pretty specific question regarding heating/lighting and ball pythons.

So I am planning on getting a BP pretty soon (on the 22nd of the month) and I obviously want to have his home set up before I get him.

Since he will be housed in my bedroom, I have a few concerns. The most important being that my room is pretty dark all of the time, because I only have one small window that is usually covered by heavy curtains (to keep the draft out because it is a poorly made window).
So my questions comes in because most sources say that the light cycle of your room should be enough for a BP, however I do not have much of a light cycle in my room because it is always dark.

I read in several places that a bright light on a BP's enclosure would likely stress him out, but i also cannot imagine that no sunlight would be a good idea either.
I also read that over tank lights might cause too much heat or the air in the tank to dry out, compromising humidity levels.
Should I get a blue light with minimal heat as a compromise, so that the snakes gets some light? Or is there a more obvious solution I am missing here?

Thank you so much!

[tttaylorrr]

i wouldn't worry about it. light is not a necessity and lack of it will have no adverse effects. they would rather be in the dark. 😀

[Sallos]

In the wild, they are typically found underground. The ambient light in your room will be just fine.

[PitOnTheProwl]

The only lighting needed would be for you while cleaning of handling.
What little light you get through the window will be enough.

[Craiga 01453]

Your snake will be perfectly fine with minimal lighting, probably even happier. They spend the vast majority of their lives hiding, especially during daylight hours, as they are nocturnal by nature.

Depending on ambient temps in the room, you may not need a light, except for cleaning/handling.
How are you heating the enclosure?

[deadempress]

Your snake will be perfectly fine with minimal lighting, probably even happier. They spend the vast majority of their lives hiding, especially during daylight hours, as they are nocturnal by nature.

Depending on ambient temps in the room, you may not need a light, except for cleaning/handling.
How are you heating the enclosure?

I plan to use a uth, and I was possibly considering using a night time bulb as well to add a little more heat when it is really cold. I live in New Jersey in an old home, so it can be a bit drafty in the winter and I want a back up just in case I cannot get the temperature right with the UTH.
However i read that lights have a tendency to dry out the air and mess with the humidity.
What should I do here?

[Craiga 01453]

I'm in MA in an old house, so I hear ya on the cold winters. Winter can be a pain with heating and humidity. I currently still have glass enclosures but am switching to PVC in the coming months, it's just soooo much easier to maintain heat and humidity from everything I have learned about them.
You will be fine using a uth and a night bulb, just make sure the uth is on a thermostat and the light is on at least a dimmer switch, but t-stat is preferable. These will allow you to adjust the thermostat to regulate the maximum heat output from the uth and light. This is very important, as a uth can reach temps over 120 degrees if not regulated which can burn or even kill your snake. I would advise getting everything up and running prior to bringing your new snake home. This will give you time to adjust and get your temps dialed in. As well as give you time to get your humidity dialed in.
I suggest reading some of the "stickies" on this forum if you haven't already, TONS of good info including everything you need to know to get your enclosure up and running. An infrared temp gun is a great tool to get accurate temp readings in the right spots.

Also, use this forum and the people on it as a tool. There are plenty of great people on here who have tons of experience and knowledge they are willing to share. You will find that the members here are more than happy to help those who are willing to learn and apply what they learn. Listen to the experienced keepers and apply what you learn and you will be a happy, successful snake keeper

[deadempress]

I'm in MA in an old house, so I hear ya on the cold winters. Winter can be a pain with heating and humidity. I currently still have glass enclosures but am switching to PVC in the coming months, it's just soooo much easier to maintain heat and humidity from everything I have learned about them.
You will be fine using a uth and a night bulb, just make sure the uth is on a thermostat and the light is on at least a dimmer switch, but t-stat is preferable. These will allow you to adjust the thermostat to regulate the maximum heat output from the uth and light. This is very important, as a uth can reach temps over 120 degrees if not regulated which can burn or even kill your snake. I would advise getting everything up and running prior to bringing your new snake home. This will give you time to adjust and get your temps dialed in. As well as give you time to get your humidity dialed in.
I suggest reading some of the "stickies" on this forum if you haven't already, TONS of good info including everything you need to know to get your enclosure up and running. An infrared temp gun is a great tool to get accurate temp readings in the right spots.

Also, use this forum and the people on it as a tool. There are plenty of great people on here who have tons of experience and knowledge they are willing to share. You will find that the members here are more than happy to help those who are willing to learn and apply what they learn. Listen to the experienced keepers and apply what you learn and you will be a happy, successful snake keeper

thank you so much, you guys are all giving me so much peace of mind.
Yeah i got th tank the other day and want to get all the lighting/decorations/heaters/Substrate all set up before I get him on the 22nd of this month.

Do you know how big the water bowl I get for him should be?