Looking for suggestions for ambient temps

[Plumsmuggler]

Hello all,
I got my baby ball python for over 2 months now and she seems to be doing very well. I am posting to ask what would be the best way to improve my overall husbandry and my ambient temps. I want to explain my setup so that anyone can pick it apart, and how I can give her a better cage environment, so sorry if there are a lot of excess details.

I weigh her pretty frequently (a few days after a meal or pooping) to track growth, currently she is at 290 grams and I got her at 110 grams. She is eating f/t weaned rats that weigh 30-40 grams and I give her incrementally larger weaned rats every 5 days. I got her from Petco (I know I should not have) and she was on adult mice for a long time, until I switched her to weaned about 4 feedings ago (20 days). She has only refused to eat once during shed, and loves eating every 5 days (about 10% of her weight meals).

Currently she is an 18L hefty plastic tub with a mini Reptiterm UTH with a Jumpstart thermostat set to 89. It is stuck to the bottom of the tub, and the thermostat probe is in between close to the top right corner. The cage had a medium sized black plastic hide, two small wood hides (one under the black hide, one on the cool side) and a water dish. I use newspaper as my substrate, since I do not want her to come into direct contact with the plastic surface. I have a temp gun to check temps and they rarely exceed 93. The temp gun is really my only way I check temps, no thermometer or hygrometer. Should I purchase these? I spray her cage whenever needed, and check her temps with the gun often. My concern is that when I use the temp gun on the cold side it is usually 71 or so (our apartment room temperature. I know my ambient temperatures should be 75-80. My plan was once she got to 500 grams was to move her to a larger hefty tub (40 qts at the most) and have two jumpstart thermostats and two heating pads (one mini pad set to 75 and one medium one set to 89). I tried using a space heater but this doubled my electric bill. I am open to other suggestions for increasing her ambient temps. I heard putting a towel over her cage can help ambient temps.

I also want to mention that she has shed twice since I got her and they have been perfect both times. I do not have a gauge for humidity, but I spray her cage often and inside of her black hide box. I live in Colorado at 9,000 feet so humidity is a challenge so I spray her often and give her baths to ensure she has a great shed. I feel like my ambient temps are the biggest concern, and I would be happy if you could point out different ways or equipment I should purchase so I can improve her conditions so I can continue to grow and take better care of her if possible.
Thank you and feel free to ask questions if I missed any of my husbandry.

[KMG]

What kind of space heater?

I use a oil filled heater in my snake room year round. I have a second in my bedroom for cold nights. Neither seem to change my electricity, not that I can see. Maybe they're more efficient than what you tried.

Both $70 at Lowe's.

[KMG]

Like this but mine can with a remote.

https://m.lowes.com/pd/DeLonghi-5-12...ing/1000107815

[Plumsmuggler]

Thank you. Does the oil heater have any burn-off? Do you have to refill it much, if any? Just curious, I've never really used that many heaters before. The one I tried was a Holmes Tower heater. It was an older version of this:
http://www.holmesproducts.com/heater...HQH307-NU.html
We ran it for about a month and then my landlord said our bill had doubled.

[KMG]

Nothing to do but plug it in and set it. Mine has the option to schedule available but I just run it straight.

The oil is only heated which then radiates heart off. No oil is burned. I've had both my units for several years now.

[Plumsmuggler]

I think that will be the best solution then. Since I've heard UTH's do not do much for ambient temperatures. Any other ideas on what I could change?

[KMG]

I think that will be the best solution then. Since I've heard UTH's do not do much for ambient temperatures. Any other ideas on what I could change?

Not much you can do to help ambient temps without changing the entire room. A towel may help, moving it into a closet may help, insulating the tub may help, but one thing that's certain is raising the room temp certainly will.

[KMG]

You could add a heat lamp too.

I've used them on tubs a few times in a crutch. It works fine.

Probably going to run you about the same to hook up unless you already have some of the stuff.

[dadofsix]

By any chance do you have a thermostat controlling the heat to the the residence in your snake room? IF SO, you may have problems with heating the other rooms in your house. The temps in the room with the snake (and the thermostat running the home's heat) will be artificially high. If it gets REALLY cold where you live, this might become a significant problem. You'd then, probably, be well advised to move the snake into a room well away from the home's thermostat.

How do I know this, you might ask?? Let's just say that some experiences are learned the hard (and expensive) way. lol

<><Peace

[Plumsmuggler]

I do have a thermostat in the room that my snake resides in. Honestly it is a 2 room apartment and me and my girlfriend like it colder. So if it does make the thermostat turn off early, we wouldn't exactly be opposed unless it got super cold. How did it make things expensive for you?