Nippy new ball python

[Shayne]

Coconut fiber/Wood Chips/Reptichip etc..... ive never used anything but Kraft/Butcher Paper myself. But I just looked back and see that it is a 20 gallon you’re using so any kind of overhead heat like a CHE /Lamp is going to ddry the-heck out of it. I have a tank that I use for quarantine and I put a heat mat underneath the tank where the water bowl is making the water evaporate and that certainly helps. Went from 45% to 58-60%.
You didn’t say how you were heating i dont think.


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I was just a "drive-by" poster. LOL

I think that was for the OP.

[CALM Pythons]

My water bowl is 7” x 8.5” and 2” deep. I bought that was big since that’s how eco terra identified the size, my bad!

Ill try to insulate the outside before insulating the inside, but I’m not sure how it helps with humidity. To me, it makes since with heat since heat can escape through glass, but water doesn’t travel through glass so the reasoning behind it is strange to me.

You’re doing great, just got a fine-tune things


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[Sonny1318]

On temps you say your hot side is 90 to 95? If that’s true you might want to drop that 5 or 6 degrees, depending how your getting that measurement that is. That might help a very small amount with humidity too. That definitely seems a little warm to me for a little guy.

[Bogertophis]

... Would insulating the outside help with humidity? ...

Much better to insulate the outside of a tank...and that's only to help retain warmth, it has NO effect on humidity. Humidity is affected by how much air flow there
is...ie. how much you cover the screen top. The plastic enclosures sold for snakes are only "better for retaining humidity" because there are only a few tiny gaps for
air flow.

Covering the sides (even just with paper for now) to block the snake's view will help him settle in...he's just scared, his whole world just changed & it's confusing...
he feels threatened, don't take it personally. At least a week to settle in with no handling & no disruptions that aren't absolutely essential...as already mentioned.

And for any new snake, it's best to let them settle in to the point that they feed readily at least a couple of times before you interact with them...it's most important
that they eat.

[Jellybeans]

That can be typical....
Yes leaving him alone to decompress is best for a week..
If he still strikes, hold your hand up and let him strike away.
They learn quickly it's not effective

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[Taying]

Coconut fiber/Wood Chips/Reptichip etc..... ive never used anything but Kraft/Butcher Paper myself. But I just looked back and see that it is a 20 gallon you’re using so any kind of overhead heat like a CHE /Lamp is going to ddry the-heck out of it. I have a tank that I use for quarantine and I put a heat mat underneath the tank where the water bowl is making the water evaporate and that certainly helps. Went from 45% to 58-60%.
You didn’t say how you were heating i dont think.


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I have an infrared heat lamp with a heating pad underneath. I had just the pad controlled by a thermostat but it never made the tank warm enough. The heat dome is currently resting on the top of the screen as I’m waiting to get the stand shipped in which may help reduce the temp a couple degrees and slow down humidity loss. I am purchasing sphagnum as well to place inside for moisture control.

[CALM Pythons]

I have an infrared heat lamp with a heating pad underneath. I had just the pad controlled by a thermostat but it never made the tank warm enough. The heat dome is currently resting on the top of the screen as I’m waiting to get the stand shipped in which may help reduce the temp a couple degrees and slow down humidity loss. I am purchasing sphagnum as well to place inside for moisture control.

Yup I would of recommended a CHE (ceramic heat emitter) instead of the Heat Lamp. They dont dry things out as bad and cost about the same but they still kill humidity.. as far as the Heat Mat (Uth) they are only for the Hot spot and thats why it didnt warm the tank.
Let me give you advice for the situation your in... this is based on a limited budget and the fact your using a Glass tank. Ditch the Heat Lamp, get another UTH and heat the entire floor of the enclosure. This will accomplish a couple things. One you wont dry your tank out and the other UTH will warm the water eevaporating it and creating humidity, and 2 wherever the snake is it will be within safe temps.
You would set the Hotside mat to 90 and the Cool side mat to 80.
Now on another note, your tanks small. I would NOT buy another UTH for that small tank myself, I would find a 40 gallon Breeder. You would need the Big Heat mats for a 40gallon Breeder tank. Then the 2 Big heat mats would basically touch eachother heating the entire floor. If you buy a smaller mat now for that little tank you’re basically going to throw that money away when you upgrade and that tank is too small. However I have bought and sold things I was done with on FB marketplace for years now... so you do whats best for you.
WE all kept SNAKES in this fashion 30 years ago with only heating the floors (heat rocks and heat mats) so this works just fine and will keep your snakes healthy.
It’s not the advanced way of course but I’m giving you a healthy & Safe way for your situation.



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