Newbie to BPs

[Phoenix Rising]

Hello, I'm so glad I found this forum. I have wanted a snake for over a decade and finally, at 61 years old, I got one! Actually, I got 2!!! Both are about 4 months old. My girl, Nyah, is a pastel and my boy, Imani, is a pastel clown possible redstripe. Both are sweet and awesome. Nyah shed yesterday afternoon and became very active. I love it!

I'm having a bit of a challenge getting the vivariums to the right temp but they do have choices as well within their tanks and hides in hot, cool and middle range. They both have screened tops but I also put a folded big towel on top of both for now to keep more warmth and humidity in. They each have a bowl of water, a moisture box and I mist but it seems the humidity drops fast and low. Not sure how to handle that better. I am going to get some black foam board and cover the sides and back of the tanks. I'm also going to get plexiglass or clear vinyl for the top. Advice welcome.

Today I'm going to feed for the 1st time. I'm nervous about it. I'm feeding FT.

Like I said... advice is welcome. Thank you for reading this and for any good wishes you may send to Nyah and Imani.

[dakski]

Hello, I'm so glad I found this forum. I have wanted a snake for over a decade and finally, at 61 years old, I got one! Actually, I got 2!!! Both are about 4 months old. My girl, Nyah, is a pastel and my boy, Imani, is a pastel clown possible redstripe. Both are sweet and awesome. Nyah shed yesterday afternoon and became very active. I love it!

I'm having a bit of a challenge getting the vivariums to the right temp but they do have choices as well within their tanks and hides in hot, cool and middle range. They both have screened tops but I also put a folded big towel on top of both for now to keep more warmth and humidity in. They each have a bowl of water, a moisture box and I mist but it seems the humidity drops fast and low. Not sure how to handle that better. I am going to get some black foam board and cover the sides and back of the tanks. I'm also going to get plexiglass or clear vinyl for the top. Advice welcome.

Today I'm going to feed for the 1st time. I'm nervous about it. I'm feeding FT.

Like I said... advice is welcome. Thank you for reading this and for any good wishes you may send to Nyah and Imani.

First of all. Welcome and congratulations!

Before you feed, can you tell us your temps and humidity levels, size tanks, type of tanks (sounds like they are glass - but size would be helpful), how you are measuring both, how you are heating both, how you are regulating both, etc? That would help us ensure you have the optimal environment for them and the best chance of them feeding, digesting, and having long-term success.

Additionally, I wrote a piece on defrosting and offering F/T prey. Please see below. The idea is NOT to cook the frozen food, but gently defrost it, and then warm it quickly and offer and make it appear alive.

Good luck and please let us know if we can help in any way. Enjoy your new additions!



This is my step by step list on defrosting F/T rodents.

Others may do it differently and that's fine. This how I do it and it works for me.

STEPS FOR DEFROSTING F/T RODENTS/PREY

1. Put prey item(s) into appropriate size plastic bag (1 for each). I use Quart size ziplock bags up to a medium rat. NOTE: Bags are optional. Some people just throw the prey in the water. I like the bags, but you have to squeeze the air out of them.

2. Fill the container/storage box 3/4 of the way with room temp to slightly warm water. If you have a temp gun (which you should, so if you don't, get one), make sure the water is not hotter than 85-90F, or there about.

3. Put F/T prey item(s) in water. Cover (optional) and leave for an hour +/-. If small prey - adjust downwards - this is written for adult rats. However, longer cannot hurt the smaller prey.

4. After an hour (or less if smaller prey), rotate/flip prey. If in plastic bags, they often will stay on whatever side you put them in on. So if mouse is on left side, turn to right side, etc.

5. Leave for another hour +/- for a TOTAL of about 2 hours (up to medium sized rat - longer if bigger prey)

6. Check that prey is defrosted totally through. Squeeze at different sections of the preys body. Should be cool/room temp to touch, but be soft with no cold spots. If hard (except for bone), in abdomen, for example, or cold, put back in water until room temp and soft.

7. Take prey out of the container/storage box and put aside. THEN FOLLOW STEPS 8-11 OR STEP 12

8. Fill container with hot water from tap. If using temp gun, water temp should be 110-130F, not more.

9. Drop prey item into water for 30 seconds +/-. If multiple prey items, do one at a time. You want each item hot when you offer.

10. Remove (if hot water, with tongs).

11. Dry as best as you can, and is quickly as you can, with paper towels. I dry with paper towels while I am walking from the bathroom where I defrost to the snake tanks. I kind of wrap the prey item up in them. It's ten feet, so by the time I get to the tanks, the prey is drier, but still warm.

12. If not using hot water, use a hairdryer to heat rat so it entices snake

13. Open tank and offer ASAP on tongs. Wiggle gently to stimulate a live prey item.

[Craiga 01453]

Welcome to the forum and the wonderful world of snake keeping!! Congrats!!!

[MR Snakes]

Welcome and glad to see another old guy, like me, is a newbie! Now the first rule is unless we see some pictures, your snakes don't exist. Sorry.

[Phoenix Rising]

Thank you for the welcome. SSSsssso happy to be here!

Maggie

- - - Updated - - -

Well, I am older but I'm a woman. LOL! Thank you for the welcome.

[Phoenix Rising]

Thank you. I'm truly excited about being here and mostly about getting my first snake.... then my second 2 days later. What can I say... there was a Reptocon and I just could not resist. Oh, I'll be honest... I KNEW I was going to look for a second snake before I even went. LOL.

Maggie

[Jellybeans]

Thank you for the welcome. SSSsssso happy to be here!

Maggie

- - - Updated - - -

Well, I am older but I'm a woman. LOL! Thank you for the welcome.

I also am an "older" woman....

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[Shayne]

Welcome and glad to see another old guy, like me, is a newbie! Now the first rule is unless we see some pictures, your snakes don't exist. Sorry.

I also am an "older" woman....

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Jeesus....what is this, a geriatric convention?

Juuust kidding. I'm "old" too.

Oh, and WELCOME!! (to the OP)

[Phoenix Rising]

Dakski, thank you so much for the feeding info.

For Nyah I have a 30 gal tank, 36" x 18" floor. I use an under tank heater on one end. It has a thermostat. I also have a temp and humidity monitor in the center of the tank. In the tank I have a bowl of water and I have a plastic container with sphagnum moss in it and keep it wet. Actually has about an inch of water in the bottom. The cover has a hole in in about 1 1/2" in diameter so it releases moisture and Nyah can crawl into it if she wants to. The thermostat that is directly over the heating pad is registering at degrees. Humidity varies of course but I mist it a couple times a day starting with hot water. Currently her tank is 94.8 on the hot side with the temp right over the heating pad. Cold side is 67. Humidity is 54.

Imani has a 20L tank. Again, he has an under tank heater on one end. I messed up and got a rheostat instead of the thermostat. I have the latter on its way from Amazon now. He also has a digital temp and humidity monitor. The probe is over his heating pad. I have another cheap strip thermometer on the cold side. It will be set up like Nyah as soon as the thermostat gets here. His temps run 105 on the hot side right over the pad. Cold is 70 and humidity is 41. I'm going to mist both as soon as I get this written.

Nyah shed last night. Both are snuggled in one of their 3 hides available in each tank, the one right over the pad. I do not have lights up for them yet but plan on doing that. I think you saw more info about them and the near future plans for their habitats in my original post.

Hope I'm at least close to what I need. Thank you for the feeding guide. I have been researching a LOT on as much as I can. My biggest challenge will be feeding them. Actually, that is why I have not gotten a snake up till now. I'm TERRIFIED of mice and rats. Nightmare petrified. It's the only critter I feel like that about. BUT... I decided I will NOT let that stop me from fulfilling a dream. At my age, it's now or never.

Thank you for any and all advice you can give me and thank you for accepting me to this forum.
Maggie

[Jellybeans]

105 is too hot
More like 90

My tank is simple and small for now becuz my boy not quite 4 months. He is thriving....eats every week with gusto. My humidity is a little on the lower side right now because he just got through shedding


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