My partner passed away and im looking after his snake...Need help and advice urgently

[tryme]

Hi all,

My partner who's account this is sadly passed away suddenly and unexpectedly 6 months ago. I have been looking after his royal ball python the best i can since then.
He is 6 years old and I recently 2 weeks ago moved him into a new bigger vivarium (4ft).

My partner had a heat lamp with guard fitted into the old vivarium but i couldn't transfer it over to the new one so i am having to buy a new one. It was an I internal light fitting (not the big lamps) so that you could screw the bulb in and the gridded guard protected it. I am having to buy a new fitting, bulb and guard now, can someone point me in the right direction with best ones and websites please. I wasn't the keenest on the snake and didn't know all about him so I've been having to teach myself and remember the odd things my partner said.

I went to the reptile shop this morning to buy a new heat mat as the current one the snake has is 6 years old and wanted to replace it. The lady serving me said it was a fire hazard to have the heat mat sitting on a wooden vivarium and the wood/beech chipping ontop and I am lucky to have gotten away with it. (The heat mat has always been on a thermostat). She recommended an adhesive heat Mat to place on the side of the vivarium to radiate some gentle heat from the side rather than the bottom under the beech chippings. She also said to urgently fit the light fitting and bulb in and to mainly use the light as the source of heat for the snake...is this correct?
From what I gather my partner didn't leave the light on in the vivarium all day long (deffinatley not at night) so it wasn't on a dimming thermostat just a switch and would only be on for a short while for some basking every now and then.

She wants me to buy a light dimming thermostat that has a day and night setting too so that the light dims to adjust with the heat and told me at night just turn the temperature down on the thermostat and back up again in the day. Shall i do this or what should I stick to?

I currently have the thermostat set to 23-25c at night time and a few degrees higher in the day. Is this right or can you recommend night and day temps for the thermostat/heat mat for me please!

Is it ok to have the heat mat on the same time as the light I wonder or Is this too much heat? One or the other or both?

He is feeding well always has done. With his size he is having weaner rats sometimes small rats and manages fine and eats every 2 weeks. Following what my partner did. Is this ok?

Please let me know about the heating situation with light and heat mat please. Want to urgently sort this out.

Thank you
Jess

[Skyrivers]

Hi all,

My partner who's account this is sadly passed away suddenly and unexpectedly 6 months ago. I have been looking after his royal ball python the best i can since then.
He is 6 years old and I recently 2 weeks ago moved him into a new bigger vivarium (4ft).

My partner had a heat lamp with guard fitted into the old vivarium but i couldn't transfer it over to the new one so i am having to buy a new one. It was an I internal light fitting (not the big lamps) so that you could screw the bulb in and the gridded guard protected it. I am having to buy a new fitting, bulb and guard now, can someone point me in the right direction with best ones and websites please. I wasn't the keenest on the snake and didn't know all about him so I've been having to teach myself and remember the odd things my partner said.

I went to the reptile shop this morning to buy a new heat mat as the current one the snake has is 6 years old and wanted to replace it. The lady serving me said it was a fire hazard to have the heat mat sitting on a wooden vivarium and the wood/beech chipping ontop and I am lucky to have gotten away with it. (The heat mat has always been on a thermostat). She recommended an adhesive heat Mat to place on the side of the vivarium to radiate some gentle heat from the side rather than the bottom under the beech chippings. She also said to urgently fit the light fitting and bulb in and to mainly use the light as the source of heat for the snake...is this correct?
From what I gather my partner didn't leave the light on in the vivarium all day long (deffinatley not at night) so it wasn't on a dimming thermostat just a switch and would only be on for a short while for some basking every now and then.

She wants me to buy a light dimming thermostat that has a day and night setting too so that the light dims to adjust with the heat and told me at night just turn the temperature down on the thermostat and back up again in the day. Shall i do this or what should I stick to?

I currently have the thermostat set to 23-25c at night time and a few degrees higher in the day. Is this right or can you recommend night and day temps for the thermostat/heat mat for me please!

Is it ok to have the heat mat on the same time as the light I wonder or Is this too much heat? One or the other or both?

He is feeding well always has done. With his size he is having weaner rats sometimes small rats and manages fine and eats every 2 weeks. Following what my partner did. Is this ok?

Please let me know about the heating situation with light and heat mat please. Want to urgently sort this out.

Thank you
Jess

Sorry for your loss.

Let me see if I can clear some things up for you.

I went to the reptile shop this morning to buy a new heat mat as the current one the snake has is 6 years old and wanted to replace it. The lady serving me said it was a fire hazard to have the heat mat sitting on a wooden vivarium and the wood/beech chipping ontop and I am lucky to have gotten away with it. (The heat mat has always been on a thermostat). She recommended an adhesive heat Mat to place on the side of the vivarium to radiate some gentle heat from the side rather than the bottom under the beech chippings. She also said to urgently fit the light fitting and bulb in and to mainly use the light as the source of heat for the snake...is this correct?
From what I gather my partner didn't leave the light on in the vivarium all day long (deffinatley not at night) so it wasn't on a dimming thermostat just a switch and would only be on for a short while for some basking every now and then.Jess

Placing the heat mat in the enclosure under the substrate on a thermostat is not a fire hazard at all. "Most types of wood will start combusting at about 300 degrees Celsius." If you are keeping it at 23-25c then the likely hood of a fire from it is low. Can electronics fail? Anything is possible. Heat pads and heat panels are used in wooden enclosures all the time without fires. The snake lays on the heat pad for belly heat. If it is on the side will not provide belly heat, only ambient heat and that would be IMO not enough heat. Ceramic heat emitters can be used safely if inside a guard.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...ZSUT9VPR&psc=1 plus.... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B075KFFVVM...1-2d3cf013dad7 Is an ok way to go if you have https://www.amazon.com/Heater-Guard-...ords=CHE+guard

That way you have heat and control over the heat and there is no way the snake can get to the heat source. Your hot spot should be 31C (89F) if my conversion is correct.

Also Ball Pythons do not require light cycle but is ok to provide it if you like. They prefer to hide over being seen so darkness all time should have no bad effect on the animal is my understanding. The light is for our benefit to see them not theirs.

I am sure others will chime in with better or more advice but welcome and best wishes.

[SquirmyPug]

It sounds to me like you need to change some things. And I'm sorry but my measurements will be in farenheit.

You should have a hot spot that's around 90f. The other side of the terrarium should be around 80f.

There are multiple ways to get those temperatures. I would suggest an under tank heater for the hot spot and if you're able to mount one, a radiant heat panel to heat the whole cage up a bit.

[tryme]

Sorry for your loss.

Let me see if I can clear some things up for you.



Placing the heat mat in the enclosure under the substrate on a thermostat is not a fire hazard at all. "Most types of wood will start combusting at about 300 degrees Celsius." If you are keeping it at 23-25c then the likely hood of a fire from it is low. Can electronics fail? Anything is possible. Heat pads and heat panels are used in wooden enclosures all the time without fires. The snake lays on the heat pad for belly heat. If it is on the side will not provide belly heat, only ambient heat and that would be IMO not enough heat. Ceramic heat emitters can be used safely if inside a guard.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...ZSUT9VPR&psc=1 plus.... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B075KFFVVM...1-2d3cf013dad7 Is an ok way to go if you have https://www.amazon.com/Heater-Guard-...ords=CHE+guard

That way you have heat and control over the heat and there is no way the snake can get to the heat source. Your hot spot should be 31C (89F) if my conversion is correct.

Also Ball Pythons do not require light cycle but is ok to provide it if you like. They prefer to hide over being seen so darkness all time should have no bad effect on the animal is my understanding. The light is for our benefit to see them not theirs.

I am sure others will chime in with better or more advice but welcome and best wishes.

Thank you for replying quickly and for the advice.
Although i was no expert with snake care (it was my partners snake and he knew all about him, care, feeding etc.) I was confused by what the lady was telling me which left me questioning myself and my partners thinking. I was always there to talk to him about the snake just never thought I would have to remember what he told me as i didn't know we would be in this position.

So to clarify his, the snake doesn't need the heat lamp on a thermostat as the main source of heat? The adhesive heat Mat under the wood chippings at the correct temperature (it never goes above 32 c in the day and no power than 23 at night) is not going to suddenly cause a fire and it is correct to have it underneath him as he does like the hot side during the day when sleeping and comes out at night and moves about.

I want to fit a bulb in but I'm wondering do I need to keep it on all day of I have the heat Mat on? Can I just use the heat lamp as and when on a thermostat or should I deffinatley use the heat mat and not worry myself about using the light/heatbulb?

Thank you

[Jamiekerk]

I don’t use lights I use ceramic heat emitters and a heat mat.

I have heat mat set to 92 this provides him a hot spot of 90 (regulated by stat) I then have the ceramic set to 26 degrees c not sure of conversions.

The temp gun was at 91 just didn’t get s pic before temps dropped after opening viv.


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[tryme]

I don’t use lights I use ceramic heat emitters and a heat mat.

I have heat mat set to 92 this provides him a hot spot of 90 (regulated by stat) I then have the ceramic set to 26 degrees c not sure of conversions.

The temp gun was at 91 just didn’t get s pic before temps dropped after opening viv.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

What ceramic heater do you use aswell as the heat mat? And where do you place the ceramic? On the hot side with the heat mat/whereabouts in the tank?
Im wondering of that may be best instead of a light with the heat mat to warm the tank up a bit more...
Do you mind me asking which ceramic heat emitters do you use?

What temp do you set your ceramic heat emitter too day and night along with the heat mat...do you leave them both on at the same time? Don't want to make it too hot for him.

Last thing do you use 50w or 100w bulb?
Thank you

[tryme]

Also I want to get a new thermostat.

Has anyone used this one... HabiStat Day-Night Pulse Proportional Thermostat 600W White https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B003083N..._S6YrCbQ0AX8KQ
I would like to get the day and night pulse one...will this automatically control day and night temps rather than me having to manually set the thermostat myself day and night?

Would have hoped to buy one thermostat for the heat mat and the bulb/ceramic if thats doable?

[Jamiekerk]

What ceramic heater do you use aswell as the heat mat? And where do you place the ceramic? On the hot side with the heat mat/whereabouts in the tank?
Im wondering of that may be best instead of a light with the heat mat to warm the tank up a bit more...
Do you mind me asking which ceramic heat emitters do you use?

What temp do you set your ceramic heat emitter too day and night along with the heat mat...do you leave them both on at the same time? Don't want to make it too hot for him.

Last thing do you use 50w or 100w bulb?
Thank you

Heat mat is under the snakes hide in the right side, heat mat will do pretty much nothing to heat ambiant air temps up.

I leave both on at the same time I have controlled with thermostats so the hotspot never goes above 33 degrees c.

I have have it on right side on his warm side


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[Jamiekerk]

But it all depends on what kind of enclosure this kind of setup is great for wooden vivs


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[Jamiekerk]

Also I want to get a new thermostat.

Has anyone used this one... HabiStat Day-Night Pulse Proportional Thermostat 600W White https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B003083N..._S6YrCbQ0AX8KQ
I would like to get the day and night pulse one...will this automatically control day and night temps rather than me having to manually set the thermostat myself day and night?

Would have hoped to buy one thermostat for the heat mat and the bulb/ceramic if thats doable?

Yes day and night allow u to program different temps at different times, day and night drop isn’t always needed unless your trying to induce breeding response.

Edit

It says you need to connect something additional I am not sure about this as I use microclimate evo in my vivs far easier to use

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