Sookie

[Craiga 01453]

Ok thanks. My digital thermometer is reading 72 on the warmer side


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Hahaha, see what I mean about the analog being inaccurate??
You're gonna want to get those temps up.

My advice at this point would be to unplug the heat mat and leave the lamp on. At least the snake can't come in direct contact with the lamp.
But you definitely want to get your heat sources regulated. The good thing about them, aside from them keeping the animal safe, is that once you get your temps dialed in the tstat does the rest and maintains your temps.
All you need to do is check daily to make sure everything is functioning properly.

[Parsons483]

I'll add in for emphasis.. Craig is 100% right on tstat and the thermometers. No heat source should ever be used without a thermostat to control it. (Not to mention the fire hazard unregulated heat sources pose)

Here's a video showing the temps heat mats can achieve unregulated in a very short time:
https://youtu.be/NcGJaHVF72w

Also, here is an example from a recent post somewhere of a burned ball python from an unregulated heat mat. This is a severe burn with potentially infection and other stuff going on.


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Thank you. I am going to order one. I have the heating pad turned off now


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[Parsons483]

Hahaha, see what I mean about the analog being inaccurate??
You're gonna want to get those temps up.

My advice at this point would be to unplug the heat mat and leave the lamp on. At least the snake can't come in direct contact with the lamp.
But you definitely want to get your heat sources regulated. The good thing about them, aside from them keeping the animal safe, is that once you get your temps dialed in the tstat does the rest and maintains your temps.
All you need to do is check daily to make sure everything is functioning properly.

Ok thank you. I got the heating pad turned off and I had some other pieces of wood laying around that I was able to make another hide out of too. So hopefully this makes her more comfortable. Another question tho. The day I got her her water dish was bone dry so I don’t know when she had a drink last. But after I fed her yesterday she drank some water after and was drinking for a good minute then went back for more about 15-20 minutes later for about 30 seconds is that normal?


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[Craiga 01453]

Ok thank you. I got the heating pad turned off and I had some other pieces of wood laying around that I was able to make another hide out of too. So hopefully this makes her more comfortable. Another question tho. The day I got her her water dish was bone dry so I don’t know when she had a drink last. But after I fed her yesterday she drank some water after and was drinking for a good minute then went back for more about 15-20 minutes later for about 30 seconds is that normal?


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All sounds good!! You'll be a great snake parent!!

As for the drinking, I think that's perfectly normal. If she was thirsty before eating she may have just needed a bit of hydration to help move her prey down.
They got the majority of their water from their prey, so don't drink all that often.
But I certainly wouldn't sweat her drinking. She knows what she's doing.

Keep up the good work and feel free to ask all the questions you may have. We're happy to help.

[Parsons483]

All sounds good!! You'll be a great snake parent!!

As for the drinking, I think that's perfectly normal. If she was thirsty before eating she may have just needed a bit of hydration to help move her prey down.
They got the majority of their water from their prey, so don't drink all that often.
But I certainly wouldn't sweat her drinking. She knows what she's doing.

Keep up the good work and feel free to ask all the questions you may have. We're happy to help.

Thanks I really appreciate it. One last question should I have the fogger on a timer? It’s a zoomed repti-fogger


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[Craiga 01453]

Thanks I really appreciate it. One last question should I have the fogger on a timer? It’s a zoomed repti-fogger


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That I can't answer for you. I have no experience with them since I don't use them.
I don't like to give advice unless I have experience or have read enough to confidently give good advice.

Hopefully someone else will chime in soon.

If you're interested, I'd be happy to share some of my tips for keeping humidity up in glass enclosures.
I've been using glass since I started out in this hobby almost 20 years ago. So I've had a lot of time for trial and error and have had good success with glass.

[Parsons483]

That I can't answer for you. I have no experience with them since I don't use them.
I don't like to give advice unless I have experience or have read enough to confidently give good advice.

Hopefully someone else will chime in soon.

If you're interested, I'd be happy to share some of my tips for keeping humidity up in glass enclosures.
I've been using glass since I started out in this hobby almost 20 years ago. So I've had a lot of time for trial and error and have had good success with glass.

I would appreciate that any tips and tricks will come in handy thank you


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[Craiga 01453]

I would appreciate that any tips and tricks will come in handy thank you


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Ok. Now you'll need to consider that I live in MA so your climate may be a bit different from mine. So what works for me may need a little tweaking on your end, but the same principles apply.

I use a blend of Eco Earth and ReptiBark for substrate. It holds humidity well, spot cleans easy and looks naturalistic.
It looks like you're using ReptiBark so you're already off to a good start there.

I also use two water dishes. I actually use dog food dishes I buy at Walmart for $0.98 each. They're decent size, but hollow underneath, so they double as great hides. I just place a few flat stones underneath the edges to prop them up for my larger snakes. But they all love them cause they're tight fitting for them.

Depending on the time of year I add a small dish of sphagnum moss and keep that damp. This helps a lot in the cooler months when the heat is on.

Finally, what helps the absolute most...

I wrap my glass enclosures in 1/2" foam board insulation. I do the back, sides and top. It comes in 8 foot sheets, so I just measure the tank and cut pieces to fit. Then secure them in place with tape (outside the enclosure, no tape ever inside an enclosure). Lastly, I Trace the heat lamp and cut about an inch bigger circle than the lamp. This allows for space so the insulation isn't in direct contact with the lamp (but the insulation is also fire retardant) as well as allowing air flow.
This helps immensely with heat and humidity control. By keeping the enclosure insulated, the heating equipment doesn't need to run as hot. Less artificial heat = less water evaporation. And unfortunately bulbs zap humidity.
This also helps by creating a "shield" on top of the screen to keep moisture in. One side of the insulation is silver which reflects the humidity back in rather than evaporating.
Other bonuses: it provides the security snakes crave that I mentioned earlier.
It also helps with your electric bill since heating equipment doesn't need to work as hard.

As far as aesthetics, you can do all sorts of things to make it as pretty as you like. That's completely up to you.

I hope this helps. Feel free to ask follow ups if you have questions.

[Parsons483]

Ok. Now you'll need to consider that I live in MA so your climate may be a bit different from mine. So what works for me may need a little tweaking on your end, but the same principles apply.

I use a blend of Eco Earth and ReptiBark for substrate. It holds humidity well, spot cleans easy and looks naturalistic.
It looks like you're using ReptiBark so you're already off to a good start there.

I also use two water dishes. I actually use dog food dishes I buy at Walmart for $0.98 each. They're decent size, but hollow underneath, so they double as great hides. I just place a few flat stones underneath the edges to prop them up for my larger snakes. But they all love them cause they're tight fitting for them.

Depending on the time of year I add a small dish of sphagnum moss and keep that damp. This helps a lot in the cooler months when the heat is on.

Finally, what helps the absolute most...

I wrap my glass enclosures in 1/2" foam board insulation. I do the back, sides and top. It comes in 8 foot sheets, so I just measure the tank and cut pieces to fit. Then secure them in place with tape (outside the enclosure, no tape ever inside an enclosure). Lastly, I Trace the heat lamp and cut about an inch bigger circle than the lamp. This allows for space so the insulation isn't in direct contact with the lamp (but the insulation is also fire retardant) as well as allowing air flow.
This helps immensely with heat and humidity control. By keeping the enclosure insulated, the heating equipment doesn't need to run as hot. Less artificial heat = less water evaporation. And unfortunately bulbs zap humidity.
This also helps by creating a "shield" on top of the screen to keep moisture in. One side of the insulation is silver which reflects the humidity back in rather than evaporating.
Other bonuses: it provides the security snakes crave that I mentioned earlier.
It also helps with your electric bill since heating equipment doesn't need to work as hard.

As far as aesthetics, you can do all sorts of things to make it as pretty as you like. That's completely up to you.

I hope this helps. Feel free to ask follow ups if you have questions.

I live in Newfoundland, Canada. And the air is usually pretty damp here. Do I need to deep clean that at anytime? What’s in there is what came with her I wanted to get her fed before I started cleaning it. I’ll try the moss idea tho it seems pretty simple. And the water dish to make another hide thanks


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[Craiga 01453]

I live in Newfoundland, Canada. And the air is usually pretty damp here. Do I need to deep clean that at anytime? What’s in there is what came with her I wanted to get her fed before I started cleaning it. I’ll try the moss idea tho it seems pretty simple. And the water dish to make another hide thanks


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By deep cleaning do you mean the enclosure itself or the insulation?

I deep clean the enclosure, but generally just a quick wipedown of the insulation