Hello, Im new here and I want to make sure Im providing the best Husbandry for my BP

[Niveis Frigoro]

I got M'aiq around a week ago, He actually ate today which I was not expecting. M'aiq came from a store that only fed Live, so I was SUPER surprised/relieved that he took pre-killed. Im hoping that he'll accept frozen next feeding.

Before I got em, I researched ball python care for months, And I got a general Idea of what I needed, but there was a lot of conflicting Information.
I wanted to post his current conditions on here to see if there Is anything I should Improve on/ change

Alright, So here's his Info:

Name: M'aiq
Age: around 2 years old
Feeder Size: medium sized rats, formerly live.
sex: Male

Tank:
40 Gallon Breeder Aqueon tank

Heat: 90-92 on hot side, Controlled by Jumpstart Thermostat and provided by an Exo-Terra Undertank heat mat. Cold Side temps range about 78-82. Also Has a heatmat/Thermostat on cold side because my room Is cold.
Humidity: right now around 72ish (he's In shed) But is Usually around 60-65%
Substrate: A mixture of Eco Earth and Cypress Mulch, The top is dry to prevent scalerot.

Hides/Enrichment: Two Hides, one hot one cold. One wall plant, A cork flat to slither on/under, 5 rocks to rub on and climb, A water dish big enough to soak in, Stacking rocks, A humidity Hide. Im planning on getting a ground plant soon.

Thermometers/Hydrometers: 1 ZooMed Dual Digital Thermometer/Hydrometer + One ZooMed digital thermometer measuring hot side temp.

Extras: I use Reptisafe to dechlorinate water, And I use Zilla Tropical mist spray to keep the humidity up without getting the substrate wet.

Lighting: None other than Ambient from the window

[GoingPostal]

I'd drop your hot size a little bit down to 88-90 and feed him small rats but other than that sounds like you've got it under control. Good job! He ate in shed even? If he took pk no issue he should take f/t fine, most do ime, if they are already eating on a regular basis they tend to be easy to switch.

[Igotsmallballs]

I’m assuming you scanned the surface temp of the enclosure where the heating pad is and got 90-92?

[christineho]

I got M'aiq around a week ago, He actually ate today which I was not expecting. M'aiq came from a store that only fed Live, so I was SUPER surprised/relieved that he took pre-killed. Im hoping that he'll accept frozen next feeding.

Before I got em, I researched ball python care for months, And I got a general Idea of what I needed, but there was a lot of conflicting Information.
I wanted to post his current conditions on here to see if there Is anything I should Improve on/ change

Alright, So here's his Info:

Name: M'aiq
Age: around 2 years old
Feeder Size: medium sized rats, formerly live.
sex: Male

Tank:
40 Gallon Breeder Aqueon tank

Heat: 90-92 on hot side, Controlled by Jumpstart Thermostat and provided by an Exo-Terra Undertank heat mat. Cold Side temps range about 78-82. Also Has a heatmat/Thermostat on cold side because my room Is cold.
Humidity: right now around 72ish (he's In shed) But is Usually around 60-65%
Substrate: A mixture of Eco Earth and Cypress Mulch, The top is dry to prevent scalerot.

Hides/Enrichment: Two Hides, one hot one cold. One wall plant, A cork flat to slither on/under, 5 rocks to rub on and climb, A water dish big enough to soak in, Stacking rocks, A humidity Hide. Im planning on getting a ground plant soon.

Thermometers/Hydrometers: 1 ZooMed Dual Digital Thermometer/Hydrometer + One ZooMed digital thermometer measuring hot side temp.

Extras: I use Reptisafe to dechlorinate water, And I use Zilla Tropical mist spray to keep the humidity up without getting the substrate wet.

Lighting: None other than Ambient from the window

Congrats on your new baby! I don't think you need to drop the hot side if the glass is reading 88-90 with an IR gun. My only other thought is that most adult male bps don't need to eat anything larger than a small rat but if he's eating well, then just watch his weight! Also, make sure he has good access to water if he ate close to shed -- both the process of digestion and shedding are highly dehydrating.

[Craiga 01453]

Welcome to the forum and the wonderful world of snake keeping.

I didn't notice much, you're off to a great start

You could drop your hot side a bit. 88-89 is preferred. I never go above 90.

Unless you have well water or your water needs to be treated you don't need to try the water. If its good enough for us to drink it's good enough for our snakes. Don't waste money if you don't need it.

Lastly, and most importantly... Males don't need anything larger than a small rat. My males are 5 and 3 years old and get a small every 10-24 days.
Feeding too large a meal will basically guarantee future food strikes. Stick to an appropriately sized meal and you'll have a healthier snake who eats more reliably.

My boys eat year round. So if you studied BPs for months you'll know they're probe to food strikes. The main reason...BPs are drastically over fed in captivity. Unfortunately many people only study care sheets or how to keep the animals husbandry right. But studying the actual animal is just as important. BPs do not eat on a schedule in nature. And definitely not weekly.


You're off to a great start though!! Keep up the great work!!