New BP tank advice

[Homebody]

I think that screen top is going to make maintaining heat and humidity a challenge, but it's obvious that you have the skills to meet that challenge. Otherwise, it's a well planned and executed enclosure. Count me impressed.

Is that aspen you're using as substrate? You may want to consider something that holds humidity better.

[Homebody]

Oh, and the fogger access hole worries me.

Your bp will attempt to escape through this hole and may injure himself. You need to close it. I'm thinking some type of grommet will do the trick.

[Pilch]

Yeah, I’ll be bringing a couple things with him from the old tank, like his rock and another stick. I might look for another plant, too.

[Pilch]

Yes, I’ve noted the gap in the access hole, too. I will definitely plug it up. And yes, that’s Aspen. I’m already seeing that it’s a challenge to get the temp and humidity up, even with the double lamp. I’ve temporarily put a towel over about half the top to see if that makes a difference, but I might need to go with some plexiglass or something. Thanks for the tips.

[Bogertophis]

Towels don't prevent air-flow & never work for this purpose- even when they're damp, since the warm air is rising, & it's taking most of the "humidity" from a damp towel up & away from the enclosure. You'll have to cover most* of the screen with something- anything- that prevents air flow. (*leave small gaps for fresh air incoming & outflow)

[Pilch]

UPDATE: Plexiglass and grommet installed. Tonight i introduced Angel to the new environ. Need some advice. I know this should be done a little at a time. I was thinking an hour or two in the new spot and then back in the old tank, do this over a few weeks, a little more in the new place each time. I had intended to start that process later as I think Angel is about to shed. But he's been a little... different... lately. He's not seeking solitude and privacy, he's just camping out in the old tank right under the lamp. I think with the colder weather in Georgia, he's fighting for heat (hard to keep that area over mid to high 80s). I wasn't going to start the transition process while his eyes are cloudy, but the behavior lately has me a little concerned. I wanted to get him closer to a more stable, controlled environment. So in he went tonight. And he definitely explored at first, pic below of him taking his first drink. But he's also pretty much camped out under the split level and hasn't come out in a while. Hiding because he's stressed? I'm wondering if I should leave him in there and not force him out. Or should I not keep him stressed in a new environment for too long, lift up the platform, and get him back to his old home, which may be substandard, temperature-wise. I do recall that he has had to transition a couple times in life abruptly (not ideal), but he was also younger. Advice?

[BeansTheDerp]

I would think that if you keep moving him from enclosure to enclosure you might stress him out with the moving, I haven't heard of people slowly "transitioning" them. I would just give him some time. Right now he might be kind of confused about the new place but that might be because he needs time to explore. If you do feel like it might be too out in the open then I would add some more decor/clutter to make him feel better, but I think he will be fine once he gets used to the new enclosure. Like I said I have never heard of people transitioning their snakes but if that is something that people are doing now then alright!
One way you could try to make him more comfortable in there is by using something in the tank from the old one, so that the smell is familiar and "safer".

[Bogertophis]

You know your snake better than we do, but if he's going into shed, that aspen won't help the humidity.

Hiding out in the new place should not surprise you- he's bound to feel less secure there, & if you're having difficulty keeping him warm enough, it's also no surprise that he's hanging out in the open under the warm light in his old home, where he's obviously more relaxed & is choosing warmth over "security" for now.

How warm is it under the "split level"? If he's warm enough there (roughly equal to his old-home's basking place that he's been favoring) it's probably fine to leave him where he is, in the new place...but it all comes down to the temperature. You said he's wanting the warmth right now, & but it's also typical for snakes going into shed to choose security (hiding) & unless he's still digesting right now, snakes usually prefer being in the cooler hide at this time. So, when was he last fed? See, you want answers but you're leaving out some details -or expecting us to search for them?

If he's warm enough in the new place, & seems to like hiding there, & really is going into shed- I'd probably leave him be- but give him a humid hide, maybe midway (not totally in the coolest area). Beans has a point- if he's acting a little odd right now, then maybe the stress of going back & forth isn't the best thing for him. Not all snakes are the same, & like I said, you know him better than we do, so you have to learn to trust your hunches too.

[Pilch]

He last ate in early November. We tried to feed him about a couple weeks ago, and he was NOT interested. And I'm not sure he'd be interested right now given that he's near shedding. Temps under the split level are comparable to his old tank on the "hot" end, around mid 80s. I've been ramping up the UTH (the UTH probe under the PVC floor actually measures 102-103), but it's hard to punch through the floor + 1" of aspen. Over the split level, it's 89 - 91 on the surface via laser thermometer (nearby ambient probe measures 80).

FWIW, the humidity has been pretty consistent in the new tank between 50% and 60%, although in his old tank I was driving it up to 70% temporarily knowing he was going into a shed. If I keep him in the new tank, maybe I kick that up to 70% -- and provide the sphagnum moss moist hide (right now it's just sitting over the dry aspen).

Hiding definitely does not surprise me, but I could have sworn I read either in this forum or in another online article that gradual changes were better than abrupt ones, but going back and searching I can't find the references now (maybe I misread something?). This is certainly the most drastic change he's undergone since I've had him in the last 2 years. I think based on initial reactions, I'll a) keep him in the new space, b) transition some of his old "clutter," and c) kick up the humidity levels and let him shed in the new environ. In retrospect, back and forth between tanks maybe seems like a lot of change. And once he sheds, I may try to feed him again, but this time last year, he went for 3.5 - 4 months without eating, so I won't freak out if he still doesn't go for it.

I definitely feel better about the heat levels in the new tank, I'm thinking that's healthier for him. But that's why I'm checking in with you guys.

[Bogertophis]

You really don't want more than 1/2" of substrate over UTH. It becomes "insulation", preventing the UTH heat from rising into the enclosure where it's needed. And it can also cause the UTH to overheat & malfunction- especially if you also failed to ventilate a little under the enclosure/tank, as the manufacturers generally instruct.

You need to assume that your snake (any snake) may dig down & contact the actual floor, so you want to make sure it's not too hot- that's how snakes get burned. They don't realize damage & remain in place too long. I'm having trouble telling if what you're describing in the new "split-level" is safe or not for him. You supposed to have the t-stat probe outside the enclosure, sandwiched between the glass/or whatever the floor is made of, & the actual UTH. It doesn't matter much what the t-stat is reading, what's important (essential) is that where the snake WILL contact the floor inside the enclosure is not over 90* (or by very little), because sooner or later, they WILL dig around & contact that- & if it's too hot, they get injured. So you need to actually push the substrate away to take the floor temperature, then put it back (not too deep) after you're sure that the temp. is safe.

So off-hand, I'd suggest moving him back to his old home for now IF you need to make some more adjustments. Like I said, I'm not totally sure what you meant. If he's going into shed (& he's obviously not digesting either) he's mostly going to be laying low right now anyway. If he seems comfortable, this may work out just fine to leave him be.

There's no hard & fast rule about slowly transitioning a snake to a new enclosure (& most people never think of doing it), but it makes sense to do so if at all possible, knowing that snakes keep searching for their old home for a while, & usually refuse to eat as a result. Confusion is stressful for them, & they don't understand where the world they knew just disappeared to. But if your guy is drinking water & seems comfortable in the split-level, I'd leave him there, as long as you don't need to adjust things for healthy & safety, etc. (as discussed above) So again, it's up to you.

Raising the humidity some, & adding some of his familiar furnishings sounds good-