eating but not excreting...

[spudz11]

Hi all,

I'm new to the forums, my BP is about.. hmm, never really kept track, 5 and a half years or so? dunno if its a he or she... always had a healthy look and weight, but maybe on the smallish side its whole life, and a slow eater. Maybe because of having mites as a newborn?

Even in the summer time, gizmo will eat a medium sized rat once every 3 weeks... sometimes 2, but not often. Very very very slow eater over the winter... once every 2-3 months, regardless that I keep the cage the same temp, but take the daylight down an hour.

Anyways, gizmo's been still very quiet, not much activity day or night... still seems like he's in hibernation mode or something.. I kept a track of when his activity increased last year, and it was April 12. And over the winter, he doesn't seem interested in eating until he seems like he's beginning to lose a bit of weight, gets minor folds in the scales when bunched up... but then seems to eat a mouse and chill out.

Well, he's just ate yesterday, no hesitation (althought he took about 45 minutes to figure out not to eat it from the butt end... lol) but before that there was one rat about 2 months ago, and one about 2 months before that... yet he hasn't excreted those.

He's humid there! 90% or more for a few days a week, and 50-70% the rest of the time.

Mind you, he seems to put on the whole weight after eating and doesn't look thin/skinny or have folds anymore... should i be worried that: a) he hasn't become active yet this year; b) hasn't excreted in a few months?

Thanks
Brian

[AzureN1ght]

I'm fairly sure that BPs only excrete what their bodies can't use. Since yours seems to have feeding issues, perhaps his body is using every single bit of the rats that he does get. I'm not 100% sure on that, but that's my guess.

What are your temps? 90+% humidity even a few days a week is too high. Unless he's in shed, his humidity should be a stable 50-60%.

An adult BP should be able to eat one small/small rat every week. Usually what causes feeding issues is husbandry. Even if you think your temps are "okay", there is the possibility that they're off.

Mind telling us what your setup is like? Temps, what you use to measure heat/humidity, size of the enclosure, hides, waterbowl, substrate, etc?

That might help everyone help you--maybe help get your guy feeding for you regularly. Someone else with better experience will have to chime in on the excretion issue with certainty

[AzureN1ght]

Oops...didn't meat to "quote" myself. I was trying to edit out grammatical mistakes in my previous post

[spudz11]

Okay... temps are apparently low. Never measured properly i guess, well i did but i moved. So I spent some time using the search button to learn some more. Found out my big 50gal (wider and longer than it is tall, not the typical 50gal fish aquarium) is giving me and my BP some heat problems. which i guess is not uncommon.

I do manage humidity by having a cool mist humidifier on all the time, and the mist falls directly through the top of the cage. Tuned it now so i'm reading just under but close to 60% all the time. Its a dial type hygrometer... i know its not the best, but its what i've got.

So, tonight I'm setting up an 10"x11" undertank heater, controlled by a dimming light switch. well actually, a specialty one that is used to control fans. I now have a electronic temperature sensor with sensors at both ends of the aquarium that are about an inch into the substrate, to monitor those temperatures.

Turns out the cool end was only about 70F, and the hot end was only 78F... So that explains the slow metabolism. Also, I've not got him a UVA/UVB compact flourescent 13watt 5.0 in hopes of a little more natural vit. D production, and a 15W moonlight to get him active at night... its already helped.

I'll see how the temperatures are with the UTH tonight, and see what is needed for the 100w ceramic heater i've been using... but whether i need it to supplement the warm side, or see if the cold side is too cold we shall see after the UTH is going.

Given the large tank, any suggestions for warming up the cool end of the tank to a low 80s, considering i still might need the ceramic heater for the warm side?

Thanks,
Brian

[JimiSnakes]

The temp issue is most likely the problem. It needs to be low 90's on one side with a ambient of around 84. You don't need a uva/uvb bulb for a snake.

Given the large tank, any suggestions for warming up the cool end of the tank to a low 80s, considering i still might need the ceramic heater for the warm side?

Use a rubbermaid tub

[spudz11]

okay.. so given that i have spent the money on a 50gal, I don't think it takes a lot to figure out i'm NOT going to just put it in the garage and use a rubbermaid.

Any real suggestions to help my setup and not a ficticious one?

[Kagez28]

yea thats way off on temps. also i am a little confused... you say it's usually like 90% humidity, yet you have a humidifer on? maybe i read that worng.

although a dimmer is ok, your best bet is to get a thermostat. that will help stablize temps.

[rabernet]

okay.. so given that i have spent the money on a 50gal, I don't think it takes a lot to figure out i'm NOT going to just put it in the garage and use a rubbermaid.

Any real suggestions to help my setup and not a ficticious one?

That WAS a real suggestion. A lot of ball pythons do not feed consistently in enclosures as large as a 50 gallon because of the challenges of providing proper temps and humidity as you have already attested to.

Honestly, what's more important? The money you've spent on a monstrosity of a tank, or providing the best possible environment you can for your snake?

Rubbermaids hold heat and humidity beautifully as well as providing the security that ball pythons desire.

[BostonMacK]

Spudz,

I have only had my Ball for about a month now yet that was long enough to learn a few things. Ball Pythons do not need a 50 gal tank to be happy, many times they don't do very well in tanks that large for a few reasons. Glass tanks are tough to keep the proper temps in and they are not very good at keeping humidty levels within the right range. Ball Pythons do not like to be in huge open areas, they prefer tighter areas. Tons of people here, VERY EXPERIENCED people here use plastic tubs such as rubbermaids to keep their BP's in, that was not a joke. I guarentee any BP would very much prefer a rubbermaid tub as apposed to your 50 gal tank regardless of what you paid for it or how pretty it looks.

Before you do anything else I suggest you think about what is more important to you, using what you spent allot of money on or rather what will provide your snake with what it needs to thrive. It's a shame you went out and bought that huge tank without doing some research here before hand. Regardless of which way you go you will need to give yuour snake a 90-94 hot side temp and a 80-84 cool side temp with humidity around 50% unless in shed. Once you get that your snake will be doing well in every aspect.

Good luck