Help W/set Up Cage Please!

[Evilme5229]

Got a big problem. I just got a snake over the weekend and it came with a 20 gallon tank, mulch, water dish, one hide box, and (1) heat lamp, mesh framed lid. I went to one of the local reptile shop that is known to have alot of supplies and bought a "thermostat" (little strip of nothing that is suppose to tell me what temp is in the cage-hahaha right), 2 more hid boxes, and clips to make sure my little buddy doesn't escape into my house with 3 cats. Anyway, I went to my vet and he told me theres a couple of problems, I can't know how much humidity is in the cage as well as he told me that it would be best if I could control the heat from the ground floor of the cage. He says he uses a Helix thermostat. (He gave me a couple of other options-where me being an amature at this, I'm just lost) I looked at the Helix thermostat but I have no idea if I got it what to do with it. Does anyone have pictures on how to correctly setup the cage for my snake so it doesn't develop RI or any other problems. Hes about 6 months old and right now hes not eating and I think the climate is the culprit. Any advice is appreciated. Thanks. ~Shannon

[dr del]

Hi,

We have some great stickies that will get you started.

Glass tank set up sticky.

Ball python caresheet.

Bp husbandry FAQ.


Then ask about anything you want expanded on or alternatives for.



dr del

[Evilme5229]

Hi,

We have some great stickies that will get you started.

Glass tank set up sticky.

Ball python caresheet.

Bp husbandry FAQ.


Then ask about anything you want expanded on or alternatives for.



dr del

The stickys you provided are helpful, but I'm still wondering why theres so much equipment? She said it perfectly its probably overkill. Right now I'm wondering if the UTH heating pad by Zoo Med for the 20 gal, The Digital Thermomet & Humidity Guage by Fluckers, and the Repti Carpet is on average to what is needed. As far as the Alife thermostats I'm wondering where these are going to go? How many thermostats need to be in a 20 gal cage?

[Texas Dan]

The stickys you provided are helpful, but I'm still wondering why theres so much equipment? She said it perfectly its probably overkill. Right now I'm wondering if the UTH heating pad by Zoo Med for the 20 gal, The Digital Thermomet & Humidity Guage by Fluckers, and the Repti Carpet is on average to what is needed. As far as the Alife thermostats I'm wondering where these are going to go? How many thermostats need to be in a 20 gal cage?

Some people may say 2, but for my 20L I only use one, and two Accurite thermometers.

I use a herpstat from spyder robotics.

[frankykeno]

Got a big problem. I just got a snake over the weekend and it came with a 20 gallon tank, mulch, water dish, one hide box, and (1) heat lamp, mesh framed lid. I went to one of the local reptile shop that is known to have alot of supplies and bought a "thermostat" (little strip of nothing that is suppose to tell me what temp is in the cage-hahaha right), 2 more hid boxes, and clips to make sure my little buddy doesn't escape into my house with 3 cats. Anyway, I went to my vet and he told me theres a couple of problems, I can't know how much humidity is in the cage as well as he told me that it would be best if I could control the heat from the ground floor of the cage. He says he uses a Helix thermostat. (He gave me a couple of other options-where me being an amature at this, I'm just lost) I looked at the Helix thermostat but I have no idea if I got it what to do with it. Does anyone have pictures on how to correctly setup the cage for my snake so it doesn't develop RI or any other problems. Hes about 6 months old and right now hes not eating and I think the climate is the culprit. Any advice is appreciated. Thanks. ~Shannon

You've got a good herp vet, Shannon, that actually seems to know his husbandry. That's a rare and great thing.

These snakes do best with underbelly heat. That's a heat source under and outside of their enclosure that radiates upwards through the substrate to the snake. BP's are ground dwellers so this sort of stable underbelly heat works best for them.

Not eating is more of a symptom of a problem then it is the problem. If his environment is not correct, that could most likely be the culprit. You want an enclosure that allows for a cool side of about 80-82 degrees, a warm side of about 90-92 degrees (this allows for proper thermoregulation for his good health and ability to digest his prey properly) and an overall humidity of about 50% (push to 60% when in shed).

To monitor this you want an Acu-Rite. WalMart sells these for about $10.00 plus the cost of one AAA battery. If you do a search here on Acu-Rite you will find tons of threads on how to use one to monitor two sides for temps and overall humidity (or I can provide you with pics). Those stick on deals from the pet store are next to useless and they should not even be selling them as far as I'm concerned.

With a glass tank/mesh lid you are losing major heat and humidity out the lid. You need to cover a good part of that lid to address that issue. You can use something as simple as a piece of plexiglass ($5.00 from Home Depot) or some Glad Press n Seal wrap. Leave part of the mesh exposed to allow for ventilation but cover most of it.

Make sure the tank is not near a window. Glass gets cold fast from drafts and if the sun shines in through it, glass tanks can very quickly become ovens.

You can check out www.reptilebasics for some heating ideas. They really are experts and Rich is great at helping new herpers. If a thermostat is out of the budget at the moment, you can temporarily use a rheostat to control the undertank heating source. A rheostat is basically a light dimmer control found at any home supply store (Home Depot, Lowe's, even WalMart or Target - runs about $10.00). Again search here for rheostat so you know how to use one with a heat source or I can post a pic for you if you need that.

While you are fiddling about with his enclosure don't even try to feed. It likely won't work or if he does eat and his tank is too cold, he can't digest properly. Get the tweaking done quickly, give the snake a week to adjust to the changes, then offer a feeding is best.

Don't fret, you're not the first to get a poor setup sold to you by the pet stores and it's all fixable quite quickly and without spending a small fortune. Be very happy you actually have a vet that gave you such good husbandry advice.

[gmcclurelssu]

definantly helps to get good advice right off the bat. i could have most likely spent way less money and have a better tank if i knew what i know now.
one thing you may need to do that i haven't seen mentioned yet is covering some of the sides of the tank with some sort of opaque background. it really seemed to help with my snakes level of security. it also helps insulate the tank if it is in a drafty area.

[Evilme5229]

definantly helps to get good advice right off the bat. i could have most likely spent way less money and have a better tank if i knew what i know now.
one thing you may need to do that i haven't seen mentioned yet is covering some of the sides of the tank with some sort of opaque background. it really seemed to help with my snakes level of security. it also helps insulate the tank if it is in a drafty area.

Yeah I just did that. The tank definately looks pretty ramped up. My snake is loving the warmth. The humdity in FL has been kind so its working out great! My baby definately seems happier.