Is my cage okay?

[Kinra]

I have a 10 Gallon and I don't have any supplies but the 1 light/lamp I mean he's well fed and stuff but like im so confused because some people tell my i don't need any of that stuff and other people give me long lists of things ):

Everyone has different opinions on how they should be kept. Most people here will recommend you use a heat pad for BPs so they have belly heat. You can setup a cage pretty cheap or you can make some nice cages that will cost more money. You have to monitor your temps though, snakes need a certain temperature for proper digestion and they should really be given a heat gradient. Also a lot of heat devices get much hotter than we realize. Heat pads get especially hot which can burn the snake. The reason most people will also recommend heat pads because they help more with humidity. I personally keep my BPs in rubbermaid tubs with news paper bedding and Tupperware hides. It's cheap to setup and easy to maintain.

Just because your BP is well fed doesn't mean much. They need to have the proper environment or they will stop eating or worse get really sick.

[JamieH]

I have a 10 Gallon and I don't have any supplies but the 1 light/lamp I mean he's well fed and stuff but like im so confused because some people tell my i don't need any of that stuff and other people give me long lists of things ):

ok, a ten gallon is ok for a juvenile, but you will need to upgrade

Get a heat pad, and a lamp dimmer at least.
get the thermometer, and 2 hides. (this is BASIC necessity)

I would get rid of the lamp, its kills all of your humidity.

do you have the snake yet? or are you going to try to get everything set up first? Oh, did you read the caresheet yet? thats what I go by

[mommanessy247]

i'll just parrot whats already been said...

heat pad - should be about 1/2 the size of the tank (MUST be controlled by something preferrably a thermostat but others here use dimmers too)

something dark to "black out" the sides and back of the tank. this will help your bp feel more secure as they are very shy nocturnal creatures.

with a properly controlled heat pad you can ditch the lamp. again bp's are nocturnal so a light constantly shining down on them will only stress them out.
also lamps suck out all humidity. too low humidity = bad sheds.

2 identical hides, one on warm side & one at the cool side. this is so they can thermoregulate as they choose and if the hides are identical the snake wont have to choose security over temp.

temp guns are awesome. they measure surface temps which will tell you what your snake is sitting on and they're more easily used then a temp probe that you have to affix to one spot.

an acu-rite (like this...i have one of these)



this tells time on top, temp in middle (measured with the probe) & humidity on bottom (as a %).

good luck

[jvillafane]

Yes i already have my snake he seems really happy he let me hold him the first day I got him(: but thanks for all the help! I'm planning on saving up a lot of money (im only 14) and buying ALL the supplies even ones that arent necessary

[jvillafane]

okay should I just get rid of my lamp then? The room he is in is about 85 degrees and @mammanessy247 how do I make dark spots of the cage?

[Kinra]

okay should I just get rid of my lamp then? The room he is in is about 85 degrees and @mammanessy247 how do I make dark spots of the cage?

You need to get the temps inside of the cage. If the room is a constant 85 degrees and never changes you might be able to ditch the lamp. If the temp is not constant, get a heat pad and then ditch the lamp. The lamp will work for now, but it's not recommended.

You can find black contact paper at a hardware store, that's what a lot of people use to black the back and sides of the cage.

[jvillafane]

oh okay thanks! also is it normal if he hasnt sheded since i bought him i bought him exactly 4 weeks and 1 day ago

[Crazy4Herps]

^^This is all great advice. Just for the heck of it, here's my .02...

I have a 10 Gallon and I don't have any supplies but the 1 light/lamp I mean he's well fed and stuff but like im so confused because some people tell my i don't need any of that stuff and other people give me long lists of things ):

Everyone has different methods when it comes to keeping snakes. A big part of the hobby is finding a system that works for you. Experiment with different heating devices and try not to get frustrated; you'll figure it out, it just takes time.

Exact temperatures are extremely important for ball pythons; they need temps warm enough to allow them to digest but cool enough so that they won't get burned. A temperature gradient is also important so that the "warm side" of the cage is good for basking and digestion, but they can move to the "cool side" of the cage if they start to overheat. The warm side of the cage needs to be between 88 and 94*F and the cool side needs to be in the high 70's or low 80's. It is very important that the temps stay in this range.

...Which is why thermometers are so important. The AcuRite digital thermometer with a probe that others have recommended is great. I got mine for $15 each at Walmart. It allows you to measure the temps at both sides of the cage as well as the humidity.

Also, since you're using a lamp, be sure to turn it off at night. Constant light will stress your snake. Temps at night can drop 5 degrees or so, but it is still important to have heat, which is why many people recommend under tank heaters such as heat pads.

Try out a combination of different heat sources and keep checking the temperatures until you figure something out that works for you.

And if you have any other questions, we're here to help!

[Crazy4Herps]

oh okay thanks! also is it normal if he hasnt sheded since i bought him i bought him exactly 4 weeks and 1 day ago

Nothing to worry about, they shed less and less frequently as they age.