First Ball Python - Terrarium Questuons & Concerns.

[southwind]

I am going to be building my 1 year old ball python a Terrarium in a tank that is 36x17x18, It has split mesh lid with many internal clips.

I know I will need a heat pad, and possibly a heat lamp (unsure based on some users posts)

1. Do I need a heat pad for the cool side?

2. I'm worried that if I setup the heat pad incorrectly and have the air temp at 80-85 the glass temp might burn the snake.

3. Are these correct, Daytime should be maintained at 80° - 85° F with a basking temperature of 90° - 95° F. Nighttime should be 75° - 80° F

4. Is there a way to auto-adjust the temps, Incase I go away for a week?

5. Do I need a heat lamp, What is the best type of bulb?

6. I am also thinking of doing the tin foil on the mesh to keep heat in, Is this a good idea?

7. If I don't get the temp correct the first couple of days (lets say a bit too low of temp) will it hurt my ball python?

8. When I handle my ball python, will the temp change hurt him, or does my body heat keep him warm enough?

I know its a lot of questions, there are so many mixed answers I'm a bit confused and want to take the best care of my snake possible!

Thanks!

[The Serpent Merchant]

1. Heat pads do not change the temperature of the air inside the cage. This means that if the room is 75 degrees or below you will need a heat lamp to maintain the air temperature inside the cage.

2. Heat pads MUST be regulated by a thermostat. Without a thermostat they can get hot enough to kill your snake (130+)

3. Don't drop the temperatures at night. You want a 88-92 degree hot side and a 78-82 degree cool side. No part of the cage should ever get above 95 or below 75.

4. You MUST regulate your heating pad with a thermostat. This is a completely automated device.

Don't waste your money on the junk sold in pet stores. Here are 3 good thermostats:

Budget: http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B000NZZG3S

Mid-Range: http://www.reptilebasics.com/ranco-etc-111000-pre-wired

Best: http://spyderrobotics.com/home/products.html

5. Refer to #1 for if you need one or not. If you do need one I suggest an infrared heat lamp like this one: http://m.petsmart.com/mt/www.petsmar...AvailInUS%2FNo

6. The tin foil isn't going to do much for heat, but will do a lot for humidity.

7. It depends on how far off the temperatures are.

8. As long as the room you are in isn't freezing cold it shouldn't be an issue.

For more information check out these 2 threads:

http://ball-pythons.net/forums/showt...ius)-Caresheet

http://ball-pythons.net/forums/showt...t-Thermometers

[barbie.dragon]

Instead of infrared I would go black bulbs, much less intrusive to the human eye at night. Well I keep my snake tank next to my bed so id you keep yours in your room black light !

[kitedemon]

I might suggest side turning the tank it gives you more space. It also holds heat and humidity better at a slightly increased cost. A thermostat is a must, UTH need to be regulated.

http://ball-pythons.net/forums/showt...arium-Solution

I personally have a handful of hydrofarms and would NOT recommend them as a good or ever mediocre. They are not reliable nor accurate I would suggest if you choose this particular brand that an accurate thermometer be added to the mix as they are often more expensive than a good thermostat. As Arron says don't waste you money on junk we differ as I own hydrofarms and know they are junk.

Ambient temps will effect everything else as well as the room temp the enclosure is placed into. I personally keep enclosures in a cool room (below 68ºF) the issues I have are different issues from something someone else may have. Every set up is different. It is hard to tell you exactly what methods will work for you with out much more information. I would find a good UTH preferably one of the new style that has lower max temps as an added safety precaution. (although if your room is very cool this may be an issue as the low wattage pads may not hold 90º) I like Ultratherms as they are reliable and run cooler but intellitemp kane and even exo terra rainforrest do the same.

PLEASE build your set up well in advance of obtaining the snake this gives you time to get it right before needing to experiment on your snake.

[JeRMz]

Hello all! Just have a question regarding Vivarium Electronics VE-200 T-Stat. I was thinking about pairing it up with an Ultratherm 11" x 11" UTH on a 20 long. Rather new to BP's, been reading everything I get my hands/eyes on for a couple months now.
If someone is familiar with these brands/models, I was wondering if I plugged a power strip to the back of the VE-200, could I regulate the UTH and a heat lamp (or two)? I'm looking at the VE-200 because of the Proportional-Pulse feature on it. Thank you for your time!

[patientz3ro]

Hello all! Just have a question regarding Vivarium Electronics VE-200 T-Stat. I was thinking about pairing it up with an Ultratherm 11" x 11" UTH on a 20 long. Rather new to BP's, been reading everything I get my hands/eyes on for a couple months now.
If someone is familiar with these brands/models, I was wondering if I plugged a power strip to the back of the VE-200, could I regulate the UTH and a heat lamp (or two)? I'm looking at the VE-200 because of the Proportional-Pulse feature on it. Thank you for your time!

The short answer is no. A UTH is going to be set at 95+ to create a hotspot of 90 degrees, and setting your heat lamps that high is not a very good idea. Also, there are two models of VE-200. One is pulse proportional, and one will do pulse or dimming. VE does NOT recommend pulse proportional for use with incandescent lights. It makes them blink on and off. Aside from shortening the life of your bulbs, that's pretty stressful for the snake. On the other hand, it IS a pretty effective way to find out if you're epileptic.

[JeRMz]

The short answer is no. A UTH is going to be set at 95+ to create a hotspot of 90 degrees, and setting your heat lamps that high is not a very good idea. Also, there are two models of VE-200. One is pulse proportional, and one will do pulse or dimming. VE does NOT recommend pulse proportional for use with incandescent lights. It makes them blink on and off. Aside from shortening the life of your bulbs, that's pretty stressful for the snake. On the other hand, it IS a pretty effective way to find out if you're epileptic.

Amazing what one can learn in under 30 days. Lamp dimmer, already purchased.

[patientz3ro]

Amazing what one can learn in under 30 days. Lamp dimmer, already purchased.

A dimmer isn't a horrible way to start out, but you're going to hate it pretty quickly. They're not very stable in terms of holding a temperature. It WILL do the job until you put together the cash for a good thermostat, but it'll be a pain in the butt. Don't get me wrong, I'm not dogging your choice. I started out with a dimmer myself.