Hey everyone!

I know you're probably looking at this post going "It's so long!!" Yes, it is, but please still read it and give me any help/advice you can. It's for the sake of mah snake . So a couple days ago I finally went out and bought myself a ball python. While I love my new baby Z, I'm beginning to realize I maybe wasn't as prepared for this new adventure as I thought I was. Let me start from the beginning; I hate buying pets from places like Petco and Petsmart. Honestly, I feel like a lot of the time the employees there aren't really experts on pets, and simply say what they need to in order to make a sale (I've worked in retail, so I know this happens. Unfortunately). I managed to find this cute little petstore near where I live that sold juvenile ball pythons for pretty cheap, the staff was friendly, and really seemed to know what they were talking about. I went back 4-5 times, asking questions, taking notes, putting together a budget, etc. Finally, the day came and I bought myself little baby Z. Here's where things get hairy...

At this little petstore they sold me a Zilla tropical reptile starter kit, which came with:
  • A 20G Long Reptile Terrarium (Z is only about 1.5 feet long so they said this would be a good size)
  • A blue daylight heat lamp
  • A reptile carpet (which I'm not using since I'm using a different substrate)
  • A thermo/hygrometer
  • UTH mat


In addition to this, I also bought:
  • Coco husk bedding (Because it retains moisture better, apparently)
  • A water dish larger enough that Z could completely submerge herself in, if desired


The associate at the pet store then directed me towards Petco since getting a hide and accessories for the tank would be much cheaper there. Unfortunately Petco was closed by the time I got there, so Z spent the first night with a waffle box as her hide. Before I left the petstore I was given a bunch of other instructions that I will omit. The reason for omission, is that when I went to Petco the next morning, the guy helping me there told me to ignore everything the other associate had told me, because it was completely wrong. He then redirected me to Petsmart, because Petco did not carry what I needed. At Petsmart I was then told again that the information I was given from the guy at Petco was incorrect (see why I don't like Petco and Petsmart?). At this point, I had given up on petstores. I bought the couple things I new I needed from Petsmart, went home, and consulted the one source of knowledge that has never let me down: THE INTERNET! So here I am, and here is the current lay of the land:
  • I have a 20 Long terrarium with a coco husk substrate
  • I have a single synthetic log hide (I was told to get synthetic since real wood rots) on the warm side of the tank.
  • I have a climbing branch in the middle of the tank
  • I have the water dish on the cool side of the tank
  • I have 2 thermo/hygrometers in the tank: one on the warmer side, one on the cool side
    • The warm side reads 60% humidity and 90 degrees F
    • The cool side reads 60% humidity and 80 degrees F

  • I have a heating bulb set up, but not the mat (I didn't attach it since I thought I was going to get a heating rock. Then I was told those kill snakes, so I decided that wasn't a good idea)
  • I'm using a plastic bag on the mesh cover to help regulate heat and humidity.


At this point I bet I can guess what most of you were thinking: "That poor snake?!" "What were you thinking, going into this so unprepared?!" "Why didn't you do more research first?!" "You should have put the tank and environment together first, THEN gotten the snake!" Yes, I know. I made a booboo. But I've invested too much and come too far to back out now. So now that we've established the damage, let's talk about how to fix it.
  • I've seen a lot people saying that it's better to ditch the heating lamp and just go with a good UTH pad. I'm all for this, but I know I need some way to regulate the heat pad. Any cheap but reliable ways to do that? And yes, I know I should look into a helix or herpstat, but right now I can't afford those. Also, should I keep the UTH on 24/7?
  • Next, I need some better thermo/hygrometers. I'm thinking 2 thermo/hygrometer combos (one for each side of the tank), and one probe thermometer to monitor the pad temp. I've heard acurites are pretty good. Suggestions?
  • I know I need to go pick up another hide for the cool side of my tank


If you have any other advice to give, I'm all ears. I know ball pythons are pretty tough snakes, but I want to get the best setup I can as quickly as I can. Thanks so much!