Finally I can have a snake for a pet! BUT need some advice from experts

[cinderbird]

Why don't I need a basking light? Then how would I make one side in the 90s??

An under tank heater and a reliable thermostat are your best bets. Basking lights and ceramic heat emitters totally suck humidity out of the air. Balls need around 50% humidity all the time. Thermostats that come highly recommended are Johnson controls, ranco, herpstat, helix and sypder robotics.

Personally, i'd get a real thermostat and be happy and stay away from rheostats and stuff like zoomed repti-temp 500Rs. Those are only really good if your room temps NEVER fluctuate. There are people on this site that use them with success, but I could never get a rheostat type thing to work for me without hourly adjustment.

[Kaorte]

You also don't need a basking light because ball pythons do not bask.

[DutchHerp]

You also don't need a basking light because ball pythons do not bask.

Not entirely true.

BPs have been documenting getting heat from hot rocks after the sun went down... a type of basking, no?

[Kaorte]

Not entirely true.

BPs have been documenting getting heat from hot rocks after the sun went down... a type of basking, no?

Basking is when you sit out in direct sunlight, they don't do that.

The sun heats the rocks and they get the heat from the rocks, not from the sun above.

[DutchHerp]

bask
Pronunciation:
\ˈbask\
Function:
verb
Etymology:
Middle English, probably from Old Norse bathask, reflexive of batha to bathe; akin to Old English bæth bath
Date:
14th century
intransitive verb
1: to lie or relax in a pleasant warmth or atmosphere
2: to take pleasure or derive enjoyment <basked in the spotlight>
transitive verb
obsolete : to warm by continued exposure to heat

In several herp books I've seen that getting heat from rocks is referred to as basking.

[Kaorte]

bask
Pronunciation:
\ˈbask\
Function:
verb
Etymology:
Middle English, probably from Old Norse bathask, reflexive of batha to bathe; akin to Old English bæth bath
Date:
14th century
intransitive verb
1: to lie or relax in a pleasant warmth or atmosphere
2: to take pleasure or derive enjoyment <basked in the spotlight>
transitive verb
obsolete : to warm by continued exposure to heat

In several herp books I've seen that getting heat from rocks is referred to as basking.

Ah well, I guess my definition is a little different. Although there have been cases of ball pythons coming out to lay on rocks to get warmth, it really isn't all that common. Especially in captivity where we can make it so they don't have to leave the security of their hide and make themselves vulnerable in order to heat themselves properly.

[cartman89]

now I thought a thermostat just tells you the readings of the temp and humidity? It actually heats the tanks up? So all I really need is a UTH to heat the tank up? Well I going to ask alot of questions in the following months...even if they are dumb lol. I'm moving away from fish for awhile and getting my hands back on a reptile, something new and adventurous!

[grim reaper in NY]

The thermostat will regulate the temp of your UTH. It's a necessity if utilizing this method of heat for your snake. The UTH's can get VERY warm and if left unregulated could result in your snake being seriously injured and burned should they decide to lay on the section of the tank it is mounted to. Also, when using the UTH, put it under one side of the tank, NOT in the middle. This will assist in establishing a "hot" and "cold" side for your pet.

[cinderbird]

now I thought a thermostat just tells you the readings of the temp and humidity? It actually heats the tanks up? So all I really need is a UTH to heat the tank up? Well I going to ask alot of questions in the following months...even if they are dumb lol. I'm moving away from fish for awhile and getting my hands back on a reptile, something new and adventurous!

Thermometer -- temperature reading

Thermostat -- temperature regulation

No such thing as a dumb question. There is a lot of awesome information on this site (the search feature on the sidebar is also very very nice )

[mainbutter]

my advice is to do a bit of research on the multitude of species available. You might think you have your heart set on a ball python and then realize there's other cool species you didn't even know about that you might think are even cooler, more fun, better sized etc. It's easy to get the idea in your head that you want the snake you keep seeing in pet stores all the time, simply because you see them the most often.

People who are and stay excited about their pets make the best keepers.