Beginner needs some advice

[nixiefee]

Hello everyone, I am new here, and relativly new to snakes/reptiles. I currently own a corn snake and a ball python. Just got the ball last night. I do not know much about the ball, the corn snake I have had a little more experience with.

For the corn snake, I have a 20 gal long tank, reptile bark substrate, a climbing branch with hidey holes, a large water dish, a light above the warm side, and an under the tank heater. What would be suggested to add to this? Do I need to block some of the screen top to keep in more moisture? Should I mist the inside once a week to add humidity? Any other advice that you can give me? He is not full grown yet, only 2.5 feet long and about as big around as a thick crayon. His name is Omar.

For the Ball, she is full grown, almost 4 feet long. Serena, the ball, was given to us last night. The people we got her from had not handled her since May, but she is doing great. They gave us her enclosure, heat pad, climbing log, and water dish. Problem is her encloser is completely mesh. Do I need to enclose it with sides and along the bottom to help hold in heat and humidity? I have a light above her on the warm side of the enclosure for basking, and am using a human heating pad under the tank set on medium for a larger warm spot (was a small 10 gallon heating pad). The enclosure is the length of a 20 long, but twice as high. I made her a hidey box this morning using an old photo box that we had..it is black. her substrate is reptile bark as well. Any advice on what I should add, what type of greenery to add, where to get a longer climibing log? The log that came with her is not very high, and is wobbily, so I would like to get her something new. Also, is there a way to add "shelves" safely in an enclosure for them to climb on and have different heights? I have thought about getting the plastic locker shelves to add some dimension to her habitat and give it a better look.

Any help that can be given will be much appreciated by myself, and my loved reptiles.

Thank you
Chelsea

[nixer]

Hello everyone, I am new here, and relativly new to snakes/reptiles. I currently own a corn snake and a ball python. Just got the ball last night. I do not know much about the ball, the corn snake I have had a little more experience with.

For the corn snake, I have a 20 gal long tank, reptile bark substrate, a climbing branch with hidey holes, a large water dish, a light above the warm side, and an under the tank heater. What would be suggested to add to this? Do I need to block some of the screen top to keep in more moisture? Should I mist the inside once a week to add humidity? Any other advice that you can give me? He is not full grown yet, only 2.5 feet long and about as big around as a thick crayon. His name is Omar.

For the Ball, she is full grown, almost 4 feet long. Serena, the ball, was given to us last night. The people we got her from had not handled her since May, but she is doing great. They gave us her enclosure, heat pad, climbing log, and water dish. Problem is her encloser is completely mesh. Do I need to enclose it with sides and along the bottom to help hold in heat and humidity? I have a light above her on the warm side of the enclosure for basking, and am using a human heating pad under the tank set on medium for a larger warm spot (was a small 10 gallon heating pad). The enclosure is the length of a 20 long, but twice as high. I made her a hidey box this morning using an old photo box that we had..it is black. her substrate is reptile bark as well. Any advice on what I should add, what type of greenery to add, where to get a longer climibing log? The log that came with her is not very high, and is wobbily, so I would like to get her something new. Also, is there a way to add "shelves" safely in an enclosure for them to climb on and have different heights? I have thought about getting the plastic locker shelves to add some dimension to her habitat and give it a better look.

Any help that can be given will be much appreciated by myself, and my loved reptiles.

Thank you
Chelsea

it sounds like your cornsnake is pretty good they dont require much humidity.


from the sounds of your enclosure for your ball python its considerably less than ideal.
i would refer you to this thread http://www.ball-pythons.net/forums/s...ad.php?t=56846 taht pretty much sums up the basic setup

[nixiefee]

http://www.thatpetplace.com/pet/prod...atPetPlace.com

Just wanted to post a picture of what I have now for Serena. I am going to get her a 20 long as soon as I am able, however, I am needing advice on adapting this until then.

Also, would this work better for the corn, and the 20 long for the Ball right now?

Thank you
Chelsea

[wuffielover]

I would probably buy a plastic tub for the ball python if you can't afford a new tank right now, and keep the corn where it is. Getting a tub for the ball would be a cheap and easy solution to getting humidity up, and even if you would rather house her in a tank for display purposes, a tub will provide her with better conditions until you can afford one. Honestly, those screen-type enclosures aren't the best for most types of snake, they're meant for chameleons which require a lot of ventilation to thrive. If you don't go for the tub, I would at least switch the snakes and keep the ball in the 20 gallon with most of the screen top covered with saran wrap to keep humidity in, and just use the heat pad, not the light- you really don't need both and the light will suck the humidity right out.

[nixiefee]

I will see what I can do as far as a tub goes. I am looking into making walls out of panel insulation w/spray foam and grout...as I have seen other things done on here with. It would make a wonderful cage, If I can get the humidity sealed in. Here are some pictures of what I did when I got home from work.

I covered one side almost totally with cardboard (outside), make a 2 layers hide on the bottom, a bigger water dish, and a hide on the top. I keep half the top and one side covered with a blanket right now, and the back is against the wall. I will be working on doing the walls for it this weekend, and I am going to put plexi on the front. GOing to seal it all with silicone, and make a removable bottom for cleaning the substrate...at least I am going to try to.

Well, onto the pictures

http://picasaweb.google.com/nixiefee/Snake


The last ones are Serena the ball, and the corn snake Omar's habitat

Thanks
Chelsea