Considering Purchase of a Normal BP

[nickdolin]

Hello everyone, it seems there is a wealth of knowledge here that I only hope to tap into.

Owning a corn snake (along with 3 tree frogs, 4 hermit crabs, 3 Fire Bellied Toads, 2 Dogs) has me hankering for a BP.

I'd either purchase from Kathy Love or Pro Exotics (any experiences with these two?) and more than likely I'd go for a Normal (and likely Male for the smaller size).

I'm planning on putting them in an 18Q/17L sterilite (same footprint as a 10G but only 6'' tall) Should this be sufficient for an 09? After he/she grew up some, I'd move up to the 30-40Q range.

I'm not one for extreme decoration in my tanks but from what I've read, here are the necessities.

1. 2 hides (small) one on the warm and one on the cool end.

2. UTH

3. Rheo/Thermostat to keep the UTH on about 92-94F

4. Bedding (I like Aspen)

5. Water dish (I use rubbermade containers)

6. Thermometer/Hygro w/ Probe to measure both ambient/hot side

From what I've seen/read that should cover the necessities. I also have a mister/moss to help with shed time.

Also- since the Sterilite uses an opaque plastic (kinda see through) should I still cover 3 sides of it?

Another Q- With belly heat of 92-94, do I need a 2nd UTH (for the cool side) if the ambient temp is 80-82F?

THANKS!!

[Jay_Bunny]

Sounds like you are ready to go. An 18qt should be a fine size for an 09, at least until he starts to grow. That ambient temp should be fine for his cool side.

I do not have any experience with either of those breeders but I have heard nothing but good things. If you head over to faunaclassifieds.com you can inquire about breeders you are interested in buying from.

[nickdolin]

Another Q-

If a BP has been started on live food, is it difficult to get it to switch over to F/T? Or should I just stick with what they were started with??

[Vypyrz]

Also- since the Sterilite uses an opaque plastic (kinda see through) should I still cover 3 sides of it?

Another Q- With belly heat of 92-94, do I need a 2nd UTH (for the cool side) if the ambient temp is 80-82F?

THANKS!!

You shouldn't need to cover the sides of the tub, and as long as your cool side temps stay around that 80-82 area, you won't need a 2nd UTH.

Another Q-

If a BP has been started on live food, is it difficult to get it to switch over to F/T? Or should I just stick with what they were started with??

I would just continue feeding it what it is used to for the first month or so until it gets established, then try switching it over...

[Kaorte]

Another Q-

If a BP has been started on live food, is it difficult to get it to switch over to F/T? Or should I just stick with what they were started with??

There are some that are picky feeders but 4 out of my 5 snakes will eat whatever I throw in there. I wouldn't get too worried about switching one over.

80-82* is a perfect ambient temperature. I would highly recommend getting a thermostat off the bat instead of a dimmer and then finding out that it doesn't work all that well and then getting a thermostat. Dimmers fluctuate a lot and you will find yourself adjusting the temperature a lot.

Sounds like you are on the right track though! Looks like you will be bypassing many of the newbie mistakes

[Jay_Bunny]

As mentioned, it is usually not hard to get a ball python to switch to frozen/thawed. 8/11 of my snakes will take f/t on a regular basis. The other 3 can be picky sometimes but most of the time will take f/t. I would feed live for the first few feedings then try a f/t. If he doesn't take it, then you could try pre-killed, which would still be warm and have a heat signature that is normal (head and chest being warmer than the rest of the body). Then you can try f/t again.

[nickdolin]

Some of my newbie mistakes have already been made with the Corn Snake (luckily they are pretty forgiving) so hopefully now that I've lived and learned more I won't make as many mistakes.

Update- I ordered a Male Normal from Pro Exotics so it should be here tomorrow. I'll have his viv clean and ready to go for him when he gets here. And for now I'll just go for live small mice. Is there a feeding guideline like the Munsen plan for the Corn Snakes?

-Nick