Im new and I have alot of questions

[Kaorte]

Forget what everyone else has said to you previously about caring for this animal. Especially pet store employees.

Unplug the tree stump right now. It is the equivalent to a heat rock and will cook your snake if it sits on it too long.

You really have a lot that you need to fix. I know you probably don't want to hear it, but many things that you have purchased are useless and you will have to start almost completely over which means spending more money. I understand that completely de-doing the setup can be frustrating since you have read and heard many different things, but please, take into consideration the suggestions given on this site.


First order of business is heating:
Heat rocks, heat tree stumps, and lamps for that matter, are not an appropriate way to heat your ball pythons enclosure. An under tank heat mat (UTH) is the preferred method of heating.

With any heat source you use with a ball python, you need a way to control it. You will need a reptile thermostat or a rheostat for temporary use. A proper reptile thermostat will be very hard to find in stores. You will most likely have to order one online. For a single setup I recommend the reptitemp 500r thermostat. A google search should find a few of these for around $20.

In the meantime, go to a local pet store and pick up a heat pad. I prefer the zoo-med heat pads. Your next stop is Home depot or lowes. Ask someone to help you find a piggy back light dimmer: http://www.westsidewholesale.com/med...05928-1_10.jpg .

The other thing you want to pick up at the home depot is a indoor outdoor accurite thermometer. It looks like this:

It should be in the gardening or outdoor section.

When you get home, follow the instructions on the heat pad for putting it on the bottom of your tank. Plug the UTH into the rheostat light dimmer and plug that into the wall. (Make sure the snake is not in the enclosure while you make these changes). The accurite thermometer has an external probe. It has a little adhesive pad on the bottom. Stick this right on the glass inside the enclosure over where the UTH is. You want to measure the hottest possible point your snake can get too to prevent burns. Place the rest of the accurite unit on the opposite side of the tank, or the "cool side". The "outdoor" temperature will read your hot side temp and the "indoor" temp will measure your cool side temp. Adjust the rheostat until the hot side temp reads between 90-92*F. You might have to adjust it a few times a day to keep it steady. Your thermostat will replace the rheostat and you won't have to adjust it at all after you set it.

Substrate:
Sand is just not suitable for ball pythons. My best suggestion is paper towels. You can use aspen bedding if you want but paper towels are easily found and I think they look rather nice. A few layers of paper towel should do the trick.


Hides:
Your ball python need two identical tight fitting hides. They don't need to be fancy. I use plastic bowls I found at the dollar store and I cut a small entrance in the side (see the picture with the thermometer). If you want something more natural, the exo-terra rock cave hides are the best.


The cool thing about the accurite weather station is that is also measures humidity! So you don't need any other thermometer or hygrometer in the tank. Make sure your humidity is between 50-60% normally and 70% when your snake is shedding.


Ball pythons are very secretive animals and will RARELY come out of hiding. This is a good thing! Roaming, cruising, slithering around, is generally an indication of stress. Your snake should be hiding all day and only come out occasionally at night.

I hope this can put you on the right track! Good luck!