Just got a new Pastel Ball Python....

[PurplePython]

Hey everyone, I am brand new to these forums and I already learned so much great stuff about ball pythons. I am getting more and more interested in these animals as time goes on. I was just wondering if theres a few people that could throw out some tips for me regardling my setup? I will try to describe it to the best of my ability.

Pastel Ball Python (2-3 months old, probably less than 16 inches long)

Tank Size - 20 gallon (long)

Substrate - coconut fiber (about 1 inch deep, maybe a little less or more)

Heat - Under the tank heater (10-20 gallon size) and also a 50 watt red bulb that I leave on all day on the hot side.

Hides - I have 1 hide on the hot side which is a big fake tree with small little fake green flowers on the top with an opening at the very top. I have seen my new pastel crawling through it and through the top and also climbing all over this thing so I am sure he loves it. I also have one on the cold side of the tank. Its a fake half log with 2 entry ways and a couple small holes to climb in/out.

Decoration - I have 1 fake hanging down plant on the hot side of my tank and 1 nice little fake plant in the middle. I also have a nice peice of driftwood going from the middle of the tank all the way to the top of the fake tree hide. I have seen him actually climb around it a bit so I am assuming he appreciates this.

Water - I have a medium water dish on the cold side of the tank in the very corner.

Feeding - I just got him today so I am holding off on feeding him for another few days. I was wonder what I should be feeding it at this age. Small fuzzies or pinky mice? I was told either would be good for him at this size and age.

Some other things I was wonder - I have 2 thermometers in my tank. 1 thermometer is about 5 inches off the ground in the middle of the glass on the hot side of the tank. It reads between 80-82 degree usually. Is this good enough for the air temperature? Also my other thermometer is at the base of his fake tree hide. I have it low to the ground to try to get a good reading of the grounds temp. It reads between 78-81. Is this acceptable or should I do something to add? Should I add a higher wattage of red light? Or a bigger heat pad?

Also, I don't know exactly how to set up an ideal basking area so any help on that subject will be greatly appreciated. Do I even need a basking are or will he just pick the hottest area of the tank to lay around when he feels the need?

Also, humidity seams to be somewhat of an issue. I have 1/2 of the tank scren covered with plastic wrap to try to hold in the humidity, but it seams to hold only for about a few hours before I have to mist the tank again The humidity battle seams like it is never ending. Should humidity be around 70 or more around 80? I can't get it above 65 for very long.

I will greatly appreciate any tips or advice all of you ball python enthusiasts have to offer me. Like I said I just bought this gorgeous Pastel Ball Python today and I am really going to dedicate a lot of time into make sure it gets everything it needs to live a happy life. I set up the tank about a week before I even went to purchase the snake because I was so excited and wanted everything to be perfect.

Thanks guys!

[NightLad]

Substrate:
Coconut fibre is good, especially if you live in a dry area and need to mist it occasionally to maintain humidity. It maintains moisture and is resistant to mould. The only issue I’d have with coconut fiber is that it is not easily digestable and can cause impaction if any signifigant amount is swallowed during feeding.

An alternative you might consider later on would be finely shredded aspen. Snakes like to burrow in it, and it is completely digestable if they happen to get any in their mouths during feeding.

Heat:
The UTHs can vary in temperature if not regulated by an external source, like a rheostat or an automatic thermostat. The Rheostats are relatively inexpensive and can be picked up at many home/building centers or through pet stores, while the herp-specific thermostats can be a little more pricey but are generally more accurate and easy to use.

Example of a Rheostat: http://www.reptilesupply.com/product.php?products_id=77

Examples of Thermostats: http://spyderrobotics.com/ (I use the Sypder Robotics Herpstat. It also remembers settings in case of power outages. However, there are other brands to pick from.)

If neither of these options are good for you, than I’d simply suggest putting extra bedding over the heat pad to help dissipate some of the heat.

As you know, most BPs prefer the hot-side to be around the low 90s. However, an unregulated heating pad can easily spike at over 100 and can potentially case burns.

Hides:
I know the tree one you are talking about, and my only suggestion would be to make sure it does not have any sharp edges around the openings. If so, take a bit of sand paper and dull them a little. I always do this with anything that I put in the snakes cage. Somebody once posted a nasty laceration on their snake’s eye that was caused by a sharp burr inside a hide.

Feeding:
This feeding chart might help: http://www.ball-pythons.net/gallery/...seRatChart.jpg

>>> “1 thermometer is about 5 inches off the ground in the middle of the glass on the hot side of the tank. It reads between 80-82 degree usually. Is this good enough for the air temperature?”

That would be your ambient air temperature, and yes, that sounds fine.

>>> “Also my other thermometer is at the base of his fake tree hide. I have it low to the ground to try to get a good reading of the grounds temp. It reads between 78-81. Is this acceptable or should I do something to add? Should I add a higher wattage of red light? Or a bigger heat pad?”

The wattage on the light sounds fine given your adequate ambient air temp. If the heat pad is listed as being acceptable for 10-20 gallon than it should be just fine.

My concern would be that the thermometer on the ground may not be measuring the actual temperature of the heating pad itself, especially under the hide. Again, I’d suggest regulating the temperature of the pad via a Rheostat or an automatic thermostat as mentioned earlier.

>>> “Also, I don't know exactly how to set up an ideal basking area so any help on that subject will be greatly appreciated.”

They are not big into basking. As nocturnal animals, they don’t require special lighting to simulate sunlight, and they rarely spend time lounging around. In all honesty, they will spend the vast majority of their time curled up under one hide or another. ;P If/When they do venture out, they like having things to hide behind, so to make the enclosure as comfortable as possible I’d add a few things to that effect; fake plants, simulated grasses, fake branches, etc.

>>> “Should humidity be around 70 or more around 80? I can't get it above 65 for very long.”

Keeping half the tank covered is good, but plastic wrap might be overkill. Carbon Dioxide is a heavy gas and sinks, so you do want some air flow. I use a doubled-up kitchen towel and it works fine. TIP: You can moisten the towel itself to help trap/produce humidity during especially dry periods.

80% would be considered quite high. 70% is recommended only for when they are going into shed, and not all of them require it to be even that high. Time and experience will tell you what your BP needs and does not.

For now, I’d recommend trying to maintain the humidity around 50%.

If that is difficult, try adding a bowl of coconut fibre in a corner. Make it quite moist, even a little wet. That will help release humidity throughout the day. Prior to moving my BP to a new tank and putting a humidifier in his room, I used a bowl of coconut fibre and it worked quite well. If the room your snake is in happens to be enclosed (a bedroom, study, etc) and not a main-area of the house, you might consider buying a humidifier for that room. It is good for your skin, and good for the snake. Set it to about 40%, as 55%+ can promote the growth of mould.

It sounds like you have done your homework, and you have a very lucky snake! Keep up the great work.

PS: Post some pics in the pic section! We love pics.

[Kaorte]

I don't really like the coco fiber bedding just because its so much like dirt. I don't like the idea of cleaning dirt..just seems counter productive . I prefer aspen or paper towels and many people use newspaper or cypress mulch.

I suspect from the way you have your thermometers placed that they are not digital. I would recommend getting a different thermometer. The Accurite weather station from Home depot, lowes, or walmart, is about $12 and measures ambient air temperature, ambient humidity, and a hot spot with the external probe (you would put this under the substrate right above where the UTH is).

Climbing all over things does not mean he loves them. He is a new snake and he will probably spend the next week or two cruising all over the tank looking for a way out. Constantly cruising around is a sign of stress which is normal for a new snake during its acclimation period.

I would actually suggest getting two identical hides. That half log thing isn't really going to get the job done. Ball pythons spend 90% of their time in hides so it is important to provide them with tight fitting "cave like" hides that only have a small entrance.

As far as your heating goes, you will find that the UTH should be more than enough to provide an adequate hot spot, you are just not measuring its heat output correctly. You will also probably find that it gets way too hot. UTHs run at about 115-120* unregulated which is much too high for ball pythons. A reptile thermostat is the best way to control the temperature and keep it around 90*. The reptitemp 500r is widely available online for about 20-25$. I would highly recommend purchasing one BEFORE you find your snake with a thermal burn. Even if you put more substrate between the snake and the heat pad, it can and will move the substrate to get closer to it.

I would move the red bulb to the cool side. The UTH will take care of the hot spot temperature just fine. The red bulb should only be used if you need to raise your ambient temps.

50-60% humidity is recommended and 70% during a shed cycle.

I would start your ball python off on adult mice. Pinky mice are like popcorn for ball pythons. Also, wait one week from the day you got him before trying to feed him. You will be more likely to have success if you wait the full week. Also during this week, do not handle him. Handling is stressful and you should hold off until he feels safe in his home before you take him out. remember, you are a big scary monster to this little guy!

Good luck!

[NightLad]

I neglected to mention that part of your issue with humidity might be due to the light you are using. They tend to dry out the air quite a bit. Instead, if you have trouble maintaining ambient air temperatures with just the heat pad, try using a CHE (ceramic heat emitter) in the same wattage range. They screw into the socket just like a light, but don't produce the type of heat that destroys air humidity.

Hope that helps.

[PurplePython]

wow thanks a lot for the help guys. I really appreciate all this.

I will remove the plastic wrap from the tank cover and probably end up placing a moist towel on half of the cover as you said and see how that works out. Also, I moved the 50 watt red bulb from the hot side of the tank to more in the middle so that it reduces the heat from all one side and will most likely increase the ambient air temperature throughout the tank instead of just the hot side.

I just went to the petland by my house and purchased a few small mice. They look the perfect size for my snake. I plan on feeding it once every 5 days until it gets a little bigger then switching to once every 7 days and using a little larger mouse. Since I have to buy a few mice at a time, what would be good to feed the mice? I have them in small plastic critter cage and I used carefresh as their bedding. The lady at petland told me that using hamster food will be good for keeping them healthy. Is hamster food good to feed my mice i plan on feeding to my snake?

I also purchased a zoo med brand digital thermometer with a probe. I placed the probe right above where my heat pad is located, but I made sure I usedf a thin layer os substrate to cover the probe so that it could get a good reading. It reads anywhere from 87-92 degrees inside of his tree hide on top of the heat pad. Is this a perfect temperature so that my snake can feel comfortable or will this be too hot and cause burns?

[disabled.101]

These pages should answer all your questions. Just read through them.

http://www.ball-pythons.net/forums/s...ad.php?t=63227
http://www.ball-pythons.net/forums/s...ad.php?t=56846
http://www.ball-pythons.net/forums/s...ad.php?t=30763

Congrats on the purchase and enjoy your new friend

[PurplePython]

These pages should answer all your questions. Just read through them.

http://www.ball-pythons.net/forums/s...ad.php?t=63227
http://www.ball-pythons.net/forums/s...ad.php?t=56846
http://www.ball-pythons.net/forums/s...ad.php?t=30763

Congrats on the purchase and enjoy your new friend

thanks a lot.

When I read the 2nd link I noticed that whoever wrote that said to put a heating pad under each side of the tank. Isn't that dangerous to do and can't it be bad for your snake to make both sides of the tank have heating pads?

NightLad I will try to get pictures up sometime in the next couple days so you can see my setup and my snake

[Kaorte]

thanks a lot.

When I read the 2nd link I noticed that whoever wrote that said to put a heating pad under each side of the tank. Isn't that dangerous to do and can't it be bad for your snake to make both sides of the tank have heating pads?

NightLad I will try to get pictures up sometime in the next couple days so you can see my setup and my snake

Each pad is set to a different temperature using a thermostat. One is set to 90* and the other to 80*.

[NightLad]

wow thanks a lot for the help guys. I really appreciate all this.

I will remove the plastic wrap from the tank cover and probably end up placing a moist towel on half of the cover as you said and see how that works out.

Great! As time goes on you can always try different things, experiment to find an optional setup for your specific snake. It can be tricky to follow general guides and advice from online, because even your geographical climate may impact things differently. It is import to keep an eye on the setup and to get to know what impacts your area the most.

Also, I moved the 50 watt red bulb from the hot side of the tank to more in the middle so that it reduces the heat from all one side and will most likely increase the ambient air temperature throughout the tank instead of just the hot side.

Excellent! If you still find it difficult to maintain humidity, give some thought to purchasing a CHE (ceamic heat emitter) like I mentioned. They cost about $10-15, but they last for years.

The lady at petland told me that using hamster food will be good for keeping them healthy. Is hamster food good to feed my mice i plan on feeding to my snake?

Hampster food is basically just small nuts and grain. It is perfectly fine for mice.

I found that buying and storing live mice can be a bit of a pain, especially when owning a single snake. When he gets a little bigger, you might want to try switching to Frozen/Thaw. That way you can just buy a bulk bag of pre-killed mice and keep them in your freezer. (They are less expensive that way, too!)

There are many posts about Frozen/Thaw here to help you.

I also purchased a zoo med brand digital thermometer with a probe. I placed the probe right above where my heat pad is located, but I made sure I used a thin layer of substrate to cover the probe so that it could get a good reading. It reads anywhere from 87-92 degrees inside of his tree hide on top of the heat pad. Is this a perfect temperature so that my snake can feel comfortable or will this be too hot and cause burns?

That is perfect. Just make sure it does not jump to 95+. When you hear about heat pads causing burns it is usually when there is A) not enough substrate and B) when the heat is not regulated and hits 100+. As Kaorte said, many pads will hit 115-120*. If yours is stable at 87-92, than it should be fine. I keep mine at 92.

A suggestion about decoration: it might be good to put some black cardboard/bristle board on the back of your tank. That way the snake will feel less overwhelmed when he is out of his hides, and it will give the tank a nice visual presentation. As I mentioned earlier, these snakes don’t go out much and spend most of their lives underground/hiding. Just a thought!

[PurplePython]

Hey Nightlad, since I don't currently have a rheostat or thermostat I just took your advice and added a little extra bedding over the are of the heat pad. My digital thermometer reads that above the heat pad right under the tree hide is consistantly around the mid-80's. Ever since I moved my red bulb from the hot side to the middle of the tank, the ambient air temperature seams to have stayed about the same, but like I said the heat area where his tree hide is has gone down from 87-92 to about 84-86.

Now I am worried that he isn't getting ENOUGH heat rather than too much. Should I just keep the red bulb on the hot side of the tank?

I am about to go out now and try to find a thermostat or something but none of the petshops carry the stuff that you guys reccommended that I purchase. I will probably have to just buy a regular home one instead of a pet one because I can only find them online and I dont really trust ordering stuff that much.