A Few Questions From A New Ball Python Owner...Please Read

[Johan]

Will this work for a hide?

http://www.google.com/products/catal...d=0CCoQ8wIwAg#

I think the hide looks fine. Its ideal to have the same hide on the cool and warm side. Thatway the snake just chooses the side that has the ideal temp. I highly reccomend getting a good quality thermostat (herpstat) with a good heat pad (or flexwatt if you prefer). This way you can set up the warmside and have a nice constant temp. For the cool side, if your house isnt warm enough you could use a light but this may not be ideal if humidity is an issue. A humid hide can be useful especially during the shed cycle. It is ideal if you can have humidity around 60 all the time though. This reduces the chance of respiratory infection.

I think your tank looks really good, but I cant stress enough the importance of proper heating. Please do not skimp of temperature monitoring, it really does matter. If you want to use a rheostat that is fine, but you just need to monitor closely with a good quality probe thermometer. You seem like you really care to get things set up right and that great . One last ball note: the really tall stick, I would remove. Balls are kind of clumsy climbers and can fall from stuff like that. Its better to keep balls on the ground

Oh, if you want to get a corn that is fine too, but please don,t house multiples in the same tank. Its not healthy for them. Some people do it but a responsible corn owners steer away from such nonsense.

[TomC]

My big suggestion is get the equipment you want to use and set everything up and see if you can maintain temperatures and humidity. After you profect everything and figure out what you need to get 90 on the hot side 80 on the cool side and maintain at least 50% humidity then you can decide what kind of snake you can keep in the enclosure. I am sure this enclosure will work for a ball python you just need to do a little trial and error to perfect it first.

[Vypyrz]

One last ball note: the really tall stick, I would remove. Balls are kind of clumsy climbers and can fall from stuff like that. Its better to keep balls on the ground

Looks like I'm off to the "Completely Out Of Context" thread with that last statement...

[Bdubedub]

I got some tiles from work.... but theyre not one solid piece like Id like for the bottom of the tank.... if I go to Lowes or Home Depot... will they cut me a size piece of linoleum that I need? I dont want to put anything permanent like I see people doing by using sticky tiles and adhearing them to the bottom of the cage... what happens with the UTH stops working? Then what? I have 2 of those eco terra hides... same size just different color... I plan on for water putting a sealed tub with a hole of it in the middle of the cage for both water and a water hide. Or should I get get a piece of slate tile and put it over the pad and use papertowels as a base and aspen on the rest? Also, any ideas on how to use the heat pad without adhearing it to the bottom of my cage? If I ever have to remove it it will take some wood or crap with it.

[Bdubedub]

Headed to get a thermostat and heating pad.... also have a piece of slate tile to place over the heating pad, I do question tho, doesnt the heating pad need air or no?. I will take and use papertowel/aspen on the rest of the cage but will take and use aluminum tape to secure the heat pad instead of the adhesive on the back incase I ever want to remove it. Will also get clear silicon caulk to fill in the gap for the heat pad plug. Thanks everyone for your help!!

[Bdubedub]

Anyone reply to the above post? What about this heat cord they sell?

[PitOnTheProwl]

Yes, the pad does need a little air flow.
Dont know about the heat cable, have never used it.
I also wouldnt tape the pad down just because if the tape happens to lift you could have problems with it sticking to your snake.

[Bdubedub]

Well im not quite sure how to use a under tank heater then.... If it needs airflow once I put the tile on it it wont get any... anyone else have any other ideas?

[purplemuffin]

Hmm, you could put small 'legs' on the tile, sort of like furnature(but just enough to get a little space, not enough the snake can get under)

[Bdubedub]

Hmm, you could put small 'legs' on the tile, sort of like furnature(but just enough to get a little space, not enough the snake can get under)

EXCELLENT IDEA! How about those stick on rubber furniture legs??