(Please excuse this wall of text, and may your chosen deity bless you if you wade your way through it all. The question is at the bottom BTW.)
I am not new to raising and caring for reptiles but this is my first snake. I want to take care of 'Monty' the very best that I can. I started wanting a ball python in the 4th grade and now 20 years later my wife got me one as a gift.
Currently Monty is approx 24" long very inquisitive and eager to climb into my hand and be handled. This is amazing to me as I have has him for only about 10 days. He (or she) ate for me only 5 days after arriving in the house as well.
I have him (or her) housed in a 20 gal glass vivarium with a Fluker's heat mat mounted underneath and a Hydrofarm Digital Thermostat to control its temperature. I have covered about 90% of the top screen with plexiglass to retain moisture and some heat. For the floor I have a liner carpet with about 1cm of shredded aspen over it on the warm side to almost 3cm deep on the cool side.
I am attempting to keep humidity between 40-60% which would be impossible if it weren't for the plexiglass cover. I have my thermostat probe under the substrate on the warm side set at 89°F (31.6°C) and it goes up and down from 86°-90° (30°-32.2°). The cool side stays on average 4-6°F cooler.
The only problem I am having is the ambient air temp in the tank is 70-75°F (21-24°C). I am concerned as to whether or not this is ok if the floor of the tank is kept at a consistent and comfortable temperature.
I'd love to hear any comments or constructive criticism about my setup or care.
Here are some pics of Monty and his home: