New setup... Advice?

[Mike.P]

Hi all! =) My name is Mike, new here. Thought I'd say hello, and ask for a bit of advice. Would appreciate any thoughts or suggestions.

This week I bought a new ball python. I'm really excited, it's been a long time since I've had a snake. He's a ball python, lesser platinum morph. Absolutely gorgeous. Want to make sure I've got him nice and cozy. Here's what I have for his setup:

40g tank with sliding / locking screen lid, with matching stand (also, going to take it to a window tinting place, and have thin black vinyl applied to the back and sides)
ZooMed combo mini dome- 100W infra-red for day, 75W black heat-glo for night
ZooMed 36" T-8 fixture with ReptiSun 2.0 bulb (for day)
Zilla digital power center for the lights, so there's a photo cycle
ZooMed large UTH (on the side with the heat lamps)
ZooMed infra-red thermometer
Fluker's digital therm / hygrometer
Tropic Aire humidifier / air exchanger powered by a Rena pump
Cypress mulch substrate, and plenty of hiding spots and branches, big water dish

Temperature: Hot side of the tank is 85 degrees at bottom of tank, 90-92 at the basking branch under the light. Hot side drops to around 80 degrees at night with the black light. Cool side of the tank is right around 75.

Humidity stays at 50-55%.

Think that's about it. If anyone has thoughts or suggestions, would love to hear them. Thank you!

[tsy72001]

Your balk will not use a basking branch. Her belly is where the heat us needed. She will also not need the lamps.

[kitedemon]

It isn't typical for a royal to bask. The bulbs may not be doing much other than bumping up the ambient temps. You should really have the cool end at 80 surface temp and warm end at 90 surface temps or so. The ambient AIR temps ideally will be between 79-85ºF and not cooler than 76ºF. Getting everything correct is a big balancing act. It is hard to give specific advise as I don't have any idea of what your space is like with temps and location ect. There are lots of ideas of hows and whats but each set up is unique and individual.

[kitedemon]

Do you have a t-stat for the UTH? or is it a regulated one?

[Evenstar]

Couple of tips: Use black construction paper to black out the sides of your tank. Much cheaper than tinting it and it looks fine. Use foil or wax paper to cover about 80% of the screen top. This will help hold in humidity which should be around 60-65%. I like to mist and boost mine to about 70-75% during shed cycles. The lamps will also suck humidity right out of there...

Lights are not necessary. Balls do not need UV light and they do not bask. A hiding BP is a happy BP. Heat will ideally come from the UTH as belly heat. Hot spot should be 90 and cool side 80. Ambient air temps should range 76-80. There should be 2 identical hides - one over the hotspot and one at the cool side. More hides are perfectly acceptable of course, especially if you have a baby, a 40gal is big and he'll want more hides to feel secure.

Your uth ABSOLUTELY MUST run on a thermostat. UTH's will notoriously reach over 120 and that will immediately burn your snake! In particular, ZooMed uth's get VERY hot! Incidentally, you have the lamps over the uth right now - I garuantee those temps are way too extreme. Get rid of the lamps and get that uth on the thermostat! That is the very best advice I can possibly give you!

[Mike.P]

Thanks for the advice everyone.

He does like his branch, and climbs up on it to lay under the heat lamp... He typically climbs up there after having a drink of water, and usually right after leaving his cave. Laying there right now, actually, like a lazy bum. lol. As far as my location, the tank is in my bedroom, where the ambient temperature is about 70-72 degrees.

No, the UTH is not on any sort of regulator. But I have a layer of reptile carpet on the glass over it, which is then covered by about an inch and a half of substrate. I've checked the area over it with the infra-red thermometer, and it's right around 82 degrees. Should I put a controller on it anyway, just to be safe? (Please don't think I'm disregarding your suggestions or "know better," but I can barely get the temp high enough as is it seems, without putting a regulator on it.) Also, how do I get away without using bulbs? With just the UTH, the temperature does not come up to where it needs to be. Are there better UTH's out there that I can be using? Because yes, the lamps really do make it hard for the humidity.

Awesome idea with the construction paper, btw! That'll save a few bucks. Thanks again for the replies, look forward to talking to you all more.

[Jessica Loesch]

He may climb up and use it, but it is unneeded. Also, you are assuming he likes the branch when really he may just be antsy and looking for a better place to hide. Maybe it isn't warm enough through the cypress from the UTH and he is looking for heat, but this is the wrong way to go about it.

As mentioned the UTH needs NEEDS a thermostat and the glass is going to get very hot despite the reptile carpet and cypress and this is not recommended (PS reptile carpet is hard to disinfect and gets nasty, i wouldn't use it).

Your temps seem fine now but they aren't coming from the right sources. I would take out the carpet, thin the cypress, and get a thermostat. You don't need any of the lights, at all. No photo cycle needed, no black light, no anything. Unless you are having trouble with getting your hot spot warm enough, but the other method I suggested should fix that. You do NOT need an inch and a half of substrate, that's making your UTH virtually useless other than a hazard to the glass. That is why your temps aren't right.


Here is my suggestion ... take back all the lights if you can. Exchange for a thermostat. Thin the cypress a LOT and then play with the temperatures after that. Good for you using the infared temp gun, which will lead you in the right direction. You can leave the branch etc in there, as long as you have a cool hide and a warm hide. Also, bump the temp up in your home. 70 is awfully cold for your baby (and me!) and it will translate on the cool side. If you must leave it that low, keep that infrared light on the cool side with the water dish beneath it to aid in humidity and keep the cool side closer to 80.

Good luck.

[Mike.P]

Thank you Jessica... Ugh. I've been going to that reptile store for years, and they seem really knowledgeable. Seems they may have told me the wrong things this time around, eh?

[Xeperxi]

Got my baby ball a few weeks ago..have him on coco husk substrate (hold humidity so much better than aspen) and have a red light on one side...have a thermostat set on the heating pad and keep hot side at 88 degrees and the cool side at 80, 2 hides, one on each end, cover the screen with a damp towel, humidity always at 60%

[Jessica Loesch]

Thank you Jessica... Ugh. I've been going to that reptile store for years, and they seem really knowledgeable. Seems they may have told me the wrong things this time around, eh?

Perhaps they are not ball python knowledgable. Your set up would work well for many snakes.

You're welcome!