Question for ARS users

[reno-cg]

I'm just wondering what weight you let your ball python hatchlings attain before putting them into the adult-size tub.

Thanks!

[Don]

I've had pretty good luck going straight from the 6 qt tub to the 41 qt tub. They are usually getting around 200-300 grams when I move them. I provide two hides in the larger tub until they get around 600-700 grams then go to one hide. After they hit 1000 - 1200, I no longer use a hide. So far, I've had no problems.

If you do this and feed live, you may have to make sure you place the rodent near the front of the hide and not just throw it in the tub.

If I do have any issues, I have a couple of racks of 32 qt tubs (with dividers) as standbys. So far, none of my smaller snakes have refused a meal in the 41 qt tubs.

If you are really concerned, Brian told me that ARS is going to be making a mid sized tub (in the 32 qt size range) soon.

[muddoc]

I have 6 ARS hatchling racks and have been utilizing them the same way for about three years now (the previous two years I used them differently). I used to move females out of the tubs at about 500 to 600 grams and put them in a CB-70. A lot of my girls quit eating. So, I since changed that, and now I keep a female in the ARS hatchling tub until she quits eating (her sign to me that she is no longer happy there). This typically doesn't happen until about 800-900 grams. However, with that said, I have some 1200 gram females still eating in their hatchling tubs.

Let the snakes talk to you.

[reno-cg]

I have another question for ARS users (a little unrelated to the topic of this thread):

Is there something wrong with either my heat tape (3" for hatchling levels) or my thermostat (Herpstat 1) if the temperature reading never goes above 88.9 degrees fahrenheit even though the desired temperature is set at 92.5? The probe is taped directly on one of the aluminum/steel strips where the heat tape is and the red light on my Herpstat is constantly on... Doesn't this mean that the heat tape is being supplied full power??

FYI, my adult levels (ARS 7030) do get hot so the thermostat (Herpstat ND) does actually need to do some work to keep the heat tape in the right temperature range.

Thanks for your help!