Please rate my setup/give advice

[satomi325]

Hey everyone, i'm currently the first time owner of the sweetest and prettiest ball python i've ever seen, i fell in love as soon as i held her.

However, i'm also super paranoid i might be doing something wrong, so please, feel free to take a look at my tank and supplies and let me know if i could change anything, or if i missed anything.

Supplies include-
15 gallon long tank with secure locking lid
1 repti-carpet
1 ceramic cave hide (warm end)
1 kiln dried half log hide (cool end)
1 water dish
1 climing branch
sphagnum moss
2 quick glance thermometers
1 digital thermometer with probe
1 hygrometer
1 8w heating pad with lamp dimmer plugged into a very good surge protector
1 overhead light with CFL bulb for daytime , 40w red bulb for nighttime
cardboard covering outside of sides and back of tank (i know its ugly, will replace soon)
1 lamp stand (so my lid doesn't get worn out)
1 set of feeding tongs
1 extra plastic box for feeding with locking lid
1 misting bottle
3 frozen mice (fuzzies)
3 frozen pinkies
and of course, 1 gorgeous ball python named samantha

my temps are 84 warm side, 72 cool side.

please let me know if i've forgotten anything. im so nervous i'm going to screw up and kill her. right now she seems pretty happy, shes currently trying to find a way out of her cage =P

You have a pretty good basis so far.

1) I suggest replacing the half log hide with another rock cave hide. The half logs tend to mold after a while due to bacteria build up and humidity. Not to mention they're very difficult to sanitize. Your ball will appreciate a hide that surrounds all sides (like the rock cave hide). The log has 2 openings, which is "too open" for a ball to fell totally secure.

2) You might want to think about investing in a thermostat. Dimmers aren't safe enough to regulate a heating pad. If you're on a budget, amazon has the $30 Hydrofarm thermostat. It's not the best, but it's better than any dimmer and all other petstore thermostats. Getting a Vivarium or Herpstat thermostat is the best and safest out on the market. But they are more expensive being in the $99+ range.

3) You don't need a separate feeding tub. You can feed in the enclosure. Your snake won't develop 'cage aggression'. Cage aggression is a myth. As long as you don't smell like food or startle your snake, she won't bite. Removing a snake back and forth between it's tank and feeding tub may or may not cause stress.

4) Your temps are a little low. The hot side should ideally be around 88-92. And the cold side should be closer to 80. Anything below 75 has the potential to give a ball python a Respiratory Infection

5) Repticarpet might be difficult to clean, but it's easy to replace.

How is your humidity?

Not bad other wise
Welcome to the addiction of Ball Pythons!

[satomi325]

Branching off what Homegrownscales said, you can use your rock hides, but many snakes tend to stress out more if their hides aren't tight. Balls like being able to touch all sides of a hide. Perhaps use something smaller temporarily until your little girl grows up a bit. Or you can stuff it w/ crumpled paper towel/newspaper to fill up the extra space.

For all my hatchlings, I use dollar store small plastic bowls and cut a hole in for a door. They're the perfect size for my babies and really cheap (3/$1).

[Chained]

okay, good advice everyone. ive bumped up my temps, and as far as the hides, the half log has one end facing the cardboard side of the tank, so only 1 end is open.

the large rock cave has alot of moss inside, so hopefully that will be good.

my humidty is around 50% right now.

and ill try feeding in cage in a few days =)