Switching Enclosure

[ChuckieSD]

Deciding to switch my normal female ball python from a glass tank to plastic tub. Would I need a thermostats in order to use a plastic tub?

[The Serpent Merchant]

YES

Tubs need to be heated with under tank heaters... and they must be regulated by a thermostat. the air temperature in the room that the tub is in will also be an issue... it needs to be at least 75 degrees.

[youbeyouibei]

Yes, you still will. How are you planning on setting up your tub? Just as a stand alone unit or part of a rack or...? Either way, you would still need a thermostat to regulate the temperature of the heat source, whether it be Flexwatt heat tape or a radiant heat panel or whatever you elect to use. There's some great tips/information in this thread if you want to look it over, it might answer a lot of your current questions as well as maybe some you hadn't though of yet, lol!

http://ball-pythons.net/forums/showt...Basics...*DUW*

[ChuckieSD]

Thank you for the replies. My room is about 70 ish and no rack just alone. I also read that link but still needed help lol. Another question if I put my snake in the tub, do I feed it in the same tub?

[The Serpent Merchant]

yes feed it right in the tub.

[ChuckieSD]

Would it make it aggressive?

[The Serpent Merchant]

not at all, that is a myth... a ball python can tell the difference between you and a rodent.

[ChuckieSD]

Okay thank you. Any good low cost thermostats that you know of?

[The Serpent Merchant]

This is the cheapest one that is any good... stay away from the junk sold in pet stores they are a huge waste of money

http://www.amazon.com/Hydrofarm-MTPR.../dp/B000NZZG3S

[kitedemon]

I would suggest that with a heat source directly on a tub and given the cool room temp and the swing of a hydrofarms. It can produce very high temps in this case (very slow probe response with a slow software controlling it and a large swing 3º) In my tests I was able to produce spikes of over 100º inside the tub.

With this in mind I would not suggest a on/off t-stat for a single tub in a cool room. To prevent this you would need a proportional unit. My suggestion would be a herpstats intro.

You are still going to have issues with your cool end temp and ambient temps in a room that is 70º Most solve this by adding an oil filled heater to the room.

An alternative...
http://ball-pythons.net/forums/showt...arium-Solution