New Ball Python owner questions

[Gio]

Hi there,
I was in the same boat as you were just the end of May. There are several very informed people here with great advice.

I have a 40 gal. glass tank and started out with just a light and no UTH. We're in the Minneapolis area so our temps are all over the place. We use the AC in the summer at times and then there are days we don't. Our indoor temp ranges can be in the 80's to as low as the 60's in the summer.

I now use a UTH and a infrared light.

Aaron, "The Serpent Merchant" is a very good source here. What I've taken from him, I'll pass down to you.

Get a thermostat!!! I know,,, I know, they are expensive. Trust me I bought the snake for my son's B-day present and it was $80. After the tank, lights and stuff that goes along with it it gets expensive. Add a quality thermostat like the Herpstat II from Spyder Robotics and you have quite the investment.

But you also have a lot less worry.


Here's what The Serp Merch told me.


Get the adequate sized UTH and place it on the basking side of your tank. If you get a thermostat (there are less expensive ones too) put the probe into the middle of the UTH pad and stick the pad to the bottom of the tank.


If you have a decent thermostat, you can hook up a light for heat as well and have 2 sources in the event the UTH is not enough to keep the ambient tank temp warm enough. The thermostat will dim or brighten the light for increased or decreased heat and also control the UTH.

This is a VERY basic description and the are other considerations. If you need some extra help I can forward (hopefully) the advice I was given.

Our snake was all over the place the 1st couple nights. Then she curled up on a branch and didn't used hides. Now she's eaten once here, uses the hides and has been in one for going on 3 days. We feed again this Friday.

So don't worry too much about the "Ball" being balled.

Hopefully I did OK on my first bit of advice : )


Good luck,

Gio