New ball python housing?

[dscorps10]

Im new to this site and I have some general questions. I have king and corn snakes but this is my first ball python. I got a 2012 hatchling pastel male from BHB reptiles. I just have some general questions. I have researched MANY sites especially set up guides on here that users have posted and I am still unsure how to make my snake more comfortable. I have a 10 gallon tank with a zoo med heat pad which keeps the temperature at 85 degrees on the substrate and a 40 watt red heat bulb to raise the tank to around 90 degrees. My house is very cold and I would need the heat bulb for the air temperature. But I CANNOT keep the humidity up to 60% for more then a hour after lightly misting. In a half hour it falls right down to 30%. I'm using aspen bedding and I was wondering to hold in more moisture, should i switch to a reptile bark? Also one more question, after seeing everyone talk about these plastic tub style tanks, Im debating about switching over. Only concern is how to heat the plastic. Heat tape says to be a fire risk more so then any other type of heating element, and I would be heating only this ball pythons tub so is there another way to heat a plastic tub? Im worried because he is very shy and strikes at me when I walk by the tank and I feel like he is used to being housed in something less open. Any input would be helpful

[The Serpent Merchant]

First off is your heat pad being regulated by a thermostat? What are you using to measure your temperatures?

Check out this thread on cage heating:

http://ball-pythons.net/forums/showt...04#post1845904

The care sheet is another good read:

http://ball-pythons.net/forums/showt...ius)-Caresheet

How cold is your house? tubs do not work well in cold rooms so I'm going to guess that they aren't the best choice.

If you have a cold room and humidity is a problem a PVC reptile cage like this will probably be your best option:



Here is a thread on PVC cages:

http://ball-pythons.net/forums/showt...With-Pictures!

[dscorps10]

Im using a thermostat to regulate the heat pad which is set at 97 degrees because i have newspaper under the aspen so my python cannot come in direct contact with hot glass. The Red 40 watt bulb raises the temperature of the whole cage by 10 degrees for a 85-90 degree air temperature while the light and the heat pad have the substrate and hot hide at 92 degrees. I am using a digital probe thermometer and a digital hydrometer. I misted the cage lightly a half hour ago and the humidity was at 65%. Its now back down to 40%. I also have half the screen top covered. I guess my room is very dry I will have to look into that type of housing but I do not want to spend hundreds on a cage, I saw a 20 gallon long vision cage which ran $350. Should I increase the size of the water bowl and place it over the heat mat or could a accidental spill cause a stress crack?

[The Serpent Merchant]

How thick is the substrate layer?

The glass should not ever be over 95 degrees. I would not put any paper under a substrate layer as this is just asking for mold issues. I only use paper in my cages for substrate, and I can assure you that a BP can get under it very easily. You cannot rely on something like that to keep your BP safe. The point of a thermostat is to keep the cage at safe temperatures. If the substrate layer is 1/2" thick or less this can be easily be achieved. if the substrate layer is thicker than 1/2" the heat pad won't be able to do its job effectively.

The cages I use cost $150+shipping and any other extra features that you want to add on... but they will last a Ball Python (and can be set up to house 2 ball pythons) for life. Over time with upgrading glass tanks and trying different things to maintain humidity you will spend far more than you will on PVC cages.

This is where I get mine (I use the T8 for ball pythons)

http://www.animalplastics.com/

The glass isn't hot enough to cause stress cracks if water is spilled on it.

[dscorps10]

If i set my heat pad below 97 degrees the substrate which is about a half inch deep will only heat up to about 84 degrees if that. Like i said my room is usually 60-65 degrees so I think its a struggle to maintain a 90 degree hot spot and the red bulb is drying the tank out. Is reptile bark any good? Is see mixed reviews about it on a lot of sites. I use aspen because thats all I use with my kings and corns but they require less humidity.

[The Serpent Merchant]

I don't really like it, but it will help with humidity. But it might make the UTH have to be set higher. As long as the bottom of the cage isn't much over 95 you should be fine. Keeping the layer as thin as possible will help

You can ditch the heating pad and use the thermostat to control your Infrared heat bulb. Set it to 90 degrees and place the probe on the hot side (do not use tape of any kind inside the cage) Hot glue works really well to secure thermostat probes.

[dscorps10]

Thanks a lot, Im going to see if I can fix this humidity problem in his current cage now if not then invest in a new one. I might also look into cypress mulch. If not ditch the heat pad.

[Vypyrz]

Hello, and to BP.net.

Can you post a few photos of your set-up? Or, describe it in detail.
- What are the dimensions of the tanks floor?
- What are the dimensions of the Under Tank Heater?
- Is there a gap under the tank?
- Do you have anything covering the sides of the tank?
- What are you using to cover the top with?
- What is the wattage of the bulb?

Don't get discouraged. There is no need to get a new set-up just yet. There are a few inexpensive cosmetic modifications that you can try first.
Once you post photos and/or answer the questions, we can see what route to go.

[dscorps10]

Hi I will post pics tonight of the tank but I will give you some detail. Its a 10 gallon tank with a mesh lid. I blocked off half the lid with foil. I have a 40 watt red bulb with a zoo med 10-20 gal heat pad. I have two hides and some plants to climb on with a medium size water dish. I use a hal inch of aspen on the bottom and the sides and back are not covered yet, Im going to use a fake background to cover the sides and the back monday. My ball python is thriving especally at night but is skiddish when i approach or walk by the tank because he was previously housed in a rack system. Hes calming down and not hissing anymore. The temps are a constant 90 degrees on the warm side and 78-80 on the cool side.

[BPLuvr]

Thanks a lot, Im going to see if I can fix this humidity problem in his current cage now if not then invest in a new one. I might also look into cypress mulch. If not ditch the heat pad.

Cypress mulch will hold the humidity much better. In addition the higher humidity (more moisture) will hold the heat better so the heat lamp won't need to cycle on as often. In addition lowering your ambient to about 80 will also help hold the humidity higher.