Bought my first BP yesterday! Temp question... [Pic Included]

[Xazereth]

Hi guys, bought my first ball python yesterday! I'm very excited to begin the journey. I have a female ball python that's probably a foot long - pretty skinny though. Maybe 5 - 8 months old. Got her from a local pet store, bred in captivity. I have a small 10 gal. glass tank set up for her, with a black plastic cover that goes on top of the case. I placed a towel over the plastic cover to keep in more humidity and heat - the glass is fogging up so it seems to be working. I bought a heating pad from the pet store, he told me to put it on one side and leave the other as a more natural, cooler environment. My temp gauge on the hot side is only reading at 80 - 81 degrees. If it isn't warm enough, any cheap/effective ways to up the temp? From the research I've done that doesn't seem warm enough - am I right? I have a hide for it on either side, its currently morning here and she just settled down in the hot hide and seems to be content.

I did not want to jump right into a 20 or 30 gallon tank so she does not feel stressed in too big of a space, was I right to assume this?

I live in Pittsburgh if that helps at all!

Thanks for the help in advance,

Xaz

- - - Updated - - -

Forgot to mention that the thermostat reading 80 on the hot side is not on the bedding of the case, its higher on the wall, so this is probably its ambient air temperature, I don't have a stick in thermometer yet, do you think the floor of the heating pad is hotter?

[brooksy]

As far as temperature reading goes, you need to be able to measures the surface temperature accurately. I would suggest getting a temperature gun (I got mine at a hardware store) as the dial and strip ones are not accurate enough when it comes to the life of your pet.

[JOsborn]

Are you using the stick-on thermometers sold at the pet store?

[Dracoluna]

Just a couple questions... What substrate are you using? What type of thermostat and thermometers are you using for readings? Where are their probes located? All of these can affect temps and your ability to analyze them.

My first recommendation (if you haven't already) get a cheap accurite thermometer ($12-15) from Wal-Mart that does inside and outside temps. Put the 'outside' probe on the hot spot inside the cage and under any substrate. Use the max/min function to see how much the temperature is fluctuating in that area.

If you are using aspen or something similar for substrate, anything more than a 1/2 inch layer will prevent most heat from getting up to where your snake is. However, that doesn't mean raise the heat because you don't want them burning themselves should they burrow down to the bottom of the tank. Paper towels/newspaper allow the heat to get through better and you'll have less variation between the glass and what you're snake is feeling.

[KMG]

Having condensation building on the tank walls is to much humidity. 40-50% is fine with increasing it during shed to 60-70%.

The under tank heater (uth) will get way to hot and can burn your snake, it needs to be on a thermostat (tstat). Did you mount it to the side or the bottom? Who makes it?

What is your substrate?

A 20 gallon tank would've been fine.

If you can get the uth to provide a hotspot of 90 the rest of the tank being 80 is fine. A temp gun is the best way to check your surface temps.

If the uth is on the bottom you should unplug it and go get a tstat.
The uth needs to be on a tstat with a 1/2 inch of substrate over it at most.

[Kaorte]

Am I the only one wondering where the picture is? Haha

But anyway, a picture would be really helpful.

If you already stuck the UTH to the side of the tank, it might be hard to get it off. You want it on the bottom of the tank for belly heat. And just to clarify, since I think there seems to be some confusion. A thermostat and a thermometer are different things. A thermostat is a device that controls a heat source. It has a probe that measures the temp of the heat source, and a unit that you plug the heat source into. At the unit you can adjust the temperature or "set point". The thermostat will turn on when the probe reading is low and turn off when it reaches the set point.

I hope you know what a thermometer is It just measures temps, it does nothing to control them.

A good thermostat and good thermometers go hand in hand. You can have the most expensive thermostat, but if you skimp on the thermometers you will never know your correct temps. Same goes the other way around. You could have the best thermometer, but if you don't have a thermostat, you risk cooking your animal.

Ideally you want a probed thermometer. A lot of people like temp guns (I have one) but I prefer to have a probe on my hot spot at all times, just to be sure it isn't getting too hot.

Placement of your thermometers is another big issue. A lot of newbies (I was guilty of this as well) place their thermometers way at the top of the cage..where the snake never goes. What is the point of monitoring the temperatures of the zone the snake will never inhabit? Move your thermometers to ground level. You will want a probe on your hot spot (right above the UTH under the substrate) to measure the hottest possible place the snake can get too. You will want another thermometer on the cool side to measure the overall ambient temperature.

I hope this helps!

[Xazereth]

As for the picture, I thought I could upload a picture, didn't know I had to use a URL. So I'll have to include the picture later. I'm using Aspen-Snake. UTH is a Zoo-Med, and its on the bottom of the tank.

I did indeed make the mistake of getting some stick on thermometers from PetCo, including a humidity gauge (which reads between 80 and 90% and I severely doubt its accuracy).

I also bought a digital thermometer with a probe - it reads at about 88 - 90 degrees at the surface of the substrate on the hot side. As for the cool side, it reads at about 80 degrees.

My snake seems happy, she's eaten with me for the first time since I posted my thread and seems quite content, I've been monitoring her to make sure that the hot side is not too hot and vice versa. She seems to hang out on the cool side in her hide, and when she feels she's a little too cold she'll hang out in the hot hide for a while, and will switch back and forth. She ate 2 little mice, I was very proud of her! I'd like to get a heat gun but it is currently not in the funds. I have a feeling the humidity is around 50 - 70%, but I'll need to get a digital hydrometer to make sure, currently waiting for more funds to do so! The mornings in Pittsburgh can be a little frigid, but my digital probe thermometer reported a 78 degree floor temp that morning, which was perfect!


Things seem to be going well, but I know that when winter comes I am either going to have to move her to a warmer room or get a heat lamp, but I want to stay away from the heat lamps because of its interference with humidity. I actually had a really good idea - If I were able to cut into the side of the aquarium and get a pipe or something to run into a seperate, small little aquarium where the heat lamp would be, it wouldn't affect her main tank, but she could go there whenever she desires more heat. I'm not experienced in cutting glass but I know people who are. I was actually wondering any of your opinions on that. I doubt it could be done but I liked the idea of a seperate "room" for her heat lamp.

All in all, things seem good right now. I use my air conditioner in my room to keep the ambient temp in my room at about 75 - 80 degrees and the UTH takes care of the rest for the hot side. Should I start misting just to be careful? And are you guys saying I could actually replace using substrate with papertowels? So, just paper towels on the floor of the tank?

Also: I plan on going to Home Depot today to buy a light dimmer to use at night so it doesn't get too hot.

[Xazereth]

Update: Going to get a thermostat after work today! Can't let that UTH get out of control, had no idea it could get so damn hot...

[I-KandyReptiles]

When you upgrade her tank, maybe look into a PVC cage.

They're great at holding humidity and to keep temps from fluctuating. Also, if it gets cold, you can mount a radiant heat panel to the roof. Like all heat sources, it should be regulated with a thermostat, but I find it really helps keep his ambient temps proper, and doesn't kill humidity.

A t8 from animal plastics would be the best. You can get a divider to section off her side of the tank till she's big enough for the whole thing.

http://www.animalplastics.com

[SlitherinSisters]

You might have to use a light as well to keep the temps up. The warm side should be in the low 90s, and the cool side should be in the high to mid 70s.

And yes, they can stress from having too much open space. It's better to go smaller than bigger with these guys.