NEWBIE ball python owner & need advice!

[Soldierzgurl79]

I just purchased a ball python & need some advice before he arrives. I have read many things & most are conflicting so I'm a little on what to get. I have only owned a corn before.

I am the wife of a veteran w/ kids & on a budget...please take that into account when answering!

1) what's the best substrate? was looking into eco earth.

2) best thermometer & humidity thermometer

3) best tank setup

4) any other advice ???????????

[NormanSnake]

1. Aspen is great if you are looking for something attractive and easy to spot clean. In my opinion, newspaper or paper towels are best because when you clean, you just pull the old out and in with the new. I also like them because your snake can't accidentally ingest any substrate when feeding.

2. I'm not sure what brand it is, but a lot of people have a thermometer from Walmart that measures two temperatures and humidity. I think it's an accurite? Someone will correct me if I'm wrong..

3. Just make sure you have at least 2 identical hides, one on the cool end, one on the hot end. If your tank is large, clutter it up with branches, lots of hiding places, foliage, etc.

4. If you're using an under tank heater for your heat source, make sure you get a thermostat. The heat pads can and will get way too hot and burn your snake.


Can you post a picture of your setup? It would make it easier for us to give you advice.

[Daybreaker]

1) I use aspen and simple paper towel substrate (not together, some have aspen and others are on paper towels)

2) Acurite brand digital thermometers, you can get them at Walmart for about $12

3) I don't really do tanks as I do tub and rack set ups, but for babies 10 gallons are usually recommended. I like under tank heaters for belly heat but they MUST be on a thermostat as they can get way too hot and possibly burn your snake. There's a cheaper thermostat that some use that's around $30 so I'm sure someone can provide you the link, I think you can get it on amazon. Must have two hides for the warm and cold side (recommend they be identical), water dish, lots of fake plants or whatnot to provide security, and I recommend blacking out three sides of the tank (for more security). I would set up the tank first before the snake gets here so you can make sure your temps are where they should be.

4) There's so much more I could offer but for starts here's the BP caresheet: http://ball-pythons.net/forums/showt...s%29-Caresheet

As any and all questions you might have here and congrats on the new incoming pickup!

[The Serpent Merchant]

Welcome to the site!

1. Eco earth is a good choice, it will help keep humidity up in the cage, but can be messy. aspen is another good choice, as is cypress mulch, and my personal favorite paper towels/newspaper. There really isn't a "best substrate" just what works best for you and your cage setup. Do not use cedar or pine as the oils in these woods is toxic to snakes.

2. Avoid anything sold in pet stores, all they sell is overpriced junk. I like this unit sold at Walmart. it has 2 thermometers and a hygrometer (humidity) all in one package. They cost $12



As for thermostats here are 3 good options. Once again stay away from pet stores (this goes for just about everything)

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

Mid-Range: http://www.reptilebasics.com/ranco-etc-111000-pre-wired

Best: http://spyderrobotics.com/home/products.html (for a single cage a Herpstat intro + or Herpstat 1 woulb be what I would get)

3. simpler is better. This is how I set up all of my cages:



it has 2 good hides, a water dish, and appropriate thermometers/hygrometers. Not too much open floor space (which can stress a snake out) and proper temperatures/humidity. Anything else you want to add to a cage is decoration and for you not the snake. This is what they NEED.

4. Read through these 2 threads. They are full of good information:

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

Cage heating/thermometers/thermostats: http://ball-pythons.net/forums/showt...t-Thermometers

If you answer these questions we can help to make sure that you have everything set up right.

1. What are you planning on using for a cage/how big is it?

2. What are you going to heat the cage with?

3. What is the average temperature of the room that the cage is going to be in?

[PorcelainxDoll]

I just purchased a ball python & need some advice before he arrives. I have read many things & most are conflicting so I'm a little on what to get. I have only owned a corn before.

I am the wife of a veteran w/ kids & on a budget...please take that into account when answering!

1) what's the best substrate? was looking into eco earth.

2) best thermometer & humidity thermometer

3) best tank setup

4) any other advice ???????????

Welcome! I'm very happy that you have come here to get advice before your Lil one shows up.

1. I use eco earth in my tank set up and paper towels in my tub set ups. Both work fine. Paper towels are cheaper just not as astheticly pleasing.

2. Most of us use an accurite digital indoor outdoor probed thermometer to measure our temps. You can find them at walmart for about 12 $.

3. I used to think tanks were the Way to go until I found out about using tubs. There is a great thread on here by one of our members that shows how to properly set up s tub. They are cheap being about 5-10 for the tub. Compared to 50+for a tank.
Hopefully someone can link you to that thread and to our care sheet. Those two will tell you everything you pretty much need to know.

Good luck!
Sent from my SPH-L900 using Tapatalk 2

[Nathair]

Along with what everyone else has said, after you get him and put him in his new enclosure just be sure to leave him alone for the first week or so to let him get used to his new environment. Congrats by the way and welcome to the club.

[SlitherinSisters]

1) what's the best substrate? was looking into eco earth.
I use newspaper, paper towels, and aspen, I have different reasons for each, but those are the 3 I would recommend.

2) best thermometer & humidity thermometer
Anything that isn't cheap, or sold in pet stores. I like acurites if you want something to sit there. I have 3 Weather Channel indoor/outdoor thermometers which are pretty nice, I got them on sale for $12 a piece. I highly recommend picking up a laser thermometer. My husband got me a Raytek AutoPro, way too expensive, but I love the thing. A $20 temp gun is more than enough!

3) best tank setup
2 identical hides, warm/cool gradient, safe substrate like paper/paper towels/aspen, and a water bowl. Take a look at our care sheet for a more in depth description.

4) any other advice ???????????
Don't handle the snake if it's not eating. No tape in the enclosure. Make sure the enclosure is escape proof.

[Soldierzgurl79]

My family has the flu right now so I asked the seller to hold him another week before sending. What we have planned on ordering is below...PLEASE let me know if I need anything else or am wrong about something.

~ I was going 2 get the cage from Showcasecages.com & get the 36x24x24 sandstone w/ lock (temporarily)

~ Maybe an intellitemp heat mat or heat tape...we use heat tape for our corn & have done fine w/ it. Since we will eventually get stacking cages I'm still debating.

~ lighting from LLLreptile.com

~ branches, hides, dishes, and plants (fake)

~ still debating on the substrate...not a fan of newspapers & papertowels tho

[Kaorte]

If you are getting a hatchling, a 36x24x24 is going to be too big. You could use the 24x18x16 for over a year before you might need to upgrade. Ball pythons are shy snakes, and big open spaces tend to freak them out, especially if they are young. Smaller is actually better here. If you don't want to spend the $$ on a nice cage right now, you can start out with a tub and get the nicer cage when the snake grows into it.

Also, I think 24" tall is way too tall for an adult ball python, in my opinion. They are terrestrial snakes and while they will climb when they are young, most adults won't climb very much.

Whichever heat source you use, please be sure to get a reliable thermostat. I think this was suggested before.

Also make sure your hides are small and cramped. The snake should fit snugly inside. 2 identical hides are preferred so the snake doesn't have to choose security over thermal comfort.

I think cypress mulch would be a good substrate for you. It looks really nice, easy to spot clean, and holds humidity nicely.

[The Serpent Merchant]

I can speak from experience, you really don't want a 24" tall cage for a BP. The taller the cage, the harder it is to heat/maintain humidity. I have found that 24" x 24" x 12" (L x W x H) cages work really well for BP's. I have used this size cage with hatchlings without any issues. This cage size will be more than enough for an adult as well.

These are what I use (personally I feel that showcase cages are horrendously overpriced) check out this site, it is where I get all of my cage:

http://www.animalplastics.com

I use the T8 (terrestrial 8) for BP's. The T8 is a 48" x 24" x 12" cage (L x W x H) that can be configured with a divider to make 2x 24" x 24" x 12". The base price is $150 plus any addons like lights, cage locks, a divider, and flexwatt heat tape. Here is a thread I wrote on them:

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