Originally Posted by futurebpowner
I was looking into getting a small snake rack and have some questions.
How do you maintain proper humidity? A water bowl gives enough humidity to allow for good sheds inside the tubs for me. Some put the water bowls over the hot side to give more humidity when a snake is going into shed.
Would one Herpstat 1 be enough for 1 rack? I don't personally have that thermostat, I use the VE-200: http://www.reptilebasics.com/thermostats. But yes, one thermostat per rack should be fine.
Does a Herpstat show humidity? I don't believe it does - a digital thermometer that shows temps and humidity can be used inside the tub to show ambient temps and humidity levels. Some thermometers have a probe that you can use to show direct hot side temps but I use ambient/humidity ones and use a temp gun for checking the hot spot
What size tubs are best for ball pythons? Varies on who you ask and what size the BP(s) are. I personally start out little ones in 15-24 qts (with lots of cover and hides) and I have adults in 34qts. 41qts seem the norm for adults though.
Is heat tape safe? IMO Yes, when used with a thermostat. I haven't had any problems with my flexwatt.
And are they the best option for snake keeping? All personal opinion. I personally really like the racks for my balls as each seem more secure in them and they eat better. When I kept my first BP in a tank I had a hard time with temps and getting her to eat but once I switched to tubs/racks I've had much better luck. I don't recommend racks for every snake species of course but do recommend tubs/racks for balls.
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