Help for a new BP owner

[greenacid]

Hello, so I recently purchased a 5 month old Ball Python. and I have a few questions..

The tank I got is as 30 gallon (long), and it came with a UTH already installed on it (the tank was second hand). I Went out and bought a 500w Zilla Temperature Controller, and really have no idea what to do with it.

I Ended up cutting a hole into the top of my lid, and feeding it down close by where the UTH is, but the suction cup is HORRIBLE, and it just keeps coming un done. I've also found my snake wrapped around it quite a few times which really scared me.

anyways, So far I have a large hide for him (it's big, I know) but was thinking of replacing it with something smaller until he gets bigger. I Read they have to almost touch every surface of it inside.

The temp's read about 83 degrees inside the cage, and I have the thermostat set to 89, but when I did that, he tended to come out of his hide and burrow into the substrate. When I turned it down, He went back into his hide.

I have about an inch of bedding in there. I Don't know what the maker is, The breeder I got it from said they use it all the time, and it's Almost like shredded up toilet paper. but seems to be okay?

He has a large water dish (matches the hide) and I refill it every day so he has fresh water.

The humidity in the cage says 50


I Got him on Tuesday and I Don't know when they fed him last. The owner was out of town at a reptile show, and said she had no idea. But 48 hours after I got him, He pooped. So I'm guessing it was 2-3 days before that.

I Tried feeding him today but he didn't touch it.


Anyways. I'm worried about the Thermostat. if I got the right one, If I needed one at all? My girlfriend wants to switch to bulbs, but EVERYTHING i've read online said No, and UTH are better.

[Capray]

Wait what? A normal rheostat (temp controller) should let you plug the cord for the mat into it. That'sthe only way it works. Do you have any pictures of the setup?

So the hide is not on the cool side? The snake wentover and burrowed becausehe is cold and had no hide there. He just wanted to feel safe and warm. Put a hide there! You should buy a new heat pad for him just to start fresh. Stick foil to the sticky part so you can move it, and attatch it to a light dimmer or rheostat making sure there's room to 'breathe' under the tank.
Don't even bother trying to feed him till he's had a few day in a stable environment. The snake will only eat if ittrusts that it will have it's warmth and security in the cage to properly digest.

[satomi325]

30 gallons sound too large for a 5 month old. How much does your snake weigh? Make sure he has lots of hides and cover. Lack of security promotes not eating. I suggest blacking out the sides and back of the tank with black paper or a back ground.


Your snake needs time to settle down. Leave him alone for a week without touching him. Then offer him food. what size prey are you offering?




You're feeding what down into the enclosure? If its the temp probe, it goes on the outside of the tank, between the tank and mat.
Use tape to secure the cord closest to the probe so it can't move. Don't cover the probe itself or it will trap heat and read inaccurately.

I'd stick with the UTH and try to use that over lamps. Lamps kill humidity.


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[KMG]

The Zilla control is a tstat guys. Its the one the big pet stores carry.

OP,

You do need a tstat on a uth. The best place to mount the probe is between the uth and the bottom of your tank. You may have an issue with the tank not addition level because the temp probe for that tstat is huge. Do the best you can and gently peel the uth back until you can place theprobe on it. Then you will want to add some foil tape or duct tape to it to make sure it does not fall off. If I was you I would set up the tstat you have (unless it can be returned) but order another one. The Zilla is not digital and dialing it in is not as easy. They also do not have a good reputation for lasting. I would replace it soon and just keep it as an backup/extra.

The substrate over the uth needs to be shallow so the heat can pass through and be utilized by your snake. You only need about 1/4 inch over it and this is the reason you need a tstat. An unregulated tstat can get very hot and with the shallow substrate can harm your snake.

As for the hides being to big I like to put moss inside them to make them seem smaller. This also becomes handy during a shed. You can mist the moss and it turns your hides into humid hides.

[CaitJaye]

I would definitely put another hide in your enclosure, especially if its a 30 gallon. I think its pretty important to let them feel comfortable and safe in both the basking side and the cooler side. And don't even worry about feeding until hes had time to relax and distress in his new environment. Some BPs are picky eaters and getting them to eat can be difficult, occasionally. I tried feeding mine a week after I got both of them and they did very well.

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The Zilla control is a tstat guys. Its the one the big pet stores carry.


As for the hides being to big I like to put moss inside them to make them seem smaller. This also becomes handy during a shed. You can mist the moss and it turns your hides into humid hides.

also, what a great idea.

[Velrys]

Since you are talking about cutting a hole in the lid for a probe with a crapy suction cup i am assuming you are using a thermostat not a rheostat... however...

I would suggest buying a heat gun.. you can get little ones for 20 bucks. It will give you a more accurate reading than the probe then just adjust the thermostat for the temp on the gun reads correctly. Dont worry about the suction cup

Yes you will need an appropriately sized hide for your animal it makes a difference. Also speaking of space a 30g is too large for a baby, but you can cheat by buying wood from a rep shop and cluttering up the enclosure really well so that the animal feels more secure. DONT go out in your yard and grab some sticks DO go buy some dense wood from a herp shop and boil the crap out of it. You can also cheat by getting some cheap sterilite from walmart and throwing it in just to take up space to make the baby feel more secure.

And as Cap says it should be on the hot side of your enclosure, though you should have a second on the cool side as well.

Speaking of placement the waterdish should also be on the cool side of the tank.

At 50% you might want to get something ( a sponge in a tupperware with holes) to put on the warm side and then cover some of the screen on top with a towel or plexiglass.

Again i agree with Cap, dont even worry about feeding until you have him in a stable environment.

[KMG]

Your snake can live just fine in that tank. It will require more work on your part. You really should add some real or fake plants, drift wood, several hides, and other decor you like. I like naturalistic tasks and my ball has lived in a 40 gallon her entire life. She is my best eater and is thriving.

Here is an example.


I do think everything that goes into the tank should be cleaned but boiling the drift wood imo is not needed.

If your humidity is really staying at 50% it is fine. I doubt it will stay there long though. Covering the screen helps but I found it a real chore to keep the humidity up in a glass tank. Now I use the moss trick and have great sheds. During non shed times I will must the moss from time to time but during a shed I keep it moist. Pretty simple.

Here is the caresheet if you have not seen it.
http://ball-pythons.net/forums/showt...ius)-Caresheet

[greenacid]

So for this zilla temp control, I poked a hole in the screen lid. How can I fix it without using tape?

[KMG]

Take some foil and make a thick square then put tape over that on the outside of the screen. This way the snake can touch the foil but it will not harm it.

I used cardboard and covered it with foil that fits on the inside of my screen to keep some heat and humidity in. If you do that it can cover up your patch job if it bothers you.

I cut the cardboard to the shape I wanted and made a window for the heat lamps and then covered it with foil using packing tape to secure it. It works pretty well.

[greenacid]

Take some foil and make a thick square then put tape over that on the outside of the screen. This way the snake can touch the foil but it will not harm it.

I used cardboard and covered it with foil that fits on the inside of my screen to keep some heat and humidity in. If you do that it can cover up your patch job if it bothers you.

I cut the cardboard to the shape I wanted and made a window for the heat lamps and then covered it with foil using packing tape to secure it. It works pretty well.

Did not think of that. Thanks a ton. As far as making his enclosure more secure, I'm gonna be all over that on Monday.