200g ball python did not eat for 2 months!!

[j94712]

My ball python has not eaten anything since i got her (about 2 months). The temperature of cool side is around 80 and the hot side is around 88 (measured by temp gun) . I use aspen for substrate. Humidity is around 60%. She shed once a week after i got her, and she shed in one piece. She is in a 16 quart tub snake rack. I have 2 other ball python on that rack as well, but they are all eating except this one. Been trying to feed every week, but failed every time. I also try to leave the f/t rat in the tub overnight, but it didn't work. However, she stays in her hide during the day and active during the night, which seems pretty normal to me. There is not much weight lost for her either.
I e-mailed the breeder, and they told me that she has been eating great before they sold it to me.
I have tried both live and f/t and none of them work. Sometimes, she just attacked at that rat defensively, and sometimes she just was not interested in the rat at all.
After researching for a while, i just was not sure what else to make her eat.
Next week i will try to brown paper bag trick, and hopefully it will work.
It just seems really odd to me that a young ball python like this goes off feed.
Please give me some advices!
Thanks

[Inarikins]

Have you tried mice? Or have you only tried rats?

[j94712]

I only tried rats because the breeder said they never feed their snakes mice.

[Inarikins]

It is strange for a 200 gram snake to go off feed. How are you measuring your temps? Where are you measuring them? If she hasn't eaten since you got her, I would say it's a husbandry issue.

[j94712]

I measure the temperature with temp gun.
http://tempgun.com/shop/tg1/
The temperature is measured at the bottom of the substrate, which is just the plastic tub. The hot side is on right on top of the heat tape with the setting of 92F, and the cool side is just the other part of the tub. I was a bit confused about the temperature setting at the beginning, but after researching and asking question on this forum, people said that the bottom of the substrate is where I should measure the temperature, which is the hotting part of the tub that my snake can get to.
And her hide is right on top of the hot side.

[Crazymonkee]

Depending on how thick your substrate is... I would temp it on top of it and see what you get. The temp may be lower than you think

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[Cissin]

Yeah if you have thick layer it could drastically reduce the temperature where the snakes hide is. I ended up just switching to newspaper instead for my rack because I had to turn the thermostat up so high to get the heat to penetrate just a 1/2 inch of aspen. If you want to use substrate just use a little bit to basically just cover the surface. If you turn your thermostat up to high so the heat reaches the snakes hide and your snake burrows down to the bottom of the tub there's a good chance you will burn your snake.

[Crazymonkee]

Mine is at 91 and goes nicely through the Eco Earth

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[j94712]

ok
i have been reducing the substrate for all ball python tubs, and they just dig down to the bottom of the tub anyway.
I will try to find a smaller hide for her.
hopefully she will eat this weekend
thanks for the advice, i will keep u guys updated!

- - - Updated - - -

ok
i have been reducing the substrate for all ball python tubs, and they just dig down to the bottom of the tub anyway.
I will try to find a smaller hide for her.
hopefully she will eat this weekend
thanks for the advice, i will keep u guys updated!

[Inarikins]

Pics of the setup will also help a lot!

And when you are buying a new hide, buy two. I keep cereal bowl hides in with my snakes until they're about 500 grams. By the end there they're cramming themselves in but they seem to do better as far as eating goes.

I actually leave my substrate thick. I like the look of it and they shove it all aside no matter how thin it is anyways. It's a bit thinner in the back over the tape, but for the most part it's at least 1/2" thick.