Repeat R.I. Not too much weight gain, I'm really Stumped

[greenacid]

So, as most of you know, I've had my Ball Python Ollie for about a year now. I feed him every 5 days (or 7, if he doesn't want it on the 5th day). I have a beautiful T8 Cage for him from Animal Plastics, I have a nice thermostat and felxxwatt tape and the temps are great, but I can't seem to get my humidity up. I have an exo terra water bowl, and it's sitting on the hot side, but the humidity is always at 35%

Back in September, he got an R.I and I had to give him shots for 10 days which he survived from. I Stopped spraying in the tank, and he didn't get sick again, and ate on a regular basis never skipping a meal.

I Decided about 2 weeks ago, that I was tired of the humidity always being at 35%, (This being read from 2 different meters, one being Acu Rite on the right sight of the cage, and one being a Exo Terra dial on the left, both reading 35%).
I started spraying down his cage on the hot side a little bit, so that the humidity would rise, and low and behold he got ANOTHER R.I

The other problem I'm having with him is that he'll be a Year old March 14th, and he's about 2 and a half feet (This going by how he's the same length of my T8 and then some), but he ONLY weighs 400 grams. No matter how much he eats, I just can't get him above that. He's currently on Weaned Pups because I Bought a box from layne labs and I have a few more left. He has definitely eaten small rats though (which are significantly bigger than weaned) with no problem at all. but it seems like no matter what I do, he just doesn't increase in weight.

I see other peoples posts of their yearling, and they are HUGE compared to Ollie. I have no clue what i'm doing wrong, or why my humidity is always low in the T8 when everyone else never has as problem with their cage.

Please help me

[piedpython]

I have always sprayed my ball pythons enclosures to keep humidity up and never had a RI. My ambient is 80 though and the heat lamps always suck the humidity rather quick. What are your temps (warm side, cool side, ambient)?

[greenacid]

I have always sprayed my ball pythons enclosures to keep humidity up and never had a RI. My ambient is 80 though and the heat lamps always suck the humidity rather quick. What are your temps (warm side, cool side, ambient)?

Ambient is 86, warm side is 95 (on the flexxwatt)

[piedpython]

If you sprayed heavily and the moisture did not dry up and your ambient was on the cool end then I could see a RI popping up. I spray every other day to 90% and that quickly goes down to 60% after a few hours from the heat lamp and then the next day its back under 40% and needing another misting. Is your T8 just heated by the flexwatt? Maybe the enclosure retains the moisture longer. What kind of substrate do you use?

[greenacid]

If you sprayed heavily and the moisture did not dry up and your ambient was on the cool end then I could see a RI popping up. I spray every other day to 90% and that quickly goes down to 60% after a few hours from the heat lamp and then the next day its back under 40% and needing another misting. Is your T8 just heated by the flexwatt? Maybe the enclosure retains the moisture longer. What kind of substrate do you use?

I have Flexxwatt and a RHP for Ambient Heat. I Spray until its at 90 but within 3 hours its back to 35%.

I use paper towels for substrate. i'm thinking I should switch to eco earth but i didn't know if that would be okay in a T8

[piedpython]

I would just switch to cypress and avoid spraying since it comes moist from the bag. Then just spray the substrate if it gets dry since it will hold moisture well.

[greenacid]

I would just switch to cypress and avoid spraying since it comes moist from the bag. Then just spray the substrate if it gets dry since it will hold moisture well.

Really? I thought they couldn't be on cypress. that'll do okay with the T8? Should i get rid of the RHP?

[bcr229]

Really? I thought they couldn't be on cypress. that'll do okay with the T8? Should i get rid of the RHP?

You're confusing cedar with cypress. Cedar is bad, cypress is good. Cypress mulch acts like a sponge - it soaks up water and releases it slowly so you get decent humidity w/o constant spraying.

I would keep the RHP, maybe just dial it back a bit so your cool side is in the low 80's. Also I've found that if the hot side is in the mid-90's the BP's don't use it as much, maybe dial that back to 91-92.

[greenacid]

I have it set to 99 and 87

87 being the RHP, and 99 being Flexxwatt, so it can come through the PVC of the T8. my temp gun says the surface is 93 degrees inside the cage. which is good. i think?

[bcr229]

Surface of 93*F should be fine. Switching to cypress will help with the humidity - I use it in the winter since the air in my house dries out.

Did your vet do a culture on the RI?