First thread...need some help with my "list"

[Cody]

K so far I've tried to give out what advice I could to help the beginners like myself. But I'm now preparing for the big step, which is the actual owning of a ball python. Hopefully I have enough knowledge to succesfully raise a healthy and happy ball python.

Okay, so anyway, I finally got my income tax return check thingy, so I have some money to finally buy the necessities for the snakey habitat. I figured I'd just post the list to see if you guys can think of anything I'm missing...or anything I don't need, etc..

I already have a 20 gal aquarium. Wanted to go with a sterilite, but mom surprised me with a yard sale find earlier last week, lol. So that'll do for now. Stuff I'm looking to get tommorrow:

-Aquarium top
-2 hides (just some ceramic/clay planter pot thingies)
-human heat pad
-water dish (probably just a shallow doggy dish)
-fake/plastic plants (I'll check them to see if they have a smell at all)
-outdoor carpeting (enough for 2 pieces, so cleaning is simple)
-velcro strips (thinking of putting the velcro on the outdoor carpet so the snake doesn't go under and get burns from the glass underneath)
digital thermometer/hygrometer

K, anything I'm missing? Anything in there that could cause a problem?

[Tigergenesis]

Nix the velcro - you don't want to risk him getting in contact with it. Just as long as your hides/deco are heavy enough they'll weight the carpet down.

other things to get:
stuff to make a humid hide (you will need it because you'll have problems with humidity): spaghum moss, tupperware bowl

a branch or 2 for climbing (also needed since they are rough and will start the shedding process)

cleaning supplies

feeding tongs

That's all I can think of right now. I bet you're excited!

[jotay]

I use velcro to hang my temp/humid. gauge on.
I was wondering how the snake getting in contact would hurt it?
It's not sticky, one side is soft and the other is plastic brishels
Nothing on the velcro I use for the snake to stick to.
Just wondering

As for the list
duct tape to tape the outside of the screen up, this will help with the humidity issues.
I also always recommend a thermostat connected to any heating device, it's a good safe thing to use and will maintain proper temps even when temps in the room change.
Good Luck

[Marla]

I'd also suggest a bit of newspaper to stick under your carpet for additional absorbency. Sounds like you're on your way.

[led4urhead]

Good to see you've done your research. Looks like you've got your bases all covered. Good Luck!

[Alkaurkharim]

I'll add my .2 in here too ^_^

I personally went the outdoor carpet route, and found it to be rather...yuck. I had to wash it twice cause of the smell in it and Elysia kept going under it which I didn't like because it had that black tarry stuff under it and was crumbling off from being washed. So I just had her on newspaper until I got Eco-Earth. I would honestly suggest using Newspaper for your BP. Thats all I plan to use ^_^ Its extremely easy to clean and if you get the paper everyday, you never run out. I personally used 4 double sheets of newspaper, not those single sheets from in the middle of the sections ^_^

I also find that dog dishes tend to be rather deep and flimsy. I myself bought a 4$ repti-rock water dish and its perfect for me. They have all sorts of sizes too.

Make sure to get some snaps for your screen top! If you don't have somethign to secure it to the tank, your BP will get out for sure. My tank actually has a slide-in screen and a little clip to lock it in so theres no way my snake is getting out.

I also suggest getting 2 digi themometers. One with the hygrometer and a seperate one that is just a thermometer. The reason being you are gonna need 1 for the hotside and one for the coldside. I stick the probes to the surface right under where I put my hides. I leave the ambient temps in the tank up to the thermometer/hygrometer I have hanging on the wall ^_^ I might also suggest a 25$ temp gun to spot check the temps inside the hides, but I don't think its needed myself.

As for cleaning supplies that Tiger suggested, definately a must. You need to clean and disinfect everything, including the tank itself, before it goes in there. I suggest using either Virosan, or if you can't get some of that, the way cheaper, and I think better solution, Vinegar+Peroxide. Get 2 spray bottles, fill 1 with white vinegar, and the other with hydrogen peroxide, the 3% kind. Spray one all over the object, then spray the other right after, then wipe it off. I usually also rinse it off too to get rid of the vinegar smell.

Wow this is getting pretty long, sorry if some of this you already know, just got off on a rant I guess o_O

One last point. Make sure the heating pad you get has no auto-shutoff. I suggest Dunlop's 10$ heat-pad. There is one that says on the box "auto shut-off*. You DO NOT want this one ^_^ Get one that doesnt mention auto-shut off at all ^_^ Also get a Thermostat or Rheostat to control the temps of your heatpad!

Ok me shutup now ^_^

EDIT: Wow that was way more then .2 ^_^ More like.... Three Fiddy...

[Marla]

If you get the indoor/outdoor AcuRite unit, you'll only need one. Just make sure both your probe and the unit itself are on the surface rather than under the substrate or hooked up to the wall or anything, and you'll be fine. At $15, they're a good buy, but it would get prohibitively expensive pretty quickly if it was $30+ per cage just for thermometer/hygrometer.

[Tigergenesis]

My only concern with velcro is not really it sticking (unless it came undone) but is just it 'scraping/scratching' the snake - I'm a bit of a worry wart.

I use carpet for my Bp - but wouldn't recommend for a colubrid since they go to the bathroom too much = more cleaning/changin carpet. I've not had any problems with odors left on the carpet, but that could be the method I use to clean (hot soapy water) and disinfect (Virosan/Nolvasan).

I'm so excited for you!

[Alkaurkharim]

I agree that 25-30$ for thermometers per tank is a bit much, but I don't plan on having more then 1 BP and my MBK so It's not too big of a deal for me, I'm very anal about the temps and care of my snake ^_^

[Cody]

Thanks for the replies

I didn't go to Walmart or anything today, so I'll have to wait yet another week or so before getting everything. I just went to the local OVERLY PRICED pet store, and got a screen top for the cage. 23 bucks, but I looked around and they don't sell them much more cheaper than the 19.99 price tag on the thing. Then I went to Zehrs, the local shopping market chain, and got a few bowls for water dishes. One smaller one for the little snakey, and a bit larger one for when he grows a bit. Then I went to a few carpet & flooring places in town, but none of them had indoor/outdoor carpeting that they sold by the foot. :roll: So unless I find a place that carries it by the foot, I think I'm gonna have to go with repti-bark and stuff like that.

So next week I'll probably go to Walmart and get most of the stuff I need, like the digital thermometer, heat pad, and hides. And for fake plants, I can just go to the local dollar store, lol.

As for the stuff for a humid hide, I had that in mind. I was just gonna get the stuff when I buy the snake, as I'm sure the shop will have some sphagnum moss, and the plant place I go to for the hides will have a simple pot to put over the moss.

Oh, and for the duct tape covering the screen, I didn't want to go that way. Not a fan of the duct tape idea, with all the stickiness(not as in it'd harm the snake...I just don't wanna deal with it, lol), so instead I figured I'd just cut some cardboard to shape, and put it on top, with a hole cut for the lamp. And to secure the screen to the cage, I'm just gonna use some bungee cords. I bought clips for the screen, but the freaking clips don't even fit the screen top. And they were made from the same company!:roll:

As for the dog dish being small and flimsy and stuff...I wanted to get those nice looking rock water dish things, and I almost did today. I seen one at the over-priced pet shop in town, but when I picked it up, I seen the 20 dollar price, and promptly put it down. I don't see that guy having his shop up town much longer....sooo over priced. And not much in there either. Just a handful of birds, and some goldfish that keep dying. We bought two from him before. Within an hour of bringing them home, they died. We went there again and told him what happened, he sold us two more. One died within hours of bringing it home, and the other is nice and healthy. He was the lucky one I guess. The guy doesn't change the water, and doesn't have any filters or anything. The water is so cloudy, you can't see the fish at all.:? :x