Regulating heat w/ UTH

[ChelseaV]

Hi all,

I'm new to this forum and I have just a couple questions! I recently adopted a pair of young ball pythons from someone who no longer had time for them. Its been about 6 years since I've owned one and I'm a little rusty on my knowledge.
So..first question, I bought a new UTH today because the previous owner had the original one in the middle of the tank. I placed the new one on one side of the tank and purchased a digital thermometer to regulate and keep track of the temperature. The man at the reptile store told me I should place their hide on the side with the UTH and when I had it there, it was reading at 103.4 degrees. I couldn't tell if it was because I had the thermometer placed wrong (the probe was inside the hide so I could keep track of the temperature inside) or the UTH was just too hot. I moved everything around, the hide is now on the cool end and the UTH temperature is now reading about 94.5 degrees. What would be the best way to keep the temperature regulated? The digital thermometer I have only keeps track of the temperature and I'm worried of it getting too warm for them. I've read that the warm side should be between 80-96 degrees. Also, the previous owner gave me a UV light as well, that I really would like to use because the room I have them in isn't well light and I'd like to simulate a 12 hour light / 12 hour dark cycle but when I had that on, it spiked the temperature up pretty drastic. Maybe I'm just being paranoid but I want to take them best possible care of them as possible.

Ok, second question. They are being currently housed in a 30 gallon tank. The slightly larger of the two is about a foot and half, almost 2 feet and the smaller is probably a little over a foot, so they are relatively young. I've read several places that they sometimes get stressed out in larger tanks and the guy at the reptile shop said they should be fine in the 30 gallon even at full size. This may be true but even now it seems like it's a little small. I'd like to eventually move them to a larger tank, preferably one that's wider and longer so they have room to stretch out. Any thoughts on this and any suggestions on future cage ideas?

Sorry for the long, rambling post. I just have questions that the guy at the reptile store failed to fully answer for me.
Thanks in advance for any help and I look forward to talking to you all soon!

[Eric Alan]

First off, welcome!

Now, just because you moved the thermometer and it's reading lower, it doesn't mean that the UTH is any cooler. Your BP still has access to those 100+ degree temperatures. What you need is a thermoSTAT to control (not just measure) the UTHs temperature. Until then, I recommend unplugging the heater.

As far as the 30 gallon goes, it is certainly larger than a growing ball python needs, but there are things you can do to help. Cover the sides with dark paper, provide a few snug hides, clutter the place up, etc.

Also, I wouldn't worry about the light if I were you. They don't really need the light at all, so if there's as much as a window in the room it's probably getting all of the day/night cycle it needs.

Finally, and probably most importantly, get comfortable with the search function on this forum. There is a TON of very useful discussions on these very topics and others that you don't know you don't know yet. The best thing you can do for your new addition is to turn yourself into an information sponge.

Good luck with him!

Edit: I missed that you have two. Please house them separately. There are many reasons besides "the internet told me to", so if you'd like to hear them, let me know.

[bcr229]

1) A thermometer doesn't regulate temperature, it just measures it. A thermostat regulates temperature.

2) Both snakes need their own homes, cohabitation is risky. Ball pythons have been known to eat each other, if one gets sick then the other one will as well. A 30-gal will work for a while, a 40-breeder will work for life. If you'd rather go easy-keeping look into a tub/rack setup.

This thread shows you how to set up a tank: http://ball-pythons.net/forums/showt...-With-Pictures!

[ChelseaV]

Thanks for the replies guys!

I will definitely be investing in a thermostat then! Is there a specific brand I should be looking for?
I turned their light off, I didn't want to risk raising the temperature of their environment to dangerous levels.
I had heard about not housing them together but the owner and the reptile store employee both shrugged it off, but I had a hunch that they should be separate. I was honestly considering giving them smaller of the two to a friend who raises them.

Thank you guys for all the help. I will be scrolling through all the posts and learning all I can

[Eric Alan]

Budget: Hydrofarm
Best/Reliable/Safe: Herpstat <- These are the only ones I will personally recommend

[frostysBP]

I would leave the light on and unplug the uth

Sent from my A521L using Tapatalk

[aLittleLessButter]

Everyone above gave good advice so i will just suggest if you keep both to get a herpstat 2 or equivalent viv thermostat. It can't regulate 2 seperate enclosure at the same time