New BCI!! Need some HELP

[Gio]

Not done yet.

I genuinely want to help you as much as possible.

This is an old picture taken when my BC was in a smaller cage.


The RHP is the white object in the upper left of the cage mounted on the ceiling. The Herpstat probe is on the far right just off the floor. I see it is visible in this picture.

The panel is about 6 inches away from the left wall of the cage and mounted dead center front to rear. I think earlier I said 1 to 2 inches but this is more centered based on the size of the RHP.

This cage is 48" x 24" x 14".

It has more ceiling space than your cage, but I still am not sure I'd keep my 6 foot BC in it ever again. I like ceiling in my cages, and just don't feel 11.5" (Boaphile 421D) or 12" is ideal for boas. At least not for larger boas.

Theses shots were taken when I was setting up the cage way back.

[RoyalBlood20]

Great post Gio. i am a visual learner so this helped in giving me a good idea as to where to place it. so it would it be ideal to put it right over the heat mat, centered front to back?

[Gio]

Great post Gio. i am a visual learner so this helped in giving me a good idea as to where to place it. so it would it be ideal to put it right over the heat mat, centered front to back?

Yes,

Keep in mind I do not use a UTH and heat exclusively with the RHP.

If you can buy a IFR heat gun, you can spot check temps throughout the cage.

Home Depot or really, any hardware store has them.

Or Reptile Basic where you bought your RHP.

Your boa is large so you'll want an zone that is cooler so it can get out of the heat. This is why a lot of keepers prefer larger cages. My male is in a 48" x 30" x 20". It should do him well unless he goes over 7 feet which is unlikely. You'll want a cage large enough so your BC can get into different climate zones to regulate.

You will do very well if you slow that feeding WAY, WAY down. You have an adult BC and it will thrive with less feeding. I would say skip feeding completely from November to April. This advice comes with a seasonal temp drop in those months. If you don't slightly drop the temps, the natural seasonal change won't be as obvious. I would also consider a night temp drop too.

We can discuss this later. At this point, keep the feeding to monthly and get the cage set up.

You are in a very good spot to learn.

And,,,, for the record, I made the same mistake all new boa keepers make. I totally got off on feeding my boa and probably overfed him in his first year, and maybe first two.

This is common and nothing to be embarrassed about. We all need to research and discover more and more about the animals we keep. I have probably read nearly every care sheet, species specific book, and REAL scientific media that relates to boa constrictors and carpet pythons. There is some very good text out there that covers vast species of snakes.

If you need help, ask here. I think the group that has responded in this thread is quite credible and experienced. We will obviously have some different ideas/advice for certain things, but at the end of the day the general consensus will be the same when it comes to the health and longevity of your BC.

This is my 6 foot, 4 year old, pure locality BC.

Barranquilla, Colombian BI. Produced by Gus Rentfro. He is a close friend of the author of the book I recommended.



He grew more when I didn't feed him this past winter than he did the previous winter when I fed him straight through.

[O'Mathghamhna]

im not dumb. the heat pad is regulated by a thermostat lol.

I never said you were dumb. You came here with many questions beginners ask. Burning snakes with UTHs is a common mistake beginners make, as is overfeeding, which was another mistake you were about to make before coming here. We are all here to learn (myself included!), the only dummies are ones who don't take good advice and do harm to their critters! You are obviously trying to do the best you can, and I appreciate you for doing so.

Thanks for coming here, read the book suggested in this thread, I will also jump on the "DON'T Overfeed" bandwagon, and good luck with your big baby! Post pics when you can!

[bcr229]

Burning snakes with UTHs is a common mistake beginners make, as is overfeeding, which was another mistake you were about to make before coming here.

Actually I think overfeeding is a common mistake ball python owners make when we get our first boa, because we're so pathetically happy to own a snake that actually eats.

[piedpipper]

Actually I think overfeeding is a common mistake ball python owners make when we get our first boa, because we're so pathetically happy to own a snake that actually eats.

Lol I don't own a BC but that is certainly true with other snakes as well. It's so refreshing to own a snake that actually WANTS to eat instead of acting like a spoiled child turning their nose up at every rat because they're too cold or too hot or too something

So I can see how this overfeeding tendency would arise

[RoyalBlood20]

Yes,

Keep in mind I do not use a UTH and heat exclusively with the RHP.

If you can buy a IFR heat gun, you can spot check temps throughout the cage.

Home Depot or really, any hardware store has them.

Or Reptile Basic where you bought your RHP.

Your boa is large so you'll want an zone that is cooler so it can get out of the heat. This is why a lot of keepers prefer larger cages. My male is in a 48" x 30" x 20". It should do him well unless he goes over 7 feet which is unlikely. You'll want a cage large enough so your BC can get into different climate zones to regulate.

You will do very well if you slow that feeding WAY, WAY down. You have an adult BC and it will thrive with less feeding. I would say skip feeding completely from November to April. This advice comes with a seasonal temp drop in those months. If you don't slightly drop the temps, the natural seasonal change won't be as obvious. I would also consider a night temp drop too.

We can discuss this later. At this point, keep the feeding to monthly and get the cage set up.

You are in a very good spot to learn.

And,,,, for the record, I made the same mistake all new boa keepers make. I totally got off on feeding my boa and probably overfed him in his first year, and maybe first two.

This is common and nothing to be embarrassed about. We all need to research and discover more and more about the animals we keep. I have probably read nearly every care sheet, species specific book, and REAL scientific media that relates to boa constrictors and carpet pythons. There is some very good text out there that covers vast species of snakes.

If you need help, ask here. I think the group that has responded in this thread is quite credible and experienced. We will obviously have some different ideas/advice for certain things, but at the end of the day the general consensus will be the same when it comes to the health and longevity of your BC.

This is my 6 foot, 4 year old, pure locality BC.

Barranquilla, Colombian BI. Produced by Gus Rentfro. He is a close friend of the author of the book I recommended.



He grew more when I didn't feed him this past winter than he did the previous winter when I fed him straight through.

Good advice. would an on/off thermostat work for an rhp??

[RoyalBlood20]

I never said you were dumb. You came here with many questions beginners ask. Burning snakes with UTHs is a common mistake beginners make, as is overfeeding, which was another mistake you were about to make before coming here. We are all here to learn (myself included!), the only dummies are ones who don't take good advice and do harm to their critters! You are obviously trying to do the best you can, and I appreciate you for doing so.

Thanks for coming here, read the book suggested in this thread, I will also jump on the "DON'T Overfeed" bandwagon, and good luck with your big baby! Post pics when you can!

my mistake. I would say I am a beginner, but not to the point where I wouldn't know the basic functions of a uth and the high-risk potential it poses.

[RoyalBlood20]

would an on/off style thermostat work for an rhp??? I know a proportional t-stat would be much better, but Ill have to wait until I get paid in another two weeks to get something that expensive. I don't see why not, though I think it would be annoying having it turn off and on every 10 minutes. Anyone use them for their rhps and have good results?

[CloudtheBoa]

Yes they will work. ON/OFF thermostats will work with any sort of heating, even lighting. It's just a matter of the health of the equipment and being turned off and on as you mentioned.


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