Banana Ball Python - Complications with vendor

[bunkerguy]

Your thermometer reads temperature. You need a thermostat to regulate temperature. Do you have an under-tank heat pad or just the light?

If your AC vent is making the tank too cold and dry, either close off or block the vent, or move the tank so it's not in the path of the conditioned air.

The dual thermometer is for reference only. I have a thermostat with a humidity gage as well. I have a humidifier, 2 heating pads, and an infrared bulb. They are all on the left side of the tank and I just installed them about 10 minutes ago

[Willowy]

What brand of thermostat did you get? Where did you put the probe?

I don't think BPs require a humidifier---I think they can make it TOO damp in there. They aren't fully tropical snakes so they don't need it as humid as some, and too high of humidity is as bad as too low. You can put foil over the screen top to keep humidity in, after that just a water dish should keep it high enough. Make sure you have a digital hygrometer; the dial kind are notoriously inaccurate.

[bunkerguy]

What brand of thermostat did you get? Where did you put the probe?

I don't think BPs require a humidifier---I think they can make it TOO damp in there. They aren't fully tropical snakes so they don't need it as humid as some, and too high of humidity is as bad as too low. You can put foil over the screen top to keep humidity in, after that just a water dish should keep it high enough. Make sure you have a digital hygrometer; the dial kind are notoriously inaccurate.

Yeah the problem is how dry it actually gets in here. I wanted he ability to control the humidity, especially during shed time.

[PitOnTheProwl]

The dual thermometer is for reference only. I have a thermostat with a humidity gage as well. I have a humidifier, 2 heating pads, and an infrared bulb. They are all on the left side of the tank and I just installed them about 10 minutes ago

Huh???

How are you regulating the two heat pads?

[bunkerguy]

Huh???

How are you regulating the two heat pads?

The thermostat regulates temp and humidity. It's digital, zoo-med brand.

In other news, I went to a different pet store today and talked to the manager, who personally owned more than 40 reptiles. He gave me some feeding tips, and suggested that I try to feed her a live white mouse. She didn't immediately go for it, she struck at it a few times, but on the third she coiled up and killed it. She then ate and now she's hiding in one of her burrows. Probably really hungry after not eating for so long.

[PitOnTheProwl]

Thats nice..

[Willowy]

One thing you need to be aware of is where the probe for the thermostat is. If you're just regulating the enclosure temp, that might not protect your snake from burns. The contact area of a heat mat can get hot enough to burn a snake, and BPs are known for not moving off a heat pad when it gets hot enough to burn them. To protect against that, the probe needs to be between the mat and the glass, and it needs to be set at a level that will turn the mat off before it gets hot enough to burn. If you have 2 heat mats you might need 2 thermostats, unless that product has 2 heat-control probes.

Glad to hear she ate! That's always nice .

[PitOnTheProwl]