New Ball Python, am I on the right track for his setup and care?

[Jhill001]

Long story short, I'd been planning on getting a leopard gecko for most of this year. I had the tank ready and was prepared to get one at my city's reptile expo.

...Then I held a bp and I fell in love. I knew the basics of bp husbandry, and when I got home with my little one I made the necessary changes to the tank (that I could on such short notice) and went online to make sure I had the right ideas for temps, enclosure setup, etc.

First off, here's a photo of Viago's enclosure:
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Here are the details:
24 x 18 x 12 exo terra (I've read he'll likely need a size upgrade as he grows, open to suggestions and opinions on that!)
Exo terra heat mat controlled by a jumpstart thermostat set to 91. The thermostat probe reads 91 and the in-tank digital thermometer (zoo-med brand) reads 89-91 as the thermostat adjusts.
Ambient temp around 80
Cool side around 80-81
Red light 75w over the tank as I live in a basement in Canada . I was kind of coerced into buying this over a che by the petstore guy :/
Two hides
Water bowl (about as big as Viago when he balls up)
All sides (except the front) are covered to ensure security. I have styrofoam and tinfoil covering most of the screen top to maintain humidity. Currently using an exo terra hygrometer which reads at about 50-60% with twice daily spraying (where I live is quite dry)


There are definitely things that need some changing. The substrate is currently a half-inch or so of aspen shavings overtop of zoo--med exacavator clay. As this was intended for a leo, the clay was already in place. I will be replacing this once Viago settles in as I know the clay is not at all necessary or useful to a bp. I'm thinking cypress mulch over aspen, as, like I said, my house/location is generally quite dry. Will the clay be a problem until he's more comfortable in his new tank, or will it be alright to leave in for a few weeks?

His hides are more or less first and foremost for me in terms of what needs to go. That half-log thing is waay too big for him at his size and too open. At the moment, he curls up under the fake flowers and between a few decorative rocks. I plan to get two identical hides that will give him a much more snug place to curl up on his hot and cool sides. I'm thinking the overturned plant pots mentioned in the stickies on this forum. Any other recs?

I havent handled him at all save for transporting him into his enclosure from the expo and weighing him. He comes in at 84g. The breeder was feeding f/t rat pups, which seem to align with the width of the largest part of his body rule. I'm seeing here that at this size a lot of keepers feed mice instead, would it be worth trying to switch or should I keep him on what the breeders fed? I haven't fed him yet as it's only been about five days since I purchased him.

I appreciate all advice and constructive criticism. I know this sounds like an impulse buy because...well, it kind of was. But I did know the basics of bp care beforehand and I've done nothing but research it in the five days since. I want the best for this little one and I'm open to changing just about everything to make sure he lives a full, healthy life with me

Great terrarium choice, I'm kind of a realist reptile keeper, you probably spent like 10-12 bucks on that big half log. There is no reason it can't go to use for your ball python. What you do is you pile up the substrate in it (add more substrate or some loose sphagnum moss if you have to) this will allow a tunneling area that the snake can feel secure in.

Second, you already bought the clay, I imagine you have more left over and probably don't wanna feel like you wasted that money either. You CAN use it with your ball python. Simply use it for a different purpose within the terrarium. Grade it front to back to give a higher platform for your substrate to offer an interesting view point of your terrarium. Its for looks but you can also make the same caves you might have planned for your leo. Ball Pythons live in areas with hard dirt as well so it's not out of the realm of "natural".

I've used just about every substrate available and can say that while aspen is nice, I consider dirt to be the best substrate, however using dirt requires extra skill with regards to micro fauna and all that crap. A happy medium that takes misting better is cypress mulch. It's not the most environmentally friendly substrate but it serves its purpose. Either way, you already bought the aspen and I'd say that adding a little more in general will allow for burrowing and increase the overall level of security your snake feels within the enclosure.

A heat pad isn't going to work with the clay on the ground but that red bulb is about worthless. I just saved you some money on your clay and log so use that money to grab a ceramic heat emitter. Always pair it with a thermostat in order to make sure it doesn't get too hot, for non complicated simple stupid thermostats I recommend the dial ones from big apple herp. An ambient of 78-81 is what your shooting for. If your snake desires a hot spot it will make an effort to get closer to the heat emitter. If so just add a log that allows it to get closer if it chooses to.

In regards to feeding width of the body rule works until it hits sub adult/adult level in my opinion. Then the weight becomes more important to avoid overfeeding issues.

Good luck with your new snake!