(Major Newbie) Help, I need advice

[LittleMadSnek]

I don't have the snake yet, I'm giving myself some time on learning how to maintain the enclosure.
So far I have:

-50 Quart tub
-ZooMed Eco Earth Coconut Fiber subtrate
-Two ExoTerra 50 Watt heat bulbs: Day and Night
-An All Living Things heat lamp that has ceramic on it
-ZooMed Dual Gauge
(I read the dual gauge is inaccurate so I ordered the AcuRite digital thermometer)

I plan on buying:

-2 hide spots
-1 humidity box
-medium water dish
-AcuRite Thermometer
-Digital kitchen scale
-Etekcity Lasergrip 774
(I would add undertank heater but it gets pretty hot and I think the lamp and the heat here in Cali should be enough)

I'm having problems maintaining humidity and basking temps. I assume once I get the water dish and some moss it'll be a nice help with humidity but the there's not enough heat for whatever reason? I have about half of the tub's lid cut and replaced it with wire mesh, the heat lamp sits directly on the wire but it stays in the 70s and only reached the high 80s once. My only idea as to why this is happening is because I was misting the enclosure with the wire mesh still sitting on top(the lamp was off of the tub) and didn't really dry it, could the evaporating water from the wire do anything damaging to the lamp? I doubt it but that's my only guess.

Are there products that I should eventually upgrade that'll save me time and money? Are there any tricks/useful tips? Should I add anything on the list?

[MissterDog]

Welcome! Welcome! Good on you for researching and getting things prepared a head of time! This is a good sign you are on the right track!

First thing to add is a thermostat to regulate your heat sources. So one for your lamp, and if you do get an undertank heater, one for that as well. This is something you absolutely cannot skip on, and if possible, I recommend getting a higher quality, proportional one such as a Herpstat or Vivarium Electronics! Herpstats being the creme of the crop. Worth every penny and has an incredible lifespan.

https://www.spyderrobotics.com/index...=index&cPath=1
http://www.reptilebasics.com/thermostats

If those are outside your price range, you can always start with a more budget friendly one such as Jumpstart until you can upgrade. Just keep in mind it will have more temperature flucations since it's not as accurate as Herpstats.
https://www.amazon.com/MTPRTC-Contro...art+thermostat

If you are struggling with basking temps, what you can do, is use your lamp to keep your ambient temps where it needs to be, within the 78-80 range while your UTH can provide a hotspot.

Do you plan on getting a hatchling or older bp? Depending on the tub's dimensions your 50 qt might be too big to start for a hatchling. It can work but you need to really make sure you husbandry is on point and fully stable with plenty of clutter and cover with minimal open floor space. So get a ton a bunch of fake plants, branches, hanging vines, ect. Remember ball pythons are preyed from above so you would want to make their path from point A to point B feel like a sheltered one. I'd have a smaller tub as back up just in case.

I'm pretty sure you know this, but be sure not to buy from chain pet stores. Buy from reputable breeders and research who you are buying from. What is your humidity usually hovering at? I'd probably wait until your acurite arrives so you can see what the humidity is actually reading for comparison, but yes a water dish will help. If not, coco husk is a good alternative. Reptichip and Prococo are well regarded, though I've also heard good things about Reptile Prime.

[LittleMadSnek]

Thank you! I'm wondering how I attach a thermostat to my lamp? And I honestly don't think I can squeeze a UTH in my budget let alone another thermostat for the UTH.. Would getting a 75 watt infared basking bulb be too much of a risk, even if I were to elevate the lamp higher? Or should the jump start thermostat help make the 50 watt hotter? Would the thermostat help keep the 75 watt cooler? (Sorry I'm just trying to see my options here)

I plan on getting a juvenile, I think the reptile store I go to sells them? They're about a foot, little less.. Not sure if that's considered a hatchling or juvenile. Either way I was planning on adding a bunch of "enrichment" items and hides. It looks cuter anyways

The humidity likes to hang out around 30%-40% unless I mist the cage often then it likes to hang out around 40%-60% And thank you for the recommendations, I'll keep those in mind if the water dish doesnt help much. The acurite should be coming in tomorrow sometime around 5-7 pm pacific. I'll keep you posted!

[redshepherd]

If possible, you can return the day night lamps in exchange for the UTH and its thermostat. You really only need an ambient heat source (the ceramic bulb) and a UTH, the most ideal setup for a ball python, in terms of how you're setting up your tub so far. Some people like to add lighting for kicks, but ball pythons are nocturnal and don't need blaring lights.

You'll see how it works once you purchase the thermostat. You plug heat sources INTO the thermostat, set the thermostat to desired temp, put the probe where it belongs, and it controls your heat output so that your snake doesn't cook alive!

That humidity is definitely too low, and if you are testing with bulbs and heaters all on, I'm sure your light bulbs contribute to drying out the air. Try covering the extra mesh parts over with foil and only leaving space for the CHE.

[LittleMadSnek]

You really intrigued me with the ceramic heater, but wouldn't I need a thermostat for the ceramic bulb too? I'm also going to take the advice of MissterDog and buy a smaller tub, maybe 10 or 15 quart to help the humidity problem and to let the snake feel secure. It also might fix the heat problem but I'm hiding my snake enclosure from my parents in my closet and the ceramic bulb will get rid of the "mysterious" glow coming from my closet. I'll most likely leave the hides, plants, and digital kitchen scale for last and just get the UTH and thermostat instead then. I'll push some money around and see what I can do...

[hilabeans]

I'm hiding my snake enclosure from my parents in my closet.

Um, forget all the advice above and do this one thing...DON'T.

You sound like a smart cookie getting all the pre-work done before bringing your snake home, but this is the one HUGE mistake you're making. Don't do this without the full support of your parents. If they bust you, you may have to rehome your snake and that's added stress to a little creature that doesn't need it. Plus your parents don't deserve to be lied to.

Be open with them, prove yourself as a responsible person excited to take this on, but if they say no respect their decision and get a snake when you're out on your own. They'll still be around.

[Avsha531]

Welcome to the forum! Glad to see you're open to advice from people, there is a lot of experience here on this forum that I am really grateful for.

I can definitely relate to wanting reptiles from an early age. Just a thought though, you mentioned that you had to hide the enclosure from your parents. Are they not on board with you keeping snakes?

If that is what is happening here, I would strongly suggest waiting until they are either on board with the idea or until you have your own place where you don't need to hide it. I was not allowed to keep reptiles growing up, and I can totally relate to how you feel, but I also know how heartbroken I would be if I had to rehome any of mine.

It is also a little concerning that it sounds like you may not have the means to properly meet all the husbandry needs, and especially that you don't have a backup plan in case of emergency (assuming your parents aren't willing to help you out with vet bills etc.). I know it may be tough to hear, but waiting til the time is right may be your best option.

Perhaps try to educate your parents on reptiles, take them to an expo and show them how cool reptiles can be, and see if you can do it with their support? Honesty for me has always been the best policy, and it's not worth messing around when you accept responsibility for the life of an animal.

Anyways, just my 2 cents. And again, welcome! Glad to have you here



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[Craiga 01453]

Welcome to the forum and the wonderful world of snake keeping!!!

Nice job getting everything set up BEFORE bringing the snake home!!! You're already on the right track!!!

I saw that you mentioned "adding a bunch of enrichment items and hides". Be very careful what you put in the enclosure. Any skulls, trees, etc..that have holes in them will turn into a nightmare. There have been way too many horror stories about snakes climbing into them, getting themselves wedged inside and getting stuck in items like that. Many of them are designed for fish or smaller reptiles, and are a nightmare for snakes. Also avoid tape or anything similar inside the enclosure.


However, I have to agree with hilabeans and avsha531 on this one. PLEASE don't hide the snake from your parents. You definitely don'tneed to be lying to them and get caught and have yo give up the snake.

Also, since you still live at home, what are your plans moving forward? If you plan to go to college, dorms and most apartments won't allow snakes. So what will happen to the snake then?? If not school, many landlords dont allow snakes. Having a snake will make it harder to find a roommate too, and most young people can't afford to live alone.

Just some food for thought. I would hate to see you get a snake just to fall in love with it and be forced to rehome it.

[MissterDog]

I'm hiding my snake enclosure from my parents in my closet.

Whoa, whoa. Sorry but I’m going to have the hit the breaks there and echo that is a bad idea and I would highly discourage you from doing so. Let’s slow down a sec and really think about this okay?

I think we all understand your eagerness and excitement for wanting a snake, but for the sake of your future snake, do not rush to get a pet behind your parents back when you are still dependent on your parents and have limited finances. This is unfair and disrespectful to both your parents and your snake!

You have to be realistic. Do you honestly think you can hide a living creature from your parents for so many years? Sooner or later, your snake WILL be discovered and I worry to think about what consequences you and your snake will have to face. This is simply NOT a situation you want to put yourself or your snake in.

We know you are smart. We know you are capable of caring for a ball python but my friend, the time isn’t right if you go with hiding and lying. If you truly want what’s best for your snake, you need to be honest with your parents and accept the circumstances. If they say yes, then great! If they say no, then I’m sorry but you will have to accept and respect that. Being a responsible snake owner isn’t about getting a snake when you WANT to, but getting one when you are READY and in a situation that allows you to properly care for one.

Snakes are a huge,long commitment, we know you want to be dedicated, but sometimes things get complicate and you have to be prepared for the worst with steady finances at your disposal.

What will happen when your snake gets sick? Can you afford a vet? Can you afford the treatment? What will you do when you go to college and dorms/landlords don’t allow snakes? What if your roommate isn’t cool with snakes and they report you? What if your snake only east live prey? How will you go about keeping a snake AND live prey in secret? Trust us, if you are afraid of getting caught by your parents, getting caught by a dorm or landlord is worse!

You have to think about things in the long term. Not what you want now. This shouldn’t be about you but about what is the best for your future snake. I know it sucks to be told no, many of us were told no by our parents when we were your age, but waited until after we moved out, had our only place and were completely financially independent. And we were so glad we did!! Before we wouldn’t have been ready, especially when we couldn’t live by our own rules! Now we can do whatever the heck we want haha.

But please try to talk to your parents. I agree with the others and try to prove and show them you are being responsible and well researched.

As a story of encouragement, our coworker (let’s call him Roy) has a younger brother who is in Roy’s legal care, and a ground rule was no surprise pets. Little brother impulse buys a carpet python and hides it from them at his girlfriends house, but they find out pretty quickly.

However they would have been okay with keeping the snake IF the brother had just been honest from the start. Since he was not, they stuck with their guns. In the end brother and girlfriend broke up so girlfriend couldn’t take care of the snake for him anymore. LUCKILY, Roy actually really likes snakes and was kind enough to allow the brother to move the snake to their place and help look after it, they even bought a new pvc cage for it.

You may be as lucky or you may not. But the right thing to do is come clean and respect whatever answer your parents provide. Just remember, you are doing this for the best interest of your snake, even if the end result isn’t what you want.

I know this is preachy but we’ve all been in your shoes once and we are honestly looking out for you and your snake’s best interest! Good luck op, stay strong and patient!

[alilak]

I couldn't agree more with all of the above thoughts, advice and opinions. This is a long term decision and you really have to be able to make a real and honest commitment. Good luck, be patient and make sure that you are properly responsible with disclosure and agreement with other family members.