New ball python help?

[Traceur]

I think the best would be to have a dimmer for that lamp but if it’s not an option you’ll just have to monitor his temperatures closely and make sure it’s neither too hot nor too cold by switching the lamp on and off every once in a while. Pain in the ass for sure. Placing your heat lamp over a bowl of water shouldn’t influence the temperature much I don’t think but it will make water evaporate faster (you’ll need to keep refilling it) and will bring up your humidity a bit. Which could be a good thing if you’re struggling to keep humidity up. Just keep in mind that humidity has to also be within and acceptable range (55-60% seems to be a good spot) except for when in shed (then it should be in the 70s) if humidity is constantly too low the snake will be dehydrated and it’s a big no-no. If humidity is constantly too high it may lead to other health
issues like RI.
Its a lot of stuff to figure out but once you have UTH, thermostat and good temperature and humidity gauges (electronic one is a must) you’ll find it a lot easier

For the heating lamps, why does it seem like a lot more people use them more than UTH? Honestly that's where I kind of believed he would be fine with just a heating lamp. But on the other hand, I'm hearing how much UTH either don't work or have caused burns. I also hear that UTHs are rather optional than required. Why is that?

Apologies for sounding so lost, still new to this

[WhompingWillow]

It's good that you're asking questions! Ball pythons aren't basking animals (like bearded dragons - just think of how much time BP's spend hiding), so generally a heat lamp on its own isn't enough. They need belly heat to digest, hence the UTH recommendation. But UTH's can get waaay too hot if they aren't regulated in some way, which is why they need a thermostat to control the temperature, very similar to how a thermostat in your house keeps a specific temperature by turning the air or heat on/off.

In addition to belly heat, ball pythons need a thermal gradient so they can choose to either warm up or cool down at different points in their tanks. UTH's don't really heat the air (otherwise known as ambient temperature), just the ground. So depending on how warm the room is where the cage is, you might need a heat lamp or a ceramic heat emitter in addition to a UTH.

As an example, we use UTH's and infrared bulbs. The UTH is hooked up to a thermostat to provide a hotspot of 88 to 90 degrees under the hot hide, whereas the heat lamp is hooked up to a dimmer to provide an ambient temperature of 80 degrees in the enclosure. We had to play around with the settings on both to get the temperatures right, and we spot check temperatures with a temp gun. We also have a thermometer/hygrometer in each cage to monitor humidity and ambient air temperature.

There are other ways to heat cages as well, including heat tape, Flexwatt, and radiant heat panels. we are planning to upgrade our glass aquariums to PVC enclosures, and when we do, those will be heated by only radiant heat panels unless we need the extra oomph heat tape provides.

Hopefully this helps! You've come to a great place to learn about BP's.

[Traceur]

It's good that you're asking questions! Ball pythons aren't basking animals (like bearded dragons - just think of how much time BP's spend hiding), so generally a heat lamp on its own isn't enough. They need belly heat to digest, hence the UTH recommendation. But UTH's can get waaay too hot if they aren't regulated in some way, which is why they need a thermostat to control the temperature, very similar to how a thermostat in your house keeps a specific temperature by turning the air or heat on/off.

In addition to belly heat, ball pythons need a thermal gradient so they can choose to either warm up or cool down at different points in their tanks. UTH's don't really heat the air (otherwise known as ambient temperature), just the ground. So depending on how warm the room is where the cage is, you might need a heat lamp or a ceramic heat emitter in addition to a UTH.

As an example, we use UTH's and infrared bulbs. The UTH is hooked up to a thermostat to provide a hotspot of 88 to 90 degrees under the hot hide, whereas the heat lamp is hooked up to a dimmer to provide an ambient temperature of 80 degrees in the enclosure. We had to play around with the settings on both to get the temperatures right, and we spot check temperatures with a temp gun. We also have a thermometer/hygrometer in each cage to monitor humidity and ambient air temperature.

There are other ways to heat cages as well, including heat tape, Flexwatt, and radiant heat panels. we are planning to upgrade our glass aquariums to PVC enclosures, and when we do, those will be heated by only radiant heat panels unless we need the extra oomph heat tape provides.

Hopefully this helps! You've come to a great place to learn about BP's.

This really does help! Much appreciated
Do setups kind of vary from owner to owner as well? Some say they use just a heating lamp, others say they use just the UTH, and then some say they use both. Of course people have mentioned the heating tape. Is it kind of varied amongst everyone?
From what I've gathered, people either have the same or a completely different answer on how they maintain their temps. And people say pros and cons for just about every heating source, but is there an actual right answer?

I have to say it's kind of interesting being a reptile owner. Its cool having all these options and answers

[Dianne]

This really does help! Much appreciated
Do setups kind of vary from owner to owner as well? Some say they use just a heating lamp, others say they use just the UTH, and then some say they use both. Of course people have mentioned the heating tape. Is it kind of varied amongst everyone?
From what I've gathered, people either have the same or a completely different answer on how they maintain their temps. And people say pros and cons for just about every heating source, but is there an actual right answer?

I have to say it's kind of interesting being a reptile owner. Its cool having all these options and answers

Unfortunately, there are almost as many ‘right’ answers as there are keepers. Thereare a few factors to consider. First would be the ambient temperature of your room, either dedicated reptile room or just the room where your pet is displayed. If you keep a cooler home, intentionally or not, then often you will need both a way to heat the enclosure as a whole to keep it in the correct minimum range plus a way to create that hot spot. My house was built in 1945, and though I’ve done some upgrades to make it more comfortable for all of us, I still have to consider seasonal temperature fluctuations. That’s the main reason I switched to radiant heat panels. My thermostat is set for the hot spot with the sensor probe nearest that point, with only a 5 degree fluctuation between on/off current if the hot spot drops below my minimum setting and turns it off when it exceeds the 5 degree climb I programmed. That keeps my hot spot on point and the overall ambient temp where it needs to be.

The second would be the type of cage you are using - sticking with just ball pythons here...different species, whole set of other factors. Many of us started with glass tanks...readily available and often cheap if used. Glass is a little harder to heat and keep the humidity up without some tweaking. Covering part of the top with glass or plexiglass boosts humidity. Homemade/purchased wood or melamine cages are easier to heat and hold humidity better, but they have to be well sealed and tend to wear out after a few years due to humidity and excrement. Plastic or pvc cages tend to be easy to heat, hold humodity well, are easy to clean/disinfect, and last pretty much forever. When I upgraded from my Vision cages, I had no problem selling them because they were well maintained and kept clean while in use...even though I’d used them for 10-15 years, depending on the cage. I’ve had the Monster Cages plastic cages for about 4 years, give or take. They look just as good today as when they were delivered. They’re textured plastic, so they are a little harder to clean versus the smooth Vision cages that could just be wiped down, but nothing a scrub brush can’t accomplish.

The last major consideration is the type of substrate you use. Thin layers such as newspaper, paper cage liners, reptile rugs, fabric (I used old sheets), or a thin layer of bark or shavings work well with UTH. Thicker substrates such as deep layers of bark or cypress shavings don’t allow the heat through, so you’re back to heat lamps, ceramic heat emitters, or radiant heat panels. Ultimately we all find what works best for us and keeps our animal healthy...some just require more work to maintain the correct range of heat and humidity. Luckily we have the internet these days, so we can order the type of cage, heat system and thermostats we want without being limited to what is carried in the local pet store.

[Sallysmom]

This really does help! Much appreciated
Do setups kind of vary from owner to owner as well? Some say they use just a heating lamp, others say they use just the UTH, and then some say they use both. Of course people have mentioned the heating tape. Is it kind of varied amongst everyone?
From what I've gathered, people either have the same or a completely different answer on how they maintain their temps. And people say pros and cons for just about every heating source, but is there an actual right answer?

I have to say it's kind of interesting being a reptile owner. Its cool having all these options and answers

Different types of reptiles have different husbandry requirements. With ball pythons UTH is a must. The heat lamp is optional. I chose to do both as a way to not only regulate the hot spot (UTH+thermostat) but also help with the ambient temperature over all (lamp + dimmer) plus I like he badass red light the lamp gives me
As people have mentioned BPs need belly heat to digest and stay healthy and properly warmed up. Also as cold blooded creatures they rely on the temperature of their environment to thermoregulate so it’s important for them to be able to cool down or warm up as needed.

[Traceur]

Thanks for the help everyone I appreciated the advice and info you all gave!