Couple questions about my young red tail

[MarkL1561]

I also had a few more questions

I've noticed the last week the cool end of the tanks temp has dropped from 75 to around 70. The first few weeks it stayed right around 75/76. Nothing has changed in my house and my room is actually very warm. Not sure what's up .

I bought the cheap thermometer from Petco which was like 8 dollars. This payday I'm going to buy a better one just to see if maybe the readings are in accurate.

But if it's not a problem with that what would be a good step to take? Buy a heat mat? Get a thermostat?

Also I noticed the warm end is only like 81/82. I'm just using the heat lamp that the other owners gave me. Should I look into another lamp? And if so is there any recommendations?

Yes you need to get an under tank heater and a thermostat is required. As for monitoring temperatures get a temp gun, makes it much easier when monitoring multiple enclosures. Here’s the section on heating and humidity



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[MarkL1561]

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[bcr229]

Also I've been feeding live prey. I'd prefer tp feed thawed but the previous owner said once you feed them live you can't switch to pre killed. Has this been the case in your experience?

This is bunk. Boas are typically garbage disposals and have no problem switching over to frozen/thaw feeders. Also, when your boa is an adult you do not want to be putting live XL or jumbo rats in with it as they can do a lot of damage to a snake.

[Selvis]

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Thanks! I'm about to read up on that. I'll be sure to order a heat mat with the thermostat. Should I get two mats? One for the cool end and one for hot?

If I were to place the heat mat on the cool end and set it to 75 degree s would that be a good way to fix my problem on that end?

[Selvis]

This is bunk. Boas are typically garbage disposals and have no problem switching over to frozen/thaw feeders. Also, when your boa is an adult you do not want to be putting live XL or jumbo rats in with it as they can do a lot of damage to a snake.

Thanks for the reply . That's great! I'll buy her a frozen mouse tomorrow. See how she does. I've noticed she's a very good eater. Nothing like the ball pythons ive kept in the past. Lol

I was thinking about feeding her in a separate enclosure too. Reason being is I have her housed in zoomed forest floor which is Cypress mulch. Last two times she ate she got a huge piece of wood (or whatever that stuff is) stuck in her mouth. They were not little pieces so I didn't want to risk her swallowing them. She struggled with the pieces for a while before I had to gently remove them from her mouth (which sucked bc I could tell it stressed her).

Would feeding her in a separate tub with no substrate be ok?

[Dianne]

Thanks for the reply . That's great! I'll buy her a frozen mouse tomorrow. See how she does. I've noticed she's a very good eater. Nothing like the ball pythons ive kept in the past. Lol

I was thinking about feeding her in a separate enclosure too. Reason being is I have her housed in zoomed forest floor which is Cypress mulch. Last two times she ate she got a huge piece of wood (or whatever that stuff is) stuck in her mouth. They were not little pieces so I didn't want to risk her swallowing them. She struggled with the pieces for a while before I had to gently remove them from her mouth (which sucked bc I could tell it stressed her).

Would feeding her in a separate tub with no substrate be ok?

Feeding in separate tubs used to be the norm many years ago, but that practice isn’t as common any longer. The snake can get stressed from being moved and refuse to eat, but a bigger issue is that many boas remain “on” after feeding increasing the likelihood of a bite. If you are concerned about the substrate, you can place a piece of cardboard down before you feed. There’s still no guarantee your little one won’t drag the prey around though.

[dakski]

Thanks! I'm about to read up on that. I'll be sure to order a heat mat with the thermostat. Should I get two mats? One for the cool end and one for hot?

If I were to place the heat mat on the cool end and set it to 75 degree s would that be a good way to fix my problem on that end?

What is your enclosure again? Also, I agree with the feeding suggestions, both size and F/T, etc. However, DO NOT FEED UNTIL YOU HAVE TEMPS and Humidity DIALED IN!

BCI's need 84-85F+ to fully digest a meal. At 81-82F your Boa might not be able to digest properly and could regurgitate. This is a big problem for BCC's specifically, but can be for BCI's too, especially at a young age. Boas can die from regurgitation syndrome. Better to wait a bit and feed the right size meal and have the correct temps than risk it.

Here at the basics for BCI's:

1. Temps: 86-89F hot spot, ambient about 80-82F, and cool side 78F-80F.

Humidity needs to be relatively high for them, so temps should not drop below 78F IMO. 75F is the absolute minimum anywhere in a BCI enclosure, and with high humidity, anything lower, and you are asking for trouble. Aim for 78F as the lowest temp.

2. ALL HEATING ELEMENTS NEED A THERMOSTAT!

I would get a dual thermostat now (one that can run two devices, or more). Get a good one. Better to spend a few extra dollars now and have a happy, healthy, and alive snake for a long time.

I would run one zone for the UTH you will get for the hot side and keep that at 87-89F.

I would use the lamp and run a Ceramic Heat Emitter (CHE) all the time and aim to have temps on the ground around 82-83F in the middle of the tank. That should keep the cool side about 78F.

3. Snakes need safe places/hides - especially young ones.

Do you have identical and snug hides on both warm side and cool side? If not, get them.

4. Humidity - 50% minimum. Aim for 60-70% with 70-80% in shed.


A few other things:

1. Hook train. Boas are very food driven and when she gets big, you don't want to be mistaken for a meal.

2. GET A TEMP GUN! It is the best way to get ground temps. DO NOT RELY on your thermostat probe or an air thermometer.

3. Be prepared to get a large enclosure (4X2' is an absolute minimum IMO for a female BCI - more like 5X2' or 6X2') with proper heating elements (UTH/Heat tape and/or RHP).

4. Feed with tongs.



I am trying to give it you straight and not to give you a hard time. Bottom line, follow the above and you will be in good shape.

If you have questions or need clarification, please ask. We are here to help.

I can also provide links to my female BCI's, Behira, thread, and my male BCC's thread (Feliz). I have a hook training video on here, and I can provide the link for that as well.

[Selvis]

What is your enclosure again? Also, I agree with the feeding suggestions, both size and F/T, etc. However, DO NOT FEED UNTIL YOU HAVE TEMPS and Humidity DIALED IN!

BCI's need 84-85F+ to fully digest a meal. At 81-82F your Boa might not be able to digest properly and could regurgitate. This is a big problem for BCC's specifically, but can be for BCI's too, especially at a young age. Boas can die from regurgitation syndrome. Better to wait a bit and feed the right size meal and have the correct temps than risk it.

Here at the basics for BCI's:

1. Temps: 86-89F hot spot, ambient about 80-82F, and cool side 78F-80F.

Humidity needs to be relatively high for them, so temps should not drop below 78F IMO. 75F is the absolute minimum anywhere in a BCI enclosure, and with high humidity, anything lower, and you are asking for trouble. Aim for 78F as the lowest temp.

2. ALL HEATING ELEMENTS NEED A THERMOSTAT!

I would get a dual thermostat now (one that can run two devices, or more). Get a good one. Better to spend a few extra dollars now and have a happy, healthy, and alive snake for a long time.

I would run one zone for the UTH you will get for the hot side and keep that at 87-89F.

I would use the lamp and run a Ceramic Heat Emitter (CHE) all the time and aim to have temps on the ground around 82-83F in the middle of the tank. That should keep the cool side about 78F.

3. Snakes need safe places/hides - especially young ones.

Do you have identical and snug hides on both warm side and cool side? If not, get them.

4. Humidity - 50% minimum. Aim for 60-70% with 70-80% in shed.


A few other things:

1. Hook train. Boas are very food driven and when she gets big, you don't want to be mistaken for a meal.

2. GET A TEMP GUN! It is the best way to get ground temps. DO NOT RELY on your thermostat probe or an air thermometer.

3. Be prepared to get a large enclosure (4X2' is an absolute minimum IMO for a female BCI - more like 5X2' or 6X2') with proper heating elements (UTH/Heat tape and/or RHP).

4. Feed with tongs.



I am trying to give it you straight and not to give you a hard time. Bottom line, follow the above and you will be in good shape.

If you have questions or need clarification, please ask. We are here to help.

I can also provide links to my female BCI's, Behira, thread, and my male BCC's thread (Feliz). I have a hook training video on here, and I can provide the link for that as well.

Wow thanks for that reply! That was really informative! And just wanna say really appreciate you and everyone else giving helpful advice. Glad there's a place like this
I should have came on here sooner but I trusted what the previous owners said... Which looks to be a mistake. Well I'm gonna get all that stuff on payday (Wednesday)

When it comes to the heating stuff I have to admit I'm a bit Lost. https://www.amazon.com/Inkbird-Tempe...48909153&psc=1 so I could buy a thermostat like the one linked? And then buy a heat mat and plug the heat mat into the thermostat? And there will be a switch or something I assume that will allow me to regulate the temp? So I would put this at the warm end with the lamp.

And then where would the heat lamp and cermaic heat emitter come into play? Would I leave the lamp the way it is? Sorry I've never really had experience with any of this stuff.

[dakski]

Wow thanks for that reply! That was really informative! And just wanna say really appreciate you and everyone else giving helpful advice. Glad there's a place like this
I should have came on here sooner but I trusted what the previous owners said... Which looks to be a mistake. Well I'm gonna get all that stuff on payday (Wednesday)

When it comes to the heating stuff I have to admit I'm a bit Lost. https://www.amazon.com/Inkbird-Tempe...48909153&psc=1 so I could buy a thermostat like the one linked? And then buy a heat mat and plug the heat mat into the thermostat? And there will be a switch or something I assume that will allow me to regulate the temp? So I would put this at the warm end with the lamp.

And then where would the heat lamp and cermaic heat emitter come into play? Would I leave the lamp the way it is? Sorry I've never really had experience with any of this stuff.

First, you want this thermostat.

https://www.spyderrobotics.com/index...products_id=76


Secondly, the probe goes between the UTH and the bottom of the tank.

The probe for the CHE should go in the tank about halfway down, but close to the substrate. If it's a screen top, and does not have a cutout for a probe wire, you can put between screen and CHE. I don't recommend this, but have done in a pinch in the past as to not upset the integrity of a screen top. There is always a big difference between probe and floor temp in this instance. Huge difference.

Currently, and temporarily, I am running that for Toref, my monitor. It read 100F at the probe, but is 85F at the ground 12 inches below.

The temps at the probe when not directly touching the heating element, like a UTH, will have a discrepancy between its reading and the actual ground temp.

That's where the temp gun comes in. For example, the temp gun may read 84F on the ground, but the thermostat say 88F. That's fine.

[Selvis]

First, you want this thermostat.

https://www.spyderrobotics.com/index...products_id=76


Secondly, the probe goes between the UTH and the bottom of the tank.

The probe for the CHE should go in the tank about halfway down, but close to the substrate. If it's a screen top, and does not have a cutout for a probe wire, you can put between screen and CHE. I don't recommend this, but have done in a pinch in the past as to not upset the integrity of a screen top. There is always a big difference between probe and floor temp in this instance. Huge difference.

Currently, and temporarily, I am running that for Toref, my monitor. It read 100F at the probe, but is 85F at the ground 12 inches below.

The temps at the probe when not directly touching the heating element, like a UTH, will have a discrepancy between its reading and the actual ground temp.

That's where the temp gun comes in. For example, the temp gun may read 84F on the ground, but the thermostat say 88F. That's fine.

Ok cool. I'll pick that one up then. I'm still not sure on a few things though

So would I keep the heat lamp I already use? And I'm not too familiar with che. That's like a bulb you put into a lamp? Do u have a recommendation for a good che?

Also where should I place the heat mat? In the middle of the cage? Or far end?

And the probes . Are those the things you stick into the substrate that measure temperature? Sorry for any dumb questions lol like I said I'm not too familiar with these type things


http://imgur.com/gallery/Emd9C6g here's a pic of my cage btw