Questions about my daughter's new BP

[christineho]

Hi all,

So happy to find this forum. My 14 year old daughter just got a ball python 2 days ago. She did hours of research about the snakes themselves and what they need so I'm pretty comfortable with her setup.

A few questions, though:

1. We bought the mat heater and thermostat but put it on the side of the glass tank instead of underneath (the instructions seemed to advice against the bottom?). Is that okay? Where do I put the sensor for the thermostat if the mat is on the side? (yes, there is also a ceramic bulb for heat on the top and she has 2 thermometers in their to keep track of the temps on the hot and cool side).

2. Is it okay if the snake hasn't come out for 2 days now? He was fine when he went in and we got him from a reputable place, we just want to make sure that behavior is normal. My daughter is not taking him out of tank for a week and she plans to feed him on Sunday for the first time.

3. Is it okay for the heat lamp on top to always be on?


Thanks everyone! I attached a picture of the tank for reference.


https://drive.google.com/file/d/1SaC...ew?usp=sharing

As Craig said, you'll need a lot more clutter and I personally would move the UTH to...Under the Tank. Just keep it regulated with the thermostat, buy an IR temp gun to read the glass and dial it in. It's also likely that your humidity is way too low based on the screen top. Cover it with foil/something else to help with this.