Ball python heat issue

[arpowell]

I'm in the same situation as you, I have a super cold, drafty apartment and a heat mat on its own just doesn't cut it. I use a combination of CHE and heat mat - like Bogertophis says, this is so my snakes can have darkness at night.

Like others have said, CHEs do really tend to try out your hot side. I've found a few good ways to combat this. First, make sure the cool side is very consistently humid all the time. I use multiple big water bowls, bigger than a bp would "need." On the hot side, I also place an extra water bowl - this is super important! The CHE will dry out the hot side pretty quickly, and the evaporating water will help keep the ambient humidity where it needs to be. I also keep a humidity box on the hot side all the time to make sure my snakes always have access to a hot, humid area. Finally, a good humidity-retaining substrate should do wonders as well. I use cypress mulch and haven't had any problems. If you have a screen lid, also be sure to cover that as much as you can.

CHEs in general are a bit higher maintenance than heat pads. If you have to take them off the tank for any reason, this goes without saying, but be sure to turn them off first! And warn people about that if they're going to watch your snakes for you, too. I use clips to secure the wire and the dome itself to my snakes' enclosures, so knocking them off is less likely. CHEs, in my experience at least, tend to run more expensive than basking bulbs, but they're also more reliable and don't seem to burn out as often (but they WILL burn out eventually, so keeping spares on hand is a pretty good idea). I also make a habit of checking my snakes' thermometers a couple times a day to make sure things are holding steady.

I hope you get everything sorted with no issues! And just in case this is helpful, my juvenile ball is also in a 20-gallon right now, and a 100w CHE works perfectly (on a thermostat, of course). You might have to play around with the wattage, but that's what works for us!