Quote Originally Posted by MedicalAuthor View Post
I tried to heed some of the advice here. I tried PetCo (the better store I got the pythons from is a little far and I'll be returning there later in the week for hoppers), HomeDepot, and Target and came out with the following changes/questions

1. Got two new hides. I was hoping PetCo near me had a better selection but, alas.... The water bowl on the tank's right actually may work well because it only has one opening and only the non-water side is hollow so it's pretty small inside. On the left I found in the hamster section. The opening (not shown) is pretty big but the rest would be a snug fit for Viper (officially named by my son).
2. Covered the back and sides. Home Depot didn't have foam core for insulation so I got foam for presentations from target and put a background on it.
3. Petco had a CHE bulb but it said 100W recommended for 40 gallons and 60W for 10-20. My current light is the ZooMed Nocturnal Infrared Heat Lamp, it's 100W and from what I've seen so far I think it is the right intensity for heat requirements. Is it 1:1, i.e., should I replace with 100W CHE or a 60W?
4. Was gong to pick up a humidity gauge but it wasn't digital and they didn't have digital and I read online they can be inaccurate. So, with cypress mulch, until I get a humidity digital read, about how often should I be misting?
5. I read online to cover the screen top with duct tape to keep the heat in better. Would you all recommend this is my case? If so, should I drop the wattage as with the changes (sides covered, top covered) the temperature may go up significantly? Also, could I use aluminum foil instead and tape it to the top?
  1. Your new hides should be fine.
  2. Looks lovely while insulating your enclosure and making your bp feel more secure.
  3. I defer to CHE users.
  4. Try twice daily (morning and evening).
  5. I'd place a piece of cardboard covered in heat tape on the cover opposite the side of your heat lamp. That'll make it easier to uncover it if you need to. If it works well, you can upgrade it to something that looks better like plexiglass or pvc sheet.