New BP Owner

[gwench]

Hi - lookikng for some advice. I bought a BP on Saturday from a local pet shop who gets her ball pythons from a local breeder. I took her advice and got a 29 gallon tank. I'm using a sun glo 100 watt bulb for heat and light during the day and a 50 watt red thermal bulb for nighttime. Other than that - I am using a substrate dirt mulch material I bought from the store and a half log for a hide spot. I am using a ceramic water bowl (lg size) for water and soaking It's about 2 1/2 inches high). Does this sound about right? I know that I need to get something to measure the humidity in hte tank. I currently have a temperature guage for the inside of the tank. I'm so worried I'm getting it all wrong. His daytime temperature ranges from 86 to 91 degrees. Night time is ranging between 75 and 80 degrees.

Any advice is greatly appreciated.

By the way - the bp is approx 6 months old and has been feeding well on small feeder mice (live).

[rabernet]

Hi and welcome! If you haven't read it already - you may want to take a look at our caresheet: http://www.ball-pythons.net/modules....warticle&id=52

You need to have two hides, one on the warm side and one on the cool side for him. You also need to keep your warm side at 92-94 degrees 24 hours a day and your cool side at 82-84 degrees 24 hours a day. Many of us achieve that by using an undertank heater on the warm side controlled by a thermostat.

Humidity should be about 50%.

The 29 gallon tank should hold him for some time!

Congratulations on your new friend!

[gwench]

Currently, I have the tank on top of a dresser - is it safe to put a warming pad directly under the tank? Eventually (very soon), we'll move the tank to a proper stand.

[4Khan]

robin is right about the hides and getting a UTH is best.

Those bulbs are a humidity sucker, go for a ceramic heat emitter. I find since we started using a ceramic heat emitter my humidity does better and our snake is able to get used to the nautural night/day cycle since Im not always home to switch lights and im to cheap to by an automatic switcher.

Good luck and its good to hear your snake is a good eater!

[4Khan]

Currently, I have the tank on top of a dresser - is it safe to put a warming pad directly under the tank? Eventually (very soon), we'll move the tank to a proper stand.

most uths come with four rubber knobs that attatch to the corners of your tank on the bottom, elevating it enough.

[elevatethis]

That bright day bulb isn't doing him any good. Switch to an appropriate wattage red bulb to run for heat 24/7. I feel kinda bad for secretive, nocturnal animals that have a huge bright flood light looming over them day after day.

[gwench]

For a 29 gallon tank, how big of a pad would you get? What wattage?