temp: which u preferre

[snakevet121]

people say i need a basking spot but a under tank heater cant make u have one so if i had a under tank heater would i need a bulb too? for the basking spot because i think it would cost too much as well as getting to hot. what do you think

[elevatethis]

There's a lot of factors involved in the type of heating you should go with. UTHs, heat lamps, and combinations of both are all ways to appropriately heat an enclosure.

Are you using a glass tank or a plastic enclosure?
What type of substrate are you using?
What is the temperature of the room in which the enclosure will be?

[snakevet121]

1. glass
2.aspen
3. around 74-77

[elevatethis]

A UTH controlled by a thermostat used in conjunction with a low-wattage red/night/black bulb to raise the ambient temps would be ideal. The problem with UTHs in glass tanks is that they usually do not effectively raise the air temperature of the cage to where it should be.

[jglass38]

Plastic baby!! Go with an appropriately sized Rubbermaid or Sterilite tub.

[snakevet121]

so i need a reptitemp rheostat a heat wave heat mat-medium a 25 watt night time bulb? and a fixture?

[Adam_Wysocki]

so i need a reptitemp rheostat a heat wave heat mat-medium a 25 watt night time bulb? and a fixture?

You need whatever it's going to take to make your animals enclosure 82-84 on one side, 92-94 on the other.

Unfortunately, no one can tell you what specific "gear" is going to be required for your specific setup, because every setup is different.

It will most likely take a digital thermometer and a little bit of trial and error to get things where they need to be, but setting up the best possible environment required for your animal is definitely worth the trouble.

-adam

[JPost]

Plastic baby!! Go with an appropriately sized Rubbermaid or Sterilite tub.

Yuck. I keep one of my tarantulas in a tub because of a recommendation and I absolutely hate it. I like to actually be able to see inside clearly and enjoy it. I understand there are people with lots of snakes, and rubbermaids are much more easy to maintain, but for me and my only snake it's a glass tank all the way.

[snakevet121]

awsome i got a new 30 gallon for my python im getting as well as coconut fiber substrate and a water dish. half way there

[SatanicIntention]

I don't think a 30gallon tank for a baby ball is the best possible environment you can provide. The large size coupled with the difficulty in heating and humidifying the giant air space will result in a very stressed out, likely sick, Ball Python.

Just having a water bowl and substrate doesn't mean you are halfway there. There is a thermostat to buy, flexwatt, digital thermometer, hides(two or three identical ones), plexiglas to cover the screened top to prevent heat and humidity from escaping, 1/2"-3/4" foam insulation board to prevent heat escape(since your house is 68 degrees and it will not be possible to properly heat a tank with a screened top) etc, etc.

To properly maintain a warm and secure environment for a baby Ball Python, I would recommend getting a small(15qt or so) sterilite or rubbermaid tub and use that until the snake is older. It will make your life easier in respect to caring for your new snake and will make the snake much less stressed and more apt to eat on a consistent basis. I would wait and use that 30gallon for fish(as that is what tanks are used for) or use it properly(insulated and correctly heated) when the snake is older(1+year and more secure in its environment).

I have 6 Ball Pythons(2 adult, 1 sub adult and 3 hatchlings) that are all set up correctly in sterilite tubs. They are all happy, healthy, fat and eating. If I want to see them, I take them out or I watch them through the very clear sides/top of the tub. The only snakes I keep in tanks are two corns, and they are each in their own 10 gallon with SaranWrap over their screen lids.

I'm not saying this is the only way to properly house a baby Ball, but I am saying that a 30gallon screen topped tank isn't what you should be looking at. It would take a good bit of moolah to correctly insulate and heat(controlled with t-stat) that size of tank at the temperature your house is at.