Getting new cage!!!! need help with size

[smalls92]

Well, I have a male bp about a year and a half years old and maby a little over 2 feet. I feel really bad because its been cramped up in a 10 gallon cage which seems waaay to small for him. I finally have the money to afford a new cage and was going to go with a regular 20 gallon glass one but then there is a 29 gallon which is the same length as the other one just taller. Which one would be best for my snake. Also in my cage right now i have one of those sticky heat pads stuck to the bottem of the cage on the warm side and also run a heat lamp 24/7 on the same side as the pad because i cannot keep the temp good with just the sticky heat pad. Any ideas how I should heat the new bigger cage if not just do the same thing as I am doing now in my 10 gallon? Also I plan on buying him a whole bunch of new decorations and a new bigger hide because his old log is getting much to small

[Patrick Long]

i would say go for the regular 20. if its the same floor space, save yourself the trouble of heating and get the shorter one. you can get another red bulb to go along with your heat light to add a little more heat without over doing it.

[smalls92]

Ya I think thats a good idea. I used to use a red heat lamp and want to switch back because I run the bright heat lamp all day and night and feel bad for the snake because of the light being on at night. The red seems like it would be a little bit easier for him to handle at night. Also, does anyone think its not a good idea to have the lamp on at night because some people say no because they need a day/night cycle but I called the place where i got it from (East Bay Vivarium) which is all reptiles and they said no its fine that you run the Heat lamp 24/7 because you gotta do what you gotta do to keep your heat up.

[Patrick Long]

everyone is going to tell you something different. personally i think the cycle is not required, BUT i think they do respond to the day/night cycle. all light all the time is said to cause stress. but if hes had it like that for years, i wouldnt change if hes used to it.

[Elvyra's Keeper]

Snakes can't see red or green lights. I have an 85 watt green light on my snake day and night, it keeps the temps perfect. I also have an UTH with a rheostat on the warm side. It stay about 91-92 on the heater, and about 85 in the rest of the cage.

There is a sticky about putting foil on the cages to help keep in the heat and humidity. You might want to check in on that (if you haven't already)

[Patrick Long]

There is a sticky about putting foil on the cages to help keep in the heat and humidity. You might want to check in on that (if you haven't already)

Nice!

[smalls92]

Hey thanks for the quick replys. Elvaryas keeper, do you have your UTH and the heat lamp on the same side cause thats how its set up in my tank. Also, I see that most people use some kind of UTH that doesnt actually touch the tank but has some space between the pad and the snake. Are these more efficient than the thin pads that you plug into the wall and stick to the bottem of the cage cause mine doesnt seem to give off much heat.

[Elvyra's Keeper]

Mine is made to do that, but on the stick it says to put foil across the bottom of the cage to distrubute heat and make like a pot holder type pad out of the foil to tape the UTH to, with the part that's stick facing the cage, but don't actually stick it. Then use a rheostat or a thermostat to regulate the heat, because the UTH can get to over 100d(mine did) now I keep it at 91-91d. I have a 50gallon tank, and I have foil on both sides of the lid and black painted foil on the back and sides. In the middle of the foil on the top I have the light. This works for me, but my house has no insolation and it's really cold outside. I will have to adjust it when it warms up.

I also have two thermometers, which when I was setting up, I placed laying on the bottom of the tank, one on each side. I figured if the bottom where she will always be is perfect, then the rest doesn't matter as much.

Now I have one thermometer about two inches up the warm side, and the other about 8 inches on the cold side. My warm side reads 86d but actually where the UTH, it reads 91d. My cold side thermometer reads 83d. Both thermometers also read the humidty, which I am now working on with the placement of cypress mulch. (I am baking it now)

[smalls92]

Sorry if you stated it i didnt really understand. Do you use the lamp and the Uth on the same side? And are you saying that you have the kinda of pad thats supposed to stick the the bottom but you decided not to stick it? If so how come

[Elvyra's Keeper]

First, the light is placed in the center of my cage, the pad is on one side.

Second, no I didn't stick the pad because if I did, I wouldn't be able to use it again as easily as just moving it.

If you look at the sticky, it will explain more.

http://www.ball-pythons.net/forums/s...ad.php?t=55849

The explanation about the pad is towards the end.