Tank Relocation?

[Travis]

Hi Everyone, I am a newbie ball python owner. I bought my little guy from a pet shop here in Sarnia ,Ontario,Canada. Shame on me! When I got him home I noticed a couple of dark marks on his(assuming he is a he?) belly ,and not being well educated in the snake field, didn't know to look for these kinds of issues. Turned out the marks were scale rot and blister disease due to his less than perfect living conditions(3 pythons,1 habitat,12"x12",1 hide no heat or thermo/hygro meters,dirty).Anyway,he had a bad shed and where the scab from the blister was, it tore off with the shedding skin and left a horrible open sore! Ewwww! When I called the pet shop to ask them what they were going to do about the snake, they offered me a new one and said this guy wasn't worth the vet bill to them..I declined the offer and decided to keep 'Sizzle'(his name)and do the first aid myself(with vet guidance)because he was eating like a trooper(still does, F/T hoppers) and was such a gentle, friendly little guy(15",35 grams). So my question is this... He is in his second blue eyed shed state, in a 10 gallon tank in which I am fighting humidity issues and losing the battle on. I have a 25 gallon that I have been working on that has everything perfect in it. Do I wait for the shed to finish and risk a bad shed due to humidity, or do I move him and risk a bad shed due to stress? He is now 17" and 60 grams and healing nicely.. Thanks

[JLC]

Welcome to BP.net! ...And good for you for your commitment to that little guy! I would absolutely despise any petstore that said one of their animals "wasn't worth the vet bill" to take care of. I wouldn't even buy feeders from a place like that!

For a little guy his size, a 10gal tank is more ideal than 25. I'm curious as to why you can maintain proper temps and humidity in the 25, but not the 10?

Still...if he's eating really well, despite all this stress he's going through, he sounds like a pretty laid back little guy and may not mind a larger enclosure if you're SURE the environment is properly maintained. Be sure to include lots of little hides for him to feel secure in.

How are you treating the open sore? And is the rest of the scale rot healed up? My snake had a small scab on her nose that tore off into a big hole with a shed...was scary. The vet gave me something called COLLASATE, which is a little tube of gel-like stuff that gets put on the wound. It's a little layer of collagen that helps the sore heal better between sheds so the new skin is less likely to tear away with the next shed.

[JLC]

OH...one more thought: What sort of substrate are you using? I would strongly recommend either paper towels or newspaper until that belly is completely healed.

[Travis]

Thanks for the speedy reply! I think I can seem to get the humidity right in the 25 gal,because I am using 2 UTH and separate dimmer controls and no OH heat lamp and in my 10 gal I have 1UTH and 1OH heat lamp.In the 10 I get 30-40% humidity 15-20 minutes after misting and the 25, 60-70% with no misting.10 has newspaper,25 has in/outdoor carpet.10 has small Exoterra bowl(all I can fit), 25 has the largest Exoterra bowl over warm UTH. I have treated the wound with diluted peroxide at first, and Polisporin antibiotic cream and I have had really outstanding results! Thanks again Judy!!

[Travis]

Forgot..I have 2 hides 1 warm 1 cool, 2 thermo/hygro meters, climbing branches and some plants inside each tank too.Thanks

[Argentra]

Interesting... I would think the 10 would have humidity through the roof! My ghost corn is in a 10 (waiting for an upgrade) and his humidity sits normally around 40-50% without my doing a single thing but keep his dish full.

Anyway, I was going to recommend you change the carpet to something else like newsprint or paper towel (then perhaps aspen once he's all healed). That carpet is tough to get clean, and every time you reuse it, it has more bacteria on it despite cleaning. And you probably know this already, but make sure your measuring devices are digital and not analog stick-ons. Strange about the 10... but good luck with the little one, sounds like a great trooper!

[Travis]

Thanks for the tip on the carpet. Some people on the site seem to like them,but I don't need any unwanted bacteria. I think the problem with my 10 may be the lid. I don't think it fits tight enough.I am using digital devices for measurement. I was trying to stay away from natural substrate if I could help it.I think I will stick with News paper which I am currently using.Thx

[Travis]

Well I got home today and Sizzle looked really dehydrated!!! So I put him in a nice warm hydrating bath. I transfered his favorite stuff to his new diggs ...put him in...waited half an hour...and ...PRESTO!! he had shed...peices...from the head down...but it was better than his first and as for the bad wound...gone!!!! A bit dry, but pretty much gone... He seems to like his new home already as he has always liked roaming in his tank.so the extra space seems welcome and more importantly the humidity and better controlled heat.Hey!..looks like a smile...i'm sure of it ,yep...it's a smile!!...good boy....Just an update

[JLC]

Outstanding! Glad to hear a positive update! Now that he's feeling so much better and eating well and living in some sweet digs...I'll bet he starts shedding cleanly for you.

[Argentra]

Regarding that top... have you covered it?? If it's just a plain screen top then that's the reason you have no humidity. Cover 3/4 of the top with 3 layers of foil topped with 2 of duct tape, leaving an opening for lamp and ventilation, and you should find it staying where you need it.

If you've already covered the top... then something else is at work here.