Noob needs some help

[Motorr]

First and formost let me say this forum rocks. I've picked up so much info about BP's in such a short time by reading other people's promblems and all your suggestions on how to fix it. I've had my BP for about a week and a half. I have a 10 gallon tank set up. I have a under the tank pad heater and a spot light. The pad will keep the tank 75degs night and day by it's self. When the spot light is on its raises's the cold side to 80 and the hot side to 88-92deg. I am using the stick on temp gauges which i read today are no good so i need to upgrade those. I do not have a humidity gauge ( the salesperson said i didn't need one when i bought the snake, go figure) so i need to buy one of those also. I've already feed my BP a live mouse. Got a nice feed response from her so I was happy about that. She just shed last night and it was in pieces which i'm not happy about.I have been handling her atleast once a day so I wonder if that had something to do with and probably my humidity is wrong also. She never showed any kind of aggression towards me during the shedding process. I thought I read somewhere that it's not good to handle snakes during that time, is that true? I'm using somekind of mulch mix I bought in the pet store, can't remember the name of it for the life of me. Nothing personal by saying this but news paper just seemed tacky hehe. I read here today that you should cover three sides of the tank so what do most people use for that? Thanks for taking the time to read all this

[daniel1983]

Getting the actual temperature of the enclosure would be my first priority.

A ten gallon with both a UTH and a heat lamp would generally be hot. What wattage bulb are you using?

I would suggest throwing in a humid hide to take care of shedding issues. Cut a hole in the top of a small plastic container (i.e. a butter tub, gladware, etc.) and put some damp paper towels inside.

Most people do not handle during shed.

Cover the sides with whatever you want....cardboard, a trashbag, foil, construction paper.....just make sure it is not too close to your lamp

[JoshJP7]

Sounds like you just need to get the humidity up and you should be good... Your snake ate so thats a good thing and you now know the stick ons a poopie caca... I prefer not to handle mine during shed just bc your more likely to get tagged bc they cant see very well... Some people handle them with no issues but your gonna have the snake for 20 yrs so waiting a week or more while they shed is small in the big scheme of things. Get that digital hygrometer and see what your humidity is at and then we can work on getting it higher if need be... Other than that sounds like your doing well and WELCOME!!

[missi182]

Sounds like your learning plenty, and off to a great start! You already know you should get a digital thermometer/hygrometer which yes, is very important . Since you have had your snake for just over a week, give s/he some time to settle in still and don't over-do the handling. Every other day for 10-15 mins is plenty for now and you can work up from that. I don't handle during a shed, my bp is very twitchy and nervous especially when in blue (white/blue eyes) which is likely because he can't see very well.

The UTH you have (under tank heater), is it controlled? Did you buy something like a Zilla rheostat at the pet store or a lamp dimmer from the hardware store to turn it down? The best control for a UTH is a thermostat - but they are a little expensive although well worth it ($50-$300) If you haven't, a lamp dimmer is about $10 and you can plug it into the UTH to turn it down. The reason you need some sort of control is that UTHs unfortunately reach well over 110 degrees plugged right in.

In order to find out what temp your UTH is at, the digital thermometer you run out to buy should have a probe on it. Something like an accurite from Wal-Mart works great and is very affordable ($12). These come with a probe and they also measure humidity. You can usually find them in the outdoor living area with extension cords and what not and they say "indoor/outdoor thermometer/hygrometer" on them. My Wal-Mart didn't carry the brand accurite, but they did have something similar.

Covering up three sides of your tank helps your bp feel less "exposed" and adds to his over-all security. You can use aquarium backgrounds if you want something natural to look at but cardboard, construction paper, foil, anything really that you can stick on there will help

If you are worried about te substrate you are using and would rather something like newspaper, but not as unsightly, you can actually get it unprinted from your local newspaper company. I personally use Scott Shop Towels, which are like super, super thick paper towel, but it is blue lol.

Don't forget to give your snake 48 hours to digest after eating before you handle him/her and Daniel makes a good point about the wattage of your bulb, make sure your enclosure isn't too hot, once you get those new guages you will have a better idea of the temps.

I know my post is long, but I hope it helps you out so far! Keep asking questions and we will do our best to help you out!!

[Motorr]

ok heres an update, I bought one of those acurite therometers and I'm shocked at the readings compared to the stick on tape therometer. There is a 10 degree differance, tape reads 75 the digital read 85. This whole time I thought it was to cold for my snake. To answer another question I have a 75 watt bulb in my spot light. I'll measure the hot side of the tank in a minute but i'm guesiing it's way hotter than 90 degree the tape is saying. If thats the case should i drop down to say a 60 watt bulb? Oh and my humidity is 43%, That is bad for shedding right? what should it be normally and what should it been during shedding? Thanks again guys for helpng out hehe.

[missi182]

ok heres an update, I bought one of those acurite therometers and I'm shocked at the readings compared to the stick on tape therometer. There is a 10 degree differance, tape reads 75 the digital read 85. This whole time I thought it was to cold for my snake. To answer another question I have a 75 watt bulb in my spot light. I'll measure the hot side of the tank in a minute but i'm guesiing it's way hotter than 90 degree the tape is saying. If thats the case should i drop down to say a 60 watt bulb? Oh and my humidity is 43%, That is bad for shedding right? what should it be normally and what should it been during shedding? Thanks again guys for helpng out hehe.

I use a 40 watt, but I use a 70 watt for winter so it kinda depends on the temperature of the room. Low 80s is good for ambient temps, but anything higher will really kill humidity. On a regular basis, humidity should be 50-60%.

Some members up their humidity to 70% during a shed, I keep mine at 60% or just above that but my humidity stays between 55-60 any other time and I get great sheds from LD.

You may find it easier to buy a second accurite so you don't have to move one or switch between settings, but one is still better than those dials. The most important spot to measure is right the glass above your UTH, under the substrate.

[gmcclurelssu]

also, if you can't keep the humidity up, you may also need to cover the top with some kind of plastic or plexi. the pet store sent me out with a mesh top and i couldn't keep the humidity above 35% for the life of me. after i covered it with heavy plastic (for covering windows) it stays right between 50 and 55%

[missi182]

also, if you can't keep the humidity up, you may also need to cover the top with some kind of plastic or plexi. the pet store sent me out with a mesh top and i couldn't keep the humidity above 35% for the life of me. after i covered it with heavy plastic (for covering windows) it stays right between 50 and 55%

Great point! If you are having trouble getting the humidity up, you can get a bigger water bowl and keep it partially over your UTH, cover the screen with plexiglass, foil or even a damp towel (change the towel a few times a week if you go that route) or you can even buy a compact humidifier for $15-20.

In the winter, I use all of these methods to keep my humidity right, but in the summer a bit of plexiglass and my humidifier are more than enough.

[starmom]

Everyone has given you great advice per husbandry issues. I will weigh in on your question regarding handling during a shed. All snakes are different and you are well on your way to discovering what your snake will tolerate. I have some who do not wish to be even looked at during their entire blue phase and shed. Other could really care less. Some refuse food while others will scarf no matter what stage they are in.
My point is: watch your snake's behaviors and trust your own instincts. Your snake is telling you and it sounds like you're listening