I would get him off of the Eco-Earth and onto some newspaper or papertowels for sanitary reasons. If you can get some Sulfadene cream from your vet, that would help his burns heal alot faster. Also, don't allow him to soak in his water bowl, or it could get his wounds infected.

Also, soaking him once a day in some dilute betadine solution or chlorhexidine solution(www.valleyvet.com) will help clean the wounds and keep them from getting infected. You'll want to get some gauze or a soft wash cloth and gently but firmly scrub the areas. This helps clear away any dead tissue and open up the wound so the disinfectant can work. Neither betadine or chlorhexidine sting. I've soaked animals in dilute bleach before(not snakes) because of recurrent fungal infections, so betadine and chlorhexidine are very mild. They work great though.

What size tank is he in? What are the temperatures and humidity and how are you measuring them? You can get an inexpensive digital thermometer from WalMart for around $11. The name is Acu-Rite and they are in the outdoor thermometer section, by the light bulbs and such.

As far as hides and decor, avoid anything wood or rough right now(such as that brick). You want things that are easy to disinfect, such as plastic or ceramic. You definitely want to get a smaller water bowl, such as a Van Ness plastic crock made for dogs(also found at WalMart). The 4-6" diameter bowl would be fine, as Ball Pythons really don't soak unless there is a problem with their environment or they have been overfed(or they are ovulating and uncomfortable, but that's beside the fact).

For a hide, you can use a dark plastic bowl, such as a salad bowl from the dollar store, and cut a hole in the side of it. Just flip it upside down and they make wonderful hides.

For his size, a 20 gallon long tank will last him for quite awhile. Ball Pythons prefer smaller, more secluded places rather than huge open spaces. That 50 gallon you were mentioning would just be too open and would be very hard to keep heated and humifidied properly.

You'll want his temps to be around 90-94 on the warm side and have a 10 degree gradiant over to the other end. So if your warm side is 94, then your cool side would be 84, or thereabouts. Warmer temps will help him heal faster(warm temps equals faster metabolism). Undertank heaters are more efficient than lamps and do not dry the enclosure out. Lamps dry the air and you will be fighting an uphill battle with the humidity. Remember, all UTHs need a control, either a dimmer or a thermostat.

Glad he decided to eat, and live mice are fine. I would go it easy though since he has regurgitated in the past. 1-2 mice every 7 days will be fine, and if he decides not to eat one week, no worries.

Hopefully that cleared up some things. If you have any other questions, just ask Definitely see the vet though, he needs that Silvadene cream for his back.