New reptile owner Ball Python

[steve42683]

First i want to say hello. I just bought my first ball python about two weeks ago, brought him home and kept him in a rubbermaid container to observe for any mites, ticks or anything else out of the ordinary, turns out he had mites so i went back to the store and they gave me reptile relief, we checked the other snakes he was housed with and they were clear of having any so we blamed it on the bedding. I treated him as per the directions and kept him in the rubbermaid a few extra days i am now over that hurdle and he seems to be mite free. I offered a frozen mouse last week and didn't want to eat. i have read it takes a ball python two weeks to acclimate to there new surroundings and shouldn't be handled for that two weeks and can then commence with feeding. This past friday i moved him to his aquarium since i have not seen a mite on him in over a week. Since i put him in the aquarium he has been hiding out under his shelter and hasn't really moved except to reposition himself but not coming out from the shelter. I was wondering if i should offer him another mouse today and if i should put him in something else like the rubbermaid for feeding? And also after thawing the mice and the snake doesn't eat do i toss the mouse or refreeze last week i tossed it?

[steve42683]

here are some pictures of my new BP and aquarium

[SPJ]

Four things come to mind when I look at your setup.
1. The hide is too big for that snake. They like to feel tight and secure in hides. That one is way to big to provide security.
2. There is only one hide in the tank. You should add another to the other side so it can move back and forth.
3. You have the heat over the water bowl. Put it on the other side so you aren't heating up it's water.
4. It looks like you are using a daylight bulb. Replace it with a red one. Snakes can't close their eyes so the constant daylight disturbs them. They cannot see the red spectrum so a red heat lamp is good to use with that type of setup 24/7.

[TanyaL]

Welcome to the board and congrats on your new BP.

If I may suggest going to the husbandry forum and reading through the caresheets, glasstank setup, etc. you will find that you have some work to do. For example smaller hides are recommended and you should have one on each side of the tank. Also, you will want to invest is something better than those dial guages. The accurite from Walmart is far better than those things and there and reasonable, too!

What kind of substrate are you using? Does it just look like it or are the dark spots wet?

the mites could have come from the substrate, my last bad was loaded with them. It is highly suggested by most members here that you get yourself a can of PAM (provent-a-mite). That stuff is worth it's weight in gold! After one treatment the hundreds of free mites that came with my bag of bark were gone!

You will find that feeding in a feeder tank or the same tank is a personal preference. We feed in another tank because my son (13 yo) is more comfortable doing it and also so we don't have to worry about our bp getting any of the substrate in her mouth or even down her throat. But, it's probably best for her to be fed in her own enclosure to reduce stress.

Anyhow, those are just my two cents...which really don't amount to anything. I guarantee that somebody with more knowledge and more experinece will be along in no time.

[steve42683]

thanks for the advice
The light is a zoo med basking spot lamp that i turn off over night and the temperature drops to about 75 (based on what i have read in a book i bought,i thought this is what i wanted to do) with getting a red bulb should i place that on the other side of the tank? i had the current bulb over the water dish thinking that would keep the humidity higher around 60% . Also if i eliminate this bulb what should/can i use for lighting. i was under the impression i only wanted to light 1/3 to 1/4 of the tank is this correct?
The substrate is zoo med eco earth compressed coconut expandable... it sat in the aquarium for a few days before i introduced the snake and it felt dry to the touch but i believe now that having lighter spots it is still damp. I originally had care-free something as the substrate and i believe that is where the mites came from it was returned and i bought the eco earth
The provent-a-mite is not legal in NY i tried purchasing it and got an email saying it can't be purchased in NY b/c of the DEC
I will go purchase a couple of smaller hide spots and remove the large one today along with getting a red bulb any recommendations on the bulb?
thanks again for the replies and off to the husbandry forums

[the_Ryno]

Like it was said earlier, you need two hide, and smaller hides then what is currently in there. If you can get sides that are totally enclosed and have an opening for the snake to go into and out off.

Also it looks like you are using stick on gauges.
Get a digital thermometer and hygrometer, they are far more accurate then those stick on ones.

[edie]

Have you thought about using heating tape/heat pad in conjunction with a thermostat? This way the heat comes from the ground and it will stay at a perfect basking temp if you have a thermostat set up properly. I use heat pads hooked up to a thermostat and never turn the heat source off - my snakes move from basking spot to cool side when ever they need to. The ambient temps in the cage should be lower so the animal has the option to move to the other side of the cage and decide what works for them.

I do not use any lighting in my snake cages, and I don't rely on a bulb to keep proper basking temps for my animals, I'm sure other people here do - but it just seems like it would cost more money in the long run (with buying new bulbs) and that it would be hard to get proper temps for the snake - I can't say much about this though because I've never used a bulb.

Edit: Getting a misting bottle has worked well for me for keeping humidity up, and its a shame you can't get PAM over there - I've used reptile relief and it did nothing for me

[steve42683]

new hides and replaced bulb with a CHE, is the CHE supposed to emit any light (red) or when it gets hot does it stay the same color? i can still get a red bulb should i get a blue one for moonlight also? i understand they don't see red or blue but i have read in the husbandry section about a red and blue bulb one for day and one for night what is the reasoning behind this if the snake can't tell anyway

[steve42683]

he no longer uses the hide box and hangs out under the drift wood

[Sophiax]

The new hides look better - don't worry if it takes him a few days to realize they're there and get comfortable with them.

As for your other questions, feeding etc, you'll probably find he's hungry once he's feeling secure and comfortable ie with the proper hides, temps, and humidity.

Also, DO NOT refreeze a thawed mouse/rat. If he refuses, toss it away, pretend like he ate it, and offer a new item at the next scheduled feeding time. I use a tinfoil baking tray with a towel on the bottom as a feeding tray, because it's easy to clean afterward. (sometimes the rodents sort of...ooze things...)

Hope that helps! I'm a new snake owner too but these forums are awesome for all the advice you'll ever need.