New to ball phytons, help!

[blacknite30]

Hello i just got my bp about two week ago i have feed her two time and she had eat great but what shoud the temp be in the cage i have a 55 and on one side it is 80 and on the eather 74? and how long shoud i hold her each day i have taking her out for about 5min a day and let her crawl around and holding here? for she seem unshere of me as i am of here when i am holding here?

[starmom]

Hi there!
Temps ought to be 92-92F on the warm side and around 82-84F on the cool side. Ambient temps ought to be about 82FF and the humidity ought to be around 50-60%.
Holding her a little bit each day, or every couple of days, will allow her a chance to get to know you and will allow you the chance to really look her over and make sure she is fine and dandy!!
Can you share how you are heating the 55g tank? Also, what are you using to control the heating device (thermostat?)? Lastly, what are you using to measure the temperatures within the cage?
The answers to these questions might allow better suggestions from us for you and your snake.

[blacknite30]

i am heating it with a heat light one is for the day and one is for the night it is red thay came with her and i have a uv light i have a digitill temp on both sids thay are stiking to the back of the tank

[Pandora]

You're going to have to get a UTH (under tank heating pad) for the warm side. Also, what are you using to measure your temps? Hopefully a digital thermometer with a probe.
Check this out: http://www.ball-pythons.net/modules/...warticle&id=59
It should help with all your questions/concerns!

[starmom]

Well, a couple of suggestions:
- To help bump up the heat, you can get some rigid insulation, or foam boad, or cork board to wrap around the sides and back of the tank. Glass tanks lose a lot of heat!
- The stick on temp gauges are notoriously inaccurate! Lots of people use Acu-Rite digital thermometer/hygrometer. Lowes and Wal-Mart carry this brand. I'm sure that if you do a google search, you'll find lots more places.
- You will more than likely need more heat and that would mean purchasing an under tank heater (UTH). The UTH will need to be controlled by a thermostat (Ranco, Johnson, Helix, Herpstat).
- I suspect that humidity might be low given how you are heating and that it is a glass tank. Sphagnum moss is good for bumping humidity!! Another way to help hold in the humidity is to use foil or plexiglass on the top of your tank.
- Ball pythons don't need UV lighting. Regular day time light is all they need and they typically do very well with just the normal light that is available from the windows within the room where the tank is.

Lastly, lots of people keep snakes in tanks and do so successfully, albeit with a lot of initial tweaking. If you are committed to making this work, you will succeed!!! If this all sounds like a lot, many people use tubs or a reptile cage.

Very lastly, I think a 55g is really big for a ball python and will make it really hard to get temps and humidity dialed in...

[blacknite30]

thanks so what would you say i shoud get for here to live in cage wise? and i will go get the stuff you told me about

[dreese88]

thanks so what would you say i shoud get for here to live in cage wise? and i will go get the stuff you told me about

Some people use rubbermaid/sterlite tubs. Those of us with tanks use either a 20L or a 30 depending on the size of your snake

[starmom]

thanks so what would you say i shoud get for here to live in cage wise? and i will go get the stuff you told me about

I can only speak to what I use. I use Reptile Basics racks (http://www.reptilebasics.com/Iris-Sw...t-p-16197.html) and Reptile Basics cages (http://www.reptilebasics.com/2x3-Cag...h-p-16286.html). The racks are heated with flex watt and controlled by a Helix thermostat. The cages I have heated by a radiant heat panel (RHP) and controlled by a Herpstat thermostat. I went with the RHP's because they bump up the ambient temperatures for me and I live in a cold place!!

It might be a good investment for you to go with a reptile cage given that you seem to like the display aspect, as do I, and the cages are awesome at maintaining temps and humidity!!