Quote Originally Posted by Ranegyr View Post
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I am not confident that my current setup and situation will end up with hatchlings next spring/summer. Any input either good or bad will be greatly appreciated. Here is what i have. He is 5 and she is supposed to be 2 but she is kinda small. Both are very healthy but never fat. the tank is 30 gal tall. i have pine bark floor with a large water dish. 1 big cave style hide for both, some rocks and driftwood for asthetics. humidity is usually always 60%, i mist to 80% - 90% every few days. temp is 85degrees day and 75 at night. i only heat with standard flukers lamp and 60watt bulb on a timer 12/12. i dont like that it's 12 inches away form where they bask but he seems to like it. she is only nocturnal, he plays all the time. i never see her basking in the warmth. they seem relatively happy with the tank, but their behavior is what concerns me most. like i said, he is very active day and night while she stays hidden most all the time. She has recently started coming out at night but that's after the timer light goes out. she seems relatively disinterested in him. i do see them sleeping together inside the hide, but other than that, there isn't much affection going on....
Do you have a weight on the female? Weight would be one indicator of readiness to breed (at least 1500g). Also, many people wait until the female's third winter. I would not breed unless weights are known and you are pretty certain that this female is old enough.

Now, as for the living situation....
Two snakes in the same environment is typically not suggested. It sounds as though the male is stressed out since he is active all day long and ball pythons are nocturnal.

Also, you say you have only one hide and this is trouble. Each snake needs a hide on the warm side and a hide on the cool side of the tank.

Temps on the warm side should be about 92-94F and cool side needs to be about 82F. Ambient temps need to be about 82F.

No need to mist to raise the humidity if the humidity is already (relatively) constant at 60%.

Here's a link that you can check out with lots of info on glass tank set-ups: http://www.ball-pythons.net/forums/s...ad.php?t=56846. Also, I would not use the 55g as it is really too big for a ball python and keeping temps and humidity stable could be a problem...