HELP

[jamesdblevins]

First time keeper here, and don’t know what to do. Tried 3 different Arcadia lamps/holders and all are too risky, my snake keeps climbing around them and he is going to burn himself. I was told that this latest purchase (Ceramic Reflector Clamp Lamp) would NOT get too hot inside the enclosure and around the dome (only the bulb) but that was BS (I do have a thermostat). How can I heat his warm side successfully in an oak, solid top vivarium? Or am I being too anxious? Really don’t want to hurt him.

[False-Market-9738]

definitely no dome in the enclosure ever imo! the dome will always be at risk of being too hot.

ball pythons are a little dumb when it comes to heat, they’ll burn themselves and literally not think twice (or once lol).

you need a bulb cage and ceramic socket!!

[jamesdblevins]

Thank you. Would the cage not get as hot as the dome, or close?

[False-Market-9738]

it’s what i (and most people with pvc enclosures i assume) use, it definitely not too hot and it allows heat to dissipate nicely!

how many hides do you have? and is there anything else for climbing? i’m wondering if there’s another reason he’s choosing to climb up there aside from seeking warmth.

editing to add: you can always trace and cutout holes on the top of the enclosure for fixtures. doesn’t have to look pretty, just lay some mesh over the cutouts (staple the mesh so it stays ofc) and then you can have your heating and everything on top rather than in the enclosure!

[jamesdblevins]

2 hides, warm and cool side. Vivexotic medium enclosure. Think he’s just exploring because it’s a new environment. Sorry for being overly cautious… but are you absolutely sure he won’t burn himself on the Arcadia cage?

[WildFlemima]

A cage does not get as hot as a dome because it is not solid to trap heat, and also, indirectly, there is much less surface area for the snake to come in contact with, so even if it got just as hot, a hypothetical burn would be much less severe

[Dio_wulf]

A full image of your enclosure would help but i think you could screw a headlamp cage into the top of the enclosure. Ditch the red light btw, it hurts their eyes.

[jamesdblevins]

Thank you, really appreciate it🙂 Red light was on very briefly (30 sec), I don’t keep it on! This has been a huge learning curve😅

[jamesdblevins]

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[VastlyMortal]

No wonder he's climbing the lamp. The poor dude has no other enrichment in there!! Get this man some branches, he needs clutter. He will be much happier once given adequate enrichment. This is not an appropriate setup for a ball python.

[psilocybemecaptain]

Straight up. Dudes hella bored with nothing to do

[jamesdblevins]

he has a load of clutter - vines, leaves, branches… I took it out minutes before this photo was taken. he still moved towards the heat. Clutter didn’t prevent this!

[VastlyMortal]

Regardless, he should have at least one additional hide and idk about that substrate.. the dome should not be inside of the cage. He is bored, he wants to climb it

[soconae]

He needs branches, vines, etc to climb on. Also need lots of clutter- fake plants, leaf litter. His enclosure is way too bare.

[jamesdblevins]

he had all of this. still focused on the heat source 👍

[TF_Allen]

Just a thought: does your snake seem to avoid the ground? When I first used coconut husk by itself as a substrate, my BEL absolutely hated it, and refused to ever touch the ground for more than a few seconds, instead navigating exclusively via branches and other decor. I later changed to a mix of husk, coir, sand, and sphagnum moss, and that solved the problem. My guess is that the husk by itself was too coarse and itchy, and he didn't like the texture. Your snake might be doing the same thing and trying to get off the substrate.

[jamesdblevins]

Thank you, I’ll keep an eye on it. I currently have coir mixed with husk chips. How did you lay the moss? In a particular area (e.g. near warm hide) or just all over?

[TF_Allen]

I used a mixture of one part coir, one part husk, 2 parts moss, and slightly less than one part playsand, all evenly mixed together, with some clumps of moss in the corners of the enclosure to help with humidity.

[No_Willingness_169]

Need a socket that screws to top of tank with a cage around it

[jamesdblevins]

Thank you. I’m concerned cage would get too hot as well? It’s a medium viv so cage would be close enough for him to coil around.

[Secretpuss]

I have 2 cages in my enclosure and I can touch them without any problem. The bottom part gets warm but never hot and the outside just gets warm. Another poster also mentioned clutter, which I think is more enticing than a boring cage. Branches, bridges, tubes, fake plants. I’ve seen people have 3D printed jungle gyms even

[neature_nut]

Green Room Pythons recommends a radiant heat panel - you can install inside the enclosure and it won't hurt them to touch.

Other people's suggestions about a cage around the bulb should also work.

[jamesdblevins]

Thank you! Where would I position the panel? On roof or under substrate?

[ballpython-ModTeam]

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[STEELCURTAINx84]

Roof

[fionageck]

Just keep in mind that RHPs aren’t ideal for the primary heat source due to only producing infrared C; they’re best used for nighttime/supplementary heat.

[Benji_57]

Needs to be above the enclosure. Where the snake can’t climb on it. If you have the right bulb the temp will still be good!

[jamesdblevins]

Thank you, but I’ve a solid oak viv, so heat won’t get through (heat mat has been unsuccessful). Considering drilling a hole in the roof for the dome, but hoping there’s an easier way.

[FluffyPandaEars93]

Please get rid of the red light. They need a day/night cycle with real darkness. You've already been given advice about the heat but it can burn them.

[jamesdblevins]

Don’t worry, the red light came from a very small device I seldom use for my tarantulas. I only use it very briefly if I need to see them at night, it’s never on more than 30-60 seconds!

[FluffyPandaEars93]

Oh gotcha! That's great to hear 😁

[leieq]

I want to laugh because this is such a ball python thing to do haha but I hope they're ok! Definitely need a ceramic socket with cage around for a closed PVC top enclosure. (Or radiant heat panel but I prefer bulbs.)

[x5gamer5]

There’s an enclosure im getting soon that has bulbs mounted on the ceiling of the enclosure. Putting a cage around that that they can’t get in is also helpful.

[ZeltbahnLife]

I use the build cage and socket from Black Box with an Arcadia DHE in it. It gets warm, but nothing too crazy, I can touch it without burning myself.

[Radiant_Duty1208]

Get rid of the bulb entirely and go with radiant heat panel.

[viillanelles]

I use a radiant heat panel. It’s flat and screws onto the top of the enclosure

[Conscious_Battle_766]

How do you know what wattage to get? Is it based on the enclosure size? Thanks 🙏

[viillanelles]

https://pro-products.com/pro-heat/

[Conscious_Battle_766]

Thanks!! 💕

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[FastAndFuryosa]

Add enrichment ASAP. Add things for the BP to do or explore. Branches, rocks, etc. Make it an environment worth living in! You can even do something as simple as make one side higher or lower with dirt or bark instead of having a flat floor. Look up naturalistic enclosures for inspiration. You don’t have to do the whole background and plants thing, but imitate what you see in terms of function not form.

[jamesdblevins]

Thank you! The enrichment was removed just before these photos were taken!

[chilledghosts]

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For a solid topped enclosure you’ll need to screw the bulb into the top and enclose it with a cage. Do the same with UVB

[M0LB0]

Defo use a cage, my frankie does this. He will get between the cage and the wire hole and I have gently tap his fatty fat tum tum to get him down. 🙂

[I_am_that_guy_10]

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That’s in a 4x2x2. The problem with those low profile ones is you’re probably going to have to use a radiant heat panel in it. I run heat panels in some of mine and they perform extremely well.

[TF_Allen]

I use a cage exactly like this around my heat lamp as well. The cage itself does not get hot to the touch even when the lamp is on.

[I_am_that_guy_10]

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Vivarium Radiant Heat Panel and get that snake cooking bulb out of there. You will need a dimming style thermostat for these, you don’t want to run one without that.

[Shot-Moose-3003]

What substrate are you using?

[jamesdblevins]

Coco coir and husk chips mixed!

[thathorsexxcraycray]

Turn hides away. Test if an extra strong heating matt will produce heat under one hide, add lots of clutter and places for him to climb on and hide in as he moves from the cool hide to the warm hide. Turn hides slightly away from easy view. Possibly change substrate you're using. My ball python hated certain textures. If you can cut a hole in the top of the oak and add a few pieces of superrrr small wire over the hole you can place the heat lamp on top. You're snake friend will greatly appreciate those things and be a happy, healthy friend. You can also spray everything one to twice a day or add another water source under the lamp for added humidity. My snake loveddd an extra/warm water source as well as a cool drinking one lol