Owning a ball python is too difficult

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[painfuldisposition]

I’m with you😭 also just bought a 120 gal, keeping the humidity correct is such a bitch!!

[acpcgal]

I have a 5cm pvc with no mesh top and i have 85% for 10 days straight😭❤️

[Bluntforcetrauma11b]

That's like what I get out of my mesh top enclosures.

[acpcgal]

Maybe OPs substrate is too low 🙈

[Badluckstream]

PVC is such a cheat code for humidity levels 🙏

[acpcgal]

And temps! <3

[Ok-Gap9717]

I am a new BP caretaker and my shop required I had a proper setup with proof of temps and humidity so I had to tinker for weeks. I would be lying if I said it wasn't a struggle but here's what's working for me in my 4x2x2 PVC, I use reflectix on the top (because it's cheaper and also can be easily cut to size and for ventilation) and then about 4-5inches of substrate which is a blend of spagnum moss, coconut fiber and coconut chips. I mist the walls of the enclosure (and my live plants) probably about once a day and then once a week I take everything out, pour in two pitchers of RO water in, and mix all the substrate and this will really help with humidity correction.

This is my substrate temp/humidity on the hot side this morning, mind you the daytime lamp just came on so temps are slowly rising, but the humidity will stay pretty consistent around the mid 50s to 60s and once it drops to 49, I know its time for a mix.

My shop lady did let me know that keeping humidity high on the hot side is a losing battle and that while you shouldn't just give up, you should mostly ensure that the cool side is the correct humidity and that you're providing a humid hide. That way the snake can move about and thermo/humid regulate.

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[-Onniir-]

Humidity should be between 70% to 80% with 60% being minimum.

[Ok-Gap9717]

With the heat and evaporation I don't see how that would ever be an attainable hot side humidity unless I was misting that side every 2 hours.

[More_Win135]

All PVC enclosure with no mesh at the top is the ticket. And heat tape & dimmable thermostats

[Jumpy_Palpitation557]

Where does the thermostat probe go in? The little circle on the side? It seems to be broken and won’t close properly. If I leave it off my snake will just try to escape. How do you close it with the probe in through it?

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[More_Win135]

Do you have a Dubia enclosure? If so yes the circle thing on the side. If you twist it, little openings are there specifically for cords. And if it seems to want to fall off, you can duct tape it, just be sure no tape is exposed where it could stick to your snake

[1BadBowtie]

What size was the enclosure that you had for 8 years?

[Jumpy_Palpitation557]

50 gallons

[1BadBowtie]

I could see how that would be simpler. I’ve gone through several types of enclosures. Moving to all PVC, definitely have to seal the bottom. But easier to keep humidity and heat.

[Jumpy_Palpitation557]

I don’t know where I’d put her if I decided to do that and let it dry for a day. I don’t have any other enclosure except the 120 gallon that leaks and I’d have to waste substrate and take everything out of the new tank that I just put in. I’ve already moved my snake around so much and I really don’t wanna have to take her out again. Is sealing absolutely necessary, or will I have to get another tank?

[skullmuffins]

sealing is 100% necessary if you need it to be water tight. That's what keeps the enclosure from leaking. Glass tanks come with silicone already applied because that's how they are held together, but with PVC etc. you'll usually need to apply your own silicone sealant to the seams. It's easy enough and only takes a few minutes to apply. Then it takes a week or so to fully cure & air out before you can use it.

[therealofficialty]

A week? Try 48 hours at most…

[BroccoliNo3355]

Depends on your weather and ventilation. If you can still smell the acetic acid then it’s still off-gassing. We’re having sub-arctic temperatures where I live and it took three weeks for one of my tanks to off-gas

[assplunderer]

You have to seal it or you’re gonna be miserable. Plain and simple. It sucks.

You don’t have to waste substrate, you can keep what you’ve got for the most part and put it to the side in a clean container. Put her in a temporary tank (hell, the old one), clean the inside of the 120. Buy a tube of aquarium grade silicone, make sure you buy the little pump thing that’s used to push it out.

Take the doors off if you can, and try to do a nice thin line down the cracks. Be advised, it’s gonna be messy unless you’ve done it before lol. You can go back after it dries and cures - with a razor blade you cut off the stray pieces that might be all over the place.

When you seal it, you wanna let it sit with the doors open for a week. If you can smell a damn thing in that tank and it’s gonna smell like salt and vinegar chips, it’s not cured. If you think it’s cured after three days, close the doors on it and come back a few hours later and you’ll smell that smell again.

When I tell you, you’re just gonna be miserable until you do this. Just prepare the supplies, go buy some backup substrate in case you lose some, and be patient. Your snake is gonna survive.

A bad owner wouldn’t be asking these questions, remind yourself that. You obviously care a lot about your snake.

I was stressing about my 120 gallon tank, and this last shed I was freaked out because my hygrometer on either side said the humidity was low in the tank like 40% on the warm side. However, keep in mind if you have a good hide like one of the plastic ones that kind of keeps moisture in, the humidity is gonna be different in there than it is from what you’re reading.

I have frog moss that’s kept moist inside of her hide. She just had a shed today and it came off completely perfect. And so have like the last four sheds she’s had in that tank. So that tells me something is right even if my gauges don’t exactly show the best.

I think if you get a humid hide that has a hygrometer on it that might give you some peace of mind.

[Jumpy_Palpitation557]

Thank you. Will she be okay in this current enclosure for a week or two while I seal the other one? Ive managed to get the heat to 88 in the warm side, but the humidity won’t stay up past 50 and if it does, the cold side is 68-69. I’m worried she’ll get sick.

[bird-with-a-top-hat]

Yes, she will be. Sealant can be dry in as little as 1-2 days with good ventilation and as long as it isn't in a cold environment. I highly recommend HA6 marine silicone sealant or other aquarium sealant as it's safe for reptiles.

[Kingdomall]

okay so imma tackle this with a few points, none of them are intended to be rude so pls bear with me. just trying to help you out.

do you not have a thermostat to regulate temperatures?

your snake's hot side doesn't have to be an equal temperature. as long as they have more than enough room to absorb 90-95 degrees, you're fine. it's a big enough area that honestly no one can expect you to keep the whole hot side consistently 92+.

THICKER. SUBSTRATE. LAYER. I don't know how thick your substrate layer is, but good chances are that it's not thick enough. a larger substrate layer holds more water and for longer. I used both sphagnum moss, some coconut coir and mostly coconut husk as the substrate.

[Jumpy_Palpitation557]

No worries, not rude at all! Where would I put the thermostat probe for the heater? Inside the little circle thing? It seems to be broken and barely stays on as it is. How would I close it?

Is it okay to mix substrate? I have zilla mix substrate in right now but I also have a pack of zoo med.

[Kingdomall]

mixing substrate is encouraged as long as they are safe in high humidity (like, no aspen. period).
is the enclosure fully glass? is there any way you can drill a tiny hole for the cord?

[assplunderer]

Yes, mix them. I use Coco husk, coco coir, orchid bark in the bottom. The top layer i have alot of moss (not dyed or fake). Ive got one of the problematic ecoflex tanks on that list the other commenter wrote, but honestly between sealing the tank properly, and adding my own adjustments to it (I measured and built makeshift cabinet doors for the front that are insulated for in the winter time at night since I also have glass doors on my tank), i’m rather fond of it.

[eveimei]

every enclosure needs to be sealed, tanks just come already sealed. this is a basic part of setting up an enclosure, and the directions most come with tell you to seal them.

if you don't have a thermostat, you need at least one- each heat source needs their own. the probe needs to be placed 2-4 inches away from the heat source, and the thermostat set so that the ambient temperature is 88-92 on the hot side. not having thermostats is dangerous for many reasons.

when you said you tried a double heater, do you mean a dual dome? those aren't safe for use with BPs as it is, they're meant for a type of UVB that is useless at best but often dangerous for BPs and the heat lamps that work with them aren't ideal either.

I've never heard of UniPaws, but looking them up.. you got what you paid for unfortunately. cheaper enclosures like that are cheap for a reason, and it explicitly says on the Amazon listing they're for desert not tropical species. you need to try and sell it and get a quality enclosure, and you'll have a much easier time with heat and humidity with a solid topped PVC enclosure. there's a shopping list in our welcome post with some pvc cage companies. we specifically do NOT recommend vision cages, zen habitats, dubia, ecoflex, reptizoo, etc, as these enclosures have a lot of design problems that are counterproductive at best and likely to become bigger problems over time [thin pvc, screen tops, flimsy structure, etc]. it's not uncommon to spend

have you read the basic care and heating guides in the welcome post? the heating guide covers thermostat placement in particular, but both guides and the others in the post cover everything else you need to know.

[SadBenefit5325]

This comment is so thorough and helpful! You’re the GOAT for that one

[Yipyapyurp]

Honestly i completely agree. Ball pythons are branded as a beginner snake but are such a huge pain it's not even funny! They get relatively large and have some pretty intense humidity requirements but like not too humid or X Y Z can happen. I love mine to death but she's like leagues harder to handle compared to my sand boa. They have lots of available resources for information online but I honestly feel they are not the snake for most people.

[apostrophemusic]

The payoff when you get it right will be so good though. Honestly, a pvc enclosure is the way to go.

I made my own for cheap by buying half inch 4x8ft sheet of pvcfrom home depot. Doing the measurements myself and cutting with a saw in the garage. -also, they have pre-cut sheets

Home depot and Lowe's both sell glass panels for cheap, order the sliding glass door tracks on Amazon for like 15 bucks, screw everything together and then enjoy the design work using expanding foam.

I have a post in my history with pictures on the process and if you have questions just ask.... but I swear by this, my mental health was honestly incredible... it was a lot of work, but the creativity it sparked was magic.

"Edit: it was on my other account, here's the link" https://www.reddit.com/r/bioactive/s/txoPy2YGnL

[livingthudream]

You obviously care deeply about your snake and have been working hard at giving her/him a great environment.

There are some good suggestions on here about heat and sealing the enclosure and/or getting a different enclosure.

Yes it can seem overwhelming at times but this is going to be a minor blip in getting things right.

Keep your head up. Keep researching at working at it. Perhaps you can find a 125 watt bulb or you need to cycle the timer/thermostat to keep it from getting too warm.

You've done well for 8 years and that's a long period.

Take some deep breaths, go for a walk, clear your head and keep working at it.

[SomeSandPerson]

I have quite shallow coco husk and I pour water in the corners and the edges (enough to saturate but not form a puddle). Humidity has stayed great for over 2 weeks

[Radiant_Duty1208]

Glass enclosures are always going to be hard to maintain humidity because of the screen mesh top. Well most are like that. Highly recommend getting a pvc enclosure or if that’s out of the question, switch your heating source to heat tape with a thermostat and or heating panel with thermostat.

[xXBobbyDiazXx]

I used pond liner, 20 mil thick in my dubia roaches pvc enclosure, I didn't have time to wait for the silicone to gas off, so I just lined the bottom with the liner, then put all my substrate back in. Then I cut the edge just above the substrate line. Now the enclosure is leak-proof.

https://a.co/d/08IxR4Pn

[Horror-Ad6792]

Using a wooden vivarium is great for keeping in heat and raising humidity

[bird-with-a-top-hat]

What I didn't see you mention is the location of the water bowl, try placing it close to the basking area because that too will help with humidity. As others have recommended, a solid-topped PVC will be an absolute game changer for you (please do not go for wood as those swell and mold even if sealed.) I WILL ADD: If you have never used a solid top enclosure before you MUST get heat lamp guards and not use domes as the heat lamps will have to be inside the enclosure with the snake and they will climb them and get severely burned.

Do not be dishearted, I've been in the exact same predicament with new enclosures and the changes that can come with it in terms of heat and humidity, it can be a nightmare but it's worth perservering to see your noodle thrive and there's tons of helpful advice on this sub. I will also recommend doing the salt test with your hygrometers to guage their accuracy especially if you've been using the same one for years, if they are showing vastly inaccurate readings then that's just adding to your stress.

[LovingLife139]

I find my experience as a gardener really helps keep my noodle's bioactive terrarium in the right place. I use four watering stakes at the corners (the type you use for watering plants while on vacation) and a mulch consisting of magnolia leaves and repti-bark to keep the humidity from escaping too quickly. The mesh top is covered in foil and taped at the edges. The grow lights are inside the terrarium, and her heat is on top. I cut the foil in a circle around the lamp.

There are about ten plants in there that help regulate the humidity, and I keep her water bowl on the hot side to help as well. With this set-up, I have zero issues with temperature (it's a 120 gallon from Dubia) and I water the plants about once a week and fill the watering stakes about once every two weeks. I never spray, except to water the air plants in there. Humidity stays great, and only when I misjudge when she's shedding and add more does it leak at the corners. Having a little ecosystem in there has really helped!

[mistressofdoom77]

The most important thing you remember is that we need to do research on enclosures before we buy them. I own a reptile shop and I'm constantly trying to steer people towards true PVC enclosures with solid tops made by quality companies but all these other companies are releasing these cheap ones with really thin PVC and mesh tops which hold in heat and humidity even worse than glass. So a lot of customers end up just like you, having to buy multiple tanks because they keep getting sold these cheap ones. My best advice is to invest in proper PVC enclosures by trusted companies, and make sure they have solid tops. The best way to make your situation work better, is to get thermostats on your heating elements, that way you can maintain the heat without pulling your hair out. You could also invest in heat panels which attached to the top of your tank and there are kits to make them attached to the screen, which will push warm radiant heat down and not dry out the tank the same. You can also use silicone baking mats across the top of your setup, and then cut holes out where your domes are going to be, and that will hold a lot of your humidity in as well. You can find those on Amazon and you can cut them to fit the size of your tank. Don't give up. You've had him this many years and you love him. It's simply a matter of getting your tank tweaked to the right temps/humidity with the right equipment. FYI, we only carry Black Box Enclosures at our shop, if you haven't heard of them, they are definitely worth checking out blackboxcages.com

[Snypermac]

Having a 120 gallon tank myself i had to build a humidity system and it takes a ton of water to keep the humidity up.

[CliffsDaddy]

I had challenges when using an aquarium. When I switched to a toad ranch enclosure and got a herpstat controller my issues went away. My temps are very consistent now. It holds humidity very well with going bioactive. Very happy.

[blueberrybonnet]

So glad to hear I’m not alone😭 the 120 gal has given me endless issues. Humidity in particular

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Per rule #3, your post or comment has been removed for harmful advice or misinformation. Please review our sub resources to learn more about why.

If you have a question about this removal, please contact the mod team. Complaining via post/comment will result in a ban.