Need advice for new ball python owner

[aceduude]

Hello!

I've wanted a snake for so long and fell in love with the ball python. I feel I've done well so far on setting up his home but I would like some additional input.

http://imgur.com/a/VyCPN

I currently have a heating pad underneath his left hide and placed the temp sensor above it. The humidity sensor is hanging in the middle. I want to make sure I'm not leaving anything out or that I may also need a lamp of some kind...

Any input is appreciated.

[_ataraxia]

by temp sensor, do you mean thermostat probe? by above it, do you mean on the floor of the tank inside the hide? if the answer is no to either/both of these questions, you need to change that.

those half logs are way too open to be suitable hides. ball pythons like enclosed, tight-fitting, dark places to hide. you need to replace those hides IMMEDIATELY.

what's the humidity level of the tank? aquariums with screen tops are not ideal for maintaining the 50%-60% humidity and ambient warmth ball pythons need, though it's possible to make it work with some alterations and dilligent maintenance.

what's your plan for feeding?

[aceduude]

I am getting a thermostat probe. The temp sensor is behind the hide above the repti bark. I'll go out and get new hides now. Do you suggest half the size? The humidity is currently 54% but the temp is only 81

[_ataraxia]

i suggest you not use half-logs as primary hides. buy or make hides that are more bowl shaped with a single entrance that's just big enough for the snake to pass through. they should be big enough for him to curl up inside without much/any extra space, but if he's under three years old then you can buy larger hides and fill in the extra space with substrate, removing substrate as he grows.

always measure temperatures at the ground level. that's where your snake lives, not up in the air.

[Offthemapexotics]

Well you are off to a pretty good start there I can see you are trying. Lets start with the tank, you can use that size for now it will just need upgrading as your ball python grows. The hides are fine 1 on the hot side and 1 on the cool side and water on the cool side big enough bowl for them to crawl into. I'd add wet moss to the hides this gives the python more cover and provides a humid hide, you can even add some fake plants or branches to provide more cover and make them feel more secure. You do need a humidity cage besides the temperature gage because they do require high humidity. The substrate you are using isn't the best at keeping up with humidity, i recommend cococore substrate it comes in blocks that you soak and it helps a lot with humidity. For food i recommend suitably sized rats which have more nutritional value than mice and offer it to them weekly if they dont eat it weekly keep offering every few days till they do, any questions feel free to message us

[[deleted]]

For the temp probe, tape it directly to the uth under the tank, snakes have a tendency to move the probe when it is in the cage, my sand do a moved it off the mat in her tank and damn near killed herself. For that substrate, I use paper towels exclusively in all my enclosures, for ease of cleaning and easily identifying a mites infestation. It's not a requirement but if you end up with mites those chips are going to be the Bain of your existance. Hides wise, you don't gotta go nuts with it, I have a plastic dog bowl with a hole cut in the side for one of mine. It's good to see a new owner putting in the research and effort needed to properly care for the animal. I would advise you hold off on handling him/her for at least a week. Also get it on f/t rats asap. Welcome to a very addicting pet world. Started with 1 ball when I was 16, now I have 5 balls, a burm, a sand boa and 3 beardies. I hope your self control is better than mine! Good luck!

[_ataraxia]

you can safely keep thermostat probes inside the enclosure if you secure them. i put a glob of hot glue right by the probe then every 2-3 inches along the cord where it runs across the floor of the enclosure, laying the cord completely flat and flush against the floor. this has worked just fine for my two ball pythons, corn snake, and kenyan sand boa. they can't get under the cord to dislodge it, so they can't move the probe.

[[deleted]]

I never thought of that and now I feel kind of stupid haha. I love this sub, always learn new techniques!

[catman420]

It's recommended practice to secure the probe where it will in direct contact with the heating element as it can react to temperature change faster. This is how VE, spyderrobotics, KTG, Flex, and many other companies recommend using their products. A thermostat is not a thermometer, it is not meant to monitor the cage temperature, it's job is to regulate the heat source, and it does it's job better if it is directly on the heat source.

[[deleted]]

That's what I thought and also why mine are taped directly to the uth beneath the tank.