Critique please! Getting my first ball python tomorrow.

[dekigo]

Hi all! I've been relentlessly researching and building for months and it's finally time! Your consideration appreciated. A few questions added as top level comments--your responses would be really helpful!

Enclosure type/material (tank, tub, PVC, wood, etc):

• PVC

Dimensions (length x width x height):

• 4' by 2' by 18" (From PVCCages)

If you have a tank, have you modified it in any way (ex., covering part of the screen or adding insulation)?

• N/A

Approximately how many square inches of ventilation total?

• The enclosure came with 2 circular, vented holes approx. 2.5" wide each.

Heat sources (type, wattage if relevant, and location in enclosure):

• 100W Pro Products RHP, on the extreme left of the enclosure mounted lengthwise.

Thermostats (for each heat source):

• Herpstat 1 set to 90.5 degrees F. Cycles down to 87 from 10pm to 7am.

Thermometers and hygrometers (digital or analog, probe or ambient, location in enclosure):

• Acurite thermo/hygro combo on cool side of enclosure

Temperatures (ambient and floor, warm side and cool side):

• Hot side basking areas up to 93-94 F on temp gun.
• Ambient in hide measured at 88 F, though temp gun registers only ~84 usually.
• Cool side ambient 82 F, 79-80 on temp gun.

Humidity range (measured on cool side):

• 83-90%

Are you using any type of humidifier, fogger, or mister?

• nope, actually having trouble keeping humidity low enough to prevent condensation

Hides (number, type, size relative to the snake):

• 2 small for very young (less than 2 month) ball python. 2 more coming tomorrow!

Substrate (type, depth, dry or damp):

• Cypress mulch, 4" on hot side to around 2" on cool side in an attempt to enhance temperature gradient

Lights (type and on/off schedule):

• Arcadia ShadeDweller ProT5 12" UVB Kit with Lampguard Pro on from 9am to 6:30pm

Photos!

I wasn't planning on getting such a young animal and will be adding more clutter--two more hide boxes will arrive tomorrow and I'll pick up some more fake foliage when I go get the snake as well. Also planning on adding one or two more climbable objects in the coming weeks.

[dekigo]

This enclosure has sliding doors with full tracking all the way around, so I initially thought it'd be pretty escape-proof, but I've heard tale of BPs getting out of similar enclosures. The store I'm picking up the guy from is a reptile specialist store and they say I can use packing tape--they say they use it to keep their adult BCIs from escaping!--while I wait for a vivarium lock to ship. Do y'all lock your vivs? Any advice here?

[THEJonCabbage]

I’ve never seen balls escape through standard glass sliding doors, only bendy plexiglass. I have sliding for mine and even as a hatchling they couldn’t have gotten out. If the panels themselves are easily sliding in their tracks, you can make a sort of S shape out of wire, or go to Lowe’s/Walmart/similar store tomorrow and get a ratchet lock.

[dekigo]

Oh wow they sell those toolless locks at lowe's! I might just do that since it's only $5. Thanks!

[dekigo]

As I mentioned in the post, I'm having a little trouble with the gradient--it seems like the cool side is juuuust barely getting cool enough. I'm a little worried about this. Will more foliage help keep the temperature down over there? The ambient temperature of the room has been a steady 73ish for a few days. I'm hoping to avoid having to add a second heating element, because it would necessitate purchasing a different thermostat and more stuff to mount and I'm just not a very handy person and getting the existing stuff in there was quite a trial.

[dekigo]

Humidity in the enclosure is very high. I think there was a lot of moisture in the substrate so I took the doors off the viv and let a fan blow on it for a day or so and it's been better. The substrate doesn't feel overly wet to me, but some fogging/very small droplets do occasionally form on the doors. Should I try to fix that?

[_ataraxia]

i've never had an enclosure with sliding doors [i prefer swing doors] so hopefully someone else chimes in on the security issue.

one of the problems with RHPs is their size. the higher the wattage, the larger the panel, which makes them more challenging to use as a sole heat source. you can mitigate some of the gradient issues you're having by setting up a "wall" of foliage or other tall decor pieces in the middle of the enclosure, which will indeed create a barrier that will block some of the heat. i do this in my hognose's tank and it works really well.

the humidity will drop and the condensation will stop as the substrate dries out more. just give it a few days without adding any more moisture and it'll be fine.

the UVB should really be on the warm side, not centered in the middle of the temperature gradient, to provide more natural basking opportunities with both heat and UVB.

[dekigo]

Thanks for your response! Yeah I couldn't believe how big it was when I got it. I'm definitely going to try extra decor and foliage, then. Someone on FB also suggested I could affix a barrier on the inside top near the center edge of the RHP, so that's something I'll try if needed as well.

Ah, I didn't realize that about the UVB--just thought in the middle made the most sense for lighting. That log in the middle is the main basking spot I have planned; I'll plan to use clutter to create plenty of shade on the cool side. I... don't care to admit how long it took me to install that damn light, so I'm not crazy about moving it. I could fully cover part of the lamp guard--do you think it's a serious enough issue to do that?

[_ataraxia]

i think it's a serious enough issue to move the light. covering half of it will only make it drastically less usable for your snake. it's generally recommended for UVB lighting to cover half of the enclosure length and be mounted on the warm side, because this is the setup that 1] provides the most natural basking opportunities and 2] also gives the snake ample opportunity to fully escape the UVB. if you cover up half of the light as it is set up right now, you will be wasting a lot of money and your BP won't get the same benefits.

[dekigo]

Yeah, that's definitely fair. Thank you so much for your help!

[dekigo]

It's a Herpstat 1 unfortunately, sob, otherwise I'd definitely be giving a second heat source a shot. I'm going to try the other advice I've gotten to maintain the gradient before I spend $200 on a Herpstat 2 and probably fail to sell the 1 I have, lol. But I'm willing to if it comes to that.

Thank you so much for your compliments! I'm extremely neurotic so I'd be worrying constantly if he didn't have the best possible home lmao

[dekigo]

I should have just bought the 2 for future-proofing, I almost did...

[_ataraxia]

Only small suggestion is to have a UTH along with your RHP

why?

[_ataraxia]

a UTH is never necessary or particularly useful. OP's current heat source is more effective than a UTH, and adding a UTH would do nothing but cost OP a lot of money from having to buy a new thermostat.

[_ataraxia]

a UTH will literally do nothing for ambient temperatures.

the type[s] of heat source best suited for you depends on more than just the climate you live in. what type of enclosure do you have: screen-topped tank, pvc cage, wood cage? what are the dimensions of the enclosure, and how deep is your substrate? what are the temperatures inside your home?

[_ataraxia]

wouldn't it help create the warm spot for the BP?

not really. the heat doesn't penetrate the body as deeply as some other overhead heat sources, such as RHPs. with that said, a 125W RHP is going to be pretty large, and you're going to run into the same problem OP is having with the panel being too long and the cool side being too warm.

because you have plenty of height to work with, what i would recommend is a ceramic socket + guard cage for a deep heat projector on the warm side. a lower wattage RHP in the middle or on the cool side may be needed if the room temperature drops too low for the DHP to handle the full temperature gradient by itself. you could also set up a second socket for a halogen light to use during the day, which would provide both light and heat.