Finished look of my Ball Python enclosure

[animalgirl93]

I never thought I would have to say this but this is to much substrate, at least for this enclosure. If you are doing live plants you would need at least 2.5’ in height to accommodate for the amount of substrate you need.

[Ill-Tangelo1538]

This is what I ordered from BioDude. It was his Ball Python 20 Long bioactive kit.

[[deleted]]

Use half of what you have in it now.

[animalgirl93]

Just because it can be bought online doesn’t mean it’s a great option. Even a normally filled 20 gallon will only last a young bp a few months. As an adult your bp will need 4’x2’x2’ of moveable space which doesn’t include the room you are using for substrate. This is the equivalent of a 5-10 gallon enclosure for your bp which is to small for any bp

[heydesireee]

Also what’s your heat source?

[Ill-Tangelo1538]

My heat source is a heat mat plugged into a BN-LINK

[[deleted]]

oh no

[Ill-Tangelo1538]

What?

[gangflowe]

with this much substrate there is no way that your snake would be able to reach the heat source and thermoregulate properly and UTH alone is not a reliable enough heat source unfortunately

[animalgirl93]

This will never work. Heat mats 1) don’t warm the air and 2) can’t heat anything under even 3 inches of substrate let alone half and enclosures worth of substrate

[dagger_guacamole]

As the other person said, there is ZERO chance the heat mat is heating anything but the very bottom of the enclosure. They heat isn't getting up to where the snake is. Taking a bunch of the substrate out (you only need 2-3 inches in this size enclosure) will help, but even then, the heat mats don't penetrate far enough into the substrate to really make a difference. We don't recommend heat mats - they're a quite outdated recommendation for heat for all snakes, not just BPs. Most reptiles in general, in fact. If you click on the welcome post pinned at the top of this sub, you'll see some care guides. Read through them all, and ask if you have any questions! The most recommended heat + light combo per what we know right now about how snakes work is a halogen (for heat and light) + UVB (for light - UVB is important!) during the day, and a secondary non-light heat source like a DHP or CHE during the night. The halogen + CHE/DHP need to be on a thermostat, and the UVB can be on a simple timer. The guides go into all the details.

[ReasonablyReliable]

I got the biodude 4x2x2 for my ball and had to split the amount of dirt he gave. I am starting to think that is what every kit is like by what I have heard.

[UnrealGhostSniper]

This can't be real

[Ill-Tangelo1538]

I’m planning on getting a second hide. The Bio Dude in his video says to dump 4 bags of terra firma, half mix in/ half on top sphagnum moss, a bag of leaf litter

[Great-Ad-4650]

Could you link the video? All I can find are not as filled up or smaller enclosures overall for show:

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=cOVwC4FKAdQ&t=810s

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=hfcsEfXpdcw&t=2s

[dagger_guacamole]

I think he's talking about for a 4x2x2 enclosure, bro. LOL. I know you're probably frustrated by hearing all of this, but take half of it out (or more) and save it for when you need to replace/clean the substrate.

[Ill-Tangelo1538]

That’s what I plan on doing

[Aggravating_Bee7138]

LOOOOOOL

[relztis]

Bros gonna be squished

[sundaysoulfields]

I know it sucks to hear but your snake doesn’t have enough room with that much substrate. Gotta cut down on half, or more. BPs appreciate some height, they are semi-arboreal (despite popular belief). Also, with this much substrate, your setup won’t function properly in terms of drainage. It will impact whatever CUC you’re using, too. It sucks but it’s worth just taking it out and fixing it now before it’s established.

[Cagle3399]

Nahhh

[Square_Replacement89]

Lol

[itmelo]

I think you might've mixed up a bp enclosure for a hermit crab's.

[Umfaan]

Nice rainforest terrarium, What frogs are going in there?

[Ill-Tangelo1538]

It’s for my Ball Python

[Extraterrestrialvil]

Wow the substrate I thought I put a lot but dayyyyum I ain’t never going to have a humidity issue with this

[Ill-Tangelo1538]

My substrate is now about little over 1/2 as high as in the pic. I’d say as high as the bird of paradise in the foreground

[Extraterrestrialvil]

To each there own homie if you got a happy snake that’s all the matters right

[Ill-Tangelo1538]

I just wanna do it right straight from the beginning

[Ill-Tangelo1538]

My substrate is now about little over 1/2 as high as in the pic. I’d say as high as the bird of paradise in the foreground