Best terrarium thermometers according to redditors
We found 41 Reddit comments discussing the best terrarium thermometers. We ranked the 8 resulting products by number of redditors who mentioned them. Here are the top 20.
We found 41 Reddit comments discussing the best terrarium thermometers. We ranked the 8 resulting products by number of redditors who mentioned them. Here are the top 20.
i definitely feel you; they caught my heart when i got my first frog at age 10 🌝 (she was an african clawed frog though. RIP Lily, i miss her)
so white’s need an enclosure with more vertical space than horizontal, since they’re arboreal. like i said i’ve got my adults in an 18x18x24 but i’ve been planning for a while to upgrade them to an 18x18x36, which i might get at the next expo.
they’re not super demanding as far as humidity and temperature goes, which makes them a great beginner frog. even so, i have a ZooMed HygroTherm hooked up to a fogger and heat mat so their humidity doesn’t drop below 50% and so their temp doesn’t drop below 75F. i got the fogger on amazon... and the HygroTherm too. together they’re pretty expensive but it really is worth it to get these frogs set up correctly. plus my HygroTherm has worked consistently and without fail for almost 8 continuous years now. really is among the best $70 i’ve spent. and for the fogger i should mention i’ve had to sort of cut a small hole in the top mesh of the cage to avoid the metal mesh of the lid rusting. i can take a picture to show you what i mean if you’d like. the frogs don’t mind; they can’t even climb onto the mesh and they never try to either. their safety and comfort is #1 so i found a way that works, lol.
as far as substrate goes, most people use Eco Earth coconut fiber. that’s what i used for years until i found josh’s frogs, and i switched to a piece of their frog foam. that shizz is a game changer. no more messy frogs, no more dumping coconut fiber out every cleaning, no more searching for frog poop. the stuff is great, and is reusable for a long time as long as you keep it clean. so that’s what i recommend for substrate.
for lighting, my guys have a dual light fixture on a timer that switches from a 23-watt UVB bulb during the day to one of these at night. the UVB turns on at 9am and it switches to the night light at 9pm.
beyond that, they just need things to climb on and hide in, and a water bowl to soak in clean (bottled) spring water that isn’t so deep that they risk drowning. it’s inevitable that they’ll often use the water bowl as a toilet, so be prepared to clean it every time you see poop in it. in addition to the water bowl my guys have a magnetic ledge, some fake bamboo, a fake vine with suction cups, a piece of driftwood, a reptile hammock, and a small hollow log in their cage. i can take a picture of the entire setup if you’d like. my female spends most of her time in the big piece of bamboo and my smaller male spends most of his time inside the log. my big male Burp is the one who’s all over the place and often sleeps on the magnetic ledge, lol.
when it comes to feeding, they eat every other day, 3 dubia roaches each. and every other feeding, one of their roaches gets dusted with a vitamin supplement, and one gets dusted with a calcium + d3 supplement. roaches that are 1/2” to 5/8” in size are best; any larger may be a choking hazard. if you’re not sure, the general rule is to not give them an insect that’s wider than the space between the eyes of the animal. sub-adult and adult roaches are an absolute no-no for these frogs as they’re wayyyy too big.
i’ll also occasionally give them a wax worm or a couple of phoenix worms to change things up. wax worms should not be given more than a couple of times a month, though, since they’re pretty high in fat and low in nutritious value. like froggy junk food, lol. i tong-feed all of my animals (except my dwarf frogs haha) so there’s never any loose insects in the cage and i always know exactly how much they’ve eaten. white’s take to tong-feeding quite well.
and that’s their basic care! like i said, they’re kinda expensive to set up properly but it’s so worth doing. once you have that out of the way they are pretty dang easy to care for. they don’t really require UVB lighting during the day since they’re a nocturnal species that hides and sleeps during the day; i just have that kind of light for them because they have a live pothos plant in their cage. as long as they’re on a consistent 12-hour day/night cycle, that’s what matters. they do soooo well on a consistent routine.
if you have any questions about their care or if i’ve missed anything, don’t ever hesitate to ask. i love these frogs dearly and am quite happy to help anyone out who’s thinking of getting some of their own. 🌝
If you are aging anything, or storing for long periods of time, I highly suggest an analog thermometer & humidity gauge. Something [like this on Amazon](Zoo Med Dual Thermometer and Humidity Gauge https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0002AQCOG/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_utcrDbT3FNPPJ), but they are typically cheaper at local pet supply stores.
That way you have two data points. If they aren't reading the same values, then you know one is broken. Last thing you want is for the fridges sensors to break causing it to cool too much/not enough, etc. and you have no idea.
Now comes the fun part, filling it up with wine! Enjoy the new fridge!
If you have a glass tank already, I would not get a ball python. They don't do so well in glass tanks as they have high humidity needs, and the screen tops don't hold in humidity and the glass walls don't hold heat it. It would be an uphill battle with constant stress on you and potential health issues for your snake.
Corn sakes and sand boas and hognoses do pretty well in glass tanks though, and a 40g long tank would be a good home for them.
I would suggest picking a species first, and then start researching. Some basics that you will need regardless:
1.) Hides, more than 1. Half logs can be pretty decoration but they aren't that great for a snake feeling safe in. A good cheap hide are these, which you can order online. These are well made, sturdy, dishwasher safe, and are enclosed spaces with only 1 entrance - my ball python and rainbow boa are both very happy with theirs. If you like aesthestics you can use foam and paint to make them look pretty cool using this tutorial or you can purchase some of these
2.) Heat Sources: You will need either ceramic heat emitters, under tank heaters, or both. I would recommend staying away from heat lights as you need to turn lights off at night and most snakes can see even red light. Ceramic heat emitters give off heat but not light. I don't have recommendations for these as I don't use them. I do have recommendations for under tank heaters, which are these, from the same place as the hides. You can also get heat tape from Reptile Basics and they are super helpful in making sure you have everything you need to set up with it. ZooMed or Zilla stick on pads are not that great and can break super easily. If you do end up with one of these, I suggest sticking aluminum foil to the adhesive and then attaching it with foil tape, this will make it re-usable. STAY AWAY FROM HEAT ROCKS.
3.) Thermostats. You will need 1 thermostat per heat source. This is NECESSARY. This is not something you can skip out on. Heat pads and CHE's can easily get hot enough to fry your reptiles. This is the model I am currently using for my heat sources, and other people here use them too. They don't have a lot of crucial safety features, though. I am saving up for one of these Herpstat's. You can get one with multiple probes for multiple heat sources, and it has a ton of good safety features. Tons of people here use these, so if you have questions about which one to get, someone here can answer you.
4.) Security: All snakes are escape artists. All of them. Even the one you don't see ever leave their hides. A stack of books or some rocks on the lid are not security measures. You will want to look into lid clamps, or a system that slides in and has a means of locking. I had my baby boa in an Iris Weathertight box which had 6 locking lid clamps while he was in quarantine. Now he is in an Animal Plastics t8 w sliding doors and I have a lock on them. If you have questions about if your set up will be secure enough, please post pics here and we can helpyou spot potential escape routes. Or you can just search "lost snake" or "escape" on this sub and see some of the ways snakes have escaped. But rocks and books are a guarantee to end with an escaped snake.
5.) Temp and Humidity Guages: These stick on ones are no good. They are dangerous and sometimes deadly - I don't care how cheap they are, or how much of a budget you are on, they are inaccurate and the adhesive WILL give way and your snake could get stuck to it. This is the one I use. I have the "outdoor" probe sitting on the floor of the enclosure on the hot side (under the substrate) and the unit itself sitting on the cool side. This lets me quickly see the temperature gradient and humidity.
6.) Substrate: This is going to be highly individual to what kind of snake you get and what its humidity needs are. Sand boas will need a ton more than a corn snake, for example. But pine is toxic, so avoid that. Figure out what kind of snake you are getting and plan for a substrate for them.
7.) What to Feed: you're gonna have to feed whole prey items. It is highly recommended that you feed either frozen/thawed or pre-killed. I order mine frozen thawed from either Layne Labs or Perfect Prey. I keep them in my freezer and I have a pair of feeding tongs I use to feed with. I usually take them out of the freezer and put them in the fridge the night before feeding day. When I get home from work I take them out of the fridge and set them on the counter (in a plastic bag) to get them to warm temp. Then I get some boiling water, put it in a bowl, put a plate on top of the bowl, and put the prey items on top of the plate. I do this until they reach approx 100F (use a IR temp gun if you have one), and then I run the heads under a hot water until they reach about 110F. I do this for both prey items for my ball python and my rainbow boa, even though my rainbow boa doesn't have heat pits, it's just easier cause I keep them in the same ziplock bag. I then use the tongs to dangle the prey and move it around to make it look like it's "live". Some snakes aren't picky and won't mind a room temp rodent, others will want a dance. My boa is a champ and will knock back food no problem. My ball python will want me to dance the rat around for twenty minutes while she gets into striking position and contemplates the meaning of life, the universe, and everything. Ball pythons are usually picky. Pre-killed means you buy the rodent live, and then kill it yourself, and immediately present it to the snake. You can achieve this with a euthanasia chamber or twisting the neck. Feeding live isn't really the greatest, as there is a chance the prey item will attack and hurt your snake. This is especially true of adult rats, which have sharp teeth and claws. In the wild, a snake could see a prey item and if it's not hungry, it could run away. In captivity, neither the rat nor the snake can run away, and this can lead to snakes being defensive and just trying to hide while a rat bites it fearing attack.
8.) How to Feed: In addition to this, you will probably hear about "cage agression" and needing a seperate tank to feed in. This is a lie. Your snake will not associate your hand / opening of the cage as "feeding time" unless it is the only time your hand is in there. And it won't be, you will be changing water, cleaning poop and urates, changing substrate, and more! After a snake has eating, they need at least 48 hours to digest their food. If they don't have this time, they may regurgitate the food. Regurgitation is an emergency medical event. In order to avoid this, after your snake has been feed, they should be left completely alone for 48 hours, no handling. If you feed in a seperate enclosure, this means that you will be moving your snake post-feeding. This also increases your chances of being bitten. Your hand may smell like rodent still, and your snake will still be in hunting mode, and may think your hand is seconds. So feed in your enclosure. It's less stressful for your snake, less stressful for you, and you have a much lower risk of being bitten.
That's a general overview, I may have left something out there, but I think you can get the general basics. Next you should pick a species and start asking here for more specific advise!!
I wish you and your future scale-child the best of luck!
The UTH on one side is probably good enough. BPs are generally fine with the regular ambient lighting in the room already. Just get a thermometer with a probe so you can stick it down in the substrate where the UTH is and then monitor the temp on that. Make sure you have hides on both the cool and warm sides too.
EDIT: Also, as far as humidity goes, I use this to check my temps/humidity. One of the probes can be placed in the substrate on the warm side where the UTH is, and the other can be placed in a general area to gauge the humidity. It works really well for me and it's really easy to use. I also use two stick on thermometers from Petco on each side to get a general idea of the temps in there. Just a suggestion.
15-16 on and 8-9 off. Usually when you wake up and go to bed. But I got busy and invested in a timer. They're often cheaper at a hardware store and the pet store timers are usually overpriced (worked at Petsmart). With the thermometer I really don't like the little analog ones like this. Digital is passable but often they are off by a few degrees. Your best bet is an infrared one, they're reasonably priced but not all pet stores have them. With thermometers you get what you pay for so its up to you and your wallet.
got something like this
http://www.amazon.com/Zoo-Med-RT10-ReptiTemp-Rheostat/dp/B001OVD7Q8/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1407301334&sr=8-1&keywords=reptile+rheostat
It's an off the shelf potentiometer basically, designed for a heat lamp. On full it makes the car lighter red hot (and I think blows the fuse).
plugged a wall wart into it, then cut the end off and connected it up to the car lighter (I just realized after about 10 years where my lighter went in my truck). It's essentially the same thing as you're trying to make, but with off the shelf parts. You can put the herb on the coil, then put a two liter bottle with the bottom cut off over the whole thing. It's a ghetto volcano. Should translate well to dabs.
This is all probably a bad idea.
you mean these? analog gauges are often inaccurate, by a lot. if they are stuck on the wank wall with any kind of adhesive [they usually have a sticky backing], this is also dangerous for your snake, as the gauge can be pulled off the wall then get stuck to the snake causing potentially serious injuries. replace them with digital thermometers/hygrometers ASAP. there are product recommendations in the "start here" sticky post.
you need to measure temperatures at the floor level. your BP isn't hanging out in the top corners of the tank, he's on the ground. ambient temperatures are best measured in/near the hides. when you're using a UTH, it's extremely important to monitor the temperature directly on the tank floor - if this is too hot, your snake will be burned, and this is probably why he doesn't use the warm side.
do you have thermostats to regulate your heat sources?
my set up is as follows and should help you with your set up, assuming you're willing to invest in your animals husbandry and currently use a glass tank with a mesh top.
for each of my snakes I keep in tanks I have cypress mulch bedding, a hygrotherm controller, a reptifogger, a lamp dimmer switch, and a heat bulb that's too high wattage for what I need
I get the extra wattage on the bulb for a few reasons, mostly because it gives me a larger range that I can adjust with the lamp dimmer switch and this way I can easily bump up the temps if any of them start to exhibit RI symptoms.
the hygrotherm sensor is placed inside of the tank right around the middle of the enclosure, I keep it set to maintain 50-60 percent humidity 90% of the time, and when the snake is in shed I bump it up to 80% from the time they start to go blue, to the time they finish sloughing their skin.
by using the hygrotherm/reptifogger combination, it's incredibly easy to keep my snake happy and healthy and still keep them on display so my friends and I can peak in anytime without having to disturb them in a tub.
here are the links for what I use
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0019IJXD2/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1 (reptifogger, currently pretty inexpensive relatively speaking)
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0019IHK9Q/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1 (hygrotherm controller)
http://www.amazon.com/Lutron-TT-300NLH-WH-Credenza-Dimmer-White/dp/B0000DI241/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1427830822&sr=8-1&keywords=lamp+dimmer+switch (dimmer switch)
He should have a warm spot of 85 degrees and a cool side of mid to low 70's, but your humidity seems fine. Are you measuring humidity with a digital or analog hygrometer? Many people get these https://www.amazon.com/Zoo-Med-Economy-Thermometer-Humidity/dp/B004PBB1JE from their local pet store, but they can be wildly inaccurate. If you have analog, switch to digital right away. To get rid of the shed, place some moist paper towels or moss into one of his hides.
keep your feet out of the covers and it'll help cool you down. put a fan on them and it'll cool even more.
You can also try a vent fan with dryer vent tube to blow air under the covers.
The also have watercooled mats for hot sleepers. Expensive and some are prone to leaking.
Forgot to mention- if you use a vent fan you should get a rheostat for it to control the air flow. I use a lizard climate controller for it https://www.amazon.com/Zoo-Med-RT10-ReptiTemp-Rheostat/dp/B001OVD7Q8/ref=sr_1_4?keywords=rheostat&qid=1556565965&s=gateway&sr=8-4 since i can keep the controller nearby if it gets too hot or cold.
Exo Terra sells a heat lamp and mount
7 inch lamp housing
bracket
The lamp housing supports up to a 150w bulb
And you might want to regulate it with a rheostat
Checking temps regularly with a temp gun
Or you can use a thermostat with the probe on the hot side to regulate the CHE, but I've heard of snakes moving them causing temps to drop or climb, depending.
First, let me share with you my little/HUGE hiccup I put myself and my chams through the last month.
I had to leave Florida in a hurry, and I had time to take my two boys' enclosures apart, and in my rush, I forgot their lighting (at least $180, easily), their supplements (Pfft, the ones I had weren't the best, but that was at least another $15), their live plants (which I wouldn't have taken them in the car anyway, but there's another $25), and then their fake vines and bendable vines ($37), total? $257, and why I know that is because I had to pull from all of my resources to make sure they had this set up today, and here is another view. BTW, THE PLANTS THAT I GOT THEM ARE TOO SMALL! But, they have them, and it's better than nothing at all.
Mind you, I'm talking about two chameleons, but what I had to spend to make sure that they were set up for this winter (I moved to Washington state), I had to do it, otherwise, I'm s shitty cham owner. I'm lucky there was already a humidifier here because I'm going to need that as the air is dry here and my Panther chameleon has already proven to be susceptible to respiratory infection as we took a trip to the vet this past year to get him some Baytril (antibiotic/oral), cost to the vet? $76.
I'm going to do a break down of everything that you're going to need for your Male Jackson (which I recommend that you start with a male Veiled. The Veiled are so much more heartier, they can take more abuse from a new owner, more forgiving for a better word..., I DO NOT suggest a Jackson for a first cham, and for that matter, someone who has never owned a reptile in their life). Anyway, here I go...
Set up:
Your total there is at $234, and you haven't bought the chameleon yet, but that is everything that you should have BEFORE you get your cham... Also, you're going to need...
Because you are new to this, having a temp/humidity gauge is something you might want to get as an aid to getting use to what their living environment should be like... so that's another $8
Prices my vary, depending on where you get all of your things. Getting stuff online can be cheaper, I randomly picked stuff on the internet and think I did pretty good for you, but you're looking at a nice little chunk of change just to make sure that you have the right set up to bring your cham home to, and I do hope that you'll take that and roll with it.
If you've NEVER OWNED A REPTILE BEFORE, I actually suggest that you start with something else. Bearded Dragons are awesome, AWESOME, reps, THOUGH, they are totally different than the care for a cham, it's a great way to start, and Dragons are even more hearty than a Veiled chameleon.
LASTLY, read through EVERYTHING on the sidebar -------------->
I would also avoid a lot of information that you'll find on the internet, and YES!!! That includes that one web site that probably is the first choice for you to go to when you're looking for chameleon advice. That site is horrible, save yourself the heartache, I started there, and I quickly learned that the site is a hot mess. There is never a straight and same consistent answer, too many myths, just no...
Hope all that helps, and thank all of the coffee I drank today. Lol! Good luck and welcome to the sub.
Using a mixture of coconut fiber and
this moss I can't recall the name of. Begins with anSphagnum moss. Anyway, you can't see it but in the cave there I have a dish of water for him to soak in that I will change daily. I need to get a spray bottle to mist the enclosure, though I have been considering a fog machine to keep the humidity high. But what I am wondering is what should I get for monitoring the temps and humidity in the tank? I am familiar with aquarium stuff but not really terrarium stuff. I was looking on amazon at stuff to buy, and wondering if I should go digital or not. Any recommendations?Depending on how old he is, he might eat more or less crickets. I started out feeding my veiled chameleon ~10 a day, he's up to 15-20 a day now.
As far as watering goes, you should mist him as much as needed, I recommend this hydrometer to get you going. Keep it between 40-80% humidity.
As long as his basking spot is between 85-90 degrees during the winter, during the day, he should be fine. It's natural for them to get colder at night (they're native to Yemen where it's 40°f some nights).
As long as it's not below 55- 60° at the coldest he should be fine.
No worries. I figured you were just busy for the weekend. Like I said - you have your life to deal with. I'm not going to take it personally if you're MIA for a few days, haha. :)
I had a good weekend - I didn't do anything productive, whatsoever. Just took some time to relax and take care of myself.
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Getting to meet that milk snake is super exciting! I just did a bit of reading about them, and it sounds like young milks are usually somewhat hyperactive, but that they calm down with age.
From my reading, here's what you will need to purchase:
From my reading, milk snakes can get between 2' and 6' full grown. If possible, find out the subspecies so we can narrow that range down. Most likely, it's a Pueblan or Honduran milk snake (two of the most common subspecies). Honduran milks can get up to 5', so a safe cage size would be 3' x 2' (length x width). Pueblans only get between 3' and 4', so we don't really need to worry about those.
If you can't find out the subspecies, you could either just get a 3' x 2' viv, or get something smaller and increase the size as necessary.
After you set up the heat pad, run the thermostat probe to the inside of your viv, usually placing it inside of the hide on the warm side. Alternatively, as milks sometimes burrow, you may want to put the thermostat temperature probe closer underneath your substrate, at the bottom of the viv. This will insure that you know what the hottest temperature that your milk can be exposed to by burrowing.
My reading suggests that you want to keep the warm side ~85f - 90f. Not sure what that is in C.
At first, you will want to keep your thermometer probe at the same location as your thermostat probe, just to make sure that's reading correctly. After you've verified that, you can move the thermometer probe to the cool side, so you can keep an eye on both sides.
Alternatively, some people get laser temperature sensors so they can quickly and easily check the temperature of any part of the viv. You'd still need to get a hygrometer (humidity sensor) if you went that route.
You'll probably want 6"+ of substrate over the entire floor of the viv, as milks do sometimes burrow. Giving them enough substrate to allow that is advised.
Milks need like 40% - 60% humidity, so you probably don't need to worry about that in the slightest. Getting a little spray bottle might be a good choice, though.
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Yeah, it's definitely something that I take for granted until someone (such as yourself) reminds me how different things are elsewhere.
I've never taken Puppy to the vet. She's never had any injuries or health problems. Speaking of taking things for granted, if I ever needed a vet, I'd find one at that point. Might be a good idea to just get an idea of whether there are nearby vets for you, though.
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I'd have been shocked if you'd thought about snake body language before - not many people have. Even most other reptile owners don't seem to have paid as much attention to it as I have.
I can think of one particular time that I've seen Puppy "happy". It was this spring, the first time I took her outside this year. And in that case, it was more an example of "extremely relaxed" than it was "happy/excited" like you see in dogs.
I'm glad you like Puppy. :)
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Yeah, I understand where you're coming from. You've got to temper your desires with the realities of your situation, and a milk snake is an excellent compromise.
Honestly, I have never interacted with a Woma, although I'd like to someday. From what the OP of that other thread was saying, it sounds like he was quite intent on eating their arm, and it took 5 minutes to get him off.
http://exoticpets.about.com/od/reptilesandamphibians/qt/humidityhide.htm
this is better than nothing. you can build one cheaply, and it will give your snake a place to go to get hydrated. Ball Pythons are tropical species, so they need to have a relatively high humidity. I try to keep mine around 60%, and go a little higher than that if they are having trouble shedding.
I would recommend getting a cage that is designed to keep humidity in, but mine cost me a little over 200 bucks, so that may be a no go for now.
I have also used a hygrotherm (http://www.amazon.com/Zoo-Med-HygroTherm-Temperature-Controller/dp/B0019IHK9Q) / reptifogger (http://www.amazon.com/Zoo-Med-Reptile-Terrarium-Humidifier/dp/B0019IJXD2/ref=pd_bxgy_petsupplies_img_y) combo, which comes out to about 150 bucks.
Other than that buy a humidifier and put it in the snakes room, (preferably not in the cage), or get a spray water bottle and mist the cage a few times a day, and build a humidity box for the snake. (by far the cheapest option)
A healthy ball python will not have wrinkles or folds on the inside of where it's bent outside of shed. If it has wrinkles and isn't shedding then it is dehydrated.
Add some form of driftwood or tree bark. A couple other hides (should really have one on each side of the tank). I don't mean two more caves like that, just something that can cover most of his body while he's on top of the substrate.
The denser the decor the more likely he is to explore.
Got to add, I have that same thermometer/hydrometer and it's horrible, you should try to get a dual gauge one. I use the zoo med one. It can be recalibrated so it's as accurate as you want it to be.
Something else...I've had him since Sunday night. He ate yesterday (Monday) about 20 crickets but wouldn't eat a second time so I ended up having to take them out of his cage. I put 10 crickets in this morning and still not eating just yet. Is he stressed?
I'm using these thermometers on the back a little above halfway up about where his basking spot is: http://www.amazon.com/Zoo-Med-Economy-Thermometer-Humidity/dp/B004PBB1JE/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top
On the warm side...83ish....on the cool side...70ish. I have a 100w basking light sitting on the lid and on the cool side the Reptisun 10.0 compact (for now)....why the low temps?? Should I get a higher wattage for basking and if so...what wattage should I try? 150w? What about UVB? I'm probably going to order the Reptisun 10.0 tube with a hood...deciding on the hood right now. I've just gotta figure out if this thermometer (which gets good reviews from beardie owners) is accurate or if I need to add maybe a 75w lamp with the 100w or bump up to a 150w or what...the temperatures are really stressing me out right now and I know he may be stressed at first but I feel like if his temps were higher that he'd be eating regardless...
Thanks for all of the help...I really want to get this temperature thing under control. He's been very active and attentive and appears healthy and doesn't show any signs of being unhealthy...I'm just worried about those temps, though.
Thanks again!
I'm almost sure those hygrometers are just these similar ones. You can find em (pet stores, amazon, ebay) all over the place for as low as ~$2.50 shipped; throw em in a jar/bag and you've got the same thing.
I hope these links help to the basics you will need. Everything else is just personal preference. But all together about 400.
http://www.petsmart.com/reptile/supplies/habitats-and-decor/terrariums/exo-terra-reptile-terrarium-15040.html
http://t.petco.com/shop/en/petcostore/product/zoo-med-reptisun-t5-ho-terrarium-hood-36-l#
http://t.petco.com/shop/en/petcostore/product/zoo-med-repti-basking-spot-lamp-value-pack-100-watts#
http://t.petco.com/shop/en/petcostore/product/zoo-med-reptisun-100-uvb-t5-ho-lamp#
http://t.petco.com/shop/en/petcostore/product/flukers-clamp-lamp-with-dimmer#
https://www.lllreptile.com/products/10824-small-bamboo-root-jungle-gym
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B004PBB1JE/ref=sr_ph_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1486446181&sr=sr-1&keywords=Zoo+med
https://www.amazon.com/Zoo-Med-Digital-Terrarium-Thermometer/dp/B000MD3MFA/ref=sr_1_1?s=pet-supplies&ie=UTF8&qid=1486446243&sr=1-1&keywords=zoo+med+digital+thermometer
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00DMI632G?ref_=ams_ad_dp_asin_1
Would something like this work for the digital thermometer/hygrometer? https://www.amazon.com/Zilla-Reptile-Terrarium-Digital-Thermometer-Hygrometer/dp/B004PBB1XU/ref=sr_1_3?s=pet-supplies&ie=UTF8&qid=1497236584&sr=1-3&keywords=digital+thermometer+hygrometer+reptile
I have one of the thermometers with the probe that I have been using for the temperature and hadn't even thought of somthing like that for the humidity. Thank you!
And I will work on the hides and clutter this week. (His current favorite spot is actually in the middle under the water bowl, its darkest and definitely the smallest area for him to hide).
I use this terrarium once they're larger but I invested because I raise mantids as pets quite often.
For a twig, I use this
And for foliage I use this with the suction cup plonked near the top and the leaves hanging down that I found in the reptile section.
The fish and reptile sections at your local pet store are going to be your favorite aisles from now on.
For substrate a lot of people here prefer dirt (NEVER from outside, there are all kinds of parasites and mites in outside dirt!) But I prefer coconut fiber as my substrate because it's naturally antibiotic and will hinder fungal and bacterial growth, and smell nicer too.
You'll really come to love these little guys, and here's why. Mantids, unlike most "bugs" hunt via sight, not vibration. This means they move and act much more mammalian than other insects. They don't skitter, they don't make sudden scary movements or bite or attack on sight (well some do, they all have their own distinct personalities), and they're VERY smart.
Mantids have been known to be receptive to operant conditioning, AKA they can be trained like a dog would. You should try to handle them (gently and with clean hands) as they grow up, every couple of days, and by the time they're adults they'll readily calmly hang out with you whenever you want. You can plop them on your arm as you do computer stuff or whatever. They're very docile creatures most of the time and make great pets. Just be careful because they're fragile.
As others said, keep humidity around 50% and if they're Tenodera Sinesis then temperature should hover around 70F at night and 80F during the day, which means you'll want a dome reptile lamp and you'll need to figure our the appropriate distance from the top of the cage to place it. Don't place it right on top, the mantids love to hang out on top upside down and a lamp right there would fry them. Make sure there's at least 1 cool spot for them to cool off.
As for food and water, once they're a little bigger the crickets at the pet store should work fine. If they're super picky there are lots of online mantis stores that sell larger flies. and whet a sponge or paper towel in there to help with the humidity.
I use one that uses a probe to monitor the temp. It's actually this one. It works surprisingly well, and it's light enough that you can hot glue the probes down the back, and even glue it to the front of the enclosure to make it look nice. With that being said, sometimes he will still get the probes unstuck, but it doesn't happen very often, and the dry hot glue is a pretty harmless adhesive ime
Lots of good stuff has been said already. Let me just give a few pointers of my own.
75F is the minimum ambient tiemp. Cools side should be closer to 80 and warm side 90. You should have 2 identical hides. Your snake will use the one that it feels the safest in. If they are both the same then it will use the one that is the best temp. Your snake will not move from a safe spot unless it gets way to hot or way to cold. Snakes don't respond quickly so they can get burned if something gets over 100 degrees. You are correct, your hides are too big. A good rule is that two of your snakes should not fit in the hide. The snugger the better.
I would not get this. Its a rheostat not a thermostat. You can make it work if your room temp does not change but I don't recommend them. http://www.amazon.com/Zoo-Med-RT10-ReptiTemp-Rheostat/dp/B001OVD7Q8
For a little more you can get a thermostat. This is a cheap one. You get what you pay for but this is better than nothing. http://www.amazon.com/Hydrofarm-MTPRTC-Digital-Thermostat-Heat/dp/B000NZZG3S/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1358780717&sr=8-1&keywords=hydrofarm
Unless you live in a very humid place you are going to have low humidity and that can lead to a bad shed. To fix that consider covering some of the screen top and misting as needed. http://ball-pythons.net/forums/showthread.php?90187-Tank-Screen-Top-Foil-Treatment-Tutorial
You can use one of these to measure temp and humidity. http://www.amazon.com/Chaney-Instruments-Acu-Rite-Thermometer-Humidity/dp/B001BO8CUE/ref=sr_1_6?s=lawn-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1358776385&sr=1-6&keywords=acurite+thermometer
You don't have to spend a lot on a separate enclosure.
Shopping list:
Final product will look something like THIS.
Put a couple small holes in the side of the plastic tub for air flow using a drill or solder iron or something.
She needs a humid environment right now, moisten the paper towels and make sure she has fresh water.
If you need to, put her somewhere dark or throw a towel over her tub. She sounds stressed.
As others have mentioned, do not house multiple ball pythons together. They are competing for resources and she is showing signs of obvious stress (not eating, lethargic, etc). Humidity requirements are not on point since she doesn't seem to be shedding well and she looks dehydrated. I would recommend a tub for your other snake, too, but our main focus is her right now.
Get her to an exotics vet and see what they say. The main thing is to get her stress down so she will get back on food. If she is sick with a respiratory infection or something, she will need to be treated by a vet.
Best of luck with her, let me know if you have any questions or need any clarification on anything.
http://www.amazon.com/Zoo-Med-RT10-ReptiTemp-Rheostat/dp/B001OVD7Q8
Think this will work? Right now im just gonna leave the pad on under the rock. IM assuming the little guy will move over if hes getting too hot. I added another hide as you can see here. Just a tupperware. http://i.imgur.com/IuuVqGz.jpg
I wanted to add that you can get something called a rheostat. It neasures tempuratures and regulates the heater for you. That way you can set your heater to 78F for your new fishie
I have some of the hydrofarm ones, but I primarily use these in conjunction with an IR temp gun to monitor the temps. The basic rule with heat mats is that they will raise the temp in their area of effect by 15 degrees F above the room's current temp.
You can buy a rheostat for around 15 dollars on amazon :): Zoo Med ReptiTemp Rheostat https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001OVD7Q8/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_UL6SybVCMDQ6V
Hmm maybe this would work. Those reviews though...
Edit: this has better reviews. Temperature controlled Oo
I have a heat pad on the side of a large plastic bin. I have a zoomed brand pad, and have it plugged into a refugee to stop it from over heating. No issues for at least the year I’ve had this set up.
Zoo Med ReptiTemp Rheostat https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001OVD7Q8/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apip_C2IzCPwsBXIy1
I alredy have the cage was planning on using it just for a month or so and will then build one once school is out. Also would this be a good humidifier
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0019IHK9Q/ref=mp_s_a_1_6?qid=1368539926&sr=8-6&pi=SL75
There is a product by a company called zoomed. They make products for reptiles. They have a thermostat that has a photo sensor. This allows you to have a different temperature set for day vs night. It also will control a humidifier of you want that functionality.
Here is a link on Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Zoo-Med-HygroTherm-Temperature-Controller/dp/B0019IHK9Q
I don't think hermits would enjoy the hamster disk. You might want to get a thermometer + hygrometer with some automation (like this one), so e.g. your heating system will turn on and off without manual intervention.
Otherwise, your list looks fantastic! A tip: you can also weave the hemp cord around pieces of driftwood or other things to make it easier for your crabs to climb on.
edit: Oh! Of course, don't forget shells!
OK so this is my plan. I intend to have my led strip in the back with the uvb bar facing the middle of the tank so uvb will be accessible to my chams from everywhere, then heat lamp toward the front with different levels of grapevine wood for thermo-regulating. 1 photos plant in the back under the led in each side, with https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0002DJ0QA/_encoding=UTF8?coliid=I8VFJK2Z4Z68G&colid=1YYL895WRD22R for moisture on the plants and hopefully enough water to drink, this will be connected to a hygrotherm controller https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0019IHK9Q/_encoding=UTF8?coliid=I3OKFSUVNZ1GZW&colid=1YYL895WRD22R. I was planning on having a normal basking light (daytime) in a double light housing and a red night time basking light also connected to the controller for night. After reading some of the info in the side bar i may just do a normal household bulb, no day and night but im worried about it being too cold at night and not using my controller feels scary. I live in NV so summers are warm winters are cold(snow) i keep my house at 74 pretty much year round but my ac does point in the direction of the enclosure though its across a large room it does concern me a little. Also i want to feed roaches but the wife insist there will be no roaches in her house, I work at a petstore so crickets are always available but im willing to feed what ever is best (outside of roaches) whats the next best choice.
We actually only have one of these at the moment. We bought the tank and accessories off someone on craigslist and at the time thought it was adequate. I'll be stopping by petco later today to pick up a thermometer that can read the belly temp. She does have an UTH that feels nice and warm to me but definitely going to get that thermometer just to be sure. Thanks for the advice!
Woke up this morning to find that she'd pooped a niiiice big log, although she still wouldn't eat more than one worm. Maybe she's too sleepy. I'm definitely less worried now though.
Sure! Here you go!