(Part 3) Top products from r/ballpython

Enclosure
Glass tanks with screen lids are very bad for ball pythons, you should be looking at getting a tub set up (using a rubber maid/sterilite /iris tub & soldering or drilling holes into the sides - here is a good tutorial of setting that up ). Or you would be wanting to get a PVC enclosure. I have an Animal Plastics T8 for my ball python, it did take about five weeks for it to show up, though. So if you want to go this route, plan way ahead. The tub route is cheaper, but takes more DIY skills. The PVC cage route is more expensive, but very aesthetically pleasing. To make a glass tank work, I suggest covering three sides with foam board to help insulate, and covering most of the screen lid with saran wrap or foil to keep humidity in. Also you would want to ditch the aspen and get something like coconut husk.

Humidity
A ball python needs at the minimum 60% humidity. This is incredibly difficult to achieve in a glass tank with a screen top. A tub or PVC enclosure makes this super easy. Humidity should be measured on the ground with a digital hygrometer. The stick on humidity gauges that pet stores hawk are often inaccurate and can cause serious injury or even death if they come unstuck from the wall and stick to your snake. I use this two in one hygrometer / thermometer.

Temperature
Ball pythons need a thermogradiant w one end at between 88F & 90F & a cool end of 78Fish - the ambient temperature should never be below 75F, & should be around high 70's. In a tub or a PVC enclosure, you will want an under tank heater - heat tap, heat mats, heat pads. I recommend the flexwatt that you can get with the Animal Plastics enclosure or the ultratherm from Reptile Basics. If you have trouble keeping the ambient up in the PVC enclosure, you may want to get a radiant heat panel, which installs to the ceiling of the enclosure. For a glass tank, you will probably need a ceramic heat emitter installed over the cage to keep ambient temperatures appropriate. CHE sucks out humidity, so you will need to be extra on top of that. CHE gives off no visible light. Red lights are often given out like candy at PetCo/Smart places as good ways to provide heat at night. They are not. Ball pythons can see red light, and it messes up their day/night cycle. I don't have recommendations for CHE because I don't use them.

Thermostats
Any & all heat sources you have for your BP need to be controlled by a thermostat. Failure to appropriately control your heat source can lead to it quickly becoming 120F & injuring your snake. I highly recommend Spyder Robotics Herpstats. You can get larger ones w more probes so that you can control all your heat sources w one unit. They have a ton of good safety features & a lot of people on this sub can answer any questions you have on them. The cheaper ones are around $100ish. If that is too much for you, there are a lot of people who use the Jumpstart thermostats, but they have less safety features & can wear out quickly. They also make a loud clicking sound periodically. I cannot stress this enough, this is not a place to cut corners. You need a thermostat.

Thermometers
I already linked to my recommended combo hygro/thermometer. This thermometer is great because it has a small probe to measure "outside" temperatures. I use this probe to measure the floor on my warm side (I hide it on the ground under the substrate so I know the absolute hottest place my BP can get to). I place the unit itself on the cool side, so I know all my temps & the humidity on one unit. You will also want an IR thermometer gun (there might be better recs than this one). This is good for spot checking temperatures without moving around probes & also checking the temps of the prey items.

Hides
You want at least two similar, enclosed hides. Half logs are NOT suitable, they are too open & they stress out the BP, as they can't watch both ends at once for a predator. Some of the best hides are these ones from Reptile Basics. They are enclosed on all sides with just a small entrance. They are dishwasher safe & also very cheap. You want them to be similar if not identical, so that the snake does not have to choose between feeling safe & thermoregulating. You will want one on each side of the temperature gradient. Feel free to add more that are different for diversity in the enclosure. I also have some fake vines/leaves in mine so that she feels more invisible. Go to a craft store or the fish supplies for these, the ones marketed for reptiles are way overpriced.

Water dish
You will want a water bowl that is large enough for the BP to soak in. This should be changed daily, as they like to poop & pee in their water. You'll want something sturdy as they like to tip them over. I got some crock dishes from Reptile Basics. You don't need any water treatment for the snakes water unless you treat water for yourself. If you tap is safe for human consumption, it's safe for your snake.

Feeding
BP's eat every 5 - 7 days as hatchlings and yearlings, as adults they can go longer. BP's are NOTORIOUSLY picky eaters. The ideal IMO for a BP is a proper sized rat fed either pre-killed or frozen/thawed. I feed frozen/thawed rats from Perfect Prey. Just a heads up - they ship with fiber glass insulation & dry ice. I try to open the packages outside so my cats don't get into it. They come in freezer bags and I just store them in my regular freezer. If even one thing is wrong in your husbandry, your BP will likely not eat.

How Much To Feed
The feeding amount depends on the weight of the BP. You will want a digital kitchen scale - you can get one cheaply at any box store. While under 750g, you want to feed about 10%-15% of their body weight about every 7 days. Once they are in their second year you want to feed 7%-10% of their body weight, after they are in their third year, you want to feed about 5% every 7 to 14 days. I document all feeding days and the weight of the prey in my google calender.

You should be weighing your snake at least once a month to track how much you should be feeding. You should not disturb or move or handle your snake for at least 48 hours after feeding.

Frozen / Thawed
I get the rat out the night before the day I want to feed. I put it in the fridge. About two hours before I feed, I get it out of the fridge and put it on the counter to get it to room temp. And then I soak it in a zip lock bag in warmish water (I use a temp gun to get water around 110F) for about 20 minutes, and use a temp gun to make sure the rat is around 100F, and then I run the head under running hot water until its 110F. The head of the prey should be warmer so the snake has a target. I then use tongs to move it around in the enclosure to mimic it being alive. She (usually) strikes pretty quickly. If she doesn't, I leave it in overnight, and throw it out in the morning if she doesn't eat it.

I prefer frozen thawed cause I can buy cheaply in bulk. It's also safer. As BP's get bigger, they require larger prey - and rats have sharp teeth and sharp claws and can seriously injure your snake.

Myths of Cage Aggression
You do not need a separate cage for feeding it. This is a myth. The best way to reduce stress at feeding time is to feed in their regular enclosure. This minimizes the risk of regurgitation.

Substrate
Stay away from aromatic woods - such as pine. A lot of people like to use coconut husk, unprinted newspaper, or paper towels. There are pros and cons to each. I like paper towels, they are cheap and easy to clean up messes with. I use PVC enclosure so I don't need a substrate that helps with humidity like coconut husk. This should be spot cleaned whenever a mess is made. My BP likes burrowing under the paper towels. She creates "underground" tunnels. Aspen chips can mold super easily so not really recommended. If you have a chip type substrate and are worry about ingestion of substrate while feeding, put a plate down before hand.

I don't know if thats a regular log or a log hide on the bottom part but you need 2 hides. Also, get rid of the aspen bedding. Pet stores tell you its fine for BPs but its really not. They need something like coco husk that will help retain humidity and not get mold. Also, I suggest getting a much sturdier water bowl. The tupperware container you have will easily get knocked over and spill. I suggest these ceramic ones:

https://www.amazon.com/Ethical-5-Inch-Stoneware-Crock-Dish/dp/B00025YU3Q/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?keywords=ceramic+water+bowl&qid=1562863550&s=gateway&sr=8-1-spons&psc=1

What are you doing for heating and is it attached to a thermostat?

In this subreddit there are pinned posts and a BP wiki that has a lot of useful information for setting up good enclosures. I highly recommend you check it out.

I haven't used that particular hide, but have you tried partially burying it in the substrate? I have a lighter weight hide that I've pretty much turned into a hobbit hole and it hasn't gone anywhere.

I also have this water/hide combo and its weight plus the weight of the water makes it pretty stable https://www.amazon.com/Flukers-Castle-Reptile-Basking-Platform/dp/B003T0GIT0

edited with a better link

a ten gallon aquarium is approximately 20"x10", which means it's technically a suitable amount of space for a BP that's 30" or smaller. you should think very carefully about how much you want to use glass enclosures, though, as they make BP husbandry significantly trickier to maintain. glass is a poor insulator, which means you'll need more heat. the screen lids allow a LOT of air flow, which means 50%-60% humidity will be difficult to maintain.

>I was thinking of doing normal maintenance and handling through the two front exo terra doors and feeding through the top of the tank to see if the snake would expect food from the top and be less likely to strike at the doors.

you're way overthinking it. if your snake is likely to strike at the enclosure doors at any time, it won't matter at all which door you use for which reasons. snakes are just not conditioned that way. they don't become aggressive just for being fed in their enclosure, and they don't make mental connections like "when THIS door opens it's time to eat, but when THAT door opens it's not time to eat." unless your BP smells a rat, they won't automatically expect food, so they won't strike at you in hunt mode. if your BP is tame and comfortable in the enclosure, they won't strike at you defensively.

>Can anyone give me an idea of what size hides and water bowls I should use?

it really depends on the size of the snake. you'll probably need a relatively large water bowl to help maintain humidity, but at the very least it should be large enough for your snake to fit inside it if they want to soak in the water. hides should be just big enough for the snake to curl up inside with little/no extra space.

my 27" 270g BP has these medium hides and this large water bowl. my 50" 1300g BP has these hides and this x-large water bowl. because they are in plastic enclosures with minimal air flow - a 41.2 qt iris weathertight storage box and a 421D boaphile cage respectively - their humidity is consistently at 50%-55% just from the water bowls, with no need for moist substrate.

I went with the Animal Plastics T8, didn't seem worth the extra $50 for 3" of vertical space that my BPs wouldn't use. I skipped the UTH and went with overhead heat with a Radiant Heat Panel. More expensive, but heats very well. The reality is that a tank can work, but it takes much more constant monitoring and tweaking.

My setup:
Animal Plastics T8 enclosure.

Herpstat 4 thermostat (http://spyderrobotics.com/products/herpstat_4.html)

Pro-Products PH-3 radiant heat panel (http://pro-products.com/pro-heat/)

LED light kit (http://www.amazon.com/HitLights-Eclipse-Pre-Cut-Multicolor-Accent/dp/B006U5SE7U)

AcuRite Thermometer/Hygrometer (http://www.walmart.com/ip/AcuRite-Digital-Humidity-and-Temperature-Monitor/16888914)

ZooMed Forest Floor 100% Cypress Mulch or ReptiChip (not reptibark!) seems to be really solid choices for substrate.

This is only an example, but I use this one for my 150W CHE that I use with my kingsnake. However, that one is only rated for 150W, so you should not get that one...it's just an example of the kind of light dome that will help you raise the ambient temps with your CHE. Just make sure it's rated for 250W and has a ceramic socket.

I didn't see you mention a thermostat, but if you don't have one, you definitely need one.

Thank you for (both) your comments! Not gonna lie, I definitely already jumped the gun and ordered that castle haha. It’s just so cute.

As long as I add some more “traditional” hides that should be alright then? And hot glue is safe to use with snakes? Are there any specific types of artificial plants I should be using/avoiding?

Would something like this work for me to jazz up with flowers and such?

Yeah I just ordered it I’m glad it’s this one she likes because it looks so cool especially when she sticks her head out Exo Terra Primate Skull Terrarium

there should be no reason to need any type of light, my house is at 70 and my Ball cage when he was in one stayed at 85ish in a 20 gallon tank, You definetly need a thermostat for the heat pad.
Ignore pretty much everything the pet store told you because most of them dont no crap about reptiles but how to sell a whole lot of stuff you dont need.

I also recommend getting a Infered thermometer similar to this https://www.amazon.com/Arctic-Star-AR550-Infrared-Thermometer/dp/B000MX5Y9C but look around they make them cheaper and do just as good.

the heating pad should be on the underside of the tank on the outside glass like so http://www.onlinegeckos.com/basic-leopard-gecko-tank-setup.html

Get digital temp amd humidity gauges. The analog ones are known to be highly inaccurate which could lead to you not knowing of a problem inside your bps enclosure. Ill list some more accurate temp/humidity gauges i use for all my animals/know work far better than analog gauges.

(These two links are for direct spots) https://www.amazon.com/Zoo-Med-Digital-Thermometer-Humidity/dp/B06XY3X7P9/ref=sxin_2_ac_m_rm?ac_md=0-0-ZGlnaXRhbCByZXB0aWxlIHRoZXJtb21ldGVy-ac_d_rm&keywords=digital+reptile+thermometer&pd_rd_i=B06XY3X7P9&pd_rd_r=f1b30844-5547-49df-95ff-ba0aac3561f2&pd_rd_w=Uchs0&pd_rd_wg=guzkL&pf_rd_p=d1a6ea92-24ed-409e-8e33-97dc5a8de815&pf_rd_r=TGRYA2JMNKC4SK449XXH&qid=1569166473&s=gateway&sprefix=digitalreptile++thermometer

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B07RBPV8Q4/ref=sspa_mw_detail_0?ie=UTF8&psc=1

(I use this one to make sure my heatmat regulartor thing is accurate) https://www.amazon.com/Etekcity-Lasergrip-774-Non-contact-Thermometer/dp/B00837ZGRY/ref=sxin_2_osp129-ac57b3ab_cov?ascsubtag=ac57b3ab-bed4-443b-8488-8e105122ba5b&creativeASIN=B00837ZGRY&cv_ct_id=amzn1.osp.ac57b3ab-bed4-443b-8488-8e105122ba5b&cv_ct_pg=search&cv_ct_wn=osp-search&keywords=digital+thermometer&linkCode=oas&pd_rd_i=B00837ZGRY&pd_rd_r=89005af9-9dd9-4e80-a240-605a60d3d510&pd_rd_w=t3SHd&pd_rd_wg=c1tkV&pf_rd_p=33b90d57-4392-4d9b-9557-da4c9de25645&pf_rd_r=AZDN5TXKRQHMD5KGXTCN&qid=1569166451&s=gateway&sprefix=digital+&tag=thedrive09-20

(This one is for the middle or get two for each side as this one has worked the best to see the overall temp/humidity in the enclosures for my bp and crested) geckohttps://www.amazon.com/dp/B01H1R0K68/?coliid=I2O5Q9VJY092E6&colid=2MBRCC0QH2E8J&psc=1&ref_=lv_ov_lig_dp_it

Edit: also whats your overal humidity in the room you're keeping the tank cause the cypress might be soaking up in moosture in the air which is causing your enclosure to be so high. I do still suggest you change to digital but it still might be helpful to know if your bedroom is the problem.

Like, would this work?

https://www.amazon.com/Zoo-Med-Labs-Ceramic-Emitter/dp/B01KVC3I6Y/ref=sr_1_12?s=pet-supplies&ie=UTF8&qid=1505422934&sr=1-12&keywords=Ceramic+Heat+Emitter

I have this hood...2 of them actually...

https://www.amazon.com/Exo-Terra-Compact-Incandescent-Fixture/dp/B0016BOYZ4/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1505423027&sr=8-1&keywords=exo+terra+compact+top

> Also, humidity is still low. Low 50's, about 52. How can I raise that? His water dish can't get much bigger so I don't know the next step.

Better substrate. I recommend the coconut fiber substrate that's fairly common. Also, if you're using a glass aquarium, I recommend covering most of the screen top with aluminum foil or something similar. This will help keep the humidity you generate in the tank.

> It looks like he began shedding before I got him. Now the skin is peeling off in somewhat random spots. Head and neck seem fine but the body is scattered. Could this have to do with the humidity? What should I do about it?

Yeah. This is a bad shed and is very much due to low humidity while shedding. Humidity needs to be around 60% during a shed. In the meantime, you can soak him. Get a small tub with lid. Poke some holes in the lid and fill it halfway or so with water. Then put the snake in and put the lid on. You can leave him in for 15 minutes or so (checking on him every couple min). After that, take him out and put him in a towel. Hold the towel and let him crawl through it on his own while you loosely grip him using said towel. The stuck shed should come off very easily this way.

What a nice enclosure! You should be able to fit several snug hides in there, more than the minimum 2. It’s always good to offer hides throughout the temperature gradient. I would also fill the other empty space with fake plants and branches. BPs don’t like a lot of empty space where they feel exposed. You could also do an elevated hide attached to the ceiling. Reptile basics has this kit that works with their large hide boxes. My BPs enjoy their snake cave hides, which I use as a supplementary middle hide.

I'm not sure what wattage you'd need as I don't use them for my BPs but here is what you'll want to look for: https://www.amazon.com/Flukers-Ceramic-Heat-Emitter-Reptiles/dp/B0002DHO6I?th=1&psc=1
I would suggest combining any heating element (including the heating pad) with a thermostat to prevent burning your animal. Here is the one I use for single cages: https://www.amazon.com/BoHoFarm-Thermostat-Controller-Digital-Germination/dp/B07LBGWMV9/ref=mp_s_a_1_5?adgrpid=58774470711&gclid=CjwKCAjw0vTtBRBREiwA3URt7in9YoKI4q6yMVOkdGir5PdmSgbb8jaPffbDzHsaw0OerjDYrTG5fhoCzSAQAvD_BwE&hvadid=274680356553&hvdev=m&hvlocphy=9028317&hvnetw=g&hvpos=1t1&hvqmt=e&hvrand=1542334422605610034&hvtargid=kwd-303301745743&hydadcr=5603_9612393&keywords=thermostat+reptile&qid=1572715745&sr=8-5

was actually looking at some of the exo-terra hides on amazon. Open for any suggestions.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000HHHD74/ref=twister_B005HSGDEC?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

what i was having a look at getting a set of.

CHEs must be attached to ceramic sockets.

This is an example

https://www.amazon.com/Flukers-Repta-Clamp-Lamp-Switch-Reptiles/dp/B0002DHODG

or this

https://www.amazon.com/Blue-Spotted-Terrariums-Reptiles-Amphibians/dp/B00OHRAOFS

you do not need more than a 100 watt CHE


So this

https://www.amazon.com/BYB-Ceramic-Infrared-Emitter-Brooder/dp/B00IOBZT80

this of course must be attached to a dimmer or a thermostat so this

https://www.amazon.com/MTPRTC-Controller-Thermostat-Germination-Reptiles/dp/B000NZZG3S

or this with a thermometer

https://www.amazon.com/Lutron-TT-300H-WH-Electronics-Plug-Dimmer/dp/B0000BYEF6

I use reusable shoulder heat pad things when i transport my python. http://www.amazon.co.uk/Heat-In-Click-Re-Useable-Shoulder/dp/B000WOV5WG

The tree in the back on the right is this All Living Things bonsai tree. The cave on the left is this thing, pushed down into the substrate.

I think this is the one I use