Help prepping the tank?

[lilyskip]

Hey all! I just came back from a specialty reptile shop where I've decided to buy my baby ball this weekend. They're cbb, feeding every week (some twice a week) and eat f/t (although last week they got live, this hasn't been regular and when I expressed interest in buying them, the owner promised to feed them all f/t today and let me know how it goes...logistically, it might be hard for me to see them eat, although we're gonna try on Saturday, since that is some of their's second feed days). They were all active, friendly, healthy-looking, and beautiful. I could also tell that they were really well-taken care of by the owners of the store as compared to Petco (duh, I should have known this right away, eh?)

Anyway, I'm gonna set up the tank tomorrow so I can check temperatures in advance and figure out how much I need to compensate for room temperature, but I wanted to ask you guys if the lighting I have is ok before I open it all.

My light is one that gives off UVA rays, and is 100w, and I have a clamp for it, too. The tank is a 20L with a locking slide-lid. I also have an UTH designed for 10-20 gallon tanks. I've got a water dish (a small plastic dog's dish), a hide place (half a log from a pet store, so it's sanitary), a temperature and humidity gauge, a fake bendy vine, a piece of driftwood, and some fake greenery.

The guy at the snake store suggested a night heating light, although everyone else said that wasn't necessary, and one of the vet offices i called suggested a full spectrum light (like reptosun or power sun). Do I need this stuff? Also, I'm planning on using newspaper as a substrate...will that be ok?

Also, is it true that you only need to clean the cage completely once every two months if you use a shaved/pelleted substrate (of course removing defecation immediately)? That doesn't sound right to me...?

Sorry for the long post...I am just so excited that I found healthy babies!

[killaclown]

well i will tell you this. At petsmart there selling a kit with a heat lamp humid and temp gage and a background and a whol lot of crap you dont need. then all you need is a uth(if you want ) and beding and a nice cheap dog bowl and make your self a hide. then get a couple live branches or plants and your good. With bulbs there is a varity like the blue bulb which is for dail light. A white basking bulb which is for day basking and the red which can be used as a 24 hour heat source. Heat admiters are nce but there a little pricey for me you can get a good deal on ebay

[Lisa]

You don't need UV light, heck you don't even need light. Instead of overhead heating i'd go with an undertank heater.
newspaper will be fine though I prefer cypress mulch, it keeps the humidity up. all your decorations sound fine.

[lilyskip]

How often to you have to totally wipe down a tank w/mulch or another such substrate in it? Does it smell/is it easy to clean?

[lilyskip]

Mmmkay, so I just prepped the tank to the best of my current abilities, and I think I need to make another materials run before I buy the ball this weekend. The heat seems fine so far (clamp overhead light and uth) although i'm checking to make sure it doesn't get too hot...it's 90 right now basking temp on the hot side. I need another thermometer for the cool side.

My humidity is pretty low--55%...should I be getting a different substrate (i'm using newspaper now...how thick should it be?) or should I just put more humidity-inducing things in there? Moss? I don't want problems with bacteria and am not sure what to get.

Because of my overhead lighting clamp, there is a small gap in the space where the screen meets the tank in the back. At it's thickest point, it is about 1/2-1/3 the diameter of a penny. Could a 10 week old bp slip through there? Should I just get a two-bulb overtank thing for a white light and a night light? I'm going to try to attach pictures of the tank and the gap in separate posts.

[lilyskip]

link to the picture of the gap:
gap, compared to a penny (http://groups.msn.com/InvasionoftheYaleianfromAnotherPlanet/uselessboringpics.msnw?action=ShowPhoto&PhotoID=1076)

[Big Mike]

It's good to hear that you are doing it right by setting things up before you bring home your new snake.

BP's are predominately nocturnal and therefore don't require a heat lamp (or UVB at all) during the day, provided that they have another source of heat. I feel that the best/easiest way to provide heat is with a UTH.

A light that is on during the day and off during the night will give a natural light cycle as well as raising the temp during the day time. If you have a UTH, I don't think you need a night light. Ambient day light would however be enough to give them a natural light cycle.

I would find a new way to attach the light and close that gap. It may seem too small but snakes can surprise you. He may even hurt himself trying to squeeze out of there.

As for substrate: newspaper is cheap and easy. Same with paper towels. Aspen chips, cyprus mulch and other natural looking substrates are good too but you will have to watch the snake won't eat any of it along with it's meal.

Cleaning: I have never heard anyone give a hard rule as to how often you "should" clean the enclosure. I think the best thing is to set a routine or schedule. (For example) News paper is easy to change so you can do that every few days or once a week. Maybe once a month or two you can fully clean, sanitize and disinfect the enclosure. I find it helpful to keep a chart for the cleaning and feeding schedule.

[Jo060]

Hey, :cool:
I'm also new to this. I'm going to be getting a BP pretty soon. So, tell me if I understood this correctly. If I get a heating mat that would be ok to use in the cage as long as I have a light that gives off "sun"? :confused:

And I also have one more question

I have an acrylic fish tank that I would like to use as a Ball Python setup. Has anyone encountered any problems using acrylic? What about heating mats and heat lamps? Will this affect the acrylic?
Any tips?
:dumb: :dumb: :dumb: :dumb:

[Big Mike]

For a basic set-up, all you need is a heat mat (and control device). No extra lighting is required. If you want...lamps helps us to see the critter and can be used as supplimental heating. You only need a regular bulb for a BP...you do not need a special bulb.

I don't know much about Acrylic but I would think that it should be OK. A heat mat (UTH) should be controlled with a thermostat or rheostat to keep a suitable temp for the snake...which would be a safe temp for the acrylic. A bulb that is very close or touching the acrylic might be a problem so avoid that.

[Jo060]

Great! Thankyou VERY MUCH!!

[lilyskip]

Thanks--I'm excited! :o)