ball python help please..

[Iceman]

im getting one later this week,i was gonna buy everything at rep amazone here in mtl,but i dont know,i think he was just trying to make money,cause i had a rock cave in my hand,medium sized,and i thought i baby bp would fit fine..but he said no,and brought me this huge one,half the size of the tank i just bought there,and said,thats the smallest i could use..so i didnt buy it..i wasnt sure,how big a baby ball python is..so all i bought is the tank,steel clips for the top,and the lid with the a door,and lock...he was telling me dont use any substrate,use the repti carpet...lol,and he sold a leo in front of me,and told the kid that sand is the best,i just had a mild giggle to that..lol..i thought sand was dangerouse..anyway should i use some sort of substrate?or the carpet?and should i get a water bowl that he could fit in?or a smaller one is ok?

thanks guys

[CyberGypsy]

A baby bp doesn't need a hide nearly that big. I have 2 babies that are probably a little less than 18" and they are quite content in a light bulb box. The smaller, the better. They prefer to be able to feel the sides of the hide around their bodies, it makes them feel more secure.
Substrate is up to you. Alot of folks just use paper towels and newspaper. I would use paper towels to start, and just keep looking around and checking out the pro's and con's of different substrates.

[daver676]

Anything small and dark will work for a hide. IMO store bought hides are a rip off. I'm currently using a half shoe box. Good substrate to start with is newspaper so you can easily examine the droppings, and check for mites.

Dave

[lilyskip]

I agree with dave...one of my hides is store bought, and the others are just made from cut-up boxes. He also likes a plastic bush that I got, as well. Don't go in for the caves and stuff, unless you are paying only for aesthetics.

[stkkts]

MY ball python has always had a big half cork log as a hide. But he was full grown when I got him. For years I used and ecoearth like product as a substrate. I recently switched over to papertowels. I like it much MUCH better. It obviously doesnt make for the most realistic looking habitat, but im pretty sure the snake doesnt know.

My baby carpet python on the other hand has a calculator box as a hide.

[Jeff_Favelle]

1) Repti-carpet is garbage for Ball Pythons.
2) Aquariums are garbage for Ball Pythons.
3) Big hides are garbage for Ball Pythons.
4) Screen tops with clips are garbage for Ball Pythons.

Baby Ball? Rubbermaid, aspen chips, small plywood/ceramic hide, and away you go.........

[HetForHuman]

listen to what Jeff is saying, he knows what he is talking about.

i used to use aquariums, just as most people did, but using a rubbermaid or a custom built enclosure is the only way to go.

you can build your own enclosure for prob less than 50 bucks, and i can almost gaurantee that it will be cheaper than buying a glass aquarium with all the fixins.

[Iceman]

oh my god!i just came back from magazoo,i held a 4' ball,and some smaller ones,but not babys,there about 2' long,and an 1 1/2 inch thick,6 months old i think?anyway,im pretty sure im getting one of those..they were so amazing,ok heres how i put it,i got a 15 gallon tank,(pretty good size,for now,maybe a few months)heat wave heat pad..the woman said the forest blend sub strate is good..a big water bowl,and a log..sound good?sounds good to me..remember,this tank,is only for maybe 1 or 2 months...,and they were all the same price,even the big ones!
so tell me,how i will set it up,good?oh,im not using a rubber maid,thats for the mice i feed him/her..lol

[lilyskip]

15 gal will get too small pretty fast, but if you already have it and can't return it, then it will be okay for a little while. what is the 'forest blend substrate' composed of? you could probably use at least two hides, too (that's where a cut-up box comes in).

[Iceman]

it's made of like bark and stuff,like the bark blend,i wanted to use nice store bought rock hides,but it will be to big for them,i'll try to use something..i dont know,i could buy a half a log?they were pretty big,and water bowl also,they said it has to be able to curl up inside it..or lord..i'd have to use a dog bowl..at the store,they used sand in there bp tank,(which had like 4 or 5 bigger bp's,and 3 smaller ones,)between 3-4 feet..i may use sand..i dont know..,and could i buy it all,and put everything in,and then the snake,or like a day or 2 before?....i need oppinions

[sapphire_moon]

don't use sand, use newspaper or something....15 gal is to small, but if thats all you got it will work for like 1-2 months. Use a bowl that is big enough for it to soak in if needed. a dog bowl is probably what you need, I have my 2 ft bp in a 20 gal long, with a med size dog bowl...I suggest taking the time to set up your tank before hand, I've noticed that the transaction is smoother when your cage is all set up...

[Iceman]

yeah but an actuall substrate?not sand,like forest blend or something?yeah,im setting it up wednsday,and buying the bp on thursday..and lighting..whats the best kind?a lamp,and a repta sun basking light?or they have differint kinds?

[lilyskip]

they don't need a basking light since they're nocturnal. if you want one, it doesn't hurt, though. set up the cage first then look at the temps. if you need more heat, use a black light at night or a regular light during the day on a clamp or something similar. you don't really need a bark substrate, unless you want the setup to look a certain way. i use newspaper, and cleaning is EASY. And I agree with sapphire...set everything up FIRST, experiment with temps, locations, etc., then go back and buy the snake when it's all ready!!

[sapphire_moon]

I've heard that black lights hurt their eyes or something like that??? I've heard that infared (red) lights are better to use. Just read it somewhere, not sure where though! Just use a reg. 40 watt bulb....I would wait a few days to get the snake though......so you can keep a check on the temps and such and make sure they don't go to high or to low.

[stkkts]

black light is just a regular incandescant house light with a black coating. Its not a true black light. Either way, I dont think it hurts their eyes.

I think you should definately set the snake up on newspaper or papertowels initially. It will help detect if perhaps the snake has mites. I know alot of people use newspaper. My only problem with newspaper is this. When you read one, look at your fingers afterwards. They are smudged with black ink. Now imagine if you had to sleep on that. Its just kind of makes the snake look dirty. Just my $0.02

[lilyskip]

black bulb-lightss shouldn't hurt their eyes. it just means that they can't see the light waves, so it provides heat without disturbing the nocturnal environment.

i haven't really found a dirty-snake problem with Huxley, but that's only because I don't have regular free access to paper towels. I agree with stkkts, though...either of those two are the best, esp. with new snakes.

[Iceman]

yeah but wouldnt something as thin as paper towels make it to hot cause of the heat pad?i mean,isnt there supose to be a few inches of substrate?to protect the bp from burn?i thought thats what i heard..oh,im going to put down a deposit on the bp today,and getting it tomarrow morning,oh boy i cant wait,and i'll probably end up using substrate,caue im that type of person,everything has to be the best,lol,you'd know if youd see me..i was trying to ask what real substrate to use..

[CyberGypsy]

Substrate isn't necesarilly the best, it just look a little nicer. I would really consider using paper towels and newspaper the first couple of weeks. You can always move him onto substrate later.
If the heat pad your using gets to above 95 degrees, or has hot spots above that, then you'll need a way of controling its output. You'll want to regulate its output with either a dimmer or a thermostat, not with substrate. If the pad gets too hot, eventually it could get the substrate to hot too.
I've had a human heat pad set on low heat 2 inches of substrate to 100 degrees in a 55 gallon tank.
If you do use substrate, cypress or aspen hold are good. Both hold humidity decently well. You won't want to feed your BP on them though. They tend to have long chips which, if ingested along with prey, can be dangerous for the snake.
Forrest bedding is ok, it looks really nice in a well setup tank and it says its safe if its ingested, but I still wouldn't feed him on it.
I keep mine on cypress, but feed them in rubbermaids.
Good luck with your bp.

[Iceman]

thanks,im having a hard time desiding..ok,heres how it go's
1.at safari theres a baby ball for 119.99,cdn$and a bermese,about 4 months old,2 and a half feet maybe,149.99cdn$
2.magazoo,all sizes ball's,129.99cdn,the sizes range from like 2 feet,to 4 feet,(i held every single one),
i cant figure it out!anyway..
so a heatwave heat pad would make it to hot?i think i would be ok with a few inches of forest bark(what i bought)?and along with the heat pad,could i just use my other lamp,with the 2 15 wat day glo bulbs?

[stkkts]

for one thing, a burmese python and a ball python are two VERY DIFFERENT animals. price is irrelevant. You get alot more for your money with the burmese. Be ready to house a 10 ft + snake.

Also, dont go by price alone. The best option is captive bred, although with ball pythons, they usually are farmed and cherry picked. Regardless, as long as you have an animal thats not wild caught, it should be fine.

Again, I think initially you should just use paper towels or newspaper. It will help identify early on if the animal has mites.

I have had a ball python for 5 or 6 years now. I have always used only lights for his heating. It has been fine. Now I still use just lights for his heat, but I have a carpet python that I use lights and heat pads together. So its going to come down which option you like best.

Heat pads are good, but you have to watch the temps. Only place it under 1/3 of the tank. That way if it is too hot, the animal has somewhere to go to get away from it.

I would suggest a infared temp gun. you can usually get them for $20-$30 (US). It will really be your best tool in getting the heating dialed in perfectly.

[CyberGypsy]

Test it out. Hook up the heatpad, let it run for a few hrs and see how hot it gets. I'm not sure if those are adjustable, but if it isn't you can go out to Home Depot or Lowes and pick up a dimmer so you can adjust it.
An Undertank heater is your best choice, just make sure you have a way to adjust it and take accurate temp measurments in the enclosure. Light bulbs tend to dry things out and lower humidity. Low wattage bulbs are ok if you want to give the animal a day/night cycle, but they aren't necessary. You especially don't want to use them as the sole source of heat in an aquarium otherwise you're garaunteed problems keeping humidity levels up.
I'd go with a bp over a burmese, the burmese get...big. :)

My $.02

[Iceman]

yeah your right,i heard alot of bad stuff about burmese pythons,when they get big of course..thanks alot..i'll enjoy my new bp..and put pics ok?like every one else does..

[ReptiZone]

well I work at magazoo and I am almost sure they have a baby there some where and they are going for 60$ last I saw I might be wrong I am working tomarow in the morning when you walk in just ask to speak to Marc Doiron I will hook you up with the cheapest fastes set up you need to get started with a ball python you need to leav pet stores out of the equation because they just want your money I will tell you as it is and the facts you need to know to get started to rest will be up to you.

[Jo060]

4) Screen tops with clips are garbage for Ball Pythons.

Jeff My friend has had his BP in a glass aquarium for 5 years WITH a screen/mesh top on it and his BP has done PERFECT!!

[sapphire_moon]

I use a sliding screen lid with locking lid.....and they are both doing fine......no escapes..........(knocks on wood, crosses fingers)

[Jeff_Favelle]

thanks,im having a hard time desiding..ok,heres how it go's
1.at safari theres a baby ball for 119.99,cdn$and a bermese,about 4 months old,2 and a half feet maybe,149.99cdn$
2.magazoo,all sizes ball's,129.99cdn,the sizes range from like 2 feet,to 4 feet,(i held every single one),
i cant figure it out!anyway..


I'm totally lost man. Why are not just buying a CAPTIVE BRED baby directly from a breeder and supporting the industry? I can't understand that. You would get a WAAAAY healthier snake. You would get WAAAAYYY better advice. And you help support people who actually care and work with animals.

Weird.

[Iceman]

there are no breeders that i know of in montreal...unless you know of one..other wize dont call me weird

[Iceman]

oh,and i will not order one by mail,i love animals,and it's mean to put them in a box for that long..i shouldnt get any insults for this..im right

[Jeff_Favelle]

and it's mean to put them in a box for that long..i shouldnt get any insults for this..im right


Oh my mistake. If you are "right", then I totally retract everything I said and you should buy a CH Ball from a pet store and put it in an aquarium.

Sorry I wasted your time.......

[Iceman]

stop being sarcastic...what dont you understand,there are no breeders in mtl that i know of..magazoo is very good,they probe the snakes there,and take care of there reptiles...and i was talking about getting them mailed..how the heck could you mail a snake?i have no clue..i know everybody does it...but anyway..

[foman]

HEY Iceman
the best substrate i have found is good old PEAT MOSS,it is natural, it holds good moisture,its cheap and easy to get rid of. also you can get it at any store that sells gardening stuff.
Make sure its peat moss(not the CHEAPEST type the PURIST type), and not potting soil as soil has alot of fertilizer

MY GUYS LUV IT.
good luck with your snake.

Hey Iceman- I bought my red tail yesterday he was only on the plane for maybe 2 hours if you want a quality snake go through a breeder(It might take a little more effort in setting the transaction up than going down the street to the Pet store, but it is WORTH IT).Anyways most breeders are eager to get them to there new homes safe and quickly.
By the way snakes eat rodents(Isn't that mean).
Trust me.

[Jo060]

Yes, I agree with Foman. They ship fairly quick and safely. Sure its stressfull on the snake but is there any type of transportation that isnt :) But, they take care of them and keep em' safe GOOD LUCK!

[Wrath]

Hey Jeff, I don't understand the basis for one of your statements. "Aquariums are garbage for balls"

Why is that? I did not realize that it would make that big of a difference. Is there anything else I can use if I don't want to keep my bp in a rubbermaid?

[RepTylE]

My BP prefered to hide in a lighbulb box too for awhile until I had to replace it, now he won't go into any type of box and seems to prefer to go under the newspaper. Don't know what he will do when I get his permanent home set up with cypress bark substrate.

[eyespy]

Frankly, I don't see what is the difference between having a breeder ship the snake directly to you, versus having it shipped to a pet store.

Oh wait, most snakes shipped to pet stores are farmed in Africa, shipped to an importer, who may or may not sell to a distributor which involves yet another shipment before they eventually land at the shop. Waaaaaayyyyyy more shipping equals waaaaaayyyyyy more stress.

Plus the large amount of animals in a relatively small space means a greater chance of a stressed snake picking up parasites, bacterial or viral infections. Breeders who don't have new animals coming into their homes at least weekly don't have anywhere near the risk of having sick snakes that pet stores do.

[Jeff_Favelle]

Eyespy rules.

[Jo060]

heh heh heh

[marisa]

Wrath- Jeff says they suck because they do. Alright actually some people love tanks for snakes, but most seem to dislike them as much as Jeff here, or me. :D

Although BPs do not need THAT much humidity to get humidity up in a tank you need to place a water source under a heat lamp and cover the lid (assuming you have a screen top like most tanks have) this automatically cuts ventilation down to like zero...this causes mold and other smelly issues to arise usually, besides the snake have little to no ventilation. Not a HUGE issue for balls, but not my cup of tea for my snakes :D

Anyways other choices aside from rubbermaid and tanks are custom enclosures which are normally the best, and I have even seen some people convert rubbermaids to have a clear pane of plexi glass on one side for viewing....a little bit of work but in the end you have a semi custom enclosure, a viewing area and a kick *** cage which is easy to maintain and good for your snake.

Marisa

[Wrath]

OIC! Well I agree that a custom enclosure would be preferrable to a tank. If only I had the time, $, and a mind for building I would do it. I would love to have her in something custom made. Another project on the list I guess!

[Jeff_Favelle]

Marisa rules too.