My first ball python and a question:)

[Nicky]

Hey all,
I got my first ball python today, Starburst( normal phase but has awsome markings and color) from PCPC and have a few questions if anyone dosen't mind answering them. First I have a 20 gal tank for starburst but its currently beeing used by my friend until she gets a bigger tank next wensday, So will Starburst be ok in a rubbermaid measuring a foot buy half a foot at room temp until then, or should i buy a under tank heating pad until then? Also what substraste would you recomend being the best for ball pythons. I was either going to go with aspen sahving or the expandable stuff just curious which you guess consider better. Thx alot i'll try and borrow my friends digi so i can post some pics of her.
rock on
Kayla

[m1k3_88]

How big is she? I kept my hatchling in a 16x11x6 rubbermaid until he was a bit longer then the rubbermaid. Id say get a uth on a dimmer and keep it in the rubbermaid because tanks are alot harder to keep up humidity, especially if your going to use a light in the tank.

[BoidKeeper]

So will Starburst be ok in a rubbermaid measuring a foot buy half a foot at room temp until then, or should i buy a under tank heating pad until then?
The UTH should have been bought before the snake. One of the first rules of herp husbandry is to have the tank ready and waiting for what ever you are going to put into it.
Hard to tell you if your rubbermaid is big enough if we don't know what size the snake is. If it's a hatchling then you should be ok with the size you're using if in two weeks when you try to feed it for the first time it refuse to eat, assuming all the temps and humidity are correct, I would go to a smaller box. A 20g is big enough for a small adult. If you put a hatchling in there you'll no dought have feeding problems. Also make sure you have at least two hide boxes.
Newspaper of paper towel is the best during the accilimation period. If you suspect mites, which you should if it came from a store, then you go with white paper towel it makes them easy to spot.
Cheers,
Trevor

[Andy_G]

I agree with Trevor on everything that he said.

I would keep the bp in a rubbermaid and ditch the 20, I hate tanks myself, get a larger rubbermaid in a few weeks, it's so much cheaper and more efficient for heat and humidity than a tank.. Since you just got it I figured I would tell you to keep your hands off of that snake until it eats at least three meals in it's new home or else you can screw things up very badly and it will get stressed out and not eat.

[Nicky]

lol sorry i forgot to add her length. Shes roughly 8-9 inches long and at the thickest part an 1nch and a few cm's. Her rubbermaid measures 50cm by 32 cm by 13 cm.I currently have 2 hideboxes in her rubbermaid with a decently deep water bowl for humidity, a thermometer and i have a clamp lamp hanging 29cm above it with a 100 watt bulb, the tempature is only 75 degrees f so i;m not sure how to make it any warmer:(.Ialso bought an undertank heating pad but dissapointinly in turned out you can only use them for glass tanks, is there any other types of heat pads specially for rubbermaids? I'm confused I know alot of you guys use rubbermaids for various snakes and lizards but how do you keep them properly heated if lamps melt them and so do under tank heaters? My cousin said heat taoe might work where would i get that?My other option would be to clean out my hoggies 10 gal and switch them until i figure out how to make this rubbermaid set up work.
Any help would be reaaly appriaciated
thx in advance
one confused Kayla:confused:

[BoidKeeper]

Rule number 1 of UTH: do not stick them to the bottom of anything.
All of the UTH I use are the pet store kind, exo-terra and zoo meds and I use them on both rubbermaids and glass tanks.
100w bulb should be too hot for what you need are you sure the thermometer is acurate? What are you using?
I would ditch the lamp and place the UTH under one end of the rubbermaid and take the temp right on the surface over the heater and go from there to get the right temp.
Cheers,
Trevor

[m1k3_88]

YOu can probably use the uth on the rubbermaid, just dont take the paper off the sticky side. Your going to need a dimmer for the uth or else it is going to get too hot. Do you have holes drilled into the side of teh rubbermaid for ventilation?

[Nicky]

i have holes at the top for ventilation, and whats a dimmer how do I use it and so on. I put her in my 10 gal for now because the rubbermaid was getting to cold and everything closed for tonight anyways so whatever i need to get i'll get it tommorow. The current temp in her tank is 90 at the basking spot 85 at the warm end and 77 at the cold end sound ok to you guys for now? hopefully tommorow i can go out and get a better thermometer and that dimmer thing.
thx alot
kayla

[justinO]

to answer your substrate question, use paper towels!

:)

[Auskan]

You asked about UTHs and rubbermaids in another thread a few days ago and I responded then by telling you not to worry about using them on rubbermaids even though they say they are only for glass. A few people added comments on my post, so you might want to go back and read that thread again also.

[Nicky]

thx alot u guys rock!:)
btw shes settled in nicely now.
i'll have pics next monday :D
Kayla

[Andy_G]

It's already eaten a few times?

[Nicky]

huh?no where'd i say that? by settling in i just ment shes no longer in a constant ball and is now exploring and stuff sorry for the misunderstanding i'm not feeding until this monday coming up.
Kayla

[Andy_G]

Ah! Good to hear! :)

[Nicky]

Just a quick update, Starburst ate her first adult mouse( F/T) last night:D:D:D:D:D. She took it with no problem so I think I can switch her to young rats that are slightly larger than the adult mouse she ate or is she still young to be on rats( she's 6 months and approx. an inch and a half thick)? What were your balls on around her age? thx alot
Kayla

[m1k3_88]

Bp's can be switched to rats at any age, its size that matters more then age. She should take an appropriate sized rat and good luck on switchin her over. MIke.

[Nicky]

Is it hard switching them over from mice to rats? Any tips that might help or do most of them take them readily
Kayla

[m1k3_88]

Some are hard to switch and some are not, I was lucky and my bp took rats right away. If your using f/t id say defrost the rat in mouse bedding, or rub the rat with a f/t mouse to get mouse scent on the rat. If this doesn't work there are TONZ of threads about switching bps from mice to rats. Hope this helped, Mike

[Andy_G]

I would just offer the rat and if it doesn't take it then you use some of the scenting methods. Since it is fairly young chances are high that it will make the switch easy.

[Nicky]

thx alot hopefully she won't be too stubborn.
Kayla:)