Mold question?

[PyramidScheme]

i have my first ball python, about 2 months now. i bought a humidifier for his tank and it seems that mold is growing (as expected) on his/her log hide. is it safe for my snake? i don't want to get it sick or anything. thanks!

[Boots]

Welcome to our community. Mold is never a good thing. You might want to have more then one hide and switch them out every couple of days to dry out. How high do you have the humidity in the tank?

Jason

[PyramidScheme]

Welcome to our community. Mold is never a good thing. You might want to have more then one hide and switch them out every couple of days to dry out. How high do you have the humidity in the tank?

Jason

i actually am not sure, my therm/humid seems to be broken, i checked it and it seems as though it's stuck at 80 degrees and 80% humidity even if i throw it in the freezer, seems i need a new one. after i dry it out, how would i rid it of the mold?

[PyramidScheme]

this is my buddy by the way

[PyramidScheme]

Welcome to our community. Mold is never a good thing. You might want to have more then one hide and switch them out every couple of days to dry out. How high do you have the humidity in the tank?

Jason

i'm actually not positive, my them/hum gauge seems to be messed up. i threw it in the fridge to make sure and it seems it is stuck on 80 degrees and 80% humidity. i'll have to pick up a new one. if i clean the mold off of the hide, how would i go about doing so? sand paper?

[Ch^4]

Welcome and good looking BP! I would definitely invest in a digital thermometer and hygrometer (you can get them at walmart for cheap or at a pet store). The analog/dial gages are notorious for not reading the correct value and for sticking.

What type of bedding are you using? Repti-bark is good for BPs; it holds humidity very well and doesn't mold.

Where is your humidifier positioned? If it is directly above the log hide and dripping on it, you should move it and place a make-shift humid hide that essentially catches the condensation from the humidifier--you can us a tupperware, with a hole in the lid that is large enough for your snake. Then line the bottom of the tupperware with sphagnum moss and viola! A humid hide that your BP will love and a catch basin to prevent mold.

I hope that helps! Pics of your current setup would be helpful.

[PyramidScheme]

Welcome and good looking BP! I would definitely invest in a digital thermometer and hygrometer (you can get them at walmart for cheap or at a pet store). The analog/dial gages are notorious for not reading the correct value and for sticking.

What type of bedding are you using? Repti-bark is good for BPs; it holds humidity very well and doesn't mold.

Where is your humidifier positioned? If it is directly above the log hide and dripping on it, you should move it and place a make-shift humid hide that essentially catches the condensation from the humidifier--you can us a tupperware, with a hole in the lid that is large enough for your snake. Then line the bottom of the tupperware with sphagnum moss and viola! A humid hide that your BP will love and a catch basin to prevent mold.

I hope that helps! Pics of your current setup would be helpful.

Thank you, and thanks for the info! i will certainly invest in one then. the cruddy one i had came in a set i got with my original terrarium. i've since upgraded to a 20 gallon so he has some more room. i use aspen for the bedding, the humidifier is on the opposite side of the tank of the log, i have a heating pad under the tank under the log hide, and i made a water-hide so he can drink and chill whenever he wants in there (although he very rarely does). maybe because the humidifier is right there? here are some pics. any help would be greatly appreciated!

[PyramidScheme]

last one :rolleyes:

[Will0W783]

Your cage is way way too humid. You don't need to have water condensation on all the sides for a BP. If your house is not terribly dry, all you need to maintain proper humidity is a water dish under the heat lamp. You can also cover half the screen lid with tinfoil to hold more humidity in. I'd stop the fogger right away- you're only going to mold the cage up again. Aspen does not hold humidity and molds very easily.

[PyramidScheme]

Your cage is way way too humid. You don't need to have water condensation on all the sides for a BP. If your house is not terribly dry, all you need to maintain proper humidity is a water dish under the heat lamp. You can also cover half the screen lid with tinfoil to hold more humidity in. I'd stop the fogger right away- you're only going to mold the cage up again. Aspen does not hold humidity and molds very easily.
i tired for a while without the fogger and it just doesn't hold humidity at all. literally like 10% humidity without. should i just turn it down to the lowest setting? i have it on medium right now

[Will0W783]

What kind of humidity gauge do you have? If you have one of the analog stick-on kinds, just toss it. Those are not accurate at all. I would recommend getting a good digital temp/humidity gauge and hooking the fogger up to that.

I keep my BP in a melamine cage with a large water dish, aspen bedding and radiant heat. That's all. I don't use an additional humidity source, because with the water evaporating in there, the humidity is fine. Screen-topped cages are very tough to keep BPs in because they are a very sensitive species. If you can afford it, I would recommend looking into a plastic or melamine cage for your snake. I think it would work much better for you in the long run.

[PyramidScheme]

What kind of humidity gauge do you have? If you have one of the analog stick-on kinds, just toss it. Those are not accurate at all. I would recommend getting a good digital temp/humidity gauge and hooking the fogger up to that.

I keep my BP in a melamine cage with a large water dish, aspen bedding and radiant heat. That's all. I don't use an additional humidity source, because with the water evaporating in there, the humidity is fine. Screen-topped cages are very tough to keep BPs in because they are a very sensitive species. If you can afford it, I would recommend looking into a plastic or melamine cage for your snake. I think it would work much better for you in the long run.
awesome, thanks for the help i will start looking into these things immediately

[Aaron_S]

If you're humidity is low in that set up without the fogger change the substrate. Something along the lines of eco-earth or mulch would work drastically better.

My personal preference, not to use a fish cage. Plastic enclosures work way better and can be display cages as Kim suggested.

[Ch^4]

i tired for a while without the fogger and it just doesn't hold humidity at all. literally like 10% humidity without. should i just turn it down to the lowest setting? i have it on medium right now

As Kim said, condensation on all sides of the viv is not necessary for a BP and you may end up with an unhealthy snake.

If you cannot get another setup in the short-run, I'd switch substrate to repti-bark or eco-earth as suggested by Aaron. Also, DO NOT KEEP THE FOGGER RUNNING AT ALL TIMES!!! Go get a cheap analog timer (~$5-10) and setup it up to run for 30 minutes every 3-6 hours or so (this will take some experimentation on your end). It should be HUMID in the tank, not WET! (I'm not yelling at you, but this is a very common mistake!).

You can get "weather station" things that measure temperature and relative humidity for relatively cheap at Lowes, Home Depot, Target, Walmart, etc., or you can pick up digital thermometers and hygrometers at a pet shop for a decent price (I try to avoid pet shops).

I hope that helps! Good luck and keep us posted.

[Reptile_Reptile]

yea first bet would be to change substrate the aspen absorbs and nullifies a lot of humidity so that is part of your problem. it just soaks it right up. and i would ditch the wooden hides for some plastic or rock hide because with the required humidity for a bp anything that can mold has a super high chance to mold.

oh and may i ask what that bucket with the hole crudely cut in the top is for?

[Ch^4]

^^ I believe the bucket is his water dish. (It is difficult to cut a nice hole in plastic.) You might want to use a more shallow dish for easy access--I use tupperware, cheap and easy to clean (dishwasher).

[Lankyrob]

I have a melamine vivariumfor my BP, he is on repti bark substrate, ihave a water bowl undeer his ceramic heat lamp and mist lightly each morning u less he is in shed in which case i mist more heavopily. After a light mist the humidity is about 65% after a heavy mist it is more like70-75%. Before misting the hu idity is just about 50% but that is the ambient hmididty where i live.

I would certainly agree with the others that your tank is way to wet, but with a little experimentation you should be able to get it right. Remember that in nature you wouldnt hage a solid humidity all day, some parts of the day will be "drier" than others. Thats why i mist in the morning and let it "dry out" over the next 24 hours.

Keep us updated on how it goes?

[PyramidScheme]

yea first bet would be to change substrate the aspen absorbs and nullifies a lot of humidity so that is part of your problem. it just soaks it right up. and i would ditch the wooden hides for some plastic or rock hide because with the required humidity for a bp anything that can mold has a super high chance to mold.

oh and may i ask what that bucket with the hole crudely cut in the top is for?
it's for his water. i filed down the plastic so it's nice and smooth, he has no way of being hurt by it

[PyramidScheme]

thanks everyone so much for the advice. i'm going to buy a timer, new bedding, digital temp/humidity gauge, and different (plastic) hide next friday as soon as i get paid, and see if i can get it to work out. if not i am going to try and find a plastic home for him and lose the fogger completely. seems the people at petco steered me wrong. for now i am just going to run the fogger briefly in the morning, and briefly in the evening and see how that goes. i'll try and find something smaller for the water if you guys think that would be preferable, but to reiterate he def cannot be harmed by the one i made, i filed that thing for like 45 minutes and made sure no plastic shavings would fall off into his drinking water either. it's extremely soft on the edges. thanks again!

[presspirate]

Don't spend a fortune on hides. Your snake doesn't care where he or she hides out. A plastic ice cream container, butter dish, shoe box....anything you can cut a hole in for them to crawl into and feel secure is just fine.

Also, for a humid hide, instead of the water dish....try putting damp sphagnum moss instead.

Good Luck!

[PyramidScheme]

thanks for the heads up!

[Damion930]

I have a humidifyer for my tank and have it set on a timer plug to regulate the humidity it takes a while to get it just right I run mine for 15 min every hr and that keeps me between 60-75 somtimes a lil more somtimes less I also just swiched from news paper to eco earth substrate so am in the process of readjusting my times as its holding the humidity better

[PyramidScheme]

i think i'm going to try it on a timer and see how that works. by the way i think you guys were right, i turned off the fogger and hes been out basking in the heat lamp for hours. first time he's ever done it for that long

[Ch^4]

I'm glad to hear that you took so much time to minimize the risk of hurting your snake, good work! However, that particular container may work best on its side as a humid hide with some damp sphagnum moss. It just might be easier for your snake if he has easier access to his water (i.e., a shallower container).

Also, if you use a water dish with a large surface area and place it under your heating source, you can increase the relative humidity, thereby decreasing your dependence on the fogger!

Keep us posted!

[PyramidScheme]

I'm glad to hear that you took so much time to minimize the risk of hurting your snake, good work! However, that particular container may work best on its side as a humid hide with some damp sphagnum moss. It just might be easier for your snake if he has easier access to his water (i.e., a shallower container).

Also, if you use a water dish with a large surface area and place it under your heating source, you can increase the relative humidity, thereby decreasing your dependence on the fogger!

Keep us posted!
excellent, i will try both. thanks!

[PyramidScheme]

just wanted to update you guys quickly, tried the big water dish idea and stuck his lamp right over it. as far as humidity is concerned it's going great (fluctuates between 60-75%). but will his drinking water be too warm for him to actually want it?

[Ch^4]

^^ Great to hear regarding humidity improvements!

I've never encountered that problem; all 6--at the moment--of my snakes have their water dishes under or very close to being under the heat source. Albeit I have a plethora of heating sources ranging from ceramic heat emitters, to radiant heat panels, to heat cord, and of course the ubiquitous heat lamps.

In my experience, snakes are ninja-drinkers; they like to drink when you're not around! However, a couple of my snakes like to drink while I'm putting them back in their viv. I'll be holding them and let them taste the water--my Cali King had about a 5-minute gulp while in my hands. It was very difficult to hold still while he was drinking :) Sorry for the digression, but I hope that helps and keep us updated!

[PyramidScheme]

^^ Great to hear regarding humidity improvements!

I've never encountered that problem; all 6--at the moment--of my snakes have their water dishes under or very close to being under the heat source. Albeit I have a plethora of heating sources ranging from ceramic heat emitters, to radiant heat panels, to heat cord, and of course the ubiquitous heat lamps.

In my experience, snakes are ninja-drinkers; they like to drink when you're not around! However, a couple of my snakes like to drink while I'm putting them back in their viv. I'll be holding them and let them taste the water--my Cali King had about a 5-minute gulp while in my hands. It was very difficult to hold still while he was drinking :) Sorry for the digression, but I hope that helps and keep us updated!

awesome! i also have more than one heat source. i use a heating pad underneath the tank under his log hide. i see him drink occasionally, but not too often. yesterday, i put a blanket on 3/4 of the tank to hold in heat/humidity. right now it's at 80 degrees and 61% humidity. i'm in the navy so every 8 days (such as tomorrow), i have duty for 24 hours and can't monitor him and his habits on my duty days. i just don't want to leave him with undrinkable water while i'm gone tomorrow:sorry: thanks for the info!

[TylerWortman]

I have noticed you use the lamp grips to secure the cage. Its best to get lock or put a good amount of weight on each side. Snakes are strong and I do see your BP getting out.

I picked up a wooden top for my snakes 20 gal at Lowe's for like 12 bucks. They cut it to the desired dimensions and drilled the 5" hole for the lamp. I also used a durable metal screen to cover hole for lamp so he cant reach up into the light obviously. This helps keep humidity and easier to connect locks to the cage.

[PyramidScheme]

I have noticed you use the lamp grips to secure the cage. Its best to get lock or put a good amount of weight on each side. Snakes are strong and I do see your BP getting out.

I picked up a wooden top for my snakes 20 gal at Lowe's for like 12 bucks. They cut it to the desired dimensions and drilled the 5" hole for the lamp. I also used a durable metal screen to cover hole for lamp so he cant reach up into the light obviously. This helps keep humidity and easier to connect locks to the cage.

fantastic idea, aren't you worried about a fire though with your lamps being set in wood?

[PyramidScheme]

I have noticed you use the lamp grips to secure the cage. Its best to get lock or put a good amount of weight on each side. Snakes are strong and I do see your BP getting out.

I picked up a wooden top for my snakes 20 gal at Lowe's for like 12 bucks. They cut it to the desired dimensions and drilled the 5" hole for the lamp. I also used a durable metal screen to cover hole for lamp so he cant reach up into the light obviously. This helps keep humidity and easier to connect locks to the cage.

would you mind showing me a picture?

[Lankyrob]

Is 80f your hot end temp? MY BP is at 91f hot end - 80f sounds a little low.....

[SPARTAN 77]

i have my first ball python, about 2 months now. i bought a humidifier for his tank and it seems that mold is growing (as expected) on his/her log hide. is it safe for my snake? i don't want to get it sick or anything. thanks!

Yes mold is not good. if you have a real wooden half log, mold is unavoidable
i use for my ball a plastic container turned upside down with a hole in the front and i have had no problems with mold.

[PyramidScheme]

Yes mold is not good. if you have a real wooden half log, mold is unavoidable
i use for my ball a plastic container turned upside down with a hole in the front and i have had no problems with mold.

yea i got rid of that thing, thanks!

[kenchenzo]

just spraying the cage would work well enough & changing to bark would help massively.

[Ch^4]

Is 80f your hot end temp? MY BP is at 91f hot end - 80f sounds a little low.....

My young BP likes 85F hot end, 80F cold end, and 90F basking. Any hotter than that and she stays on the cool end.

But agreed, 80F on the hot end might be a little too cold.

[Lankyrob]

Sorry should have said 91f is the "hot spot" not the overall hot end temp

[PyramidScheme]

just spraying the cage would work well enough & changing to bark would help massively.

did both, thanks!

[PyramidScheme]

Sorry should have said 91f is the "hot spot" not the overall hot end temp

i have 80-81 at midpoint of the tank, not cold spot, but not hot spot either

[Ch^4]

If ambient temperature within the cage is 80-81F, you should be okay...It wouldn't hurt to bump it up a few degrees though. I'd also check under the heat source and on the cold end just to be sure though!

[Lankyrob]

I always measure the temp directly inder the heat source and then the coldest point of the tank. The ambient temps are then in the middle.