First post, check out my setup give me criticism!!

[Kiljosh]

Hey hombres, so I posted in the intro forum, said I'd post here with pics of my buddy Stubbs and would love to but hes currently sleeping in his new log that he seems to looooove.

Anyway this is my enclosure....
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I have given him the hot/cool side gradient, water on the cool side. Hot side is at 91F cool is at 84F. At night I switch the lamps off and the temp gets to about 80F on both sides. I placed a ceramic pad heater on the warm side next to his hide just in case he got chilly at night. Humidity is sitting at just below 60% with 2 heat lamps and a screen top, gotta love basements. I bought him a UV Lamp as well but heard it doesn't really matter.

He is very friendly. Ive had him home since Sunday night and he was crawling around on my chest and around my neck the first night I had him out. The next day I attempted to feed him and he ate without problem, just some dangling and he gobbled this pinky right up...

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Very odd because from what Ive read here it takes a week or so before they adjust and eat, but I think he trusts me already and loves to be pet/wrap around my hand and stare at me.

Anyway, since he is sleeping I figured a pic of him the day I got him home would suffice, ignore the tacky water bowl for a dog, its now the bowl to heat his pinkies up!!

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Any advice is welcome as I am a new snake owner and want him to love me! Do you guys think I should try to feed him another pinky in a day or two? I'm not sure of his age or his weight.

[stephanbakir]

Snakes cant "love" anything.
That pinky is way too small for that snake.
The 1 week time period is to let the snake settle.
Other then that great start :)

[Kiljosh]

My snake can! He is a lover not a fighter.

So you think I'd be ok feeding him another one soon? I only bought a six pack of them. Use them up I guess and see if I can get him to eat baby rats? I have heard there's a rule of thumb that the prey should be about the snakes girth but I figured better to error on the small side and just feed him more than have him not be able to eat!

[stephanbakir]

My snake can! He is a lover not a fighter.

So you think I'd be ok feeding him another one soon? I only bought a six pack of them. Use them up I guess and see if I can get him to eat baby rats? I have heard there's a rule of thumb that the prey should be about the snakes girth but I figured better to error on the small side and just feed him more than have him not be able to eat!

For bps, lean towards slightly wider then the widest part of the snake.
Swap him to baby rats of possible.

[Kiljosh]

OK thank you very much for the advice!

I was thinking of getting him a bar to chill on elevated off the ground maybe some leafyness in there. It's so open I feel like he will hide less and explore more with some more cover on the ground floor but I don't want to crowd the tank.

[stephanbakir]

Ball pythons may climb a little as babies, but as adults they are lazy beasts who stay on the ground.

[infernalis]

Ball pythons prefer platforms to branches.

They are a terrestrial species that spends a lot of time under ground, not up high.

[NennaMeerkat]

You can certainly go to bigger prey items. Bet he will enjoy a fat rat pup rather than those small mice pinks. Eventually you will be feeding bigger rats anyways so it is good to go ahead and get him used to the smell of rats as food anyways.

[SnakeyJay]

Sweet looking ball.. Congrats. I definately say pop a few plants in there and he should explore more.. It took my brb 3 months to start exploring properly while I was awake

[citysnakes]

if youre getting your temperature readings from those dials then chances are youre not providing the animal with proper temperatures.

those dials are pretty much useless and measuring the temps way up high doesnt help when you have an animal spending 100% of its time way down low on the floor of the enclosure.

i would pick up a few digital thermometers and place the probes on the floor of the enclosure, inside each hide, one on the hot end and the other on the cool end.

also, your snake should be eating something closer to the size of a rat pup. pinky rats are too small even for fresh hatchlings...

looks like youre off to a good start though. good luck.:)

[Aaron_S]

I'll just second what Julian said!

[marionsclan]

Nice looking snake and good starter setup. Given that Pythons are more earth bound I would consider upgrading the tank to a longer version and not so tall. They don't really like the openness and feel more comfortable in anything that resembles their original habitat, bushy/leafy. But for now just keep an eye on the humidity and temp and you're good to go for a while.

[NennaMeerkat]

Nice looking snake and good starter setup. Given that Pythons are more earth bound I would consider upgrading the tank to a longer version and not so tall. They don't really like the openness and feel more comfortable in anything that resembles their original habitat, bushy/leafy. But for now just keep an eye on the humidity and temp and you're good to go for a while.

This is what I have been thinking since the beginning. Wasn't sure if I was off on that thought or not...

[marionsclan]

I have a 55 gal and I have 3 hides in it for each gradient and a water bowl on the cold end and a water dish on the hot. Then I put in a branch with fake leaves attached everywhere which covers a good part of her hides so she can feel like she is hiding under a bush. The branch is also big and wide enough for her to climb up.

[Lankyrob]

The only other thing i would add is that aspen bedding can mold with the humidity that Balls need so may be worth using repti bark or something similar whcih actually aids humidity too.

[marionsclan]

The only other thing i would add is that aspen bedding can mold with the humidity that Balls need so may be worth using repti bark or something similar whcih actually aids humidity too.

Very good point. I've changed mine to coconut fiber and was thinking of topping it with some repti bark, but not sure if that makes any difference. My humidity is at 50% on the hot side.

[Lankyrob]

I find that when you spray the tank the bark absorbs a lot of the moisture and then releases it during the day.

[NennaMeerkat]

For a ball would normal potting soil be okay to use? They have this stuff that is supposed to be 100% free of anything and just dirt. Probably expensive "green initiative" stuff.

[marionsclan]

For a ball would normal potting soil be okay to use? They have this stuff that is supposed to be 100% free of anything and just dirt. Probably expensive "green initiative" stuff.

Dunno if it is cheaper than the coconut fiber. I can get a three-pack for 10 bucks and one pack covers the floor of my 55 gal. Cleaning is very easy because you can fluff it up after you cleaned the dirty parts out.

[NennaMeerkat]

I have just never been a big fan of the coconut stuff. Dunno why, but its just meh. How about that repti bark? Though even that I am not a fan of. Maybe mix the repti bark with some potting soil that is supposed to be "free" of harmful stuff.

[marionsclan]

I have just never been a big fan of the coconut stuff. Dunno why, but its just meh. How about that repti bark? Though even that I am not a fan of. Maybe mix the repti bark with some potting soil that is supposed to be "free" of harmful stuff.

Maybe free of the harmful stuff but what about parasites and the like? At least with the reptile approved fibers you know they treat them for those, but with regular potting soil I'm not sure.

[Jenn_06]

on the + side you got a really cute little snake, i remember my first snake (ball python) bring that small. Congrats.

[brylecc1989]

eco earth would also work well for substrate

[Kiljosh]

Wow I come back and this has turned into quite a discussion!

Anywho, Stubbs is out and about roaming around my room, bein wierd and staring at stuff.

I am going to get him a night time lamp today his temp got kind of low last night but I feel bad leaving the bright lamps on all night. That and digital thermo's are on my shopping list.

Im also going to see if I can get him a new branch for his hot side, after looking at his current one it seems the hide is kind of small I don't want him to get stuck in there. I took it out and put a bridge in place of it, came with the tank I just didnt like the look of it but it will do for now.

Thank you all for the advice your making my mind ease a little knowing what needs to be done and what Ive done right.

[NennaMeerkat]

What is Eco Earth made out of exactly? Is it just baked potting soil? I have heard of people baking potting soil to try and kill anything harmful in it that would be considered parasites. Dunno how well it would work. Anyone would know.

Anyways, not trying to derail a thread. Keep us updated and when you get some more done with your setup feel free to throw some more pics at us :)

[brylecc1989]

eco earth is compressed coconut fiber

[Lankyrob]

If you get Ceramic heat lamps they give out just heat, no light. didnt check before but you HAVE got your heating elements thermostatted so that they dont cook your snake, haven't you?

[Kiljosh]

Just got done setting his new stuff up I'm gonna leave him be for a day or two, he's obviously a little freaked out by the addition of the leaves but he did explore for a bit before he crawled into his new hide to sleep.

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The tree on the right has a hole in the back I faced away from the room and towards his heat pad which is mounted on the side of the tank. I ran the digital thermo probes to the floor of the tank and got a 100w infared bulb for night time. I am watching the temps right now until they level out.

Do you guys think my probe positioning is ok? I don't think hes gonna get cooked, it never got above 93F on the hot side with the old thermo's which were right by the lights.

Again, thanks for your help.

[stephanbakir]

Link wont work for me.

[Kiljosh]

Try it now

[mykee]

"They don't really like the openness and feel more comfortable in anything that resembles their original habitat, bushy/leafy."

Lol. Really? When I think of savanna (desert) in Africa, words like "bushy" and "leafy" don't immediately pop to mind...

[Dehlida]

Ball Pythons spend a vast majority of their time underground in abandoned rodent burrows and the like, if you want to mimic his natural habitat, mimic that.

As for the habitat id change several things. Find a way to secure most of the top of the cage to hold in humidity. Place a piece of plywood over top of the like, something to hold in all the goodness that will naturally rise and escape your enclosure.

Also, bigger water dish. He needs to be able to soak freely and in my experience many BPs will soak every now and then if given the chance. Also, why a light? If you cover the top, and use a heat pad rated for the tank you have no need for those lights. Get your money back. Those lights if anything will cause too much heat, dry out your enclosure, and be a big waste for him. BPs are nocturnal and live underground, they have no use for the lights in all reality.

Most ball python breeders keep the snake in a tub, with paper towels, a hide, water dish, and a heat pad.

[marionsclan]

Lol. Really? When I think of savanna (desert) in Africa, words like "bushy" and "leafy" don't immediately pop to mind...

A savanna is a grassland with non-woody plants and it is often believed that savannas feature widely spaced, scattered trees. However, in many savannas, tree densities are higher and trees are more regularly spaced than in forest. Savannas are also characterized by seasonal water availability, with the majority of rainfall confined to one season. Savannas are frequently in a transitional zone between forest and desert, but by no means are considered desert.

BP prefer grassland and savannas for their habitat and to burrow underground, which brings me back to my original statement saying that pythons don't like open air spaces therefore picking burrows and savannas in which they can hide while roaming. So, if you have several hides and something to take up the air space in the tank they should feel comfortable.

As for keeping snakes in a tub that may work well for breeders who don't really need to see the snakes unless they're cleaning or feeding. So it is up to the individual owner if they want to make their snake's habitat a combo of visual acceptance for the owner and a close to accurate copy of their natural habitat.

[Morgan says]

Are you feeding him in his enclosure?
You're not supposed to do that correct?
>.<
I also just got a new ball not too long ago and am trying to figure out if I have everything down.

[Lankyrob]

THere is absolutely no reason not to feed in the enclosure as long as you take precautions for the snake not to eat any of the substrate - i use a plastic picnic plate.

[SnakeyJay]

Its a myth that they associate the viv doors opening with food.. smell and heat play a big part. I used to feed out of the viv and found that it seemed to stress my snakes and they were reluctant to feed. Now they hit the prey like a train. :)

[Morgan says]

Okie dokie thanks for that, I was just told over and over and over to NEVER feed a snake in its cage. Its nice to hear other wise. :)

[Lankyrob]

Think about it logically - they say dont feed in viv cos everytime you open the viv the snake will think of food. If that is the case and you feed outside of the viv then everytime you take them out of the viv they will think of food.

Either way works for you - it is personal preference.