Arg..damn rubbermaid plz help...

[Nicky]

Hey all,
It's my first time ever using a rubbermaid and i'm having alot of trouble getting it up in the 80s for my baby ball python without melting the plastic top. First of all what do you guys use to heat a rubbermaid I bought and undertank heat pad just to learn it couls only be used on glass isn;t thoe whole purpose of under tank heat pads to be used in rubber maids, I currently have an clamp lamp 29cms above the rubbermaid with a 100 watt bulb to at least provide a bit of heta until i figure this out. What else could i use i need to keep it in the 80s and still keep humidity without melting the lid? Would heat tape work if so could it keep it warm enough?
plz help me i'm so new to rubbermaids in the future i think i'll just stick to glass tanks.
Thx in advace
Kayla

[BoidKeeper]

Ditch the lamp, it's not meant for a Rubbermaid unless you are going to cut away part of the lid and line it with metal mesh and let the lamp sit on top of it. However, none of that is needed. Just place the UTH under one side and measure the temp. Don't worry about 80; you want to concentrate on your basking spot first which needs to be 95-90. The worry about your ambient temp. If it's too low move the snake to a warmer room or add another heat pad under the cool side.
You heat pads should be hooked to rheostat so you can control the temps. If you can't make one you can buy one at a pet shop.
All this is why you are supposed to set up your cage a few days in advance so that it is ready and waiting. All these questions and problems are supposed to be solved before the snake comes home. While your trying to get the basics figured out it's your snake that is suffering have to get buy with inadequate housing waiting for you to get it together.
Oh and do you own a copy of the ball python manual? You may want to get one.
Kayla I don't want you to think I'm coming down on you but this is a living breathing animal that deserves the best. It didn't ask to live with you, no herp has ever asked to live with any of us. I get frustrated when read the same post over and over again from people asking how to fine tune their set ups after the snake is already home. Having the cage ready and waiting is not providing your animal with the best care, it's providing them with the minimum care.
Cheers,
Trevor

[Nicky]

thx, ya it was stupid to not get it set up first it won;t happen in the future. Yes i own a copy of the ball python manual and have a few magasines on them. Just really fusterated on trying to figure out this stupid rubbermaid. I switched her to my hoggies 10 gal for now and covered up a good bit of the top to keep in humidity. The temp is 97ish on the basking spot, 80 in the warm end and 77 at the cool. I have 2 hide boxes 2 inch deep mulch bedding, a water bowl and live spider plant for her. Is this an ok set up for her? If i should make any adjustment plz tell me. I don;t want her to be stressed out. As for my hoggy i put him in a smaller rubbermaid 20cm by 15 cm by 6 cm. I think this will help him to feel more secure and hopefully start eating. I'm going to get a rehostate for the rubbermaid tommorow and keep my hoogy in there until he gets a bit bigger. Thx for your help
Kayla.

[BoidKeeper]

It all sounds good the only thing I would change for now is the substrate. I would keep her on white paper towl until you know she is mite free.
Cheers,
Trevor

[Nicky]

Sounds good switching it now.
thx for your help
Kayla

[BoidKeeper]

Good luck keep us posted!
Also if you want to use the UTH, you can flip the tank on it's side and have it front opening. There is a pic of one in my gallery. I find it helps to hold in the humidity.
Cheers,
Trevor

[sapphire_moon]

I would also take out the live plant, they only destroy them. lol

[JonD]

Human heat pads wrok very well at heating rubbermaids. THey are fairly cheap and reliable for me so far.

[Auskan]

Don't worry about the instructions saying its only for glass - I used them on rubbermaids and so do many of us here. When you think about it, we're heating to lower temperatures than a rubbermaid will encounter on a hot day in many parts of the country (here in Kansas, we regularly get days in the 100's in the summer for weeks at a time and you don't see plastic rubbermaids melting all over the place - for a BP that you are only heating to 95, its no problem at all).

[sapphire_moon]

Oh you just HAD to remind me of whats to come didn't you Auskan!

I've had my temps shoot up to the 110's and the plastic wasn't even hot enough to become pliable. (temp check without the snake in there!).

And I've heard heat tape can go up to 140 degrees or something like that? Not sure though.

[Nicky]

Thx everyone, Someone from my moms work gave me a free 5 gal tank today in good condition so I ditched the rubbermaid I was keeping my hoggy in.( I ended up putting starburst in the hoggys cage because I forgot to come back and check this thread )Either way everything has been worked out and both my Bob and Starburst seem happy in there new tanks and I will deffenlty rember about the rubbermaids for next time.
Thx alot
You guys rock!
Kayla

[Icefire]

5 gallons for 2 snakes? I'm not into snake but that look small..
even for a baby leopard gecko it's bare minimum....

[Oliverian]

I don't think both snakes are in the same 5 gallon. Sounds like you're doing a good job so far though.

-TammyR

[Icefire]

my mistake :P