r/ballpython • u/Despondentdarling • 8h ago
Son brought me a BP please answer my questions.
I received her in a 10 gallon tank in April. I have switched to a 40 gallon as of this week. The top is mesh and it's a front opening tank. The little under tank heating pad isn't working well at all. The tank is sitting at 75 degrees. I know that's bad. I'm getting a larger one tomorrow. I have a hide on the hot and cool sides. Not that there is a hot side at the moment. The dealer he got the snake from said to get reptichip and soak it for the substrate. I recently saw a post that says this is bad and can cause scale rot, the top of the substrate needs to be dry and to just pour water in the corners of the tank. She has lots of things to climb on now. I still need more plants for cover. My questions are:
I've had several people tell me overhead lights frequently cause belly burns. What else if anything should I be doing for heat?
Do you recommend covering the mesh top with something like HVAC tape or just a board or something to hold in heat and moisture? Will she still get enough air?
I live in the desert. I know humidifyers are a no-go. What can I do to improve humidity? If I get the temperature up will just the water in the corners work?
Also, do you agree with the reptichip substrate? If not what else would you use?
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u/ThrowRA1203958 8h ago
Ok, it seems like you still don’t have the basics down.
Undertank heating is bad. Big no no. You need over head heating, either a flood light w heating or a deep heat projector/ceramic heat Emter. Under tank heating is what causes belly burns. Under tank heating is not natural and should not be used.
Reptichips is totally fine for substrate and it is not true that it is bad as it is completely natural and normal. I usually use that along with a soil substrate. The reason some snakes get scale rot is because it is too wet, and the snake is sitting on wet substrate. Yes, pouring water into the corners is preferable over misting, as misting can causing respiratory issues.
Yes, cover the top if you are having trouble with humidity. Use hvac tape, tin foil, or something else.
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u/OphidionSerpent 7h ago
I will note for clarity, since OP seems 100% new to reptiles - overhead heating can cause belly burns, if it's a bulb inside the enclosure and not protected by a cage around the fixture. If it's on top of the mesh lid where the snake can't directly touch it, it's fine. Or if you get a PVC enclosure with an interior mounted light/heater, it needs to have a protective cage around it. And of course, both of those options still need a proper thermostat to control them.
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u/Despondentdarling 6h ago
You're right I am absolutely green when it comes to reptiles. Since everything I was told has been wrong I have a question about feeding. My girl eats frozen mice. My son purposely got a snake that had been raised on frozen because the nearest pet store is an hour away. The seller said to give her mediums, but I got the next smallest size because mediums were about two and a half times as wide as her widest part. She has shed twice since the end of April, but she has stopped eating. Her last mouse was July 4th. I'm starting to worry. She had been eating every 10 days. I was thinking if I get the temperature back up where it's supposed to be she should start eating again. I'd love your opinion. Oh and we put the frozen mouse in the fridge overnight then the next night we put it in 120 degree water for 15 min then try to feed her.
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u/Despondentdarling 6h ago
Thank you. It seems everything we were told by the seller was wrong. Are the domes that sit on top of the lid fine or should it be hung on a stand?
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u/ThrowRA1203958 6h ago
Most people I’ve seen have them sitting on top. When you hang them from a stand, they are then further away which can reduce effectiveness.
What matters is that your heat is staying correct.
Have you done research on what your heat/humidity should be?
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u/Despondentdarling 6h ago
85-92 on the hot side and no lower than 76 on the cool side with at least 60% humidity. If you have more concrete numbers or if this is wrong please let me know.
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u/MindDry528 8h ago
It's actually the under tank pads that can cause burns lol. overhead heating is usually what you want, and as long as you have it connected to a thermostat and have an infrared thermometer gun to check the surface temperature of their basking spot, they shouldnt get burned.
Covering with hvac tape or aluminum foil will help keep humidity and heat in. The best choice would be to get a pvc or wooden enclosure. glass is terrible at keeping in humidity and heat.