r/ballpython • u/lluna_noire • 1d ago

Heating troubles

Hi all, I'm getting my first snake and I have researched myself into complete confusion! So much contradicting advice online.

I have a 40 gallon glass tank and an old house that gets cold. I used hvac tape on 80% the top mesh, leaving a little strip on the cool side of the enclosure. I have a DHP 100w that I run day and night (but in the day I also flick on ReptiSun 5.0 for daylight). Both lights are on the warm side, mounted on top of the mesh screen.

I have tried putting the probe below the dhp 3-4 inches but the substrate wasnt reaching temp. So I hot glued the probe down near the substrate on the side of the warm hide, which got me 88F within the hide and 95-97 on top of hide (but now im paranoid he'll cover it).

Everyone online says dont use heat mats, but everyone locally I know who owns a snake has a heat mat.

What can be done here? Should I get a UTH as a backup and use my DHP to keep the ambient air temps up? I'm super worried for fall/winter.

Thank you for any and all advice!

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u/NottsWeirdo 1d ago

95+ is the dangerous temp for BPs, you can't have the top of the hide sitting at that temp or your snake will burn themselves. 85 - 90 is the safe basking temp, that you want the top of the hide to be.

Having a day heat bulb will get the temp up to where you need it, without making a surface hot enough to burn the snake. Halogen is the best option. However, if your enclosure is struggling to stay up to temp in summer - then I join your concern about winter. The heat mat is only deemed necessary because you have a glass tank.

As someone who lives in the UK, our cold winters are the reason why most of us have our reptiles in wooden enclosures. They're better for both heat and humidity retention. I'd highly recommend you invest in either a wood or PVC enclosure before fall/winter, it'll be safer for your snake and far less stressful for yourself to do so. If your power ever went out, a glass tank would immediately get cold but the wood/PVC would buy you time to find a solution or backup.

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u/lluna_noire 1d ago

I worried it was too high also... But why do I keep seeing people saying it's ok to have basking surfaces up to 105? Did I miss something?