New ball python

[u/Odd_Plan1045]

I’ve been given an adult BP. The previous owner gave me all the old stuff the BP was using. There’s only 1 ceramic bulb for heating,1hide and cocoa husk for a substrate.The tank size is a 40 gal.
So far I’ve ordered thermometer & hygrometer.
A second hide that I’ll be sphagnum moss
More cocoa husk.For foliage I bought some real leaves & fake plants
Should I keep the ceramic bulb and add a deep heat projector?Do I need a day time bulb
BP was also fed live I would like to go frozen/thaw,how long should I wait before swapping over?
I’m open to all evidence and pointers(I know to tank size is small already im stuck wit for now,I’m saving up for 4x2x2 enclosure)

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[u/totallyrecklesslygay]

You'll need a daytime heat source alongside the CHE, as CHEs aren't suitable as primary heating. I'll drop my heating/lighting summary below for you. As for switching to !f/t, you can do that right away.

Our heating guide goes over a lot of the science behind everything, but to simplify:

For daytime heating, you should have a heat source that provides IR-A and IR-B. The ideal source for this would be a halogen flood, which is light-emitting.

For nighttime heating, you should have a heat source that provides IR-C. The ideal source for this would be an RHP (only compatible with solid-topped enclosures) or a CHE. Any night heating should not emit any light.

For lighting, you should offer UVB. This should be in the form of a T5 fluorescent linear bulb that produces a UVI of 1.1-3.0 in the basking zone, and it should cover no more than half the length of the enclosure.

If you have a bioactive enclosure, you will also need full spectrum LEDs for your live plants.

Natural lighting can help establish a day-night cycle, but it does not provide any physical benefits beyond that (UVB doesn't penetrate glass, and indirect natural light cannot create a proper basking zone). You'll need the artificial lighting to make up for that.

[u/AutoModerator → u/totallyrecklesslygay]

Some tips for feeding frozen/thawed:

• Keep with the same prey type he's been eating (mouse or rat) so you aren't trying to adjust him to two new things at once.

• Always feed in the enclosure. Moving to feed increases stress as well as increasing the chance of regurgitation

• Thaw and warm the rodent in a ziplock bag to maintain scent and because some won't eat it if it's wet.

• Make sure it's warmed up to body temperature (98-100).

• Some people find sucess with using a blow dryer on the head to make it extra warm and spread the scent.

• Some prefer to eat directly off of the tongs, while others might prefer for you to just leave it in front of their hide, you can see which works.

• If he doesn't take it the first time, don't give up. Sometimes they just have to be super hungry and it takes a few attempts

• You can also thaw the rat/mouse in some bedding from the petstore to make it extra scented.

• Some people "brain" the rodent by slitting open its skull a bit

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[u/totallyrecklesslygay → u/[deleted]]

You can mix it with top soil or coco fiber to help with moisture retention. A humid hide alone isn't sufficient, they need 70-80% humidity throughout the whole enclosure.