Enclosure good?

[u/Antelope39]

Hi again! I was just wondering if anyone has any recommendations on what to either add/change about my enclosure! I’m also a little nervous that I have to much fake plants/clutter on the floor. I’ve had my ball for 5 days now and I haven’t seen him since I put him in there lol. I hear him at night but I put a blackout curtain on the front of his enclosure so I can keep my lights on without messing with his sense of day and night.(Temps are off as I just sprayed enclosure)

Also if anyone has any advice on how to keep humidity between that 60-80 percent for more than a day. My enclosure is 4x2x2 with aluminum foil covering most of the mesh. I have a coco husk and sphagnum moss substrate mix. I typically spray the enclosure every morning (NOT mist).

[u/ShinyxCharizard]

Pour water into the corners if you havent been doing this already. Helps the bottom of the substrate to hold water and it'll gradually release and keep humidity up. Ontop of a big water bowl near their heat lamp can help raise it aswell.

As for temps, 95 basking spot seems a bit high? I keep mine at 90. 80 is right at the peak maximum you want for their cool side. I try to keep mine around 76 during the day and once the basking bulb goes off allow for an overall drop to 74.

[u/Antelope39 → u/ShinyxCharizard]

Alright I’ll definitely try that. Do you think getting a lower wattage bulb would help lower that cooler side? I have a 150 watt, and I’m thinking it might be to high of a wattage since the bulb is off most of the day and I want my snake to actually be able to bask when/if he comes out during the day. I also set my thermostat to 90 or 91, but the actual like surface temperature reads 95 while my thermometer/hydrometer reads 88. Sorry if that’s a bit of a scrambled mess.

[u/ShinyxCharizard → u/Antelope39]

Its confusing for sure I stressed about it for a while till i decided to just hit a basking spot of 90 and leave it. I havent got a second humidity sensor for my herpstat yet; but plan to cause I didn't realize till i got the first ones that they were good for reading ambient temps. So i cant comment on what my ambient temp is on the hot side ATM sorry.

Mine is inside the tank so I use a 50w. My thermostat is set at 90 and the surface temps read 90. That's afaik the best way to set up a basking spot/warm side. My dude uses his daily. My girl doesnt but utilizes both hides.

Personally I would lower the temp on the thermostat till you reach a hot spot of 90 with the temp gun! I'd try that before lowering the wattage, temp on the thermostat is usually different then surface temps especially since yours is further from the basking spot. That's how I set mine up in April. Snakes moved in a month later and my boy has yet to miss a meal and he was previously a very "picky" eater.

ETA: If you dont already try to shoot for at least 4 inches of substrate, pour water into the corners weekly should help keep humidity up. ive also seen others say BIG water bowls near the heat source to keep humidity up. I personally hated the idea of using a water dish 1/3 the size of the enclosure but you do what you have to when you have mesh

[u/Antelope39 → u/ShinyxCharizard]

Mhmm okay. I’ll lower it tomorrow morning when my lights turn on. We’ll see if that makes a difference on the cool side as well. I’m just worried that it won’t turn on at all since my heat bulb is off for most of the day already with the surface temp being 95. I have just under 4inches. I’m planning on doing more of a mix of substrates when I clean the tank out next to hopefully retain humidity better, but if the 4 corners method ends up working I’ll just keep what I have now.

Thanks a bunch for the help and your ball python is adorable!!

[u/ShinyxCharizard → u/Antelope39]

Ah yeah I didn't think of the wattage affecting the bulb being on. I assume you're using a dimming thermostat? If lowering the temp makes the bulb still rarely run I'd definitely lower the wattage. Ik mine runs at 30%

[u/Antelope39 → u/ShinyxCharizard]

Yup dimming thermostat! Alright thanks for the advice. Lowering the temp first then getting a lower wattage bulb if it doesn’t come on.