my design idea

Ste · #1 (**permalink**) 06-30-2007, 03:01 PM

hello, new here, if this isnt the right place please move it am sorry, anyhow, i am getting a new vivarium for my 2year old BP and had a few ideas on what i want it like, can you guys take alook and tell me if this set up will be nice, humidity wise ect for my snake please? its not perfect, it was hard to scale everything perfectly on PC but thats the idea i have in mind

and the viv i am getting

http://static.preloved.co.uk/uploads...otos/84349.jpg

so what you think? any feedback would be great

Layna · #2 (**permalink**) 06-30-2007, 07:56 PM

It looks pretty good. A few things to keep in mind. Ball Pythons (BP) don't need UV lighting. If your looking for something to illuminate the enclosure I'd figure a cheaper route would be just a plain fluorescent fixture. If you're using both a heat lamp (red bulb) and a heat mat, the red bulb will suck the humidity out of the tank.

BPs need humidity around 50-60% and around 70% while in shed. Ways to bump the humidity up are by using a coco husk bedding (known as Bed a beast or Eco Earth in the US) and misting that lightly. You can also use a humid hide, which is a separate container placed in the tank that has a damp material (paper towels, packaged moss) in it to bump the humidity in that area alone.

I know others (on different boards) will suggest that you use two identical hides on each side of the enclosure so your BP doesn't prefer one hide over the other.

Also with your water dish/pond idea. Make it easy cleaning, in case your ball python defecates in the water.

If you need a bigger heat mat, a product called Flexwatt is a heated flexible 'tape' It's not sticky but a thin plastic used for wood or on plastic. As long as the temperature is properly regulated with a rheostat or thermostat you don't have to worry about melting your enclosure or burning your snake.

Other than that I think your good to go. If you have any questions feel free to ask.

Ste · #3 (**permalink**) 06-30-2007, 08:03 PM

thanks for the reply,

the reason i am getting a UV light is because i get 1 free with the vivarium a white 1, but it will pretty it up i think lol, yeah i am going to use 2 hides like i have on my picture, the water will be easy to clean, i am not building a ramp or anything like that just simple fill around the bowl with woodchips or something like that because you want see 4-5 inches of woodchips due to the wood on the vivarium

you said the red heat lamp will suck the humidity out, if so what do you recommend me to use? shal i go with only the heat lamp or only the heat map, atm in my old vivarium i am only using a heat map he always sits on it then moves to the other side of the tank were his hide is were its cool, shal i stick with this? if he is happy why change it kinda thing?

thanx alot for your info

Layna · #4 (**permalink**) 06-30-2007, 08:41 PM

3rd times a charm.... *sigh* Hopefully I can post this w/o losing it again...lol.

Heating. I'd keep your new setup heated as your current set up. Heat mat on one side. Temps in the low 90*F (warm side), (cool side) temp in the 80-85*F. You might need to use two heat mats to obtain these tempatures, hooked up to two seperate rheostats or thermostats. When you BP heats up he'll then move to the cool side to cool off and switch back if he's too cold. Which it sounds like he's doing. A good thing. If your having problems keeping your temps right I then might suggest a low wattage heat bulb.

As for the UV light if it's free it's free. I haven' heard of anything negative about UV with BPs. I've heard it negative with cornsnakes though. I'll double check to be sure. You might wanna check it out too just in case we come up with different ideas.