Ball Python Heating/Lighting Guide
Вставка
- Опубліковано 1 сер 2024
- Good Morning, Reptilians! I've done this video for a few different animals, so let's talk about heating and lighting a ball python's tank. This is in no way an exhaustive list of options, just going over the most common options.
Things I Mention In This Video (some of these are affiliate links, so the prices are the same for you, but a tiny portion of your purchase goes towards supporting the channel 💜)
Custom Cages Tank I Have - www.customcages.com/hrm3-rept...
Temp Gun - amzn.to/3l6Jsdk
Wall Thermometer (for ambient temp) - amzn.to/3ytn8xp
Heat Pad - go.magik.ly/ml/1crv9/
Thermostat - amzn.to/3mxrkcP
Dimmable Dome - amzn.to/3yrNO1N
The Basking Bulb I Currently Use - go.magik.ly/ml/1rqfb/
DHP - go.magik.ly/ml/1ni3f/
CHE - go.magik.ly/ml/1rqg6/
Arcadia Shade Dweller - go.magik.ly/ml/1rqfp/
Arcadia 6% - go.magik.ly/ml/1rqfw/
Reptisun 5.0 Hood - go.magik.ly/ml/1bwfh/
0:00 Intro
0:56 Heating
1:22 Heat Pad (+Thermostat)
2:46 Basking Bulb
4:14 DHP
5:18 CHE
5:50 Radiant Heat Panel
6:40 Heat Rocks
7:07 Lights
7:26 UVB Lights
8:21 Best UVB
8:35 Outro
8:49 Sponsor - customcages.com
9:40 Shoutouts (kind of)
9:59 Bloopers
Don't forget to check out store.iheartgeckos.com/ for their awesome conversion kits. :)
Need Roaches? Don't forget to use code ELLE at www.thedubiadude.com/ for 10% off your order! :)
Thanks for watching! :)
*******
🦗 Want to support the channel? Buy my reptiles some feeders at: www.buymeacoffee.com/ellesrep...
🛒 www.etsy.com/shop/ellesreptiles/
🎬 TikTok: / elle.622
📷 Instagram: / elle.622
📸 Den's Instagram: / reptilian_den
🐦 Twitter: / ellesreptiles
💌 Want to send us something?
Elle O'Shea
PO Box 3061
Decatur, AL 35602
Curious about what I use in my tanks or what you need for your new setup? Check out my Amazon Store:
www.amazon.com/shop/ellesrept...
*******
What I Use To Film (nothing exciting here, but for those that are curious):
Fujifilm XT4 w/ 16-80mm lens:
amzn.to/3Icg5Mm
Canon M50:
amzn.to/34nZjWj
Microphone:
amzn.to/2SOIRwx
Rode Mic For My Camera:
amzn.to/3A1bWbi
Ring Light:
amzn.to/2IdotkG
Brick Background:
amzn.to/2su8RC2
*******
Disclaimers:
Although I have a few reptiles, I am in no way a reptile expert. I just research a whole bunch and make videos. Please always do lots and lots of research (outside of these videos) before getting any pet, and please take any sick pet that you have to the vet for care. 💜
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. This just means that I receive a small percentage of your purchase, but don't worry, the prices are the same.
We're just spreading our love for animals. :)
Don't forget to subscribe! We upload every single Sunday, and some Wednesdays. Come hang out with us and watch us talk about animal things... and watch our animals do animal stuff.
music: Moons - Patrick Patrikios
Cosmic - DivKid
New Day - Patrick Patrikios
Lovable Clown Sit Com - Sir Cubsworth
#ballpython #ballpythonlights #reptiles - Домашні улюбленці та дикі тварини
I don't know why but heating and lighting are the most intimidating part of my planning process lol.
Heating is probably the most misunderstood aspect of keeping reptiles, and it challenges the best of us. When I finally make a video, the subject will be heating since that subject is glossed over in videos. What amazes me is that some of the youtubers putting out the most "how-to" content do not have much of an understanding of how the different heat sources work and how to best control those sources.
If you are lucky, you can have a heated room. That makes things so much easier.
@6strings You'll have to keep me posted when you do, haha. It would be greatly appreciated! Also I agree, I've watched so many different UA-camrs and done so much research and spoken to so many people in person, even experienced breeders, and I haven't gotten a consistent answer yet, lol. I've heard some say radiant heat panels are enough for a pvc enclosure or some have said a heat pad is needed as well but pvc doesn't let heat pass through well and could melt. It's all over the place. I think in the end because I don't have a hot house in the winter I'll do a heat panel on one side to maintain a warm side and a heat mat on the other for the hot spot.
@@XxGlynwenxX My "snake room" gets very cool in Winter, and keeping a boa constrictor in there made me have to try things out. The most effective combo that I use now is a radiant heat panel on a dimmer plugged into an ON/OFF thermostat, and then heat tape/heat mat under the cage also with its own temperature controller. Plus, I keep an oil-filled radiating heater in there for December and January. During Summer, I simply unplug the undercage heat and thermostat. So yeah, the heat panel and heat mat combo is a winner for cool times, and then just use one or the other during warmer weather.
And yes, these UA-camrs do a great job posting videos, but they simply do not know the mechanics of heating in many cases. They use the common heating products which unfortunately are barely adequate at best. Spend the money, get a radiant heat panel. It will last 25+ years. Halogens are effective but burn out, plus the light bulb industry is dumping halogens. This means that only halogens will be made for reptile use, and the price will go up 3x for something that burns out. Who wants to rely on a heater than will burn out? Not me. Stick with non-light-emitting heaters - they last forever if used correctly, and while not the sun, snakes know how to use belly heat. They rest on their bellies, their bellies contact the ground, it makes sense. Not saying you cannot use other heaters - of course you may do what you think is best and what works for your situation. Another one of my strong opinions - don't keep boas/pythons in glass cages with screen tops. Screen tops are the worst unless your entire room is heated or you live in the sub tropics. You can cover screen tops fortunately, so I guess the glass cage is still workable. Vision (HDPE), JPM Reptilia (HDPS) and All American Cages (ABS) - look at those cages. I like HDPS, ABS and HDPE plastic better than PVC, but PVC is darn good too but not as strong, meaning it takes thicker PVC to provide proper rigidity = more weight. Geez do I have opinions.
@6strings Opinions are good haha. I appreciate your opinion because I think it's the best I've gotten in regards to heating so far so I definitely appreciate it! My house does tend to get pretty hot in the summer so it makes sense to only use one heat source in the summer and two in the winter and I think I'll definitely be putting that into practice. I had no desire at all to go the light route for those same issues so I knew pretty much on day one that I would be spending the money on a radiant heat panel and a heat pad. As for my enclosure, I'm also super against glass ones, especially hearing how you should cover up 3 sides for a ball python as well because of their shyness. So I purchased a pvc one last week because I liked how they seemed to operate the best and I thought it would fit my current situation the best :). I've got a good size one too it's 48×12×24 :). So it's about 60 gallons and I'll be starting with a hatchling to juvenile from the breeders expo in Sept in my city.
Omg YES 😂
Good morning, have an amazing Sunday!! Ball pythons seem like the most adorable snakes there are honestly. I enjoy seeing them in videos!!
Very good tips! My brother had a ball python a number of years ago. I was about 5 or 6 when he let me hold it for the first time. I would love to have a ball on day! Have a blessed sunday and week 💗
Good morning Elle, interesting and informative advice always. Safe travels and have a great week!😊
Love your channel stared watching you when I first got my bearded dragon, then moved on to bp and learned so much from ur videos. Thank you so much and keep it up✌️😊
Super informative. Been needing a good heat/lighting video to share.
I would put a flat stone underneath the heat it will hold heat. Love your videos ❤
These are super helpful! I’ve been trying to figure out good heating methods for my ball python. The heating pads I’ve been getting dont give nearly enough heat, so I might look into other kinds or a heating lamp!
A halogen flood bulb would be the most natural and beneficial primary daytime heat source, and a ceramic heat emitter would be good for nighttime heat :)
This is an excellent video, with excellent information. Nice job! 😎
Great Video! I learned a lot from this video.
Oh my gosh thank you so much this is so helpful
Another great video and advice. Keep up the great work and keeping us informed. See you next Sunday.
GOD BLESS 🐍💖🐍💖🐍💖🐍💖
I just went out and purchased a flukers dimmer lamp and it has worked wonders for keeping the terrarium below 95-100° (how it was at some points of the day with just a regular thrive deep lamp) but above 85-90°. Could not recommend it more
They sell - they being Home Depot, Lowes, Amazon - plug-in lamp dimmers so you can use a regular heat dome and add the dimmer function. The best approach is to plug your dimmer-and-dome setup into a thermostat. Then the thermostat can guard against overheat conditions.
My CHE totally destroys my humidity. Without it I can maintain a humidty of 65% with temperature at 55-60 degrees. However once it is on, the humidty drops down to 30%. I have multiple humidity hides, a water bowl underneath the heat emitter, a mix of cypress mulch and sphagnum moss, and lightly spray the tank every day but it consistently brings the humidity back down to 30% or less. I have also tried covering the half the tanks lid with a plexiglass sheet.
Luckily wher ei live it's tropical and the hear & temperatures take care of themselves pretty well, though i do have a heat lamp and heating pad for when it drops but maintaining the temperature is easier. Though warmee weather is a bit tricky, it's getting up to the 100° and up here so i'm trying to find waya to make sure it doesn't get too hot in her enclosure.
Dhp or che is where it's at for full tank heat. I always use a heat mat under the hot hide. On a thermostat of course.
Just letting you know: A halogen flood bulb is the most natural and beneficial primary heat source, the levels of infrared A and B they produce most closely mimic the sun. DHPs produce barely any IRA (the most beneficial wavelength) and CHEs only produce IRC and are therefore not a good primary heat source.
@Nighting Gale halogens are inefficient and burn far more power than any other heat source. Dhp is way more energy efficient and it's been proven balls don't need uv light. They are nocturnal and generally get their heat from the termite mounds they inhabit. They only need a day/night cycle and led is far more efficient for that.
I have a 46 by 18 by 18 tank and I'm thinking of using a 100w basking bulb for day time and a DHP for nighttime. Will that be fine? I am not using a heat pad because the heat from the heat pad won't really go through that much substrate since my setup is also bioactive.
I wanted to ask! I’m still a little confused just because I’ve been hearing so many things from different places - I’m going to be using a DHP… do I ALSO need a heat mat? Thanks so much!!
I’ve found CHEs to suck the moisture out of the air more than DHPs. But YMMV.
Where do you get that steel screen for the top of your tank? I have a generic black one and it feels like it doesn’t take heat well, slightly smells like burning plastic
i have a small question as i am currently doing research on ball pythons years before i actually get one, is it possible to have both a heat pad and a uvb light on at the same time? or does that increase the risk of the bp getting burnt? also , i plan to get a 120 gallon tank for my ball python however ive been hearing opposite sides with one saying it would stress a baby bp out and with the other saying that if there’s enough clutter the bp should be fine. ive also been doing more research and i saw something that said that for a tank as large as a 120 gallon tank id have to use overhead heating instead of the heat pad, is this also true?
can i put a ceramic heat emitter on a reptitemp thermostat?
if u are using a dhp, where do you put the thermometer probe?
Please do a hearing guide how you do your tanks
What time should I turn on my uvb light ?
I had a breeder tell me to not put a heat pad under my glass tank, which i had planned on originally, but he said the glass gets too hot (i wouldve used a thermostat obv) and if my ball python happens to knock over the water bowl the glass would crack... i have a heat lamp now, but does anyone have experience with that?
So if you got a heat pad you won’t need a basking bulb ? Or you need both ??.
Hey!! Thanks for the video! I recently got a beautiful Banana Ball Python from a friend at the end of Feb. He’s about 4 yrs old and was in a 40gal tank, UTH and a 60w blue day and red night bulbs. I know this isn’t “correct” lighting, so I wanted to update him! His appetite is hit or miss, currently.
After watching your recent videos, I took your advice and ordered him a ShadeDweller Arcadia UVB kit and an 80W Arcadia Deep Heat Projector on a Fluker’s dimmable dome.
I’m also running a Zoo Med UTH for 40g tanks. But no thermostat.
Was wondering if you had any further advice for me? I know the UVB will be his day light. But for the Deep Heat, do I keep that on day and night for ambient temps on the warm side? Does it go over his cave he lays in, which is on top of his UTH? What should I aim for on his basking temps and ambient temps in F°?
Just some basic setups questions for ya. If you can also direct me to the thermostat you use for the UTH, I’ll order that as well.
You rock and thank you so much for reading and helping me with this! I plan on later, moving him to a 4x2x2 PVC enclosure.
The heat mat isn’t necessary, I’d get rid of it. I recommend using a halogen flood bulb as the primary daytime heat source, the levels of infrared A and B they produce more closely mimic the sun (DHPs produce barely any IRA, the most beneficial wavelength). The basking spot surface temperature should be in the 90s, warm side ambient should be 88-92, cool side ambient should be 76-80, and the nighttime temperature should be in the 70s.
You said not to leave a light on in the tank on over night, does that mean turn off the UV-B bulb too?
What kind of lamp do you use
First time snake owner here thanks for the information. I will definitely get that thermal gun and uvb light. So far my snake is eating and she does love the heading pad and hides. For a 20 gallon long tank are fake plants recommended? And if so do I cover the crap out of it?
I’d ditch the heat mat and get a halogen flood bulb for the primary daytime heat source, a ceramic heat emitter for nighttime. Yes, fake plants are recommended. The more cover, the better. Keep in mind that a 20 gallon long won’t last the snake long. The enclosure must be at least as long as the snake. It’s recommended to start juveniles in an enclosure no smaller than 40 gallons, if not their adult 4x2x2’ or larger.
Hey, I'm a new ball python owner and have deep concerns about the care of my snakes so I ask a favor to take the time to read and give your advice. I have six juveniles, and I've had them for six months and shorter.
They are all in glass enclosures with a hide on both sides. I don't have a basking bulb, but instead, a reptizoo under the tank heat mat hooked up to a thermostat set to 90 degrees fahrenheit on their hot sides. I try to keep the ambient air temp in the room and enclosures at 80 degrees, but sometimes they drop down to 75. Not sure if this constant temperature throughout their enclosures is problematic due to a lack of an actual gradient.
I've seen so much conflicting info about humidity, but so far I've tried to kept it at 60... Unfortunately I've had a shortcoming in this part of their care because they have been living in an average humidity of 54. But now I'm gonna try to keep it closer to 70 by spraying water on their fake leaves as necessary.
Substrate is paper towels because it's cleaner and easy to switch out as necessary. They get fresh water every two days, and all eat a rat pup once a week. They don't seem dehydrated to me, and lately I've seen two of them soaking every day.
My concern is in the fact that I've read they should shed around once a month, but all but one haven't shed in months... I'm wondering if my setup and husbandry is sufficient enough for the care of them. I'm worried about the lack of shedding and if this can result in sickness and the death of them. Not to mention some of them have two or three small yellowish orange spots where a scale is that look like potential scale rot (the snakes with this are all white) and they've had them since their last shed. Please be as critical as you can and tell me if this is OK and if I can do better.
I live in the UK can I still buy a custom cages cage do you know?🤔
I am looking to get a ball python soon, so as a new ball python owner, should I use the heating pad or one of the bulbs for a 60"x24"x24" pvc tank. And if I should use on of the bulbs wich should I go with?
Definitely not a heat mat, overhead heating is necessary. A halogen flood bulb (or more than one if necessary) is the most natural and beneficial primary daytime heat source. A ceramic heat emitter or radiant heat panel is good for nighttime/supplementary heat. A tube UVB bulb would be beneficial as well.
For the DHP. Since it heats up a wide range do you need a secondary heatsource for the "hotspot"? If not then how do you make a hotspot and a ambient temp. With one heating source? And what temp should the DHP be set at?
Depends on your ambient room temp. If it is cold in the room and the cage is large, one DHP may not cut it. But if or when the room is warmer, one DHP is all that is needed. That is why a heat mat is good to have - even if you only use it during cooler weather in addition to the DHP. The DHP can be primary as long as it is not too high up. The effective heating energy dissipates quickly over 16 inches of distance depending on things.. Plus screen tops let out so much heat during cooler weather. For a DHP, you use a thermostat to guard against overheating below - where the snake is, on the substrate or just above it. Set it to 85-90 and forget it. DHPs are slow to respond anyway. The snake will move around to adjust its internal body temp. BTW, the internal body temp is what matters. DHP waves penetrate into the flesh, so a snake can be 85 deg inside its body under the DHP even if the air above it is 75 deg.
What side does the UBV lighting go? The cool-side or the warm-side? Or the middle of the both?? I am trying to prepare for my very first ball python and would love some advice on this question.
The UVB doesn’t emit heat so it doesn’t particularly matter. Just across the tank 🙂
I highly recommend a dedicated snake room that you can keep at a higher temp
I also love the DHP. I have a thermostat (dimable). Let your DHP cool down a bit during the night? I have an ordinary LED bulb for day/night cycle. Right now I also let the DHP coll down a few degrees (celsius) during the night.
I recommend looking into getting a halogen flood bulb, they’re more natural and beneficial than DHPs! The levels of infrared A and B they produce more closely mimic the sun (DHPs produce barely any IRA, the most beneficial wavelength). A tube UVB bulb would also be beneficial :)
What about the red UV lights like the white big bulb you had those can stay on at night correct I've been doing that with my pocket python for about almost a year now and it's been doing ok
Red lights should be avoided. Any lights at night will disrupt their day/night cycle. It’s best to use a halogen flood bulb for the primary daytime heat source and a ceramic heat emitter at night.
I'm currently running a DHP on a Herpstat 1 thermostat with the Arcadia Shade Dweller UVB on a day/night timer. Is it absolutely necessary to have a halogen spot on as well? I keep hearing conflicting information. The DHP is doing a good job keeping temps right. Room also gets lots of natural sunlight from south facing windows. I just don't want to have to upgrade to a Herpstat 2 to control the DHP and a halogen if It isn't necessary.
A halogen flood bulb would be more natural and beneficial for the primary daytime heat source; the levels of infrared A and B they produce more closely mimic the sun (DHPs produce barely any IRA, the most beneficial wavelength).
I bought a BN-Link thermostat and plugged in my reptitherm 20 gal heat pad. I set it to 90 degrees, and it is stuck on "heating" and stays around 71. Any ideas? Do I need the Zoo Med specific thermostat to go with the pad???
1st make sure the probe is right over or on the heat pad. If you still read a constant 71, then your thermostat likely has a probe connection that is loose, or a trace on the circuit board lifted. (You do not need a ZooMed-specific thermostat.) The $18 thermostats can fail like that. I have various thermostats from Amazon, and the ones that were in the $30+ range have been great. Get yourself a tabletop lamp dimmer in the meantime - those are awesome for heat pads. I use them with a thermostat (dimmer plugged into thermostat output receptacle) to keep the heat pad dialed down to about 50% power or so. Then the thermostat relay does not cycle as much = longer life.
Super important question here, by bigger bulb then lamp, do you mean I could put a 100w bulb in a 75 watt lamp as long as it has a dimmer or do you mean a 100w lamp and bulb then just use the dimmer?
100w lamp and bulb. I just mean a stronger bulb that you would normally use for that tank - but definitely always make sure the lamp is rated for it!
People still use heat mats? I thought we decided they don't really make sense a long time ago... Heat lamps are the way to go with a CHE or a DHP like I use.
Agreed, although a halogen flood bulb is the most natural and beneficial primary daytime heat source. They produce infrared A and B like the sun, heat that penetrates deep into the skin tissue and heats them far more effectively. DHPs produce barely any IRA (the most bioavailable type of heat), making them the second best option. CHEs only produce infrared C and therefore are good for supplementary/nighttime heat but not a good primary heat source.
@@nightinggale6470 I have never personally used a flood lamp, but have heard people endorse them! I have just always used deep heat projectors and radiant heat panels and have had great success with nothing but healthy snakes.😀 For light, I just use a UVB(7% or 8%) arcadia light on all of my enclosures on timers and have enjoyed them. I'm sure there are many ways to do it, but as long as the snakes are happy and healthy, that's all that matters!
@@Lovell93 I stand by what I said. While they can live with just DHPs/RHPs, there is overwhelming scientific evidence and anecdotal evidence that they thrive better with halogens. DHPs produce barely any near infrared heat (IRA), and RHPs only produce IRC. I hope you consider trying halogens, you may be surprised with the results 🙂
They don’t really bask too much like a lizard would they need heat from below to better digest food
Ceramic bulbs are the way to go
Curious, can you have 1 dhp and 1 Che? I have 2 dhp’s and the air temp can’t get a over 80 degrees it stays anywhere from 75-80 but my humidity holds perfectly!
A halogen flood bulb is the most natural and beneficial primary daytime heat source since they more closely mimic the sun. DHPs and CHEs are better as nighttime/supplementary heat sources.
My tank is kept in the living room - it gets moderate daylight from the sun through the window and in the evening the rooms lights are on until around 8pm - would a t5 light still be a requirement for light source?
A T5 5-7% UVB bulb would be very beneficial regardless. Also keep in mind that a halogen flood bulb connected to a dimmer or dimming thermostat is the most natural and beneficial primary daytime heat source. Basically, a halogen flood and tube UVB bulb would be the ideal daytime lighting setup.
What about dim leds that change color for my viewing at night? Purple looks good so does blue. Not all night.. Just on for about 2 hours after lighting goes off. Should be safe for BP eyes?
Any lights at night disrupt their day/night cycle and wash out their colour vision. I’d just get a camera if you want to see what they’re up to at night.
what should i use at night if i have a basking light??
Heat pad is best at night because they do not burn out. Lights burn out when you least expect it, sometimes in the middle of Winter - not good.
If you use a plastic cage with solid top, a radiant heat panel is just awesome for night. Again, these do not burn out.
You should have 2 heat sources in place.. in Summer you may get away with using just one of them (heat pad usually).
What’s the difference between a dimmer and thermostat temp adjustment??
You can set a thermostat to automatically maintain a specific temperature (there are on/off stats and dimming stats), with a dimmer you need to manually adjust it as necessary.
I’m having a really hard time with my startle reflex , I’ve tossed my bp across the room twice now . The first time was a feeding response and she latched on and I reacted and flung my hand back with her attached and she went flying , just now I was holding her and she strikes at my other hand and I flung her again! Idk what to do , I’m not even thinking when I do it I just happens it’s like I have no control over it , and it’s making me think I should rehome her for her safety. Is there a way for me to get over this knee jerk reaction? She’s a spider ball, and my first snake , she’s a really pretty snake and I love her , she’s gotten me into the reptile hobby and building bioactive enclosure , it’s my new favorite hobby and I hate that I have this about me . I’ve always been real flintchy . It’s not that I’m scared of being bitten, or am I? But it’s more of the speed and suddenness that makes me jerk my hand or drop her if she tries to strike at me . The first time was a feeding response , I dropped the mouse from the tongs and went to pick it up and she got my finger, latched on and my hand went flying with her attached . We got over that and we were fine together, that was when I first got her . Now fast track a couple months , I take her out the other night , and I believe it was because the room was very dimly lit, and my hand was in front of her face and she struck at it and my other hand holding her for some reason jumped and she went flying and landed in a pot in the kitchen..😮 I know I feel horrible, she’s perfectly fine and I’ve handled her a couple times since then with no problems . But it has me worried that I won’t be able to get over it and end up hurting her . She’s maybe a little over a year old so she has a lot of socializing work to be done , but what if she strikes again and she gets hurt? I know people are going to say I shouldn’t have a snake but I’m obsessed with this hobby and these snakes , maybe a glove on my hand would help ?
don’t put your hand in front of her face she’ll be less likely to strike, watch snake handling videos to teach the snake the difference between you and when you’re feeding it
Would you be able to post a video on red lights if you haven’t already? Not finding much on them with ball pythons but I hear they are pretty bad for some reptiles like bearded dragons with the red light not being bright enough to work the beardie’s dilation of the pupils to block out UV
Also in my area I am finding it really difficult to find a DHP larger than 80 watts which heated my 48x18x16 fine but it’s difficult to get the warm side of my 4x2 any warmer than 86-87 with a 80w DHP unless I chance it with Amazon brands. Sucks as the ceramic bulbs are easy to find all the way up to 150w but don’t provide all the benefits DHP’s do which really is a bummer for the upgrade I just made for my nearly 6 foot female ball python
Red lights shouldn’t be used for any reptile for two reasons: 1) When used at night, they disrupt their day/night cycle, and 2) When used during the day, they wash out their colour vision. A halogen flood bulb is the most natural and beneficial primary daytime heat source, and a ceramic heat emitter or deep heat projector can be used for nighttime/supplementary heat.
@@nightinggale6470 on my ball pythons enclosures, I use a combination of a basking bulb during the day and a DHP at night on an automatic timer system controlled by my phone
I’ve tried researching videos on proper setup for the deep heat specifically for ball pythons but have barely come across any. I’m worried that putting the probe in a higher area (I’m sure he’ll be venturing my snek is a curious one) will effect how hot the hide area is. How do I properly combat that? Should I put the probe in between both the high spit and the hide area? If I put the probe around the hide area then the highest spot for him to chill may get too hot due to it being set to a penetrating the hide temperature :/ sorry if this whole comment is confusing lol
The thermostat probe should be situated so it’s hanging below the lamp where the snake can’t disturb it. Monitor surface temps with a temperature gun and ambient temps with a digital thermometer, and adjust as necessary.
Temperature probes do not sense IR heat unless the IR heat builds up on something below - the snake, wood, rock, substrate. So a probe dangling in the air is not a great indicator of the temp on the cage floor below. But it is fine to guard against overtemp conditions. You do not need tight control for a deep heat projector - they don't even respond quickly anyway - takes a long time to heat up and cool down. So just use the thermostat as an overtemp preventer and let the snake choose its position under the DHP. Probe can be on the ground or just above. Too high and it measures air only (again, not bad necessarily as long as you realize.) It is a myth that a DHP can be controlled down to the degree especially with an ON/OFF thermostat. So don't expect that. Guard against overtemperature and undertemperature and let the snake do the rest.
@@6strings735 I’ve set it up just as you described. Right above the hide. I also have another prob thermometer inside the hide up top so I can gauge a bit more accurately how hot it gets inside vs outside the hide. A normal thermometer for the ambien temperature and a humidity gauge inside and outside of the hide as well. Ambient temp is pretty good due to my home always being set to 75 during the day and 72 at night. I’d say the little fella is doing well and just as you described, choosing the best place for him at the moment. A lot more active than before for sure and regulating himself properly. I appreciate the reply and for confirming that I’ve been doing alright so far. Cheers!
@@cringesh1t427 Awesome, all the best to you and the snake!
So quick question.. I have my heat mat tethered to a thermostat. When I set the thermostat to 95, it heats the pad at the glass to 95 perfect, but her substrate is 84-87. Do I turn up the heat pad to get the substrate up to the correct temperature? I’m afraid if she burrows down into the glass she could be burned if it’s at 100 degrees.
It’s true that substrate does hamper some heat from heat mats, some more than others, so you could compensate by turning up the thermostat a few degrees above the target temperature, and as long as the heat mat’s temperature doesn’t reach the cracking/melting point of the glass, it shouldn’t be too much of an issue.
Another way to compensate is to simply dig out some of the substrate in that area so that there’s less of a barrier between the mat and the top of the substrate. I don’t keep ball pythons, but I’ve seen keepers use a dug-out area above the heat mat, cover it with a hide, and bury the top of the hide with substrate, to act as a pre-made burrow for the python.
This is one of the many reasons why heat mats are not a good heat source, overhead heating is much better for them. A halogen flood bulb is the most natural and beneficial primary daytime heat source, Arcadia’s deep heat projector is the second best option. A ceramic heat emitter would be good for nighttime heat.
Most direct way -thinner layer of substrate over the heat pad. Then, cover it with a low hide.
100 deg won't burn anything, but better to have more predictable control using less substrate over the heat mat.
So if i have a 40 gallon breeder with a heat mat on the warm side, should i also get a lamp to help the ambient temp? And if so do i place it on my warm side and get rid of the heat mat? should i turn the heat mat low and keep the lamp on the warm side?? Im so lost and i cant find any answers for this question
The heat mat is unnecessary. If you choose to keep it, it must be regulated by a thermostat. Definitely get a heat lamp, it’s far more natural and beneficial for them. Keep in mind that a 40 gallon is not big enough for an adult. A good minimum for adults is 4x2x2’ (the enclosure should be at least as long as the snake).
Lights burn out eventually. What happens in Winter when your bulb burns out over your snake that in the wild never sees temps below 65 deg F? Never good to keep a boa/python without a stable heat source that does not burn out unless your room is heated. Heat pad with thermostat should be what you use during cool weather in addition to an overhead source. In warm weather you can just use one of them.
I just got a ball python, my friend gave it to me because he couldn’t keep it at home and gave me a tank and the heating path with a light and nothing else and I’m so intimidated because I want my lil snake to be the happiest of all and I feel like I need all the help 😭
The one thing that everyone misses, powering all of this in your home. There has to be safety concerns with the power draw of all of these heating devices and lights for many reptiles
You should definitely be careful not to oveoad your power supply! I don't want anyone ending up with any electrical fires 😅... Unless you're meaning me specifically, in which case - I have a room in my house that was built just for reptiles, with it's own breaker box. And it was wired for my current number of tanks, with the ability to add several more with no issues.
The background music keeps making me think my phone is ringing, lol
💜💚💚🥰🥰💚💚💜
HELLO SOME PLEASE TELL ME ME SOMTHING!
Can bearded dragons eat kiwi berries? Do they harm beardies??? IM SCARED SOMEONE TELL ME PLEASE
Great vid,but i my ball python has not eaten in 5 months and I have the tank humid and heat mat and a heat bulb all the standard things for my ball to eat can anyone help or suggest somthing I do diffrent?
What’re the temps (air and basking surface) and humidity, and how are they being measured (analog or digital gauges)? Could you upload a video of your setup?
Heat rocks are great for cooking your reptiles . 30 years ago my buddy tried a heat rock & his iguana loved it so much that his reptile cooked himself. He came home from work & smelled something yummy & found out it was his iguana. Just say no to heat rocks . I don't know why they still make them
I touched our heat rock when I was younger and it burned me.
Let me start by saying I've already made a vet appointment for my boy. However I have a question I want to run by you. He is 3 yrs old. Still a little on the small size 4-5ft long, but slim. Anyways he has always refused frozen thawed food, so I feed him live mice. I've been trying to switch from nice to rats and last time I fed him the rat was going to scratch him so I grabbed the tail of the rat to pull the claws away while "Allec" squeezed. My dumb ass pulled to hard and my boy let him go. The rat lived and my boy refused to attack again. I had to feed it to my much larger boy "moo-moo". Since this has happened he's refused anything I've tried to feed him. He's on strike!
What do I do....?
Do you warm up the thawed rodent until it feels really warm to you? Ball pythons use heat signatures as well as smell to make a decision on what is suitable to eat. Some BPs are really difficult to get feeding on thawed, but most switch if you persist. A hungry snake is less prone to be so picky. Also has to feel secure. Dammed glass tanks for BPs - not very good. Paint the back (outside) with regular hobby acrylic paint - it sticks enough to glass enough at least to do the job.
BPs are shy by nature, but when they feel securely hidden enough when ambushing prey, they are very bold. So do that. Warm thawed rodent, snake in its hide, and leave it alone, walk out of the room.
@@6strings735 dyes I warm there meals up. I'm almost positive they were in heat. My normal has decided to shed his skin, and has been going through that. I've been feeding them in a large cardboard box. I noticed they were getting strikey when I fed them in there cage. All should be good 👍 from here
Is it really a good idea to put the lamp directly on the mesh like that? I simply cannot understand how that isn’t way to hot.. knowing the amount of heat these things emit. Aren’t you over heating the entire tank? Like there’s no way that bulb is just heating a small section of that tank if it’s that close to it
That’s what the dimmer is for. And regularly check temps of both sides of the enclosure using an ir temp gun.
You need to put the lamp on a thermostat and it's recommended to also get a lamp stand. The thermostat shouldn't be able to heat the mesh anywhere near burning temperatures and the lamp stand will hang the light fixtures over the mesh so it's not easy knocked over by anyone/anything.