Hi All,



I've been making some designs for a tank (you can see them, although I'm afraid there not that clear, at www.geocities.com/vrggent2003/ballterrarium.html) for a Ball Python I plan on getting this summer. It will be 100cm L x 50cm W x 50cm H (in inches: appr. 40"Lx20"Wx20"H), or about I guess 60 gal (we don't use those measurements on the other side of the Atlantic). But I have some questions on how to heat it.



(1) What do I have to use? I'm planning on using a UHT and 2 standard incandescent light bulbs (spots) of 60W. Will that be sufficient? And does it make a difference if they're 220V or 12V (the standard voltages in Belgium)?



(2) As for the UHT. Since it will be made of wood, I presume I have to put it in between two glass panels? Am I right?



(3) And what about those red night-lights? Are these the same lamps that are being used in christmas trees or are it the ones used also for developing photographs, or still, the ones used for keeping the cantine-food hot (I'm a little confused on that)? Are they a must? And could I leave them on 24/7?



(4) How do I regulate the day-night temp difference? I know I won't be there every night, so is it safe to trust a thermostat connected on the UHT? Do I have to turn of the UHT at night? And is it possible to make a timer switch automatically between the regular bulbs and the night-light (if the night-light can't be left on all day)? (I'm not that much of an electricity man...)



(5) And finally (sorry for being a bore), how do I place all this inside the tank? I've read in an article by Melissa Kaplan that I should put the incandescent lights and the UHT more on one side of the tank, in order to create a basking spot and a heat- and light-gradient. Right? And then just putting the night-light in the middle?





I'm guessing it's just trying a setup, and then adjusting it, by changing wattage and placing dimmers, but I don't feel like taking the whole tank apart once it's built...



I've been reading articles on BPs for the past 2 years, and then I came upon this forum. HUGE!!! Worth far more than all those 'general' and repetitive articles without ever a real answer!!!



Anyway, thanks a million times for helping me out a little...



Gilles

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