Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I have tried almost everything with my ball python to keep her enclosure warm.

What i got right now is an under tank heater. I keeps the spot that it's under at around 85-90 but it does nothing for the ambient air temp. the cool side of her tank is 70 and i think that is too cool. What has worked best so far is a heat lamp. But that covers everything in red light, and I wouldnt think she would like that. Even if yall say she wouldnt mind, I dont like that for her.

How could i raise the ambient air temp to around 80 without making her see red all day?

I tried a ceramic heater but her tank is plastic with a light socket inside of it, so whatever heater i use has to go inside it. And those ceramic heaters get WAY too hot. The side of my finger barely touched it and my finger was red for a week. I couldnt risk her burning herself on it.

I was thinking about sticking a few zoo med undertank heaters to the side of the tank to see if that would warm it up a bit. What do yall think?
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0.1 Ball Python
1.1 Corn Snakes

Try covering the back and sides of the tank with something, like pieces of cardboard. Also, if you have the sticky type of heat mat, try attaching it to a big ceramic tile, and then putting that under the tank. That will help spread the heat further. Good luck,

~Johnny

~Johnny

If you're going to cover the sides as Johnny suggested, I'd recommend looking at expanded polyethylene. You can buy a quarter-inch thick R 1.0 type from a hardware store for about $30 for a very long sheet of the stuff. Cutting is easy with a razor knife or scissors.

Bill
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It's not how many snakes you have. It's how happy and healthy you can keep them.

From what little info hes given about his set up - I beleive he's got a vision type cage - and covering sides and top aren't really an issue - we'll have to wait and see what he says his set up is.
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Tosha

"Nihil facimus sed id bene facimus"

6.42.0 Ball Python (Harry and Fluffy and gang)
1.0.0 Angolan Python (Anakin Skywalker)
0.0.1 Green Tree Python (Verdi)
0.1.0 Bredls Python (Smurfette)
0.2.0 Feline (Pippen and Pandora)
0.0.1 Desert Tortoise (Pope John Paul aka JP )
2.2.1 Fish (1,2,3,4)
0.0.0 frogs rescued from pool skimmer
0.0.1 Lizard of unknown origin

Thanks, I forgot that the first rule is always to collect the data.

Bill
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It's not how many snakes you have. It's how happy and healthy you can keep them.

It would really be dependant on your set up - Is it a tank (glass or acrylic) or cage? How big is it? Do you have the right size UTH to go with your tank size? What is your substrate? etc. etc. etc.
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Tosha

"Nihil facimus sed id bene facimus"

6.42.0 Ball Python (Harry and Fluffy and gang)
1.0.0 Angolan Python (Anakin Skywalker)
0.0.1 Green Tree Python (Verdi)
0.1.0 Bredls Python (Smurfette)
0.2.0 Feline (Pippen and Pandora)
0.0.1 Desert Tortoise (Pope John Paul aka JP )
2.2.1 Fish (1,2,3,4)
0.0.0 frogs rescued from pool skimmer
0.0.1 Lizard of unknown origin

It is a plastic enclosure i bought at a reptile show. I is a little bigger than my 20 gallon long glass tank that i keep one of my corns in. I has a transparent plastic door. Its real good about keeping humidity in and all. I use aspen bedding.

I am using the Zoo Med 10 gallon undertank heater because that is the only one that they say you can use with plastic instead of glass... Do you think it would be safe to use one of the bigger ones?
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0.1 Ball Python
1.1 Corn Snakes

If you know the manufacturer (Vision, boaphile, etc.) the best thing to do would be to contact them directly and see what is safe for their cage and what they recommend.

If not - then you could try attaching another UTH either underneat or to the side.

Preferabley you could look into a heat panel (would be my first pick but they can be expensive) or pick up some heat rope and run that around the inside of the cage. Both of these options are designed to be inside of the cage and will not get hot enough to burn the snake and are waterproof so as not to be affected by the high humidity.

Hope this helps.
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Tosha

"Nihil facimus sed id bene facimus"

6.42.0 Ball Python (Harry and Fluffy and gang)
1.0.0 Angolan Python (Anakin Skywalker)
0.0.1 Green Tree Python (Verdi)
0.1.0 Bredls Python (Smurfette)
0.2.0 Feline (Pippen and Pandora)
0.0.1 Desert Tortoise (Pope John Paul aka JP )
2.2.1 Fish (1,2,3,4)
0.0.0 frogs rescued from pool skimmer
0.0.1 Lizard of unknown origin

I was under the impression he was using a glass tank... Guess I should read a little mo' betta'...

Def. check with the people who produced it.

~Johnny

LOL - yeah - that was my first thought cause I always thought those plastic cages held temps well - but the light socket inside the cage part was my first clue.
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Tosha

"Nihil facimus sed id bene facimus"

6.42.0 Ball Python (Harry and Fluffy and gang)
1.0.0 Angolan Python (Anakin Skywalker)
0.0.1 Green Tree Python (Verdi)
0.1.0 Bredls Python (Smurfette)
0.2.0 Feline (Pippen and Pandora)
0.0.1 Desert Tortoise (Pope John Paul aka JP )
2.2.1 Fish (1,2,3,4)
0.0.0 frogs rescued from pool skimmer
0.0.1 Lizard of unknown origin