Hello everyone I am new to ball pythons. I actually don’t even have my first snake yet. I am in the process of setting you my first plastic tote enclosure. The problem I am having is with the heat and humidity in the tote.
The setup I have is a locking lid plastic tote (I got it from Target). I have the tote drilled with two rows of holes for air, heating pad installed underneath to a thermostat set to 91° Fahrenheit, two plastic rock hides, aspen bedding, and a water bowl.
My issue is my house here in southwestern PA is not ideal temperatures this time of year. Also, my setup could be bad for the humidity, or my house is to cold. The readings I am getting are 65° Fahrenheit, and 63% humidity as my ambient temperature. When I sprayed the cage down lightly the humidity went up to 99% with the temperature only going up 2%.
The question I have before I get my first ball python is what should I do? Do I need to drill more holes in the enclosure for humidity, or do I need to raise the temperature of the room I plan on housing in, or both?
Thank you,
Colin
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A downside to using under tank/enclosure heat is that you will not gain much ambient temperature overall in the setup. You will need to insulate the tub to help it hold onto the warmth it is gaining from the heat pad.
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I agree, heat mats only warm what they are touching, not the air. I live in UK and it’s cold most of the year (for Ball pythons at least). I recommend overhead heat.
We use ceramics (with guards) for our adult snakes.
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Overhead heat isn’t an option for a tub. What @hatlessharold can do instead is get a space heater to increase the overall room temps. I live in Indiana and that is how I get my ambient temps up in the winter.
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Fair enough. We use an oil filled radiator for the room, not sure on energy efficiency though. I’m trying to look into better heating options for our room. Although it’s pretty warm with lots of ceramic heaters on in there ATM
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You can DIY bins to be able to use overhead heat. Screen and a window screen frame. Otherwise, I would suggest a vivarium. Halogen bulbs are amazing and I highly recommend them! You can use a CHE at night.
As for the humidity, I would swap out the aspen substrate for something else that’s a better fit for higher humidity. Aspen tends to mold when wet and I swear it sucks out the humidity
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Thanks everyone for the responses. The space heater is working good. I am still working on getting the room dailed in. My first ball python should be in the house by the end of the week.
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