Hello all. I have a 36x18x18 tank and mesh screen top. I don’t have an issue maintaining heat or humidity but I’m realizing my 50w halogen isn’t running at 100% power and mostly around 50-60%. I also have an 80w dhp that also doesn’t run at full power often though I’m just more concerned about getting the full light to be emitted from the halogen. I consistently keep the ambient around 86-87f. On my herpstat the halogen is set to 87f and the dhp to 86f. I have the dhp placed over the basking surface/hide because I find its easier to keep those temps in check to avoid burns than the halogen being overtop of it(I found I was getting a consistent 95-100f on the basking surface with halogen). To fix my halogen power % should I just drop the dhp temp down lower to about 80 to allow the halogen to do more work?
I don’t know how to help you here, but I know who can!
@caron @t_h_wyman @cmsreptiles @armiyana
If your DHP is getting up to 86°F just fine I’d say just stick with that and ditch the halogen lamp, especially since you say you find it easier to manage anyway.
Ball Pythons aren’t really known to sun bask (they are nocturnal) and much rather prefer sitting on warm surfaces (belly heating).
Lamps like that are also prone to drying out the enclosure too much. Thats why I only use them for my true sun-basking diurnal species like Bearded Dragons that do just fine in a dry environment.
Thanks for the tag @snake-obsessed-lesbo! As @cmsreptiles Christina said, bps need belly heat to digest. In the wild they mostly make their homes in stolen/abandoned burrows during the heat of the day waiting for lunch to wander by. They will emerge in the evening when the sun goes down.
Overhead heat/lights will dry out their skin more easily than other species of snakes making sheds more difficult. The majority of if not all of the heat should be underneath them if possible……
Ms Caron, Ms Christina, I have a bioactive enclosure with a medium head mat under the enclosure and an overhead heat lamp too. My enclosure loses humidity really fast, I’m pretty sure my heat bulb is a 50 watt. I have hvac tape covering the screen top. Should I change the 50 watt bulb for one with a smaller wattage?
Does your BP have trouble shedding? If not your setup is fine, no need to change anything……