Momofboys3425
Member
We just brought home this little guy(or girl) for my older son's 8th birthday. I adopted a few adults when I was much younger, but this is my first baby. I'm a little nervous because he's fast and a little skittish so as of right now I'm only holding him in his cage very close to his basking platform so that he doesn't fall. Around what age do they start to settle down? Based on his size I would say he's probably around 6-7 weeks. I actually went to the store with the intention of getting a ball python, because that's what my son asked for, but the store didn't have any and when we walked past the cages this little guy immediately ran up to the glass and was very inquisitive. My 2 year old was being crazy so we left without getting anything, but then I ended up going back for him later lol.
Current setup
Terrarium is 36"x18"x12"
Lined with paper towels and ceramic tile(planning to lug the tiles to a family member's house this weekend to cut the rest of the tiles so I can get rid of the paper towels).
The warm side has a basking platform created using paving stones and tile which creates a nice open area underneath to use as a hide if he wants. The cooler side has a log hide and shallow water dish.
Lighting - Basking lamp is a Zoo Med 100W basking bulb. Second fixture is only used at night and contains a CHE to keep the temp slightly up. I have a thermostat being delivered today to control the CHE for appropriate nighttime temps(terrarium is in the living room which gets as low as 62-63F at night). UVB is an 18" Reptisun 10.0 tube, mounted inside along the back wall. I am looking to upgrade to a 24" in the near future, I just already had this one on hand. The basking light and UVB are on timers so they run about 12 hours a day.
Temps - Basking area is layered so he can choose the best area for himself temperature wise. The hottest part of the basking area is around 109F. The surrounding basking areas range from 96-107F.a Ambient temperature on the warm side is around 85-90F. I am trying to determine the best way to slightly raise the ambient temperature on the cooler side. It's currently between 72-77F, which I've read is a bit too cool for them, especially a baby. So far he hasn't ventured to that side of the terrarium at all that I've seen. I have been trying to look up suggestions, but every answer has been to increase the wattage of the basking light, which is already hovering around the high end of preferred temperatures, so I don't think that's the best option. I was considering adding another fixture with a regular household light bulb for a little extra heat during the day, but am not sure if that would work or be ok for him? For temping, I have a digital probe positioned directly on the basking spot and another for the cool side(bot pictured, need to get a new battery) and have been using an infrared gun several times a day just to verify the temps since it is a new setup.
If you made it this far, thank you for reading my novel haha and any suggestions are welcome and appreciated!
Current setup
Lined with paper towels and ceramic tile(planning to lug the tiles to a family member's house this weekend to cut the rest of the tiles so I can get rid of the paper towels).
The warm side has a basking platform created using paving stones and tile which creates a nice open area underneath to use as a hide if he wants. The cooler side has a log hide and shallow water dish.
Lighting - Basking lamp is a Zoo Med 100W basking bulb. Second fixture is only used at night and contains a CHE to keep the temp slightly up. I have a thermostat being delivered today to control the CHE for appropriate nighttime temps(terrarium is in the living room which gets as low as 62-63F at night). UVB is an 18" Reptisun 10.0 tube, mounted inside along the back wall. I am looking to upgrade to a 24" in the near future, I just already had this one on hand. The basking light and UVB are on timers so they run about 12 hours a day.
Temps - Basking area is layered so he can choose the best area for himself temperature wise. The hottest part of the basking area is around 109F. The surrounding basking areas range from 96-107F.a Ambient temperature on the warm side is around 85-90F. I am trying to determine the best way to slightly raise the ambient temperature on the cooler side. It's currently between 72-77F, which I've read is a bit too cool for them, especially a baby. So far he hasn't ventured to that side of the terrarium at all that I've seen. I have been trying to look up suggestions, but every answer has been to increase the wattage of the basking light, which is already hovering around the high end of preferred temperatures, so I don't think that's the best option. I was considering adding another fixture with a regular household light bulb for a little extra heat during the day, but am not sure if that would work or be ok for him? For temping, I have a digital probe positioned directly on the basking spot and another for the cool side(bot pictured, need to get a new battery) and have been using an infrared gun several times a day just to verify the temps since it is a new setup.
If you made it this far, thank you for reading my novel haha and any suggestions are welcome and appreciated!
