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Posted by poetichusky on May 07, 2003 at 16:28:46:
In Reply to: New to snakes need help with setup posted by snakenerd on May 07, 2003 at 11:36:19:
Congrats on the new snake,
How big is your snake? If it's a tiny baby, a 20 gallon might be overwelming to them and he can get stressed. I keep my babies in 10 gallons. I would also suggest putting a hide on the cool side also, so that the snake doesn't sacrifice temperature for feeling safe or vice versa. They really don't need too much "leg room" so to speak, as you'll find that Balls aren't the most active of snakes. As long as the enclosure is big enough so that they can stretch out, even if it's atop their hide, they should be fine. I've also found that I need to mist my snakes often when they're kept in a tank (once a day, 3 times a day when they're shedding), because the humidity escapes so easily from the top, even though I have lights on top. You can also move the water dish over towards the hot side to up the humidity. 80-85 degrees should be what it is on the cooler side to be honest. I keep the hotter side in my tanks at 90 or 91. You should also make sure that you are measuring the temp right on the tank directly above the UTH(under tank heater), as that's where the snake is making contact to it's heat source. Too hot could result in some nasty burns. I've seen it happen to other peoples snakes, especially with Hot Rocks and UTH. I use thermostats or rehostats with my UTH's, to be safe. If you are reading the temps right, you could always get a low wattage day bulb to up the temp a bit. I'm thinking maybe 15-20 watts. I'm no expert, but my snakes are doing fantastic, so I must be doing something right. :) BTW, good luck with your new buddy. Balls are my absolute favorite, even though they are picky eaters.
-Cathy
