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 #1755743


Traumabox
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 My Final Snake [as of yet]

About 6 months ago I met this little malaysian blood python in a local pet store. [petland] for all intents and purposes. Anyway- She was at $229 and I felt that was a lot to pay for a snake. [excluding things like pieds and superballs] A couple of weeks later she came down with mouthrot because they were keeping her in humidity substrate, I believe it was sphagnum. Anyway- my friend who works there took her home and cured her, and I guess "stole" her. Four months later we’re talking over sorting his clutch of baby ball pythons- [I was excited to see more than one albino by the way] - and he lets me know that he wants to sell the brongersmai. I asked how much he wanted and we decided $80 would be good. which was a good deal considering she was priced at over $200. She’s in a 20 gallon long terrarium today, hygro I keep the humidity around 60- raising it to 80 during shedding- not too high as to avoid resp.inf.---/thermo [of course] two hides, one in the cool side [78] and one in the hot side [91]- water bin in the center. She seems fairly active at these temperatures- more active than a blood should be. When I first got her home I was unimpressed at her obsession with biting me- however a few weeks passed and she hasn’t bitten me since. She’s now 20" long- and very healthy. Im not sure about her weight- she just defecated and I dont have a very accurate scale. Well tell me what you think about my set up and and the awesome deal I got on her- I look forward to replies.



06/09/08  05:07am

 #1755845


Littleindiangirl
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   Message To: Traumabox   In reference to Message Id: 1755743


 My Final Snake [as of yet]

That’s odd, I thought I replied to this.

Lower your hot spot to 86-88. 91 is too hot.
06/09/08  10:49am

 #1756221


Traumabox
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   Message To: Littleindiangirl   In reference to Message Id: 1755845


 My Final Snake [as of yet]

I have limited resources to be honest- the daytime heat causes the 91! She moves to the other side anyway- It depends on how hot the day is; how hot her enclosure is. I dont have it on a thermostat- just trying to control it the best I can. Her source of heat is an infrared bulb- Since it’s cooling down; her hot spot is at 87, and her cold spot is at 79. Im trying my best- they’re interesting animals- beautiful as well.
06/09/08  06:48pm

 #1756734


Littleindiangirl
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   Message To: Traumabox   In reference to Message Id: 1756221


 My Final Snake [as of yet]

I figure as long as they have access to cool 79-81, then you should be okay. I would still start saving for a thermostat. Even a Repti-temp would be useful. It’s up to us as keepers to constantly evaluate their enclosures and provide the best for them.

I don’t agree with you not having a thermostat or rheostat of some sort, and would even go so far as to say that perhaps you should have waited to get this animal until you had the monetary means to provide for it.

Animals cost money, and always cost more to take care of than the initial cost of the animal. What would you do if she came down with a respiratory infection or mouth rot, or scale rot? Vet visits aren’t cheap, but neither is it okay to NOT treat her.

I’m not here to lecture you, but I do hope you understand where I’m coming from. Bloods are my absolute favorite species and I don’t like to see anything but the best for them. They don’t bounce back from simple mistakes like other species, that’s why they are labeled as an intermediate level species.

That said, here’s what I would do with your enclosure.

Quote:

I have limited resources to be honest- the daytime heat causes the 91! She moves to the other side anyway- It depends on how hot the day is; how hot her enclosure is. I dont have it on a thermostat- just trying to control it the best I can. Her source of heat is an infrared bulb- Since it’s cooling down; her hot spot is at 87, and her cold spot is at 79. Im trying my best- they’re interesting animals- beautiful as well.



It’s okay to shut off her infrared heat during the day, and may even be beneficial to do so as it won’t dry out the enclosure of that much needed humidity as bulbs tend to do.

My bloods aren’t given a hot spot, and live in a room that is constantly at 81-83 F. I don’t have air conditioning, so during the summer they get to deal with the temps. If it’s too warm, they have 2 inches of substrate to burrow in to cool off. My snake room hardly ever goes over 85.

It would be much better to buy a UTH and ditch the bulb for now. As it won’t dry out the humidity, and is easily controlled.

If you are still unable to buy a thermostat, at least try to buy a rheostat. With the rheostat, and if you are keeping her in a glass tank, you can stick the UTH to the back side of the glass. This was she is not sitting on a hot spot, but it does raise the ambient air temps to the desired level. Rheostats fluctuate and keep the UTH a few degrees warmer than the air temps.

Set the temps to 85 F, and monitor with a dual thermometer/hygrometer. Accurite carries an excellent digital thermometer/hygrometer for only 12$ at walmart.

It IS very important to know the temps at ALL times.

Then, cover her screen with several layers of foil, leaving enough room for air flow on each end. Tape it down, and you should have good humidity and heat.

Ambient air temps: 83-85
Humidity: 60-65%

or with a hot spot

Ambient air temps: 79-81
Hot spot: 86-88
Humidity: 60-65%

Okay, sorry for the novel. Hope this helps you.
06/10/08  10:04am

 #1756894


Traumabox
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   Message To: Littleindiangirl   In reference to Message Id: 1756734


 My Final Snake [as of yet]

Thanks for all the help- I do have a thermometer by the way- It was expensive. I just point it at the tank and it tells me the temp. $94 at Petland. As you can see money isn’t the issue- there isn’t much of a herp comunnity here- and not many people keep bloods. besides- humidity isn’t the problem here- we have 90-100% relative humidity everyday- only problem in the huge temp climb during the day- Im not out to mistreat any animal- I’ve had her for a short time; thus still learning.
06/10/08  01:05pm

 #1756896


Traumabox
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   Message To: Traumabox   In reference to Message Id: 1756894


 My Final Snake [as of yet]

In addendum- She was very difficult to find in my area. People around here are obsessed with the new ball python morphs- they forget about the natural beauty that surrounds us every day- minus the mutations. I wish I could find a show around here. Pet store prices reek. Joplin Missouri, any thing going on up this way that anyone knows of?
06/10/08  01:10pm

 #1756993


Littleindiangirl
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   Message To: Traumabox   In reference to Message Id: 1756894


 My Final Snake [as of yet]

Quote:

As you can see money isn’t the issue- there isn’t much of a herp comunnity here- and not many people keep bloods.



I thought money was the issue here. You have the entire herp community and their suppliers right at your finger tips. The internet is one of the BEST resources for supplies, and where I turn to first. I don’t go shopping at pet stores for this stuff! Bleh!

I bought most if not all of my thermostats and flexwatt online. Check out Reptilebasics.com. Rich the owner can hook you up with a ready to go thermostat, flexwatt, the works.

I would still recommend a hygrometer, too much humidity is just as bad as too little. ;)
06/10/08  02:53pm

 #1757867


Rebelyell83
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   Message To: Littleindiangirl   In reference to Message Id: 1756993


 My Final Snake [as of yet]

a decent thermostat is the one big apple sells for 35,i am using one myself,and lllreptiles has one for like 27 or 30(also has lower price temp guns),or could always go to walmart and buy a 10 dollar dimmer switch and use it to adjust your heat
06/11/08  12:09pm

 #1757926


Rebelyell83
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   Message To: Littleindiangirl   In reference to Message Id: 1756993


 My Final Snake [as of yet]

big apple has a thermostat for 35,and lll has one for like 27,or get a slide dimmer from walmart for 10
06/11/08  01:38pm


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