ok guys help me out here with my Ball Python habitat...

[Skyhawk]

Alright well im new to the board, i just bought my first ball python the other day, and so now im trying to give it the best possible living conditions that i can. Right now hes in a 20 gallon tank with a hiding rock at one end and a water bowl at the other. Over the rock is a 100 watt ceramic heating lamp, and a heating pad underneath it. The substrate right now is Desert Snow, but im going to switch over to an astroturf surface since ive heard thats easier.

Now the question i have is about the heat lamp and heating pad. Is it ok to use both, or would it be better to put them on a time and use the ceramic lamp during the day and the heating pad at night?

Right now the temp is 90 on the hot side with the lamp on and 81 on the cool side. The reason i ask about timing the lamp/pad is b/c when i woke up this morning the hot side was around 95* and 85* on the cold side, and this was without the heating pad on. So i was wondering if it would be a good idea to turn the lamp off at night, and turn the pad on instead to bring the temps down a tad.

Or is there anything better to do? Im open to any and all suggestions.

 

[Mushroom Spore]

hiding rock at one end

You need two, so the snake can feel safe and hidden whether it wants to be in the warm or cool end of the tank.

Over the rock is a 100 watt ceramic heating lamp, and a heating pad underneath it.

The reason i ask about timing the lamp/pad is b/c when i woke up this morning the hot side was around 95* and 85* on the cold side, and this was without the heating pad on. So i was wondering if it would be a good idea to turn the lamp off at night, and turn the pad on instead to bring the temps down a tad.

Multiple heating sources is generally a really bad idea and a good way to cook your animal. I'd just get rid of the lamp (they can really crush your humidity, which is vital with ball pythons) and buy a thermostat or dimmer to turn down your heating pad a few degrees if it's too hot.

The range you want is 90F on the warm end and about 80F on the cool end.

The substrate right now is Desert Snow, but im going to switch over to an astroturf surface since ive heard thats easier.

I have no idea what Desert Snow is made of, but don't use astroturf, ugh. I used that for the first six months (well, reptile carpet, but same thing) and hated it. You just can't get those things clean enough, and you have to take apart the whole tank every time you switch out a soiled piece, and it's a pain in the behind.

Aspen shavings have been good to me so far, and ball pythons are *burrowing* snakes and so they love being allowed to do what nature tells them to do. You can clean up after them with a kitty litter scoop and just change the whole substrate whenever it starts to smell stale.

Just don't get pine or cedar shavings, pet stores are full of crap - those make small animals sick.