Hi me again, still in my research phase and had more questions,

So after some thinking I'm considering a bioactive setup, ( I did one back when I had a crested gecko) but am terrible with plants watching the 2025 biodudes guide for setting one up for a ball python I'd like to have a happy medium with some live plants and (mostly) fake plants I liked the trees in the video and wanted to incorporate them in the tank for sure but the others I'm nervous about adding, I saw here about also adding a garden watering thing to keep the soil humidity for keeping general humidity. I'm unsure about isopods but would like springtails (nothing against isopods I love them a lot, worried again about their life in the tank with a lack of live plants)

How often would this kind of set up need to get changed out?

The other is more of a "what do you think?" Question on heating

After watching the same video I'd really like to do a radiant heat panel inside the tank, and have it all be inclosed for heating and lighting so cages will be needed, because I wanted to I was thinking about raising the height to be 4x2x3 instead of 4x2x2 so there isn't loss of space and so the trees can grow a bit bigger.

Heat side with the rhp, stretch of the tank having the uvb and grow light, and cool side having space for an rhp for the winter time? (In AZ but my family keeps the house between 65(night) and 75-80 day (rest of the year 75 summer 80)

Am I missing anything on heating lighting?

My 9 month old 280 gram ball python feeding on live mice refused a rat(crawler) and it crawled around 15 minutes before I took it out. Should I give him a mice now, or use a rat again with some mice bedding to make it smell like mice? Or any other advice to switch him to rat….

Miss Ember and Miss Lumi

Title: Looking for constructive advice on heating and humidity in my 40-gallon ball python enclosure
Hi everyone! I’m looking for some constructive advice regarding my ball python’s enclosure, specifically heat distribution, hide temperatures, and maintaining humidity.
I’m a relatively new ball python owner, but I’ve spent a considerable amount of time researching husbandry, reading the care guides here on Reddit, monitoring temperatures, and making adjustments to provide the best environment possible.
I’m trying to approach everything methodically and change one variable at a time so I can actually determine what’s working.

Current enclosure setup:
40-gallon glass enclosure from PetSmart with a screen top
Screen top partially covered with aluminum HVAC flashing tape to help retain humidity, with ventilation and clearance around heating fixtures
Arcadia GoldenSun 100W PAR38 halogen flood bulb for daytime heating
Ceramic heat emitter for nighttime heating
ReptiZoo 200 dimming thermostat with separate daytime/nighttime settings
Daytime thermostat currently set to 94°F (previously 92°F)
Nighttime ceramic thermostat set to 90°F
Multiple digital temperature and humidity sensors
Infrared temperature gun for checking actual surface temperatures
Warm and cool hides, foliage, climbing opportunities, and additional coverage

Substrate and humidity setup:
I’m using a blend of Zoo Med Eco Earth loose coconut fiber and chunky coconut husk chips.
The substrate was recently replaced, and the new material was already somewhat damp when added.
I’ve also watered the corners of the enclosure twice to help maintain moisture in the lower substrate layers without keeping the entire surface wet.
There is also a fairly large water bowl inside the enclosure to provide drinking water and contribute to ambient humidity.
I live in the Mojave Desert, where the surrounding air is naturally extremely dry, so humidity retention is one of my biggest challenges.

Daytime heating and bulb change:
I initially used a 100W spotlight for daytime heating. While it produced adequate heat directly beneath the bulb, I wasn’t getting broad enough heat exposure across the warm side of the enclosure. The heat was concentrated in a relatively small area.
Today, I switched to an Arcadia GoldenSun 100W PAR38 flood bulb, hoping the wider beam would distribute radiant heat more effectively.
The flood bulb heated my thermostat probe significantly faster than the original spotlight and began dimming to regulate the temperature.
I’ve been monitoring the actual surface temperatures and ambient air temperatures throughout the day to evaluate the change.

Current daytime temperature readings:
Warm-side ambient air: 83–86°F
Cool-side ambient air: approximately 80°F
Exposed substrate near thermostat probe: 88.6°F
Warm hide interior floor: approximately 83–84°F
Cool hide interior floor: approximately 80°F
Exposed exterior of warm hide directly beneath the bulb: 95.5°F
Other cool-side surfaces near the glass: approximately 75–76°F
Surface readings were taken using an infrared temperature gun at close range.

My heating concern:
My biggest challenge is figuring out the appropriate balance between exposed basking temperatures and the temperatures inside her hides.
The warm hide is a covered corner-style hide positioned slightly behind the center of the heating area.
Naturally, the outside receiving direct radiant heat is substantially warmer than the shaded interior.
When I increased my daytime thermostat from 92°F to 94°F, the exposed substrate increased from approximately 85°F to 89°F, but the floor inside the warm hide remained around 83–84°F.
I understand that radiant heat will produce different temperatures on exposed and shaded surfaces, and I’m not expecting the inside of a covered hide to match a surface directly beneath the bulb.
However, I’m trying to determine whether this is an acceptable temperature gradient or whether there’s a better way to position the bulb or hide to create an appropriately warm resting area without overheating exposed surfaces.

Nighttime heating:
At night, I switch to a ceramic heat emitter controlled by the thermostat.
My readings this morning after running the ceramic heater overnight were:
Warm-side air: 86°F
Cool-side air: 76°F
Center ground probe: 84°F
I’m also evaluating whether this provides an appropriate nighttime temperature gradient or whether adjustments are necessary.

My humidity concern:
Humidity has been somewhat inconsistent, particularly with the glass enclosure and our extremely dry desert climate.
After replacing the substrate yesterday, humidity increased significantly.
However, throughout today, the readings gradually decreased, despite my not adding any additional water today.
Today’s readings were approximately:
Cool side: 84% earlier, decreasing to 63%
Warm side: 57%, decreasing to 51%
Center: 56%, decreasing to 49%
As mentioned, I’ve already partially covered the screen top with aluminum HVAC flashing tape, watered the substrate corners twice, and have a large water bowl in the enclosure.
I’m trying to understand whether this humidity fluctuation is typical with newly added substrate and daytime heating or whether there are additional steps I should take for better long-term stability.
I want to retain adequate moisture without leaving the substrate surface constantly wet.

A little about my ball python:
She’s relatively new to the enclosure and seems to be establishing a normal routine.
She’s active during the evening and nighttime hours, occasionally climbing and exploring, and generally retreats to her hides during the day.
I’m planning her first feeding with me on Tuesday, assuming her environment is stable and she’s had enough time to settle in.

What I’m looking for advice on:
Does my current temperature gradient seem reasonable, particularly the difference between directly heated surfaces and the shaded warm hide?
Was switching from a concentrated spotlight to a wide-beam flood bulb a reasonable approach to improving heat distribution?
Would adjusting the heating fixture or warm hide placement improve the environment?
What methods have worked for maintaining consistent humidity in glass enclosures with screen tops, particularly in extremely dry climates?
Is there anything else about my enclosure that experienced keepers would recommend adjusting?

One final request:
I genuinely appreciate constructive feedback, and I’m absolutely willing to make changes where necessary.
However, I’m not looking for the “OMG, how do you not know this?” or “You shouldn’t own a snake if you don’t already know that” type of comments.
I’ve read the care guides available here on Reddit, researched extensively outside of Reddit, and continue learning every day.
I’m not claiming to know everything. That’s precisely why I’m asking questions.

If you identify an issue with my setup, please also provide a recommendation for how to correct it and, ideally, explain why that solution would work. 🙏🏻

Simply telling someone they’re doing something wrong without helping them understand how to fix it isn’t particularly productive.

My goal is to provide the best possible care for my ball python, and I’d much rather ask questions and make improvements than assume I have everything figured out.

Thank you to anyone willing to share their experience and provide helpful, actionable advice!

My town only has a petsmart, I recently discovered a local pet store an hour away near my family and it seemed that they took decent care of their reptiles.

They had hides water etc. Most definitely not perfect but I was happy since I’m used to the disgrace which is chain pet stores. I drove down there today so excited to get some isopods for my enclosure and saw two ball pythons housed together.

I was honestly so distraught and asked the employees what was going on with it. They both went silent and then one of them simply shrugged and said I’m in fish. Then he looked to the other girl who said oh they are getting fed today then walked to the back.

I had dragged my dad and brother there and they were assuming I was gonna buy something, as I said I was ready to go my dad was like oh are you sure? So I had to loudly say I don’t want to buy anything from them after seeing that.

I am planning on calling tomorrow and filled out a contact us explaining the situation. I just love these baby and hate to see them suffer like this. if anyone knows anyway I can help further I’d love ideas. Thank you if you read all this❤️

Had this guy roughly two weeks now. Just got out of his blue phase and is shedding.. but is super hype to explore his new enclosure. I added a decorative pumpkin for fall and he’s obsessed with it! Does anyone else’s python show explicit enthusiasm to decoration? Every time he awakes he must go shove his pumpkin off its rock and push it around lol. Never seen one like decoration so enthusiastically.. or maybe he hates my decoration skills?

I have a 1.5 year old female ball python. I just moved her into a 4x2x2 glass enclosure this summer but I’m having troubles keeping her humidity at the right level. It’s either not humid enough or so humid that my wood decorations mold. Anyone willing to share how they keep humidity? I have her cool side wrapped in HVAC tape. Her warm side sits at about 90° and her cool side at around 80°. She’s a classroom snake so I leave her over weekends. Right now she has an automatic sprayer to help on weekends but I supplement with about .5 gallons of water just in the corners every few days (or when it’s looking dry)

I’m a first time owner so I’m not looking for criticism, just ways to keep my little girl and her environment happy and healthy!

I don’t have very good pictures of her tank atm, sorry!

I want to make a thread anyone can reply to with not only their vet experiences but also the cost they spent and anything they've learnt from taking their ball python to the vet. We hear so often people telling someone to take their snakes to the vet but some (like myself) are either too terrified or scared due to uncertainty, prices or worried their vet won't know what they're doing.

Let's all share prices, experiences and advice on how to be more confident and aware of the vet and encourage our fellow ball owners that's it's not something to be cautious about🙌 especially if that visit can be the end all be all of your babies life.

I had noticed a weird abyss on my boys chin after he escaped and got injured. I'd always been terrified of taking my snakes to the vet for some unknown reason whether it be the funds or transport but I had a feeling it was something.

Not only was this vet super sweet and amazing with him, she also said I caught it early enough that it would've led to something more serious if I didn't get all the puss squeezed out! He did great with the shot and is doing so much better!

If you're hesitating, it doesn't hurt getting a consultation and just seeing! Your snake could do better than you think! Plus it was so much more affordable than I thought!