Soon to be new owner (with a few questions)

HI! I'm getting my tank towards the end of the month (33g, I believe), and then I will be setting it up and playing with the husbandry to make sure I have it right before buying the bp. I own 1 corn snake so I'm comfortable with him, but I'm really nervous about the BP (the snake I originally wanted) and so I have a couple questions. I've done TONS of online research though and have found some very contradicing information.

So in your opinion (and why):

1. Substrate: What's the best and why? I've been told aspen, but I can't mist it, so that brings me to a humidity problem...

2. Humidity: Self explanitory (best way to keep it up).

3. Feeding: What size is appropriate for both a hatching and adult, and how do I know when to up to the next size (with corns it's no larger than 1.5x the size of the thickest part of the body - is this true with balls? Should a meal leave a nice large lump?)

4. Lighting. I understand bp's are sensitive to the light schedule, so retain humidity and keep the temps up, what is the best way to go about doing that (ie. red light, white day bulb, etc). Would an aquarium light work? Do I even NEED a daylight?

5. Temperature. I'm aiming for 80-85 on the cool, 90-95 on the warm. Is this correct, and also (back to question #3), what would be the best way to maintain these temps and keep the humidity high?

Ummm... I think that's it. For now. Thanks all!

You have posed some very valid questions, luckily, all of them are answerable!
1. I still like aspen or potting soil...but they need to be changed often, many keepers just use paper.

2. A fair sized water bowl works fine...misting can lead to problems if you go too crazy.

3. I am a firm believer in UV light... the difference in health is plain and simple ! 12-14 hours per day does wonders...

4. those temps are fine...remember, ball pythons aren't from a jungle, so don't go too nuts with the humidity...it sounds like your caging should be just fine.

greg

I'll be using paper towels for the first couple weeks of course, but then I'm not sure after that. I don't want to have to change it all the time, which I know with aspen it needs to be done once a month or so. Which I suppose is fine, but I can't mist aspen, and I've heard it's too dusty dry... I suppose I'll just try a large water dish and see how that works (before I get the snake).

No more suggestions for substrate? Which is best and why?

UV? But Balls don't benefit from UV... Is there a reason you use them? (UV's give light but no heat, correct?)

Thanks for the help, Greg!

Well, you know how we keep things here. What I haven't told you is that we, also, use UVB lighting in our main 'snake room'. I'm not sure that it is beneficial to them at all (not like lizards anyhow). Snakes have done and will continue to do fine in private collections with plain old lighting. The reasoning behind the UVB lighting for us, though, is that it makes us feel better!

We've all spent time either in an office or a classroom under regular florescent lighting or any other type of artificial light with no sunlight. You begin to feel pasty-faced after some time. You can't wait to go outside and get those rays hitting your face.

Not only that but when we walk into the room (where we keep plants as well) it just feels so nice and full of life! We use 4ft Sunlight/Plant lighting florescent.

Well that's interesting, and it certainly makes sense. Do you notice a difference in behavior or eating habits?

If you haven't already got the tank I could recomend getting a rubbermaid container with a locking, about 3feet by a foot an a half wide and 6 inches tall. drill holes around the sides close to the top and use paper towel or newspaper, I have used both and they have been just fine. For heating us a heat pad, had the warm side about 90-95 and cooler side around 80-85. The uvb lighting couldn't hurt but the only light my guys get is from my water dragon tank which is a few feet away from them. The rubbermaid will allow the heat and humidity to be maintained more easily. I have used tanks for other snakes but have heard they really don't cut it for ball pythons, I have never tried it my self I learned from others mistakes and decieded to go straight to rubbermaids and have never had a problem.
~John

Well I dont believe in buying a pet then housing it in a box where it can't be seen... but I do have a question about food (I've asked a few people here already so forgive me for asking again).

But does this sound right to you? Borrowed from THIS page...

Feeding Guide:
Hatchling (14"-20"): Mice: Fuzzies <every 7-10 days>
Youth (20"-36"): Mice: Adults <every 10-14 days>
Sub Adult (36"-48"): Rat: Fuzzies <every 12-14 days>
Adult (48"+): Rat: Small-Medium <every 14 days>

Do not feed prey items that are larger than the width of your snake. This is a rough guide, not specific.

Now the 14 day thing is what I assumed would be correct to begin with (though I know everyone has different feedling methods), but the "no larger than the thickest part of the body" throws me... Wouldn't there be no bump???

With a healthy ball python I would feed something at least the width of the snake to 1.5 times there thickness, so I would say that is way off, you snake will be very skinny. I feed my 24 inch balls weanling rats, they were on fuzzy rats right out of the egg!!! I didn't breed them however, the breeder told me this. Most babies can take an adult mouse right out of the egg though! There should be a noticable bump in your snake that last about 2 days. The food item should be around 15-20% of the snakes body weight, and never over 25%. There feeding schedual varies with age and sex. Babies should be fed every 5-7 days. adults vary alot, males tend to eat less from what I have heard and seen with my friends snakes. but should typically be offered every 7-10 days. Some males eat only once every month, females usually eat every week except during the winter befor breeding but there is always the exception. I'm no expert but this is the general idea.
~John

Hey thanks, that's some great information.

Steven just uses the UV lights to get a tan....