HELP!!! People at the reptile expo gave me bogus advice. I need heating/light info!

I spent around $60 on a 5.0 UVB lamp & Reptisun Terrarium Hood. It definitely doesn't get hot. No where near 85 degrees.

WHAT SORT OF HEAT LAMP DO I NEED FOR MY NEW BOA? He's a baby & currently in a 10 gallon. Anything I can get from Petsmart would be great.

I'm freaking out.

Do I even need it to be a UVB lightbulb???

UVB lights don't give out any heat, what you need is a heat bulb. They are red bulbs and you can get them at Petsmart. Make sure you get the right type of light bulb for the lamp that you purchase, check wattage information on the box. I hope that helps, good luck!

You should be using an under tank heating pad for a hot spot.
Any lamps or lighting are strictly for your benefit and visual aesthetics.
Boas don't need any UVB lighting and if given the chance will spend most
of the day hiding anyway. A hide or hides should be provided at both
ends (hot & cold) so your boa can pick the temp he/she wants to hang out
in and the option to hide and feel comfortable if he/she wants.

Not to sound like a jerk, but you should've has all of this worked out
and researched before you even purchased your boa.

You can find tons of info on line for proper care
(caging, heating, substrate, feeding, etc.)

Here's a link. I believe it's from KS - http://www.kingsnake.com/boapage/car...ictorcare.html
It should give you the basics and then some to get started.


Good luck with your new boa!

Get a heating pad from WalMart for $10-$12 set it on Med and set it under
one half length wise of the FISH TANK.
Using 3-4 layers of newspaper substrate you should net around 85-86*F
Ill assume you have a screen top for the FISH TANK,using good quality duct tape
Tape only the top and tape all but ONE HALF INCH of one long side or the other.
Use a hair dryer to evenly heat the tape and press it down as you go,it will secure the tape to the lid.
Use ONE HALF CUP of water poured directly in the center of the FISH TANK and SECURE the lid.
Cover the FISH TANK with a towel or blanket to afford complete darkness with-in the
FISH TANK.
Leave the animal for 3-4 days,UNDISTURBED!!(dont peek)
After 3 days add another ONE HALF CUP of water in the center of the FISH TANK
and recover and continue the seclusion/acclimation process.

Make it this far and you can then move forward
During this week LEARN what it is you have chosen to be your toy.

If one has a sore foot,hitting the other with a hammer solves what?
Sure you may forget about one for a few but still . . . . .
Misdirecting a misdirected impulse buyer

Originally Posted by apreske

UVB lights don't give out any heat, what you need is a heat bulb. They are red bulbs and you can get them at Petsmart. Make sure you get the right type of light bulb for the lamp that you purchase, check wattage information on the box. I hope that helps, good luck!

Thank you, I got it figured out & taken care of. The employee that gave me such bogus recs is going to get chewed out tomorrow. I was right with the info originally & he told me I was super incorrect, ect, then persuaded me. Wtf.

Thank youuuuu. Crisis over haha.

Testament to the QUALITY of NARBC shows in Arlington Tx

Welcome Lorelai. Now that the crisis is over, you can look around for a larger enclosure, he will outgrow this one quickly. There are a number of cage vendors, look around, look through the BOI forum to check out the reputations of the various cage builders, and plan on a larger enclosure, depending. Do you know exactly what kind of boa you have?
We are glad you are here, btw.

Some good advice has been given here, but I think that it needs to be mentioned that an aquarium is far from ideal caging. If I were you, I'd go and get a sweater box or blanket box, depending on the size of the snake, from walmart.

Get the plastic box, put some holes in it with either a drill or a soldering iron. Then put a heat pad under 1/3 of it, get a small thermostat and let it roll. That is the cheapest and most effective caging for a single, young boa. It holds temps and humidity far better than an aquarium and creates a sense of security for the boa. I would put the snake on carefresh bedding for a bit of added security and you're good to go.

Good luck with your snake and I'm glad you came here looking for help.

Chris