So I have this young ball python, he's my pride and joy but I'm having a horrendous time with cage heating/humidityI am keeping him in a 20 gallon glass tank with a screen topI have good hides on either side and a good size water bowlI'm using Exo-Terra Forest Bark substrate as recommended by the pet store I bought him from.I started out using an Exo-Terra heat lamp, which gave me a good temperature but destroyed the humidityCouldn't keep it above 30% despite wrapping 3/4 of the top with plastic and a towel and frequent misting in the cage with a spray bottle.I switched to an Exo-Terra Heat Wave under-tank heater, 8 watt 110 voltsIt's been on for about 15 minutes and is barely putting out ANY warmth whatsoeverCurrent cage temp as I type this is a chilly 74 degreesWhat to do? I've done a ton of research and keep investing money in these products but nothing is giving me the balance of temp/humidity that I needIt's having quite a negative impact on his feeding and my walletHelp?Thanks,Ryan
I've found that putting 2-3 layers of aluminum foil over the heating pad sends more heat into the tankAttach the heating pad to the tank, then tape 2 or 3 pieces of foil on top of that (shiny side toward the tank) Also, what substrate are you using? Switching to cypress mulch should help you keep the humidity upIt can be misted frequently without molding so it only needs to be changed about every month or so Adding a humid hide could help tooA tupperware container over top of the heating pad with a hole in the side and wet mulch as a substrate inside will give him a warm humid place to hang out.
