Humidity Issues In Ball Python Tank

Hey guys, so my fiance and I got a ball python a month or so ago. We bought a custom built 35g tank for her until she gets a bit bigger, it came with a diy type chicken wire lid that we wrapped up with tin-foil with a hole for the heat lamp to shine through.

Needless to say, we're having humidity issues and now my snake is about to shed for her 2nd time and she has an eye cap stuck on her eye.

Is there a place I can order a glass lid with custom dimensions, or is there better material I can make a lid for her with? I don't have a whole lot of money, so I'm looking for something $60 and under.

We are planning to get really nice set up for when shes bigger, so keep that in mind..

Thanks for the advice!

PS. I have a log hide for her with spagnum moss that I try to keep damp for her and she has a water dish she can fit in to soak.

 

What type of substrate do you have? My ball python is on Eco Earth and his humidity is perfect. Also, if she has a water dish to soak in, I wonder why she doesn't just soak? Is it treated or just tap water?
Is there a heat pad underneath? I have a heat pad plugged into a thermostat that keeps his temp regulated so that he doesn't need a heat lamp.

 

You can buy mesh at your local hardware store and then just put a towel over the top also I wouldn't keep the heat lamp red heat bulbs aren't good for ball pythons if you still want something like it tho I would get a heat emmiter with a cover but the best way to heat the snakes enclosure is a heat pad and to help keep up humidity I would make a mixture of orchid bark and coconut fibers and mist the tank every few days and to get the eye cap off just get a damp rag and gently rub it off don't pull it off

 

It's probably the heat lamp more than the lid since you have that wrapped up tight, those things tend to kill humidity. You'll have to find a way to introduce more moisture into the enclosure and maintain it - be it a moist substrate or a fogger. The two balls I adopted had belly rot from being kept only on moist cocofiber and not having a dry place to rest, so I am always a bit cautious about bedding for them. I just use a big black moist hide box with moss in it, they hide in there before shedding and haven't had issues.

 

You can buy mesh at your local hardware store and then just put a towel over the top also I wouldn't keep the heat lamp red heat bulbs aren't good for ball pythons if you still want something like it tho I would get a heat emmiter with a cover but the best way to heat the snakes enclosure is a heat pad and to help keep up humidity I would make a mixture of orchid bark and coconut fibers and mist the tank every few days and to get the eye cap off just get a damp rag and gently rub it off don't pull it off

Red bulbs are perfectly fine as long as they’re not being used at night. It will mess up their day/night schedule as I’m pretty sure they see red light as white light, but don’t quote me on that - I know that crested geckos see red light as white light so I’m just assuming it's similar. If you need heat at night, I would use a ceramic head emitter. But most reptiles do fine with a natural temperature drop at night.

I’ve heard of people using sheets of plexiglass to cover screen lids to help hold in humidity, so maybe you can find a cheap alternative at Lowe’s in the building materials section.

 

I'm currently using a reptile carpet for my substrate. Would a loose substrate be better?

Also, if she has a water dish to soak in, I wonder why she doesn't just soak? Is it treated or just tap water?
Idk about the water dish. She drinks from it all the time.. I'm using filtered water

I don't have a heat mat yet, but plan on getting one. I only have the lamp on during the day, so it's not messing up her day/night schedule. She also has a large, flat, dark colored rock under the light that gets pretty warm and a bowl of sand too. She loves her sand.

... to get the eye cap off just get a damp rag and gently rub it off don't pull it off

Thanks, I'll try that!

 

It's probably the heat lamp more than the lid since you have that wrapped up tight, those things tend to kill humidity. You'll have to find a way to introduce more moisture into the enclosure and maintain it - be it a moist substrate or a fogger. The two balls I adopted had belly rot from being kept only on moist cocofiber and not having a dry place to rest, so I am always a bit cautious about bedding for them. I just use a big black moist hide box with moss in it, they hide in there before shedding and haven't had issues.

What kinds of substrate would you recommend? The log I use with moss keeps getting moldy so I have to clean it and replace the moss everyday.. that moss is expensive!! (Can I just use paper towels?)

 

A lot of people use slightly moistened coco fiber which holds humidity well. I'm allergic, so I ended up using Reptibark instead and it hasn't molded like the cypress used to.

You can use paper towels, just don't feed anywhere near them for safety. If you're looking for a better-priced moss, try garden stores! I use an organic kind made for orchids by Moser Lee that costs $4 for a bundle. It's not as pretty as the reptile kind, but it's completely functional and I haven't run into mold issues. My problem is my balls like to use the moss hide as a bathroom!


Edit: Are you using one of those reptile half-log hides? Those are not made to use with moisture! They always mold in high humidity. Try a plastic bin instead, again, not pretty, but functional. I found black ones with camo print that have worked really well as they are dark inside. No worries about mold and easy to scrub out.

 

Okay, great! Thanks for all the awesome information!

Yes, my fiance picked out the half-log hide. I wanted to get the rock cave thing that opens up so you can stuff it full of moss lol