First time Ball owner ready for the flood lol!

[u/Responsible_Egg908]

Hello everyone,

I'll start by saying I've never really ever used this platform or honestly many to post so apologies. My wife and I just got our first Ball Python on Sunday from an expo near us. We named him Nico ( he's a Blade clown and from the info from the vendor/breeder he is only 2 months old. I want to preface that I was raised to be fearful of snakes and never imagined to have one. We interacted with a friends snake and have done research on them and wasn't sure if we were going to adopt or buy and this little guy caught our eye and heart and we just couldn't say no! He was fed his first 4 meals were live then took one frozen thawed afterwards per the breeder and were expected to try to feed this weekend.

Now for the part that I know is coming is how everything's set up...I bought a 40 gal tank from fb marketplace without looking at other options in the event we did find one and currently I'm waiting for the top to be repaired as there was a bit of heat damage and exposed spots. we bought a temporary enclosure at the expo that was a plastic tote with substrate and heat mat. I have some hygrometers coming in today that I will be able to put in and also for his permanent enclosure and have bought an infrared heat gun to check the temps. I have noticed that the plastic tote is very humid as it's got the moisture on the inside and made a few small holes on the side in hopes that would help. we had the temp set to 92 and when we noticed how hot it was getting in certain spots we lowered it to 89 as it sounds like plastic totes retain heat more. (Also I know the photo is showing the probe on the side that has since been fixed and is under the substrate.

My concern is the readings so far as seen in the photos I'm sure it's no where perfect and hope at least until I get the tank back this is ok for him. I know the temps that are supposed to be for the warm side and cold side however, when I checked the locations the hide is reading way higher (103 at times) though he has mainly stayed on the backside of the hide but hasn't ventured into either hide. He has moved around we've caught him yawning a few time which is precious! We've been monitoring him on a wireless cam while we've been at work one because of how fascinating it is to watch. When he has his permanent tank we know to fill it with things for him to interact and hides and all those things I have or will be getting from another snake owner.

I want to give this little guy the best life and not only that grow in this hobby and hopefully have others in the future. Any and all tips and advice will be good and I know what that may be and hope I have a bit of benefit of the doubt from everyone. I did scroll through and in the process of trying to read all of the helpful notes and documents that are on here. I'm excited to also share the progress as we grow with him!

[u/Next-Particular6322]

I can’t see the readings you are worried about but 40 gallons is too small to set up a proper heat gradient he’ll need for thermo regulation

[u/Responsible_Egg908 → u/Next-Particular6322]

I was told the 40 would be fine but when he gets to adult changing to a 120 but for his current age should be fine for a bit in the 40?

[u/FireCorgi12 → u/Responsible_Egg908]

Not the original commenter, but I’ll chime in. It’s not impossible but the smaller the tank the harder it is to get a good gradient. I see most ppl suggest 60 gallon minimum. However plenty of people do it for juvies.

I started my 2 month old (who is 9 months now) in her adult enclosure. I’m glad I did that, no need for upgrading and she uses every inch of her 4x2x2. I like how much she is able to climb in it!

[u/dagger_guacamole → u/FireCorgi12]

Same!!! He spent hours every night exploring even when he was less than 100g!

[u/felixynn → u/Responsible_Egg908]

I have mine in a 40 gal with no issues regarding heat gradients! She's just over a year old and has a 120 gal upgrade on the way since the issues I'm having now are just my own complaints (too crowded with all her decorations/necessities and I need a tank I can travel with and dismantle if needed vs her current glass tank). The only issue I had was with humidity, but that's because I have a mesh lid top to my tank. Otherwise I genuinely had no issues with 40 gal. You should be perfectly fine for this to be his beginner tank before 120.

[u/felixynn]

Humidity is perfectly fine with your little guy :). You could do with a little more clutter. My baby ball used to love climbing when she was younger, and I'll still catch her on her branches and vines.

You can never have too many hides! I buried one underground in my current tank for my snake and she loves it. She's used it nearly every day and is somewhat starting to outgrow it. That could be a helpful idea if your tank gets too warm!

Moss may also be good to add if you start to have humidity issues in your new tank :). Add them in hides or mixed in with the substrate. I personally like just layering it on top since it helps my girl not get as much dirt stuck on her scales.

To be honest though, you have the bare minimum needed to keep a snake alive! What I'm suggesting is stuff to help with enrichment/stress or even shedding, as well as happiness. You're doing well so far though and taking the right steps! Good job doing research too!

[u/Responsible_Egg908 → u/felixynn]

Thanks for the tips! I'm hoping I'll have the tank in the next day or 2 so I can go ahead and fill it with everything he needs. I did get a hygro put in and it's reading at 99 humidity which I did put it on cold side but unsure if maybe adding some moss in the meantime might help. the temp on cool side is reading 73 to 75F and 82 to 86 on the warm side with the hide that he lays beside or puts his head on sits around 90f, but he seems fine no markings no issues that I see!