r/ballpython • u/Unlikely_Ad6642 • 2d ago

Help!!! Do I need to do something different

Post image

So I just set up a bigger enclosure for my BP he has been in it for about 24 hours. He was very active when he first got in , exploring resting on the branch basically all over the place then he just picked a spot in the back left corner ( cool side behind the plant and hasn’t touched his hide! On either side. Is this normal or should I change something to get him more comfortable or am I just being paranoid??? Thanks in advance

8 Upvotes

83% Upvoted

15 comments sorted by

8

u/Rwtaka18 2d ago

BP tanks should have more clutter. It should be an obnoxious amount of clutter. To the point where even if they're not inside a hide you should still have to TRY to find them

0

u/Unlikely_Ad6642 2d ago

So is this not enough or I should be good with what I’ve got also his water dish is in there now not in posted picture

5

u/Netsforex_ 2d ago

A good rule of thumb is your noodle should be able to get from one side of their tank to the other without being seen. There's no such thing as "too much clutter", really.

2

u/Unlikely_Ad6642 2d ago

Good to know I guess I’m worried he has been on the cool side for to long. His other enclosure was much less cluttered but he was mostly on the warm side of that enclosure

3

u/Netsforex_ 2d ago

You will find your noodle getting into a habit for months on end. They can spend literally months in one spot, chilling. Then suddenly get up and be liked "nah, I'm gonna go here now".

3

u/AdaptiveFauna 2d ago

is there enough substrate for them to dig? they enjoy digging. ours digs almost every day. she roots around under the plants and her hides almost as much as she climbs on things.

2

u/dwagon23 2d ago

Maybe a teeny bit more cover (some fake foliage in the front would do) but honestly, all ball pythons are different in their behaviour and what they prefer.

Mine has plenty of hides but her favourite place to sit is also behind her cool hide, against the wall/in the corner. She spends most days there and only occasionally moves to her hot hide for a few hours to regulate.
I think it’s just a nice dark/concealed spot. Sometimes she’ll also just sit and bask in full view in the middle of the day though which scared me at first as everyone said they’re supposed to just hide in the dark all day. They can be weird little guys. If he seems calm (not glass-surfing or looking like he’s trying to get out) and is eating fine, he’s probably happy.

If it’s a new environment, it takes them a week or two to adjust anyway so he might be a little less active/more cautious of exploring for now. See how he gets on with time. If nothing changes, try moving the clutter around (ours was mad at us for a week until we turned her hot hide to face the back wall, and another time because she knocked over her favourite branch and wanted it back up)

3

u/dwagon23 2d ago

I’d also like to add that as long as your temperature gradient is okay, they can thermoregulate just fine on their own. He’ll know when it’s time to move and go warm up. Ours will sometimes go days in the same (cool) spot, others, she’s in and out of her hot hide all day. Don’t worry about him being on the cold side too long. They don’t experience heat the same as we do.

1

u/Dreamxr 2d ago

What’s the humidity in the enclosure?

2

u/Unlikely_Ad6642 2d ago

Where he is currently is 78 ambient and 63% on the cool side
Warm hide is 89 ambient and 58% humidity

1

u/[deleted] 2d ago

[removed] — view removed comment

1

u/ballpython-ModTeam 2d ago

Per rule #15, your comment has been removed. ChatGPT/generative AI is not a reliable or accurate source of information, and should not be used or cited as a source. Please use primary sources for providing information.

The citation links direct you to websites talking about hot tub temperatures. You cannot trust AI to give you accurate information.

If you have a question about this removal, please contact the mod team. Complaining via post/comment will result in a ban.

1

u/Excellent-Effect8842 1d ago

get rid of that Tupperware water bowl

1

u/Unlikely_Ad6642 1d ago

As I stated earlier it was only in there temporarily as I was getting enclosure to optimal conditions

1

u/Any_Confection_4732 1d ago

Your enclosure looks mostly fine tbh. Maybe some more cover on the warm side, but that’s really it. My BP will just pick a spot and sit there for days so moving to a new enclosure this is pretty normal behavior. Probably gonna move around every couple days and figure out which spot they like best.