need help with setting up my big tank!!

[brandon0133]

ok right now in my big 175 gallon tank i have 3 ball pythons,,ones 4 ft and ones 3 ft and ones 1 ft,,all are happy but i want to make sure all is well with temp and water and stuff,,,i have a big water dish in the middle of the tank which is probably about 4 gallons,,,i have the heat light at one end and the hide at the other end with uv lighting at the other end from the heat light,,,thermometer is on the cold side where the uv lighting is,,,and is showing 73 degrees,,,but usually says 75,,,anyways do i need to add anything to help them be comfortable? i see one of the balls is now showing signs of a RI and i want to make sure its not something im doing here,,thanks

[Cazador]

Hi Brandon,

I'll be of limited help here because I don't know the optimal temperature range for ball pythons. However, any snake with a respiratory infection should be quarantined immediately and treated as soon as possible. Respiratory infections are highly contageous among snakes. You might also find some good advise on kingsnake.com's ball python forum. Have a look (Kingsnake.com - Herpforum* > Snake Forums > Pythons: Ball (http://forums.kingsnake.com/forum.php?catid=79)). Regards,

Rick

[brandon0133]

ok the big albino was in there with a RI and now i moved him out and put the ball pythons in there and now one has an RI,,i did not know it was contagous,,ill take them out now,,thanks

[adamanteus]

Brandon, I think you will find that Python regius requires a fairly low relative humidity, as it is an African savannah species. I'd opt for a smaller water bowl.

[Stefan-A]

Really? I always thought it was a forest floor species.

Well, live and learn. :D

[adamanteus]

Yeah, they're predominantly a grassland species. Maybe lightly wooden areas, but basically grassland.

[brandon0133]

ok i just put the big one in there so they could lay in it and have enough room,,so u think i need to remove it and replace with something smaller? and i added another heat light,,low temps on one side were getting to 71 degrees,,now low is 84 and high is 91,,i heard from some other members that the temps were alot higher with these snakes,,so i put it up by adding another light