I need help

The_Ladies_Man · #1 (**permalink**) 11-26-2004, 08:05 PM

Ok iam new to the snake secen so. well th other day i was in a pet store went to the back and saw all the boas. well with out thought i went and bought me red tail boa and a 120 gallobn aquarium. well the first day everything went smooth i set up the tank and everything. the temperture was good he moved around and stuff. well the next day he just stayed in his house unless i lifted the log up and picked him up. well he did that for 2 more days. well now all he has been doing is laying in his water bowl. at first i thought it was the temp. but it says onlyu 83 so then i thought it mite be a desises or something but i cant find anything on it can someone please help me ?

schmelkdog · #2 (**permalink**) 11-26-2004, 08:09 PM

83 is a little low or is that the general temp and not the warmest part? How big is it? How are you heating it, what kind and how many hides? If the water bowl is the only place to hide you can bet he's gonna stay there if he's small especially.

The_Ladies_Man · #3 (**permalink**) 11-26-2004, 08:27 PM

well 83 is the warmest part. i have a heater under the glass under his home i built him out of some wood that got cut like a u . i have the temp set on high but wont go any higher. red is 4 feet long and is a red tail boa. i dont know what a hide is so i cant answer. the water bowl to hide i mean its out in the open but i guess he might hide in it sence i lift up the logs alot to get him out and handle him. Iam just worried hes staying in the water for another reason then just to hide.

lethargiic · #4 (**permalink**) 11-26-2004, 08:31 PM

what are your temps on the cool and warm side, humidity, size of your snake, how many hides and where is his water bowl in his tank?

Theres a good chance he could be in the shedding process, especially if he just got out of the blue stage...the soak helps a lot when they are shedding...if there are no mites present in the water or in the scales (the chin area is a good place to check) then shedding could be probable...they even soak to help go potty.. lol

The_Ladies_Man · #5 (**permalink**) 11-26-2004, 08:34 PM

the humidity is 47%. and the water bowl is on the other side of his tank. and i dont know what a hide is so i cant answer.

lethargiic · #6 (**permalink**) 11-26-2004, 08:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by The_Ladies_Man

well 83 is the warmest part. i have a heater under the glass under his home i built him out of some wood that got cut like a u . i have the temp set on high but wont go any higher. red is 4 feet long and is a red tail boa. i dont know what a hide is so i cant answer. the water bowl to hide i mean its out in the open but i guess he might hide in it sence i lift up the logs alot to get him out and handle him. Iam just worried hes staying in the water for another reason then just to hide.

Ok i was a lil late on my reply..but...

you need to up the temp in the cage...the temps should be at least 86-89 on the warm and about 82-84 on the cool side..and humidity should be avg 45-55%

also a hide is any kind of housing..ie a hallow half log...etc

schmelkdog · #7 (**permalink**) 11-26-2004, 08:53 PM

This is from proexotics.com,,,check out the FAQ's there plus the caresheets here and they can answer alot of your questions I bet.

Proper hidespots- Check out our Hidespot FAQ for a more detailed breakdown of hidespot theory, but I will cover the basics here. Your snakes want a hidespot that provides security. A hide that is dark, small, and low to the ground. Big open caves or logs provide shelter, perhaps, but no security at all. 99% of the hidespots you find at your local retail reptile store have been designed with YOU (a human being) in mind. Something pretty, something flashy, those absolutely dumb half logs, it is all about appealing to your eye, and very little thought has been put into the actual needs of the reptile. They want to be protected from the predators in the wild, the birds that will scoop them off the ground, those #$%^&#$%^&#$%^&#$%^& monitor lizards that will hunt them through the bushes. If a hidespot is tight and secure enough, you will have a heck of a time pulling them out of it. Of course, when you just lift it right off the top of them, I think it might very well ruin their day, but that is another matter. The point is that until you exhibit your truly massive human intellect, they will feel secure, safe, and at some kind of peace. That is a lot of anthropomorphizing, and I hate that, but I guess we can feel all warm and fuzzy for a moment or two…

Nature provides great hidespots. When you provide captive hidespots, you can be quite creative, but try and keep in mind the basic theory. Flat cork bark laid flat on the ground makes a good hidespot for smaller snakes, especially babies. They will shimmy right underneath it and feel completely crevice-safe. Borrowing from our monitor lizard husbandry, for arboreal monitors like the Green Trees, we have constructed "cork sandwiches", in which we zip tie two flat pieces of cork together, and their natural gentle curve creates a slightly larger crevice type space of which the animals make good use. We secure these sandwiches up in the higher branches of the cage, although they would certainly be of good use terrestrially as well, and the tight wedge security is well appreciated by snakes.

We have adapted many non-reptile products to our hidespot needs, and had some very good success. From the thousands (it seems) of Rubbermaid trash cans in our facility, we have found that the trash can lids make an excellent large footprint, low profile, hidespot. We have found a number of gardening products that work well, including a thin, black plastic seedling plant tray that meets all of our hidespot criteria, at a price well under a dollar per unit.

The more traditional clay pot plant bases are also a good choice. They have a large footprint, but they are low to the ground, and you need only crack a small opening for the animal to get inside. We use a lot of the Vision bowls in our facility, and those have a hollow base underneath, which is a favorite hidespot of both monitors and snakes. If you take a moment to peruse a few hundred photos, you can see all of the hidespots described here (and more) in the various galleries, including the Facility photos. (or do not pass go, and find yourself immediately in Hidespot FAQ jail here)

We don't really sell hidespots on our site, nonetheless, they are an

The_Ladies_Man · #8 (**permalink**) 11-26-2004, 08:59 PM

well first i would like to say thnx to schmelkdog and lethargiic for ur help and time. and also for telling me what a hide is =-). well yall both gave me some tips of what it might be yall said could be mites or sheding well i dont see any mites in the water and his skin isnt faded so i dont think it 1 of thoughts i just hope he might be using it for a hide since i bother him in his houyse 1 alot which i need to stop. but if yall have any more tips or advice i would sure like to read them thnx.

RevMojo · #9 (**permalink**) 11-26-2004, 09:11 PM

Sometimes they just like to soak.

Ed_r · #10 (**permalink**) 11-27-2004, 06:11 PM

Ok first off, What are you measuring the temps with? If its not a digital thermometer then dont change anything till you get one. the dial type, and tape thermometers are notoriously very inacurate. if you get the temps to 88 on a dial type your actual temps may be pushing 100.

If its a new snake it will hide allot. let it be for a week or so befor handling.

Soaking yes it COULD be mites. But they also soak with an upcoming shed. or and upcoming dump, or just cuz it feels good.

Best thing you can do is get a digital thermometer and get the temps to 88 degrees on the hot side, the rest should take care of itself. Of course if you are using a digi therm now. You may need to cover part of the top of the tank, if its screen.

Since the snake does soak, when you change the water check for little black specs in the water. If you find any you have mites. Then go to a herp store and get a can of Prevent a Mite, follow the directions to a t and retreat in 14 days and your good to go.

Wrasse · #11 (**permalink**) 11-28-2004, 02:27 AM

Might be an idea to leave him a week or so without handling too. You stated from the first day you would lift the hide and handle him, so he hasn't had a chance to settle in.

Snakes don't generally run around and get all active. They spend a lot of time just hiding, or lying around, so I wouldn't be too worried. A little stressed maybe atm, just give him time to settle.

sn8kluvr · #12 (**permalink**) 11-28-2004, 04:28 AM

Well I thought that the warm side temp should be closer the 92-95 and the cool side around 76-79 and humidity at 55-65%. The boas are form more humid areas and need a higher humidity then 45%. that is not as bad as a 83 for a warm side. I guess it won't be that bad unless you have fed him, then you need heat. Also a 125 gal for a 4 foot boa is way way to big. I remember my friend having a 75 gal and it was huge. You need to provide a hide on the warm side and on the cool side. I would also provide a few more because of the tank size. Also have a big log or two or five to help hide and climb. It is very stressful to have a new animal and nothing going right. Go to Wal-Mart and get a digital themo. that has an outside and a inside also humidity. Provide more then one water also, related to the fact the the tank is huge. Also at walmart you can get a 12x24 inch human heating pad. Get two or three of them. have them covering 2/3 of the tank, that way the heat covers most of the tank and has some of the tank with no heat, this being your cool side. Also the tank is also tall, so get a heat lamp or two to keep the air temp up. You are going to have to spend a lot of money to heat a 120 gal, I would take it back and look into something different, Good luck!!

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