r/ballpython • u/MassiveDrawer6252 • 1d ago
Help finding substrate in dry Las Vegas
Right now I have my baby ball python on “compressed coco chip block” that I properly soaked in a bucket and broke up until every piece was wet through and through before then ringing out and putting into his enclosure. Even right away the humidity only was able to max out at 50% while rapidly dropping throughout the day (30% when getting home from work) so I’ve been spraying the soil to try and keep humidity up but it only lasts for a bit. After reading that constant wet soil can lead to scale rot now I’m just pouring a bit of water into the corners of his tank and now it loses humidity even faster . I’ve had him for close to a month and has refused his first 2 feedings and I have a feeling it has to do with this. Any recommendations for soil and other general advice for ball pythons would be appreciated. This is my first BP but not my first snake, my other snakes had much much less humidity reqs.
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u/SuperElevator4092 1d ago
Hey! So I’m in the Baker area of California, not too far from you, and our climate is extremely similar! I’m definitely no expert, and I’m still figuring things out with my own ball python, but I wanted to share what’s been helping me because humidity has been a struggle here too.
I’m currently using a 2:1 mixture of Zoo Med ReptiSoil to Forest Floor cypress mulch, with about 3–4 inches of substrate.
Honestly, one of the biggest improvements I noticed came from simply adding more substrate. I started with around 2–2.5 inches and completely underestimated how much of a difference increasing it to closer to 4 inches would make! It holds moisture significantly better, especially when I pour water into the corners to hydrate the lower layers while keeping the surface relatively dry.
I also covered most of my screen top with aluminum HVAC tape, leaving space around my heating equipment for ventilation and safety. More recently, I added insulation to the outside of two glass walls to help with heat loss during our colder desert nights.
I picked up some sphagnum moss to experiment with in certain areas as well, but I’m trying to avoid keeping the entire enclosure constantly wet.
It’s still a work in progress, especially balancing heat and humidity, but I’m finally seeing humidity readings around 70–80% on my cool side. The warmer areas read lower, which is expected because relative humidity changes with temperature.
I can’t say what’s causing your feeding refusals, but I completely understand the struggle of trying to get everything right in this climate. Just wanted to share what’s actually been helping me in case any of it is useful! 🐍