First timer advice
Hi! I just got my first blood python and just had a few questions/wanted to hear any advice you guys have. This is actually my first reptile as well, and was somewhat unplanned, but I want to make sure I do the best by him. I do have some reptile background, I’m a wildlife student and have a big interest in herps, but I’ve mostly interacted with wild snakes. I’ve done research in the past for ball pythons and crested geckos, but I wasn’t planning to get a reptile right now. One of my coworkers needed to rehome this guy as she was scared of him, and I agreed to take him. I did some research, but most of the info I could find was for handling or juveniles. This guy is a 4 year old male, eating one thawed rat every three weeks. He came with the setup pictured (although I had to rearrange everything after moving it) and I just wanted to know if there’s anything I should do to improve it? The substrate is Zoomed Tropical BioBlend along with some extra coconut husk and some smooth river rock here and there. I’m planning to add some other small live plants to replace the plastic one.
The lights he came with are keeping the warm side of his tank 74.4°F and the cool side 72.8°F. This seems to me like maybe not a big enough difference, and the warm side is probably too cool, right? Should I try to get a stronger bulb to get it up to 82°F on the warm side?
Is city tap water okay? I drink my tap water and it doesn’t taste strongly, but it’s still city water, is the chlorine in it okay for him to be drinking and soaking in?
How active are they generally? Should I be concerned if he stays in his hide all day once he’s settled in more?
He’s due to be fed today, but I just got him yesterday and I know they shouldn’t eat right after a big change like that. Would it be okay to feed him this weekend? I’m planning to wait to try to handle him until a week to let him settle in, but he hasn’t hissed or huffed at me at all and seems pretty curious about me.
Any general advice is so welcome!