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 #1822266


Wantsabp
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 Last minute question!

I’ve ordered my corn (an okeetee female) and I am soooo excited. just a last minute question. she is small and she will be living in a 10 gallon to get comfortable at first. I will be moving her into a 20 ASAP. sooo... my question is to those of you that heat your tanks with bulbs. what brand works for you? or if u use uth, which thermostat do u use? like brand. thanks soooooooooo much and i can’t wait to post pics of my corn!!!



08/06/08  09:37pm

 #1822927


Yasha
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   Message To: Wantsabp   In reference to Message Id: 1822266


 Last minute question!

Well first of all congrats on the new baby! It’s always exciting, is this your first snake?
If so I might want to point out that a baby corn can, and should, live in a 10 gallon tank for it’s firt 9-12 months, depending on how fast it’s growing. The rule of thumb for tank sizes is you need an enclosure that is 2/3 the length of the snake minimum , however with babies they need small tanks. I keep my babies in 5 gallons until they reach the same length as the tank (which is about 15 inches or so) and then up them to 10 gallons until they out grow them. Then they get moved into tubs that are suitable to their length.

As for tyhe light bulb Q, I would seriously advise against using light bulbs to heat your viv. Snakes need belly heat to digest food, and they do not like to have to bask on a sun heated spot of tank or someplace high with a full stomach. This makes under tank heating the best way to go for your snakes health as it can (and needs to be) left on at all times, and you can put a hide directly over it so your snake can get warm in comfortable saftey and not feel vulnerable while it’s digesting. If you hardly ever see your snake then you have done a good job at constructing it’s tank. You can put a light over the hot side of the tank with a low wat bulb to give the daytime a little added realism and heat, but make sure it goes on a timer 12 hours on 12 hours off, if you do, don’t leave it on all the time and if it heats the tank up too much turn it off and leave it off, or get a clamp so you can move it higher up off the tank lid to decrease the heat. I do that with mine when theya re in tanks still.

As for brands I use Exo Terra desert UTH’s for all my corns. They work very nicely and don’t get too hot to be used on my plastic tubs. As for the rheostat, I use a lamp dimmer from home hardware. It was like 8 dollars and I can plug a power bar into it before plugging it into the wall and control all my tanks temps at once. It doesn’t have temps on it like a reptile rheostat would, but I just test it, slowly sliding it up every few hours until my temp gun reads the proper temps. Then I tape the slidder down with electrical tape and voila! You have a cheap rheosat that maintains your tanks perfectly and didn’t cost you an arm and a leg!
08/07/08  02:02pm

 #1823314


Wantsabp
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   Message To: Yasha   In reference to Message Id: 1822927


 Last minute question!

yep this is my first snake! sooo excited and i def will post pics! Thanks soo much for the detailed response and reccommendations and advice! I will not get a bulb now. I’ll go for the UTH and thermostat. I already have a thermometer w/ a probe to test the temps in the warm hide, and on the warm side. so i think I’m set! thanks soo much again!!
08/07/08  08:12pm

 #1824933


Wantsabp
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   Message To: Wantsabp   In reference to Message Id: 1823314


 Last minute question!

haha came up with another one!! my substrate will be reptile carpet for now, so the heat will have to go through it. is that a problem? should i put aspen on top of the carpet when i switch?

Thanks again! my corn ships out on the 18th and will get here the 19th!!



08/09/08  12:34pm

 #1824937


Rojo
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   Message To: Wantsabp   In reference to Message Id: 1824933


 Last minute question!

the carpet is fine


i use carpet so i wont have to keep buying aspen



08/09/08  12:35pm

 #1825266


Wisema2297
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   Message To: Rojo   In reference to Message Id: 1824937


 Last minute question!

I use aspen so I don’t have to keep cleaning carpet.....LOL
08/09/08  06:33pm

 #1825416


Rojo
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   Message To: Wisema2297   In reference to Message Id: 1825266


 Last minute question!

Quote:

I use aspen so I don’t have to keep cleaning carpet.....LOL





LOL
08/09/08  08:53pm

 #1828486


Yasha
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   Message To: Wantsabp   In reference to Message Id: 1823314


 Last minute question!

Well I hope you have a really good experience with yout first snake. As for your second question, I think that you should not be using carpeting with a corn. Aspen is much more natural for them, as they like to burrow and carpet does not allow them to do that. You may find your snake crawled underneath the carpeting to express their tunneling/burrowing instinct and if it is on the hot side of the tank that can pose a serious health risk. With aspen you can build it up a little more over the hot side of the tank where you know the snake will be more inclined to burrow so it will not burn itself on the hot glass over the pad.



08/12/08  03:14pm

 #1828523


The_Thunderer
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   Message To: Yasha   In reference to Message Id: 1828486


 Last minute question!

One thing that I noticed about Aspen, though - esp. because I live here in uber dry Mesa, Arizona - is that Aspen doesn’t hold much humidity... and if you mist Aspen to raise humidity, you’re going got get mold.

My larger corn and my kings didn’t shed very well when I used Aspen here. So I’ve switched to coco-bark mixed with a little peat. The snakes can still burrow and get under things to hide and the humidity is retained better... therefore I’ve got better sheds from those snakes.

The one thing that is a must is that it is even MORE necessary to feed in a separate cage as there is far too much material that can be accidentally digested using this type of substrate.

If you live in a dry area like I do, then you might want to consider this. If not, Aspen would be my first choice as well.

Good luck!
Fred
08/12/08  03:43pm

 #1829529


Raven Mune
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   Message To: The_Thunderer   In reference to Message Id: 1828523


 Last minute question!

Hi guys... I have a 1’4" normal corn... presently using aspen and a bulb for heating.. Still waiting on funds for a uth... fortunately she seems happy, as she spends more time hiding than looking for a way out... and feeds well..(and yes I feed her in a seperate enclosure to prevent impactation)... She’s in a 65 gallon tall with many hides... I live in Oregon and seem to be having good luck with keeping the humidity up using aspen aswell... My question is: how much does the average uth and thermostat cost? When my b/f gets paid again I’m hoping to get her one.. If, of course; the bills don’t take up all our cash again... *pout* Also, when I do get the uth, should I get repti-carpet to put over it to prevent bellie burn?



08/13/08  12:16pm

 #1834121


Wantsabp
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   Message To: Raven Mune   In reference to Message Id: 1829529


 Last minute question!

sorry, been on vacation! now im back, and with a corn! haha. she is sooo cute!!! I’ll post pics. i didn’t know you cound use a lamp dimmer with a uth? ill have to try that. i live in montana so ill probably have to switch substrates. im using aspen on top of carpet and she likes i think. well thanks for all the replies and pics will be us asap!

jake



08/17/08  05:40pm

 #1834139


Misce-FL
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   Message To: Wisema2297   In reference to Message Id: 1825266


 Last minute question!

Quote:

I use aspen so I don’t have to keep cleaning carpet



I’m with you on that one. Hatchlings poop tiny, no big deal. But adult snakes poop big and stinky, and with carpet, there’s nothing to absorb smell. With only 1 snake to clean, it wouldn’t be so bad, but with over 100, I’ll stick with aspen.
08/17/08  06:13pm


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