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big tank

Y

yofoo

New member
I just got my new baby snow corn snake (Hurricane) yesterday:) and I got a 20 gallon tank, just so I wouldnt have to upgrade. Is that okay? I have 3 hides though to make her feel safe.

Also, I fed her yesterday, becuase the store said that was her normal feeding schedule. She ate within minutes. But was that too soon?

Any help?
Thanks
 
home

I am still learning....but someone told me that 20 was too large for a baby. THey recommended a 10 gallon to be sure your baby can fine the warm spot or cool spot and not get lost or feel overwhelmed. Good luck and hope you get all the info you need.:cool:
 
hiya, got my new snake today too!!! a likkle corn (silent bob) :p #
he/she's gorgeous, red and orangey, dunno what type that is yet, havent figured all the anery and other types yet or what they mean.
still, good luck with ya baby
 
I know I have seen posts from people stating a tank to be too large, but what about wild corns-personally I don't think you will have a problem. Provided they have fresh water a place to hide and a reliable heat source you should be fine!

Matt L.
 
Wild or not.. I can agree to some degree that a smaller enclosure is umm... for lack of a better term "better" for babies...

But, is it really better for the babies? Or for us?

Sure, a smaller enclosure is better for us. It's cheaper (short term), and it's easier (and, again, cheaper) to clean.

The only time I've heard a good and true argument for a smaller enclosure is for bearded dragons when you feed inside the tank. Sure I've heard you "can" house species in xx gallon tanks, and according to the state of Florida, I only need like a 6ftx4ftx4ft enclosure to house my two 5ft Iguanas (and that's sharing).

No way would I keep 'em in something that small though (The outdoor enclosure I built for 'em is 10'x5'x7').

I'm not so sure about the "overwhelming" bit, cuz whether they're captive bred, or living out in the wild, they don't know any better (or worse) really. Sure if you take a wild caught animal and put it in captivity, you'll want something a bit bigger so the individual feels a lil more secure.

If you're feeding your corns outside of their normal "Homes" though, does it really make a difference other than the cost of maintenance?

As with beardies, the only reason I think a large tank for a small corn could be a problem is the inability to find its food easily. If you feed in a separate tub outside their tank, this problem never occurs.

The only other thing I can think of is that having a big cage just looks dull and boring with a tiny lil baby in it, heh.

Personally, I keep my babies in 12qt. rubbermaids. Gives 'em plenty of space to crawl around (although usually they just go vertical and curl up in the lip of the lid, heh).
 
IMHO it should be fine as long as you keep a hide at both the warm and cool end so that your corn feels safe.

Floor area wise, a 20 gallon tank isn't a lot larger than a 10 gallon one and corns do explore ...

If you are still worried you could put your corn in a small temporary container inside the loarge viv for a while ... that way he'll be able to see (and smell) his new World and shouldn't be scared - just be careful he still has the correct temperature gradient!

HTH
 
To be perfectly honest, you cant have a tank thats too big for your snake! The only reason most pet stores 'recommend' upgrading is so that you spend more money. I cant see a snake being upset because he/she has a great big home with lots of places to explore and hide. The only time I would prefer to house my snakes in a smaller viv is if they have hatchlings (need a VERY secure tank).
 
well

YES you CAN have a tank that is too big for your snake.

There are MANY cases in which a larger tank is not the best choice.

If you buy a hatchling and are not aware if it eats or not, throwing it into a large 30 gallon or more can cause stress and cause it not to eat.

Non feeders often need tiny enclosures for their first few weeks .

New snakes..I always like to keep new snakes, especially babies in smaller tanks until you know they are healthy. This way the water and hides are close, easily availble. And the snake will most likely eat sooner.

This is NOT the case for all snakes. Sure most do fine when put in a huge home from hatchling size. But the fact of the matter is many babies need a tight home. And often a smaller tank can cure many an issue a baby snake might have. This is well documented by the way. But yours is eating so should be no probs.

bmm
 
Last edited:
Yofoo

Incidently, a twenty gallon tank should be fine.
Normally that is a good size, but I personally avoid anything larger for hatchlings until they are either eating properly, or a few months old..

:) good luck

bmm
 
Re: well

bmm said:
If you buy a hatchling and are not aware if it eats or not, throwing it into a large 30 gallon or more can cause stress and cause it not to eat.

Non feeders often need tiny enclosures for their first few weeks .
Click to expand...

That I do totally agree with, but I mean once you do get to know the snake, and it's eating good, and there's no health problems (again, another argument for going for a smaller tank. If you get coccidea problems and have to clean u'r tank every coupla days, smaller is better!) is there such a thing as too big?
 
well

It depends.

Is there such a thing as a tank to big for a healthy, feeding adult? Probably not! You could go as big as you wanted.

Would I put a healthy, feeding hatchling in a 50 gallon or something? Probably not. :) Its all just a judgement call with keeping in mind that smaller snakes need security. But once you have a healthy adult or teenager I don't think it matters.

But this is for corns. Other snakes are not the same. Such as Ball Pythons...even adults sometimes need to be cramped! :)

bmm
 
Well, corns do too, when they're sleeping/digesting. All mine seem to go vertical just after they've eaten. Straight up into the lip of the lid, each lil "compartment" in the lids is about the size of a zippo lighter, lol.

Although, they've started actually using the pieces of grape wood I bought for 'em a bit more now.

Well, that is, except for Lantesh (the male caramel) who thinks he's a rabbit or something. He constantly lives buried under the aspen, crawling through his tunnels, heh.
 
should be fine

that should be fine. i had my snake in a large tank as a baby. the big thing is to make sure there is enough hiding places and that they have easy access to everything. at any rate, my snake seems healthy and well adjusted so good luck :)
 
as I said, tank size isn't an issue with adult, healthy snakes as long as you have plenty of hides etc.
 
if its a glass squareish tank why not put a perspex seperator down the middle then you can extend it when needed or even have two of the little critters in the same tank but seperated at the same time like i have done.

BU5T4
 

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