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First Terrarium

I

itsmejeffd

New member
Hi Everyone,
I'm completely new to the world of herpetology. I've never owned a snake before and for that reason, I'm trying to learn as much as I can BEFORE I get one. Over the past few months, I've read a couple books, done a lot of online research, and found this forum. There is a reptile expo nearby in a couple weeks and I plan to find my new pet there. I thought I would share the terrarium I've set up and ask for honest feedback.
 

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I like that a lot!!! The branch you have in there is drift wood, yes? Just check the back of the viv to make sure there aren't any holes the little one could get out of. If the lights are just standard light bulbs you should be ok, but some corns (any of the ones carrying the albino gene (amel+anything) tend to have slightly more sensitive eyes...I love your water dish! May I ask where you got it?
 
Awesome, that looks beautiful! I would just suggest some different hide(s). I really like those half logs too, but if that's your only hide(s) they aren't usually dark/tight enough for the comfort of the snake. You'll also probably want at least 2 hides - one for each side (one for the cool end, one for the warm overtop the UTH and thermostat).

All the best! Can't wait to see who goes in there :)
 
Agreeing about the hides. Also you might decide to take the background out and place it against the outside of the viv. I have the wide/tall version of the same viv, and my snake regularly got behind the styrofoam and got stuck, so I took it out.

What are the dimensions of the viv?
 
ravendance said:
I like that a lot!!! The branch you have in there is drift wood, yes? Just check the back of the viv to make sure there aren't any holes the little one could get out of. If the lights are just standard light bulbs you should be ok, but some corns (any of the ones carrying the albino gene (amel+anything) tend to have slightly more sensitive eyes...I love your water dish! May I ask where you got it?
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Thank you, Raven.
The branch is driftwood purchased at a pet store and the lights are standard 13w CFL's. The water dish was found at Petsmart.
 
ravendance said:
One more note - usually the reptile expos will have a list of vendors that are attending before you go there. I would do a quick search online for known good/known not so good breeders. Make sure to ask when the baby has been fed, if it has had any trouble eating, etc etc. (You can find a BOI - Board of Inquiry) over at Fauna Classifieds: http://www.faunaclassifieds.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=13
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This is the vendor list for the show: http://www.austinreptileexpo.com/newsite/sitegrinder/final/vendorlist.html

Thanks for the info about faunaclassifieds. I'll definitely check that out.

NH93 said:
Awesome, that looks beautiful! I would just suggest some different hide(s). I really like those half logs too, but if that's your only hide(s) they aren't usually dark/tight enough for the comfort of the snake. You'll also probably want at least 2 hides - one for each side (one for the cool end, one for the warm overtop the UTH and thermostat).

All the best! Can't wait to see who goes in there :)
Click to expand...

Rigby & Marcy said:
Agreeing about the hides. Also you might decide to take the background out and place it against the outside of the viv. I have the wide/tall version of the same viv, and my snake regularly got behind the styrofoam and got stuck, so I took it out.

What are the dimensions of the viv?
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NH93 & R & M,
I do have 2 hides plus some dense silk foliage (pic below).

R & M,
Thank you for the tip about the background. I will double check that and take it out if necessary. It fits perfectly against the back glass with no gaps other than a small slit on the bottom of each end measuring 1/4" x 2" for thermostat and hygrometer probes. The dimensions are 36" x 18" x 18" (40 gallon) Exo Terra tank.
 

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You might still consider an extra hide or two to add to your setup - which otherwise looks quite nice! Young corns in spaces larger than 10-15 gallon tanks tend to appreciate more brush and hiding places. The more cluttered it appears, the more likely your new corn will feel safe and secure in his/her new home.

Is your water dish over the UTH or on the cool side? If the former, I'd recommend moving it to the cool side.

Now is a great time to do a test run of your equipment and get your zones set to the right temps. Do you have your digital thermometer probes and hygrometer in place yet? I can't tell from the pics.
 
You can see if your snake likes the half log, but mine would never use it as a hide because the opening is too big.

And yes, you might as well keep the styrofoam in unless it becomes a problem. I have an Exo Terra tank too and you would never think a snake could get behind the styrofoam but Rigby had all day every day and once he figured it out, I was digging him out of it every second day. Stinker.
 
Phruit Dish said:
You might still consider an extra hide or two to add to your setup - which otherwise looks quite nice! Young corns in spaces larger than 10-15 gallon tanks tend to appreciate more brush and hiding places. The more cluttered it appears, the more likely your new corn will feel safe and secure in his/her new home.

Is your water dish over the UTH or on the cool side? If the former, I'd recommend moving it to the cool side.

Now is a great time to do a test run of your equipment and get your zones set to the right temps. Do you have your digital thermometer probes and hygrometer in place yet? I can't tell from the pics.
Click to expand...

Thanks Phruit Dish,
There is a 3rd hide under the wood. It's a limestone rock with holes (like swiss cheese). I'm attaching close-up pics of all 3 hides. The water dish is on the cool side. Lastly, I have been testing the equipment for the past week. I have managed to dial in the hot hide to average 83°F and the cool side hovers around 75°F with nightly drops to around 70°F. The humidity fluctuates between 50% to 60%.
 

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Your viv looks awesome and the only other advice I'd give about hides is to use something you can easily get the snake out of when you need to. Most snakes do best in a plain cave with a smallish opening. Just speaking from experience. Even the half log would be fine if you could really clutter up both ends of it with leaves or a dark cloth or something.
 
I'd recommend reading The Art of Keeping Snakes. Offers a bit of a different perspective on snake keeping. Your Viv looks great!
 
I have a wood hide like that, I took a whole bunch of tooth paste boxes and toilet paper rolls and filled it up like that so that there were lots of different holes for it to crawl though. My snake loves it.
 
Thanks for all your posts and suggestions. I'm going to a reptile expo in Round Rock, TX tomorrow to find my new little friend.
 
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