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How soon?
- Thread starter MegF.
- Start date
leia
New member
I don't know, I'd just try to mist her.
The moist hides people have talked about a lot here, I thought my snake would HATE it because he hates being misted or soaking in the water dish. It took about a week after I put it in his tank, but he actually likes it! He's sleeping in there right now, he's starting to get opaque, so he'll shed in a week or so, but I'm glad he likes it.
Oh, I wanted to add that it seemed like many of you got your snakes into larger food than I would have though, and it seemed like I had my guy smaller stuff. Last night he ate his very first fuzzy, it was a fairly small one, but still fatter and way longer than big pinkies. He took it down like a champ.
The moist hides people have talked about a lot here, I thought my snake would HATE it because he hates being misted or soaking in the water dish. It took about a week after I put it in his tank, but he actually likes it! He's sleeping in there right now, he's starting to get opaque, so he'll shed in a week or so, but I'm glad he likes it.
Oh, I wanted to add that it seemed like many of you got your snakes into larger food than I would have though, and it seemed like I had my guy smaller stuff. Last night he ate his very first fuzzy, it was a fairly small one, but still fatter and way longer than big pinkies. He took it down like a champ.
Terra
New member
MegF,
As a rule we mist our snakes as soon as we see their belly checkers go hazy. A few days after that their eyes go blue so I guess we start early. It's very dry where we live though, so we mist the repti-bark twice a day. We used to put a moist towel in the cages but they would completely dry up in about an hour. The repti-bark seems to do a good job of regulating the moisture a bit. So far their sheds have been complete.
As a rule we mist our snakes as soon as we see their belly checkers go hazy. A few days after that their eyes go blue so I guess we start early. It's very dry where we live though, so we mist the repti-bark twice a day. We used to put a moist towel in the cages but they would completely dry up in about an hour. The repti-bark seems to do a good job of regulating the moisture a bit. So far their sheds have been complete.
starwarsdad
Ye Olde Curmudgeon
I live in Memphis, TN. I guess we have a lot of humidity year round. I have never misted a snake that I have kept and never had a problem with shedding. The most I have ever done to bump up humidity in an enclosure is to set the water dish above the UTH.
MegF.
That's for sale???
Well, she shed this evening. I had placed a moist paper towel under her heat lamp to keep the humidity up, and I've been misting the viv daily. Today when I put her back she stayed by the wet towel so I turned off the heat lamp. She curled up near to the basking rock, and then later she had curled up under the paper towel. Her shed was one piece this time. I only have to check her for the tail tip, which was evidently a problem spot when I got her. The kids next door will be thrilled with the whole skin! They are crazy about my girl, and want to see her all the time. 
okccornsnakes
New member
I have done some testing with a digital humidity gage.
I add a single moist paper towel 2 time a day in my racks and 3 times in my tanks.
Some of the testing was done with my rack system and some with a 20gl tank and the results did vary but not by much the biggest difference was the amount of time that the inclosure held the humidity.
By adding a single moist papertowl the humidity in my rack inclosure went up by about %50 and held there for about 5 hours.
In my 20gl tank it came up about %35 and held there for 2 1/2 hours.
Useing this method everyone of my snakes have had a complete intact shed every time.
Hope this helps.
I add a single moist paper towel 2 time a day in my racks and 3 times in my tanks.
Some of the testing was done with my rack system and some with a 20gl tank and the results did vary but not by much the biggest difference was the amount of time that the inclosure held the humidity.
By adding a single moist papertowl the humidity in my rack inclosure went up by about %50 and held there for about 5 hours.
In my 20gl tank it came up about %35 and held there for 2 1/2 hours.
Useing this method everyone of my snakes have had a complete intact shed every time.
Hope this helps.
MegF.
That's for sale???
That's interesting. My tank is only a 10 gallon right now, so I would think the humidity would be somewhere between your 20 and your rack enclosure. It certainly made a huge difference in her shed, that's for sure. We've had a little bout of warm weather, so I am leaving the heat lamp off. Her tank temp on the cool side, is staying at 70-75 without the lamp. Usually my house is so cool that I need the lamp just to get the cool side up to that. That also dries the air a bit. After shed she went back underneath the wet paper towel and curled up. You'd think it would be too chilly, but she might find it soothing after shed. I think their skin is really sensitive right after shed. I still have to check her tail tip to make sure that it came off. I didn't want to disturb her after-stripping nap
CAV
Dazed and Cornfused
A few lessons I've learned
Meg,
I think the real problem with your humidity can be attributed to using the combination of the lamp and an open-top aquarium. Lights have a dramatic drying effect on moisture levels in the enclosure (versus UTH sources). Likewise, the tank also has a negative effect since it retains zero moisture with the open and exposed top.
Try experimenting with covering part of the tank's top with plastic sheeting, newspaper or cardboard. Humidity retention is one of the reason I started using tubs instead of glass tanks. I have yet to see a messy shed since I switched, even in the winter with drier indoor environments.
Just a few thoughts.
Meg,
I think the real problem with your humidity can be attributed to using the combination of the lamp and an open-top aquarium. Lights have a dramatic drying effect on moisture levels in the enclosure (versus UTH sources). Likewise, the tank also has a negative effect since it retains zero moisture with the open and exposed top.
Try experimenting with covering part of the tank's top with plastic sheeting, newspaper or cardboard. Humidity retention is one of the reason I started using tubs instead of glass tanks. I have yet to see a messy shed since I switched, even in the winter with drier indoor environments.
Just a few thoughts.
okccornsnakes
New member
My tank is only a 10 gallon right now, so I would think the humidity would......
Well a couple of others factors to consider is that I live in Oklahoma and our humidity bounces around so you never really know what it will be the next day. Also I run an air purifier that removes the humidity slightly and I also run a humidifier. So my numbers may be way different starting out than yours. but the paper towel should have close to the same effect.
Well a couple of others factors to consider is that I live in Oklahoma and our humidity bounces around so you never really know what it will be the next day. Also I run an air purifier that removes the humidity slightly and I also run a humidifier. So my numbers may be way different starting out than yours. but the paper towel should have close to the same effect.
MegF.
That's for sale???
I know the heat lamp dries the air quite a bit, but my tank temps on the cool side, were so low that my snake refused to come out of her hide where the UTH is. The heat lamp keeps the air at around 72 degrees instead of 65. She's a lot more active that way. Now that it's been warmer here, I turned it off, and it's still maintaining 70-72 degrees. I will just keep spritzing and putting in the wet paper towel prior to shed, and I think it will continue to work well. Her last shed was perfect except for the very tip of her tail. She came to me with a damaged tail tip from a prior incomplete shed, so I always have to work to remove that bit of skin.
okccornsnakes
New member
Temp's
Well you will hear very different opions from time to time about temps but I try to keep my tanks at about 82 in the center of the tank. Most breeders will recommend that you keep the tank at about 78-79 on the cool side and about 84-85 on the hot side if you have to use lamp or other heaters. However alot of breeders will just keep the entire room at about 80-81 and the corns do just fine.
Well you will hear very different opions from time to time about temps but I try to keep my tanks at about 82 in the center of the tank. Most breeders will recommend that you keep the tank at about 78-79 on the cool side and about 84-85 on the hot side if you have to use lamp or other heaters. However alot of breeders will just keep the entire room at about 80-81 and the corns do just fine.
MegF.
That's for sale???
I actually had to use the heat lamp in the cool side to bring the temperatures up to a reasonable cool side temp. I will be moving my girl to a 20 gl. tank soon, and will have more room to have a better gradient. If I end up with a really cool side, and she wants to freeze her little snakey tail off, so much the better!