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Lighting for corns
- Thread starter rayray
- Start date
KatieL
Sienna, Trogdor & Melony
Nope, I just use a regular 60Watt lightbulb for mine. Cornsnakes don't need the special UV lights since they get their calcium from their prey. Just make sure that if you use a white light you turn it off at night (red or blue lights can be used 24/7). Good luck settin up your viv!
KatieL
Sienna, Trogdor & Melony
I use a basic clamp-style lamp...its basically just the socket with a clamp attached and an aluminum bowl that goes around the lightbulb...you can get the whole setup for about $5 at Home Depot or any place like that. You can clamp the light above the cage, or take the clamp off and just set the lamp on the lid of the viv if you have the heat-resistant screen top. In my opinion its the way to go, the price is right anyway. 
ozone
New member
Rachel - I agree with the others, but some people need to use a light as a means to supplement/increase the ambient temperature of the viv.
For example, because it's a little colder in the winter where I live right now, I find that I need to run a 75 watt red bulb on a 24x7 basis, because the under-the-hank heat mat on the "warm side" of the tank does not keep the temps high enough. I won't need to do this during spring and summer.
For example: Depending upon the under tank heating source, it is possible to crank up the heat mat/tape so high (to increase overall temps) that the bottom glass gets way too hot and could burn the snakes belly (and they won't really know its burning). I counteract this by keeping my heat tape at just the right level (85 degrees) via a thermostat (rheostat/dimmer is good too), and supplement the overall ambient temp with the red bulb.
With this setup, I am running about 75 degrees on the cool side, and 85 degrees on the warm side. My viv is somewhat large, so smaller vivs could probably use a 50 or 60 watt bulb.
For example, because it's a little colder in the winter where I live right now, I find that I need to run a 75 watt red bulb on a 24x7 basis, because the under-the-hank heat mat on the "warm side" of the tank does not keep the temps high enough. I won't need to do this during spring and summer.
For example: Depending upon the under tank heating source, it is possible to crank up the heat mat/tape so high (to increase overall temps) that the bottom glass gets way too hot and could burn the snakes belly (and they won't really know its burning). I counteract this by keeping my heat tape at just the right level (85 degrees) via a thermostat (rheostat/dimmer is good too), and supplement the overall ambient temp with the red bulb.
With this setup, I am running about 75 degrees on the cool side, and 85 degrees on the warm side. My viv is somewhat large, so smaller vivs could probably use a 50 or 60 watt bulb.
KatieL
Sienna, Trogdor & Melony
Good point ozone. My apartment is fairly warm, so I only need the 60W for heat, and I don't use a UTH. The 60W keeps the temp on the warm side right around 85 during the day, and the temps drop to about 75 at night when I turn it off. Rachel you may need to play around with a light and UTH til you get the temps right, or if your house is warm enough you may only need one or the other.
Well My house is generally warm. But when my dad built the addition on the house,(he's a construction worker/carpenter) my room is ajoined to my mom and dads room. So its kinda colder in my mom and dads room. But we just replaced the furnace and its powerful. Sometimes it gets hot in my room so i turn the fan on. But in the morning its usually really cold in these two rooms. So what should i do?
ozone
New member
rayray said:
If the room is consistently cold during certain times of the day, you could plug the light into an ordinary household timer ($5 at most any variety or hardware stores) to control what time of day the light comes on and when it turns off. Or for a bit more money...
A thermostat could do this more dynamically...if the red light and/or UTH are turned on then plugged into the thermostat (which plugs into the wall), the thermostat's remote sensor could detect when the viv reaches below/above a certain point and turn everything on/off for you automatically.
See this link for thermostat:
http://www.bigappleherp.com/Reptile_Supplies/Product/Electronic_BAH_Series_Thermostats_924105.html
I hope I am not confusing the matter...some snakes do just fine without these expenses. However, if your room temperature varies a lot as you say, it might be worth it.
If you have a thermometer and monitor the tank (preferably both sides) throughout the day, you will see if there are large swings in the temp. Put the thermometer on or near the substrate level (where the snakes are). Temperature should be 80-85 F during the day at the hot end of the vivarium (where the undertank heater is), with a 5-10 F drop at night. If it falls below 75 or above 85 for too long, then you should take some action.