Newbie questions..

[Makchell]

Hi! New to the board and I'm sure these questions are played out, but I need some help. I just purchased a 20 long with a secure lid, hide box, thermometer, water dish and astro turf for a new corn that I will buy soon. My questions are, can a heat pad that goes under the tank be kept on all the time? Anyone ever heard of these things catching fire? Lastly, do I need a strip light for the corn or is room light good enough? Please help, thanks, Anthony

 

[Lennycorn]

Hi! New to the board and I'm sure these questions are played out, but I need some help. I just purchased a 20 long with a secure lid, hide box, thermometer, water dish and astro turf for a new corn that I will buy soon. My questions are, can a heat pad that goes under the tank be kept on all the time? Anyone ever heard of these things catching fire? Lastly, do I need a strip light for the corn or is room light good enough? Please help, thanks, Anthony

Welcome, It's good your setting everything up before your corn get home.
Your Viv (tank) will do for an adult corn. A secure lid real good. You will also need a thermometer with a probe,to check the temperature on the substrate and not the air temperatures. Please throw out or return the astro turf, I think too much bacteria. Do a search on substrate.
Now to your questions. The heat pad (uth, under tank heater) can go under the Viv but I wouldn't peel off the paper and stick it on the glass,because you might want to move it one day and also it easier to clean Viv with out it on. And yes you leave it on but with something to control the temp, a thermostate or rheostats.
Room light is just fine, corn don't need extra light but it help me to have light to see inside viv. Just use low wattage bulbs.
That should do for now.

good luck :cheers:

 

[Lennycorn]

Sorry, my bad.

Try using aspen for a subsrtate. Most folk here do!

 

[Tegucentric]

Hi! New to the board and I'm sure these questions are played out, but I need some help. I just purchased a 20 long with a secure lid, hide box, thermometer, water dish and astro turf for a new corn that I will buy soon.

Astro turf is probably not the best to use. It holds bacteria and is hard to clean and sterile. Just pick up a small back of aspen shaving (not pine, not cedar) or just use plain white paper for now.

My questions are, can a heat pad that goes under the tank be kept on all the time? Anyone ever heard of these things catching fire?

Yes, UTH (Under Tank Heaters) are fine on all the time as long as you monitor the temps. If it gets above the recommended temps you can pick up a rheostat to turn the temp up and down. Fire harzards are always possible, even with a light bulb, but as long as you don't modify the wiring, you should be as safe as you would with your TV on. It is advised to lift the tank a little by placing something under each corn to allow for circulation.

Lastly, do I need a strip light for the corn or is room light good enough? Please help, thanks, Anthony

Room light is fine as long as you use an UTH. Get an UTH that covers 1/3 of the tank and place it to one side of the tank. This allows for a thermoregulatory gradiant (lets it be cool on one side and warm on the other) so the corn can move back and forth to regulate itself.

Rick

 

[Tegucentric]

It holds bacteria and is hard to clean and sterile. Just pick up a small back of aspen shaving

I hate that I can't edit my typos when I notice them. I guess I bedda stawt yousin dat speel checkah

sterile = sterilize
small back = small bag

Rick

 

[Gintha]

Yeah... astro-turf is great for growing bacteria hehe... its what we use for growing huge crops in bacteriology LOL. Aspen is wonderful =) Good for burrowing, and holds the heat nicely =)

 

[Makchell]

Thanks so much. I will be returning the astro turf and I will buy aspen, thanks again, Anthony