Small enclosure vs. Larger for hatchling

[Dazzles]

Hello there!

I'm in the process of prepping for a new snake -- a hatchling. I want to get all my supplies set up and in order before the lil guy or gal arrives and I have a question for y'all.

Is it better to start off with a smaller, say -- 10 gal tank for a hatchling so they don't get stressed/overwhelmed?

If you DO start off smaller -- how long can they stay in the smaller tank?
Do you re-use the heating pad and whatnot when you upgrade?

If you start with a larger tank (I'm looking at the exo terra medium/low which is 24x18x12) do you think it would be detrimental as long as there is plenty of burrowing substrate, lots of hides (on both warm and cool side of course) and pletny of foliage?

If I get a small tank now and upgrade at Christmas, would that be too long in a small tank?

And last question -- unrelated -- which heat mats do y'all use? Which thermostats, etc? I want to make sure I get reliable products and provide the best living conditions for my snake.

 

[Hikari]

When I was prepping for my snake, I had a 40g breeder. Wasn't sure what size snake I was gonna end up with, so I wanted one I could potentially house an adult in (ended up getting a yearling). From what I had researched, and from what I still read on the forum is that it's fine to house a hatchling in a bigger tank, you just have to make sure to provide lots of hides/cover to prevent stress. The bigger tank would just make it a little harder to find said hatchling.

As for thermostat, I use a Hydrofarm Jump Start. It's designed for plant mats, but works just as well for a reptile one.

My heat mat is an Ultratherm Heat mat that you can find here: http://www.reptilebasics.com/ultratherm-heat-pads
I researched them before I bought them and they came highly recommended. Have had zero issues with mine so far. You just need to remember to buy some foil tape at the hardware store to attach it to the outside bottom of the tank.

As for accessories, I have a lot of ZooMed and ExoTerra stuff from the expo and pet stores, but I've also invested in a lot of fake foliage from the craft store. Just make sure there's no wire bits sticking out, and you're good (and my snake LOVES it). Plastic ones are easier to clean, but I also have the cloth kinds in my viv too. Also, I added a cool background for the tank to make her feel even more secure (plus it looks cool).

This is what Lily's viv looks like. Keep in mind, I straight up admit to overdoing it on the plants, lol. She loves it though (especially the vines for climbing). You can kinda make out her warm side hide on the left, but her cool side one is buried under the leaves (it's behind the wooden half-log). She spends most of her time in the back-middle of the tank under her favorite plant anyways.

Anyways, hope that helps. Also, I've only got one corn snake and only for a year, so I'm sure the older, more experienced members can put in their two cents on things too.

 

[Karl_Mcknight]

<Thermostat> http://www.spyderrobotics.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=26

<Heat Pads> http://www.petsmart.com/reptile/hea...5UUZYDu-iMmom?var_id=36-14819&_t=pfm=category

Any size tank you want. A bigger tank is fine as long as you fill it up with lots of Hiding places and clutter. Corn snakes don't like to feel exposed, so a bigger tank requires more clutter.

You can start out with a 10 gallon and move up later, or just go ahead and get something now the size you will need, and you'll not have to buy a bigger one later.

 

[axis1]

Hello there!

I'm in the process of prepping for a new snake -- a hatchling. I want to get all my supplies set up and in order before the lil guy or gal arrives and I have a question for y'all.

Is it better to start off with a smaller, say -- 10 gal tank for a hatchling so they don't get stressed/overwhelmed?

If you DO start off smaller -- how long can they stay in the smaller tank?
Do you re-use the heating pad and whatnot when you upgrade?

If you start with a larger tank (I'm looking at the exo terra medium/low which is 24x18x12) do you think it would be detrimental as long as there is plenty of burrowing substrate, lots of hides (on both warm and cool side of course) and pletny of foliage?

If I get a small tank now and upgrade at Christmas, would that be too long in a small tank?

And last question -- unrelated -- which heat mats do y'all use? Which thermostats, etc? I want to make sure I get reliable products and provide the best living conditions for my snake.

I truly believe that most folks who say that a large tank or cage stresses out hatchlings probably are too cheap to purchase a larger enclosure for their own little sneaky ones! No offense intended to anyone in particular, but when a snake hatches out there in the world, they aren't in ANY enclosure at ALL. (YIKES!!!).

Of course, if you have a small one now, that's fine as I believe a corn hatchling is comfy in a shoebox-sized enclosure (I currently have 9 and all appear fine and healthy!) but after about 2 or 3 months if I still have any of them, they will be transported to a minimum of a 10 gallon sized tank. All of my adults (and 1 yearling) are enclosed in their own 55 gallon sized enclosures with appropriate temperature gradients, hides, and substrates. Nothing is too good for my little sneaky ones!!!

Just sayin'. :my2cents_01:

BTW, How ya been? :crazy02: