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Substrate/Feeding/Cleaning Questions

D

Dragontails

New member
I was wondering what types of substrate people use that is effective and safe? I was trying to look up in the search bar for the best substrate and I couldnt really find what I was looking for. I am apologize if this is a duplicate post.
I have had cornsnakes for a few years and have 20 plus of them. I have tried paper towels (which I like for feeding my snakes for the lack of worry that they are going to ingest wood chips during their feeding) but my snakes get them all wet every few days. The towels start to get slimy and I know it is not healthy for them to be on wet towels, so, I am constantly changing their cages. I have a gladware square water bowls- thinking it would be harder to tip and they have a nice size for the snakes to soak in. With the snakes crawling in and out of the water bowl, they drag the towels with them. Plus, I think they may be tipping their bowls, is there a better cost effective solution out there that may help me in this situation. If anyone has any good luck with a certain bowl, please dont hesitate to post, pm, or email me.

I tried to change substrate to Keepers Choice 100% Woodchips that I bought at a reptile show designed for snakes, but feeding became impossible. I put a paper towel down and put their food on it, for them to only drag the mouse into the chips. The good aspect of this is, the cage stays very clean and is not moist. Cleaning out poop is easy with this substate as well. As for water getting on the substrate, I just scoop it out and add fresh chips unless there is a major waterbowl tip, at that time, I change the whole substrate-making this not cost effective.

Sticking my snakes into a seperate feeding bin is not an option as for I have a few very aggresive feeders (will jump out at the cage at you to get mouse), and then some very picky eaters who have "public eating anxiety" lol. With 22 snakes, this process would take me all day and I dont feel some of my "private" eaters would eat outside their cage as they prefer being left alone to eat.

Sorry the post is so long, I am just trying to get some advice- either to find out what other people do when having their snakes on paper towels to avoid water saturated towels and or advice on waterbowls; or advice on feeding the snakes in their cage with the wood chips. I have the sterlite 32 qt containers b/c of plans of buy ap plastics racks.

Is their any other substate anyone has better luck on? Any advice would be helpful and appreciated as I am just trying to balence safety of my snakes with their comfortability.
Thank you
 
any kind of heavier bowl works i use rock bowls you can buy at pet, but dog bowls work anything heavy pretty much will prevent any tipping over.....ive found that aspen is the best but since you say that you have to feed in the vivs you can use in/out door carpet, easy clean and spot check....
 
I don't have a substrate in my corns vivs. I have tile as a base flooring. It distributes the temperature of the UTH and also helps with spot checks. Obviously with the tiles I have to provide a heavy landscape so they can "act" like they are burrowing.

I just recently added a Burrow box to each of my vivs which is a tupperware container with a hole in the to, it has aspen in it and if they want to burrow for real they can.

The water on the tiles drys quickly and wouldn't cause a problem for feeding on it. Although I feed my guys in separate containers. But I would imagine with 20 snakes, you don't have display vivs for them. So Tile might not work in your situation. Guess that wasn't helpful huh? Sorry.

One thing you could do with your agressive eaters (i have one as well, and this works) is to put the mouse in the container before the snake. Then put the container back in the viv and let them craw out on their own.

Heavier bowls certainly help
 
I use wood chips as a substrate and they're ideal.

I get over the feeding problem by feeding all of mine outside their tanks, in smaller tubs. This gives me that chance to have a really good rummage round in their vivs for "stealth poop" while they're out eating - they do like to make deposits in hard-to-reach corners, under plastic foliage, behind hides etc. I have 16 snakes, and with a rota of 2 or 3 snakes a night to feed/clean, this works out at about an hour for 5/6 nights over a fortnight, which isn't much of an overhead (most of mine are adults so the majority are fed every couple of weeks).

Unless you can get them to eat outside the viv, then you're stuck with the safe-but-impractical newspaper/towel option. I have one aggressive eater and I get her out by tempting her to the front of the viv with a mouse (waggled in tongs), getting her to strike and latch on when I still have hold of the mouse, then once the sharp end is thus occupied with dinner, I pick her and the mouse up and transfer them to the feeding tub. Trust me, when they're like that, nothing short of a direct hit in a Zeppelin raid would make them let go!

As for your "shy" feeders, it's worth trying to feed them outside the tanks. Leave them in feeding tubs in another room away from any noise, and cover them with a towel to dampen down light and so the snakes can't see any movement. Leave them completely alone for at least an hour. If necessary, they can be left in feeding tubs overnight, in a suitably warm room.

I mainly use ceramic dog bowls for water, which they find near impossible to tip. Having said that, I also use square plastic tubs for water in the upper stacked vivs, to reduce the weight load on the lower vivs, and I've never had a problem with tipping or spills.

If yours are spending time in the water, could they be "complaining" that temps are too hot or some other sort of environmental issue? This is my Kingsnake's favourite way of lodging a complaint about the heat during the summer months!
 
Wow, I use paper towels as substrate and I don't have any problems. The water bowls I use are too heavy for my snake to tip over, I know that. And when he poops, it's so easy just to tear off that piece of paper towel that has the poop on it. I think it's great, cheap and easy to use, for me anyway.
 
Thank you all for your suggestions!

I want to thank you all for your time and suggestions you have given me. It is very informative and great advice. I kinda wish there was a way to have substrate and feed them in their vivs at the same time. I like paper towels and I feel that the bowl might be an issue. My snakes like to swim quite a bit and I was wondering what size ceramic bowl is good for an adult cornsnake to soak in? What is the cost range of these bowls? Any advice would be greatly appreciated and thank you again.
 
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