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TANK SET-UP!?!?

A

anthony1230

New member
hi, im gettin my snake now,( about time ) well i posted here before, but now im gettin one. anyways.

i have a 30 gallon ( 3 feet longx 16 inches highx 1 foot wide)
and what substrate and all do i need? and can i use a fish thermometer to check temp? and i know i need a under tank heater. and also, any other reccomendations are appericated, and also other tank set ups/ pictures will b better but all appericated.
thankz,
anthony
 
I'm a corn snake newbie myself but I'll throw out an opinion or two anyway. Are you getting a hatchling? The advice I read here before I got my snake (and confirmed by the excellent dealer near me) is that you need a warm side and a cool side so your snake can vary the temp according to its liking. Also, I suggest plenty of hides. I have a cheapo plastic vine on each end of my 10 gal tank and a stick which rests on the floor and goes up to the vine on the cool side. Scooter spends a lot of time on top of that stick. We have a small hollow rock hide on the cool side, a water dish in the middle and a small (1½" diameter by about 4" long) "log" on the warm side, through which I bored a ¾" hole. Scooter occasionally enjoys hanging out in there.
I chose Aspen for my bedding. Pros are that it contrasts nicely with the snake and is easy to clean and relatively neat and dust free. Con is that it doesn't hold moisture so I keep a spray bottle next to the viv and spritz the air every once in awhile.
Another "must have" I believe is a 3% UV flourescent light. As I understand it, it aids digestion and it definetely brings out the color of the snake to its fullest imo.
Others here know much more than me so please give more weight to the more experienced members.
 
I'm a newbie too but here's what I think...

First off congratulations! You''re definitely at the right place. The people here are very nice and many are extremely knowledgable herpers. Second, I strongly want to encourage you to pickup a book or two. They're fun to read and will get you started in the right direction. The Corn Snake Manual is considered the golden Corn Bible and thus comes highly recommended. Here is a list:

The Cornsnake Manual (Bill and Kathy Love)

Corn Snakes: Reptile Keeper's Guide (Bartlett, Richard D)

Corn Snakes and Other Rat Snakes (Complete Pet Owner's Manual)

As for the cage setup Russsss is correct, you're going to need a warm side and a cool side (regardless of whether or not it's a hatchling). Corns enjoy about the same comfort zone as us humans (70 deg F. on the cool end to around 80-85 F. on the warm). Some like it warmer than others. Being reptiles (ectothermic) they have to regulate their own body temp by moving from cool to warm areas. I use the Exo-Terra under tank heaters for our snakes but others are available. Be sure you get the right size heater for your tank. I would get a couple of temperature strips too. Place them inside the tank near the floor- one on the cool end and one on the warm. Again, temperature is very important to maintain a healthy corn. Don't use heat rocks or you might burn the poor fella's belly.

I believe that UV fluorescent lighting is considered optional. I've never read anything that supports it to be of benefit (I could be wrong though), but it does make the viv look much nicer.

Hides are very important. Most Corns are secretive little buggers and like to hide from us. Make sure the hides aren't too large if you get a hatchling, Corns like to cozy up in tight spaces. Place one hide on the warn side and one on the cool side. My hides have some plastic plants on them that my snakes seem to enjoy. Also it gives them another place to rest and regulate their body temp.

Corns need a constant supply of water. You will need a good sturdy water dish to prevent it from being spilled. If the air is dry where you live then you might want to consider a fairly wide bowl. A larger surface area of water will aid to increase humidity. The water is usually placed on the cool end of the viv but it can be moved closer to the warmer end to increase humidity as well. Be sure and clean the water bowl regularly, and not just add water when it's low. This will help keep your snake healthy too.

I use repti-bark for my bedding. If you choose some form of wood chips be sure it's safe for Corns- definitely NOT pine (another reason to read the Corn Snake Manual). Pine and other woods can cause respiratory infections. If money is an issue you can use newspaper. I use repti-bark so my corns can burrow. It's fun for them and fun to watch. I don't recommend reptile carpet, it holds oders and is a pain to clean.

Lastly, make sure your tank is secure. If your Corn can get it's head out his body will follow.

I Hope this helps. Good luck!


Cheers,
Jason
 
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:)

hey thankz for the information... about how much does the repti-bark run? and where did u get them plastic plants? are they the ones for fish tanks or special ones? and is my tank good enough? 1 foot wide, 16 inches high, and 3 feet long... its s 30 gallon longa i beleive. i was going to keep it through out the snakes whole life, as in i dont wanan get a 10 gallon for the little snake. id rather keep it for ever... thankz
anthony
 
Anthony,

The bark I use is "Forest Bark" from Exo-Terra. It consists of fir chips and a 4qt bag runs me $6.00 locally. You want 1 to 2 inches in the cage. I change the substrate every 4 to 6 weeks when I clean and sanitize the vivs. I remove any waste the second I see it. A clean snake is a happy snake. ;)

I think any plastic plant will do. The ones I use were glued to the top of the hides I purchased and cost me $5.00 or $10.00. Remember that the more cage furniture you have, the more you'll have to clean.

A 30 gallon tank should be fine. My hatchlings are in 15 gallon vivs right now. I plan on building them some nice vivs when they get larger that will also look decorative in our home and I'll probably go larger than 30 gallons.

Be sure and have the viv all setup and warmed up before you bring your snake home. You don't want to have to fiddle with things at that time. You should give your new friend a full three days and nights before you disturb him. If you can locate the viv in a low traffic area that will help keep him stress free.

You may already know this but the first time you feed your snake give him the smallest pinkie you can find. After that you can start using the rule of a pinkie that is 1-1.5 times the widest part of his body every 5 to 7 days. After he eats give 48 hours before you handle him.


Cheers,
Jason
 
Re:

Neumann gave some good information.

About plastic plants, the best and cheapest place I can find plastic plants are Wal-mart or a decorative/floral/craft store. There you can buy bunches (groups) of plants that you can cut off the main stalk and hot glue to sticks or hides, or whatnot. Or you can just use the entire bunch. The plastic plants that are sold in pet stores are nice to look at yeah, but you're paying $10-$15 more for the exact same thing you can get and build yourself from a craft store.
Just be creative and have fun with it. =)

I use aspen shavings (Kaytee brand) for my substrate. We don't get the paper here, and even if we did, it'd take a week's worth of papers for me to do anything constructive with them.

Other than that, everything else sounds fine. =)

Good luck to ya.
 
yes fake plants that stick on the glass with suction cups are great for small snakes. i have some in all of my corn snake cages, my corns are always in them.
 
The UV light thing doesn't rely do much. I'm a newbie myself but a friend of mine told me they're just a waist of money. you're going to want to leave em alone fro 24 hours regardless after they eat and when you first bring em back.
Cleaning every little bit the snake happens to excrete isn't bad but kinda redundant I say chang it once a day or less. or more for that matter. I've done quite a bit of reading in the past few days.
And listening, I'm trying to get my first corn. hopefully a charcoal-mot.
but right now i'm posting and reading anyrthing in the husbandry section.
 
I have used fake plants and they work fine, although I don't use any right now as it is just one more thing to clean. They do make the cage look pretty though if used well.

The UV light is a controversial topic, but has never been proven to be necessary in captive corns, and many breeders have been keeping and breeding cornsnakes for many years without ever using a UV light. Some people prefer to use them as it helps to simulate the natural environment being as they would receive UV from the sun's rays outdoors.

Cleaning - remove any poop as soon as you see it, and it's good to do a visual check daily. Give fresh water daily. Clean the whole cage with complete substrate change at regular intervals based on the size of cage, messiness of snake etc....

Skye
 
plastic plants

anthony1230, for plastic plants go to a dollar store, very cheap. I have at least $5 of plants in my viv.
 
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