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Winter Temp Issues

L

LittlePrince

New member
I was having a hard time skimming through the search for temperature questions so forgive me if this post is redundant.

It's winter time in Chicago and the only heating source I have on my tank is a 75 watt light bulb that is turned on only during day time hours plus the heat from the sun, if any, that comes through the window that the tank sits under.

When the light is not on the tank usually gets down to around 65 degrees. Is that okay? I can't really afford to get an under tank heater with a thermostat right now and I am pretty much NEVER home to regulate the UTH manually anyway so I'm wondering, I guess, if the snake is fine in a 65 degree tank over night?

The night time temp will likely go up to closer to 70 when we start running the heat in the apartment but they haven't turned on the boiler in our building yet so no heat yet.

I just don't want my snake to freeze.

As far as the behavior of the snake it's been just as active as usual and spends most of it's time curled up on a branch, under the leaves, at the top of the tank near the heat lamp.

My snake is in a 40 gallon breeder tank.
 
65 degrees is fine for over night but start saving up for a UTH, I have a 40 gallon breeder w/ a uth, digital thermometer & probe, along with a dimmer to regulate the heat. All together it cost $60 for everything. U may fine the items cheaper online. Hit up craigslist and ebay!
 
When the light is not on the tank usually gets down to around 65 degrees. Is that okay?
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I'd have to say not. That's a bit low even for the cool side. With temps like that throughout the tank and no warm spot all night, you risk a regurge after feeding. I'm afraid an ambient temp of 70 wouldn't be much of an improvement.

Have you considered brumating? That would give you the winter to save for a UTH and thermostat.
 
Sarah1228 said:
65 degrees is fine for over night but start saving up for a UTH, I have a 40 gallon breeder w/ a uth, digital thermometer & probe, along with a dimmer to regulate the heat. All together it cost $60 for everything. U may fine the items cheaper online. Hit up craigslist and ebay!
Click to expand...

Isn't it ok for it to be 65 over night? Or like Dick says leave it on all the time for when it's digesting food?
 
A cornsnake will be fine with a cool side temp betwen 70-80 AS LONG as you have a warm spot 83-85. This is essential so that it may regulate its internal temperature and to prevent a regurge as stated above.
 
One thing I may suggest instead of a UTH from a pet store is a heating pad from walmart. You can buy them for approx 10-15 dollars and they have controls on them so you can fiddle around until you find a setting that is good. You could also hook it up to a rheostat.

This is what I use and I find that it works just as well as an UTH
 
Human heating pads aren't designed go below human body temp, otherwise they'd feel cool to us

As human body temp is over 90 degrees and that's a Corn's safe maximum temp, I wouldn't recommend them. I think too hot is more dangerous than too cold.
 
As far as I know a human heat mat won't go below 90 degrees even with a rheostat/thermostat, because they're not designed to. Trying to make it could cause problems.
 
Might cause the mat to overheat and be a fire risk.

However, you could try raising the tank off the mat. Airflow over the surface could keep the transmitted heat low enough to make the floor of the tank around the right temperature. Still a risk of overheating but possibly worth a try if money's a serious issue.

Or you could try Dick's suggestion and leave the lightbulb on 24x7 (not that this is a recommended way of heating a Corn, but that's a whole nother discussion).
 
If you use the heating pad or a UTH the tank doesn't have to sit directly on it. Raise the tank up with some books so that there is some space for air flow. Fool around with the height till you get the temp you want, but you still need to get a controller as soon as you can afford it.

At night you can also switch to a colored bulb for heat.
 
Thanks for all of the advice. I will take all of it into consideration. I'm looking into getting a rheostat with UTH. I can't leave the light on all of the time because my roommate gets crabby about the electric bill
 
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