| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| Jmodjamodj |
Posted - 03/09/2012 : 10:06:59
Hi guys
I have got Frank, 5 months old, in a faunarium sitting on a heat pad. He is now about 55 cms long. I bought on ebay a used vivarium about foot and half long and high (approx). It came with another heat pad and wires attached to it with a thermostat. I am a complete novice and have no idea how to set up this viv to the correct temperature and what I need in it. At present Frank seems well, eats well but often chooses to sleep at the unheated end of his faunarium.
When he is a little larger I want to put him in the viv but have no heat lamp and do not know how to use the heatpad in the viv cos obviously it cannot go under the viv cos thick wood!
Please could someone put into clear english exactly what I need, what temperatures, what equip etc etc i need in viv!
The viv is old and has a used patch on bottom, chip board is visable where the covering of vinyl has worn away, does this need covering or treating? I guess i need a heat lamp but have no idea how to fix it or how it would work with the wires i already have?????
Sorry to sound so stupid, but want to do things completely correct for Frank once he moves????????? |
| 5 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| lupi lou |
Posted - 04/09/2012 : 14:55:29
feeding in the viv or out is down to personal preferance, if you feed in the viv you need to make sure the snake dosen't ingest any substrate. Have a read of this thread: http://www.thecornsnake.co.uk/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=25966 |
| Jmodjamodj |
Posted - 04/09/2012 : 09:35:22
thanks for the above, i also think plants would be good, so will be purchasing some, thanks. Thanks for info on heat lamp, think i will sort lights and see how i go with pad. I have noticed that Frank hates being in his smaller box to eat and while i was on holiday my older son fed and tended Frank and he is scared of snakes so he put a piece of kitchen roll in his faunarium and dropped the mouse on it to feed. I tried to feed him 2 days ago and he refused so not wanting to throw another mouse away i put kitchen roll in faunarium like he had and he fed! Seems to be a habit now and not sure if this needs to be broken as I know we should not feed in their homes! Franks is the most placid snake ever! Never striked, bitten etc and always compliant, thankfully. Any advice or info??? many thanks |
| lupi lou |
Posted - 03/09/2012 : 19:39:42
there are plenty of pics on here that prove that corns do like to climb  , plants are a nice addition to the viv, not only to they make the viv look nice but they give added cover for snakie and also serve as a climing frame!  only down side is when your ivy is fixed in and snakie decideds its a great idea to take a big poo on it!
regarding heat mat, as long as it is stated they are fine for the snake to sit on. i would take some pics of how my viv is set up but 8 is currently digesting! A heat mat is fine to use on its own you dont need a lamp, although if you did whan lighting in the viv for you viewing pleasure lots of people use LED light strips |
| Jmodjamodj |
Posted - 03/09/2012 : 13:23:22
Thanks for your response. I need to be at home to check the 'wires' but it sounds different to what you described. There is no probe, but will check exactly what I got and come back! Could I not just cover the bare wood part with say other piece of wood and attach?
From what I understand the heatpad in the viv is ok for Frank to be directly on, with of course, the aspen? And what about the heat lamp? Do i need one or would the heat pad the way you said to use it, would be sufficient?
Thanks so much for your time, am complete amatuer! (guess you noticed that).
Also a guy in pets at home said Corns are not climbers so do not need plants but see most people put them in, good to get them?
Thanks so much |
| Mort13 |
Posted - 03/09/2012 : 10:23:50
Hi,when you say the heatmat is attached by wires to a thermostat,do you mean the heatmat is plugged into the socket (extension cord type thing) of the thermostat?
The thermostat should have 3 cables coming from it. One will have a plug on the end,another will have a sensor probe and the other will have a socket by which you plug the heatmat in.
If its as usual,then you plug the heatmat into the socket on the thermostat,place the sensor probe on top of the heatmat,then plug the thermostat into a power socket and set the temperature to approx 28 degrees C. You'll need a digital thermometer if you haven't one already. These come with a probe too that you place near the thermostat probe and you can then adjust the thermostat according to the temperature shown on the thermometer.
Do you have the heatmat he's using now attached to a thermostat?
If the absorbant part of the wood is exposed then I'd recommend sealing it as if the snake poo's or knocks its water bowl over you're going to have hygeine problems. I've heard of people using yacht varnish,but there may be a cheaper solution.
Once your vivs sealed and good to go then a heatmat is fine to use,all my snakes have heatmats. Just place the heatmat at one end inside you're viv as you are correct in thinking it can't heat through wood. Theres no worry of burns or owt if you have it attached to a thermostat.
Hope that makes sense
|
|
|
