| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| Darkelf-Lola |
Posted - 02/12/2012 : 10:45:13
Lola my new addition is 11 months old, & i have been told she has shed twice & is eating once a week.
She last ate yesterday 2 pinkies, which were fed to her at the home i got her from, though she did ingest a couple of small pieces of the bark when fed. I have just read on your care sheet that this is not good, should i be worried???
Woody |
| 12 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| Darkelf-Lola |
Posted - 02/12/2012 : 18:42:16
Thanks everyone, i really appreciate the advice, i will pick up a thermosat after work tomorrow, i have my viv on thick cork & the mat under 1 half of the tank between the glass & cork. =-) |
| ScalySituation |
Posted - 02/12/2012 : 18:11:49
quote:
Originally posted by Razee
Thermostat is the best buy you can get, when you get a snake - not only it'll keep the temperature in the right range for the snake, so you don't have to worry about it, it'll save you electricity , and should something go wrong with the mat, it'll prevent possible fire.
With glass tank I think you put the mat under the glass, with the thermostat probe and temperature probe inside the tank. Mats radiate heat on both sides, so if you put polystyrene under the mat, that will reflect most of the mat heat into the tank.
With wooden vivs, the mat goes inside the viv, again, on thermostat.
You can get them cheaper in Surrey Pet Supplies,over the internet. I like the pulse ones, they keep the temps really well, but you can just get a Mat stat ( on and off ), though I'd had a problem with the Microclimate one. Other people had the Habistat mat stat, and it seems that one is more precise.
Problem is, if you keep switching the mat on and off, the snake won't have a stable temperature to digest in, ( he'll need to have about 28 C constantly on the warm side ) and you'll have problems. It's not enough to put the mat on for an hour 2 x a day, you could end up with regurge...
Sound complicated, but once everything is set up and running, it's easy :-)
Be careful with the polystrene, i used this, stat had a funny five minutes, burnt a hole in the mat and destroyed the poly :) |
| Razee |
Posted - 02/12/2012 : 18:05:50
Thermostat is the best buy you can get, when you get a snake - not only it'll keep the temperature in the right range for the snake, so you don't have to worry about it, it'll save you electricity , and should something go wrong with the mat, it'll prevent possible fire.
With glass tank I think you put the mat under the glass, with the thermostat probe and temperature probe inside the tank. Mats radiate heat on both sides, so if you put polystyrene under the mat, that will reflect most of the mat heat into the tank.
With wooden vivs, the mat goes inside the viv, again, on thermostat.
You can get them cheaper in Surrey Pet Supplies,over the internet. I like the pulse ones, they keep the temps really well, but you can just get a Mat stat ( on and off ), though I'd had a problem with the Microclimate one. Other people had the Habistat mat stat, and it seems that one is more precise.
Problem is, if you keep switching the mat on and off, the snake won't have a stable temperature to digest in, ( he'll need to have about 28 C constantly on the warm side ) and you'll have problems. It's not enough to put the mat on for an hour 2 x a day, you could end up with regurge...
Sound complicated, but once everything is set up and running, it's easy :-) |
| Moppet |
Posted - 02/12/2012 : 17:55:40
As above, you need a thermostat which you leave the heatmat plugged into all the time and it keeps the heat at the correct level for your snake. Keeping a snake on a heatmat without a thermostat can cause some serious burns.
Most people feed snakes in a separate container, or in their viv only if they have bedding which the snake cannot accidently eat as it can cause blockages. |
| Georgina |
Posted - 02/12/2012 : 17:42:41
You need a thermostat which will adjust the heat for you and stop any burns. |
| Darkelf-Lola |
Posted - 02/12/2012 : 17:22:47
Ok, this is going to be a very 'Newbie' query, so please prepare to snigger behind your hands, lol!!!
So i have been reading through a lot of the forum posts here wanting to learn what is best for Lola. The 'kit' that she came with was viv, bedding (aspen bedding), two hides (a log & half coconut shell), water bowl, flexible vine & heat mat. Which i was told to put on for about an hour twice a day, underneath the viv, not in it. I thought this was not enough, so after reading a few feeds i went out & bought 2 thermometers, 1 for each end of the viv & a plastic leafy branch for entertainment, which Lola has already been exploring.
I am now just worried after reading Gmac's post about the burnt snake & am concerned that if she borrows into her bedding & down to the glass, that if i cant see her & switch the heat mat on i might accidentally burn her. Thoughts please???
Woody |
| herriotfan |
Posted - 02/12/2012 : 15:57:28
If she has regurged then you would smell it for sure! No smell noticed is excellent......  |
| Darkelf-Lola |
Posted - 02/12/2012 : 13:48:48
Again thank you for the advice, i appear to be on a steep learning curve. She is on the Aspen bedding, not orchid bark. And i seem to have got lucky in the fact of no regurge, though it shall be imprinted on my brain not to move her on a full tummy & to feed her well away from the bedding in future. I have not noticed any strong smells from her viv, but have also been reluctant to disturb her so soon after her feed. |
| gmac |
Posted - 02/12/2012 : 11:54:39
yes you should be worried if the tank mists up, means its far to humid and can bring on health issues from scale rot to Respitory infections.
As for eating bark, again its one substrate i wouldnt be feeding on due to its size and the fact it will swell when damp and wont get digested.
If you are keeping it on the bark, dont feed in house. If its also the damp bark bake it in the oven to dry it before adding to the housing |
| ScalySituation |
Posted - 02/12/2012 : 11:20:53
Shouldn't do if it's on a stat, I believe
I'd be more worried about the fact that you bought her home with a full tummy. Keep a close eye on her in case of regurge :) |
| Darkelf-Lola |
Posted - 02/12/2012 : 11:17:11
Thank you, i shall keep everyone posted & get pics up soon too!!!
Though while im here should i worry if the tank mists up after the heat mat has been on??? |
| Georgina |
Posted - 02/12/2012 : 11:09:07
Should be ok, just keep an eye for odd behaviour. A lot of people feed on the substrate with no issue, you would be very unlucky to have problems x |
|
|
