| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| Drexel |
Posted - 23/11/2012 : 19:54:07
Hi all, it's been two weeks since i last fed Basil. After last week not taking his feed i studied the forum and on Sunday spotted his eyes been Blueish-gray. Sign of shedding i think? His eyes have cleared up but no sign of skin. I cleaned his water out yesterday (which he likes to hide under) and he looked a bit dopey if you know what i mean?
Is it worth trying to feed again this weekend?
I read somewhere here about a snake not eating upto 5 weeks 
Can this happen?
I'm just a concerned parent.
Any help greatly received.
Thanks in advance. |
| 13 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| Drexel |
Posted - 28/11/2012 : 21:16:24
Good news, Basils shed. Checked on him this morn(he was under his water bowl) so i took it out to clean and put fresh water in which i cleaned on Monday when adding the new aspen and his shedding was there. I feel a bit more at ease now. His shed was full of sand like you said. Also got a Ministat 100 up and running.
Again thanks again Peeps and will add photos etc.... on mine and Basils progress :-) |
| Welshlamb |
Posted - 26/11/2012 : 22:49:09
quote:
Originally posted by Drexel
Hi thanks everyone. Got a bag of aspen bedding and a new hide(is it ok over the heat mat?)gonna get more stuff in for the fella to play with. Thermometer on order thanks to Welshman. Just another question, i noticed in peoples photos of their VIV with wallpaper/camo around the back and side of their VIV is this to stop reflection etc....?
Cheers again all.
Basil is going to be a happy snake now. The hide will be fine over the heat mat. but don't turn it on until you have a thermostat and thermometer (as its a potential fire hazard and could burn or worse kill basil
The backgrounds / side grounds are mainly for decoration. So there is no need for them, although on glass tanks it may help to insulate heat.
You can buy them in most aquatic places. I bought vine style wheelie bin stickers and used them from home bargains only cost £1.99. Plenty of it as you can imagine wheelie bins are huge compared to vivarium / tanks.
Keep us updated on basil. For now just turn off the heat mat and lamp. He should be just fine. Also avoid feeding as he will just regurge as he will need heat to digest it.
When you get the thermometer you will be good to go. Just use an elasticit band or blue tac to secure the probe to the heat mat. Then you will be able to have an accurate temperature. It must be below 30 degrees. A thermostat plugged into the heat mat is needed to keep the temps constant (preventing burns or death to basil)
Then the cool side should be room temperature.
Good luck and keep us in the loop with basil. Look forward to seeing pics of him |
| Drexel |
Posted - 26/11/2012 : 19:43:58
Hi thanks everyone. Got a bag of aspen bedding and a new hide(is it ok over the heat mat?)gonna get more stuff in for the fella to play with. Thermometer on order thanks to Welshman. Just another question, i noticed in peoples photos of their VIV with wallpaper/camo around the back and side of their VIV is this to stop reflection etc....?
Cheers again all. |
| herriotfan |
Posted - 25/11/2012 : 11:09:09
I agree with welshlamb......do away with the sand. Really not good for cornsnakes.
They do like lots of cover and places to hide. A very cheap hide is the kitchen roll or toilet roll tube. Mine all have them in their vivs and love them.  |
| Welshlamb |
Posted - 25/11/2012 : 10:38:30
Hello,
This is a good thermometer:
http://www.surreypetsupplies.co.uk/lucky-reptile-thermometer-deluxe-lth-31.html
I would turn off the lamp and just used a heat mat with a thermostat. Then use the thermometer above to monitor temps.
Also I highly discourage using sand in a vivarium for corns. As they do not live in areas where there is sand. This may also get stuck in between the scales and be an expensive trip to the vet. Along with infections and impaction (from swallowing) this could cause the end of your new pet. Corns do not take calcium from the sand like other reptiles.
P.S - If you want good light in the tank / viv take a trip to ikea and buy http://www.ikea.com/gb/en/catalog/products/90192071/ (Auld Baldy recommeneded these out) They really good for light and emit no heat so is snake friendly (unlike bulbs that can cause burns)
Also I think you need more hiding places for the snake. As at this age they get very scared of big spaces. But if he's feeding well then this should be no problem.
You may also find that this will work out expensiver than thought, mainly because you will need a much bigger vivarium. I recommend that you by a 3ft instead of buying a smaller one like I have. Will save you money in the long run 
Any problems just ask and good luck
|
| kev 5 |
Posted - 25/11/2012 : 10:20:34
dial thermometers are not really any good. it's the temp of the mat you need to have right (27-28 is ideal). mate you need the mat to be plugged in to a thermostat. if the mat is used without a stat then it is definitely to hot. i would turn the mat off until you can get a mat stat. |
| Drexel |
Posted - 25/11/2012 : 09:51:59
Got a heat mat and thermometer(not digital) With the lamp on it reads about 25c then drops down to about 18-20 when off. |
| kev 5 |
Posted - 25/11/2012 : 09:14:41
try an get a mat stat by tomorrow, your snake will be fine with the heat turned off until then. don't attempt to feed until you get your temps correct. |
| kev 5 |
Posted - 25/11/2012 : 09:04:07
mate you don't need a heat lamp. your heat mat needs to be plugged in to a mat stat.if it isn't turn it off now. i'm guessing your tank is seriously too hot. you also need a digital thermometer with a probe that is placed directly on the mat. the temp should be between 26-29c |
| Drexel |
Posted - 25/11/2012 : 08:29:26
quote:
Originally posted by Georgina
I'd wait until he has shed.
What's his set up
Age
Weight
His set up is (not best pic) Heat mat under bush(fake), moss and bark in middle with water bowl in the cool part. Calci-sand for his substrate. Heat lamp which is not on every day all day. 
Age. I've had him for six weeks and my wife said the lady in shop said hes only a couple weeks old.
Weight. Not sure as don't want to bother him at the mo.
Can u spot any probs with VIV?
Cheers for your comments. |
| herriotfan |
Posted - 23/11/2012 : 21:14:55
Once the 'blue' look has gone it will be a few more days until your snake sheds. Don't worry you'll soon have a fresh, new looking snake!
It's up to you if you want to offer food or not, some will and some won't eat. It depends on the snake. Some of mine will eat while shedding and some won't. In fact I've got one who sometimes does and sometimes doesn't. I think it's all to do with what stage of shedding she's at.
You could well have read about snakes going a long time without feeding. It's very common during their mating season. It's quite amazing how long they can go without food.
I'm sure we all worry far too much but it's because we care which is good!! |
| Georgina |
Posted - 23/11/2012 : 20:04:05
I'd wait until he has shed.
What's his set up
Age
Weight |
| kev 5 |
Posted - 23/11/2012 : 20:03:46
if he's eyes are now clear he will be shedding soon. if he didn't feed last time you tried you should wait until he has shed before trying again. some eat when in shed some don't. |
