| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| n/a |
Posted - 19/01/2010 : 18:55:24
What would you all recommend. I have a 4x2x2 wooden viv and have always just used heatmats with a stat. Have always had stable temps but appreciate that this viv is going to much bigger than his current home. I have heard about ceramic lamps which I didnt realise you could use. I am waiting on a general query on those from a reptile forum site.
I just want to get it right, primarily for my corn but also for my pocket.....ie dont want to buy wrong the first time and have to fork out all over again lol
Thanks |
| 10 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| gingerpony |
Posted - 22/01/2010 : 13:27:25
i have an 11"x22" heatmat (approx 1'x2') in my 4 footer and it's perfectly adequate |
| eeji |
Posted - 20/01/2010 : 00:00:52
IMO 4' is NOT too big for a corn of any size, so long as there is enough cover to make them feel secure. If its a very small snake, then if you can provide a means for the corn to get from a warm spot to a cool spot without leaving its cover then even better, eg. a by using drainpipe cut down its length.
If you choose to use a ceramic heater, try to get a thermostat that can provide a night time drop in temperatures, this way the snake can sit where the warmth is after its gone dark which will simulate (a bit) natural behaviour. |
| n/a |
Posted - 19/01/2010 : 23:47:12
If you went with a ceramic heater say 150watt to 200watt and a Habistat pulse 600 watt stat you would have a good heat source. The stat would turn it off when at the desired temperature so cost in running it would be minimal.
I believe as well that Corns prefer belly heat but maybe they bask in the wild as well to get their heat.Someone with more knowledge correct me if that might not be true. |
| n/a |
Posted - 19/01/2010 : 23:01:12
Yeah I can see your point folks re size of snake v viv. I was offered a 4 foot viv for £75 !!! I bought one for my bearded dragon and bought another for snake for adulthood. Seems I overestimated the size ha ha. A bargain to good to miss. He was selling the 3 foots for £99. It was only as he had a job lot of wood he acquired cheaper and made them into 4 footers only. Oh well bought and paid for. Will partition as you suggested as the 2 foot one is very old and falling apart a little and I dont want an escapee !! Originally before the advice re ceramic heater etc I was planning on heatmat (but larger) and during this cold spell have left the red bulb on to maintain temps on hot end. Now its milder I don't need to use bulb. I just need to work out whether current stat will be ok with a higher wattage mat. Thanks again for putting me on right track |
| gingerpony |
Posted - 19/01/2010 : 22:44:00
if your current viv is 2ft x 2ft it will happily last your snake till it's 4ft long!
i WAS using a 4 footer for my 5'6"+ corn and used a 12"x22" heatmat, i personally wouldn't bother with a bulb for heating as they're less cost-effective and basically over-kill for a cornsnake's requirements (sorry hillzi hun   ) |
| n/a |
Posted - 19/01/2010 : 21:18:33
Thanks for that everyone. Will get it sorted this week. I am presuming I will need a 150 watt ceramic as suggested to me due to size of viv. Can easily partition it off as have spare wood. Ha ha re the cold blooded thing Doh to me lol. Of course I do honestly know they are cold blooded but sort of presumed they would feel warmer if sitting on the heat mat hee hee |
| hillzi |
Posted - 19/01/2010 : 20:15:02
I would partition it, it is too big. a 3ft is ideal  just be empty space as adult corns dont tend to move around much. IMO. I'd use a ceramic heater, gaurded and statted by a dimmer. |
| SexyBear77 |
Posted - 19/01/2010 : 19:44:53
Normally we advise that the length of the snake is equal to the length and depth of the viv, so I would definitely consider making the viv smaller for a while. I have a 5 and a half foot male in a 4 foot viv, and it is more than big enough. Tbh a 3 footer is fine for most adult snakes.
Your snake will feel cold to you because they are cold blooded, and so won't have the same body temp as you. |
| n/a |
Posted - 19/01/2010 : 19:18:16
Thanks for the reply. My corn is just over 2 1/2 foot long now and is currently in a 2(l)x2(h)x1.5 (w). Obviously this viv is to accomodate him for the rest of his life, currently he is approx 18months old. He has a mat with stat with stable temps but he always feels cold when I get him out to feed or handle and tends to stay under the hot hide for a large proportion of the time. I am not sure if my current stat will do for a larger mat so I have that to consider too. |
| SexyBear77 |
Posted - 19/01/2010 : 19:09:52
You say the new viv will be much bigger than his current home? How much bigger? Corns get stressed easily in big spaces, unless they are crammed with furnishings to avoid open spaces. How big/old is your corn? It might be worth partitioning the new viv to make it smaller and make it bigger by degrees if your snake is only small.
With regards to heating, corns prefer their heat from the belly up, so we usually recommend mats. Some people do use lamps with no apparent problems though. In my 4 foot viv I have a 17x11 inch mat, which works fine for me. |
