| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| n/a |
Posted - 11/02/2010 : 14:59:41
Hi, I have a baby corn snake housed in a snake tank which is kept inside the vivarium. I have a heat lamp to regulate the temperature and a heat mat under a third of the tank to make side one hotter.
However i'm confused about the correct temperature when she's not feeding or shedding. differnt care sheets stat between 21C and 30C but i've found the this a big differnce in temperature whilst housed in the snake tank.
I currently keep the temperature around 27C but not sure if this to hot when she's not feeding or shedding.
Any advice???
James |
| 14 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| SexyBear77 |
Posted - 12/02/2010 : 20:14:39
26.9 isn't that bad tbh, a little on the cool side but my vivs sit at 27-28c most of the time.
General rule of thumb is that the length of the snake should be equal to 1 long and 1 short side of the viv. So in reality your snake is too small for the 36 inch viv. If you have nowhere else to put her then make sure you cram the viv with plenty of hides, plants and decor. Corns get stressed by big, open spaces so the busier the better.
If your mat is statted properly then there is no way your corn can burn itself on the mat. |
| n/a |
Posted - 12/02/2010 : 19:56:34
Cheers everyone for your advice.
The problem is at the moment as she is living a snake tank within the vivarium and the heat mat is only reaching 26.9'C at substrate level when the heat lamp is turned off. This I'm guessing is because the heat has to get through the plastic and then substrate.
This temperature i know is not hot enough for digestion.
If i turn the heat lamp up slightly the cooler end will rise to 24'C is this ok?
Also When is a good time to introduce her into the vivarium (it is 3 foot long)?? She is about 17" long is feeding on 2 pinkys a week.
One more question. When she is introduce into the vivarium is the heat mat safe under the substrate or will she burn her self on it? if so where is best to place the heat mat?
Sorry so many questions guys and gals but i'm new to this and wanna learn.
James |
| a33272 |
Posted - 12/02/2010 : 16:30:57
how and where are you measuring the temps and how much substrate do you have ontop of ya mat?? |
| mikerichards |
Posted - 12/02/2010 : 15:53:27
Nice on bengy, I think you hit the nail on the head there, the stat probe and you thermometer need to be on the heatmat, mats are not designed to raise air temps, so if it is, I would hate to think how hot the mat is to touch!
To touch, the heatmat wants to feel warm, not hot, remember that although your body temp is 30ish, your fingers aren't, closer to 26, at least mine are anyway!
If you don't have a stat, then I would strongly recommend you do, peoples reaction to a snake that's burnt, and no stat is not something you want to be on the receiving end of!
All other info is spot on, you only need to heat one end, leave the other for thermoregulation.
As I said, ditch the bulb, its only gonna make the heatmat even hotter anyway, even if the mat is off. If there is anything you need clarifying, ask away mate. |
| n/a |
Posted - 12/02/2010 : 15:15:44
The wattage of heat mat is varied for the change in size only. A 7w heat mat will reach the same temp as a 22w heat mat, its just the latter needs a higher wattage as it will be bigger. So obviously a 7w mat will be smaller as it requires less wattage to heat a mat area smaller than say the 22w mat.
If its not reaching the 27-30 mark then remember that mats will only heat what is in contact with it and not the ambient air in the viv/faun. So move your thermostat probe and thermometer probe around i.e. at the bottom of the viv. If they are already on the bottom at point of contact and the stat is turned up then it could possibly be a faulty mat.
I keep my corns on a steady 28*c hot spot and the cold end is set by the temperature in the room and is normally about 21-22*c. You DO NOT need to increase or decrease these temperatures around feeding or shedding. |
| kevgerb46 |
Posted - 12/02/2010 : 13:06:09
what size heatmat do u have, i have a 11x11 12w mat on a stat and that does the job lovely, the heatmat was £12.50 and the stat was £25.00, if u have a 7w mat its not quite warm enough, but that also depends on what viv or tank u have of course. |
| Kehhlyr |
Posted - 12/02/2010 : 12:15:09
quote:
Originally posted by SexyBear77
I'm not sure I understand about the heat mat- are you saying it doesn't get hot enough? If so, just get a heatmat with a slightly higher wattage.
Or check the settings on your stat.  |
| SexyBear77 |
Posted - 12/02/2010 : 10:42:42
I'm not sure I understand about the heat mat- are you saying it doesn't get hot enough? If so, just get a heatmat with a slightly higher wattage. What size is the one you have at the moment?
And yes, temp's dont need to change for anything (unless you are planning a winter brumation, which is a whole other subject!!)
As long as your snake has a heat gradient- one end of the tank needs to be around 20-24c, and the hot end around 27-30c (though 30c is thought too hot by some). This is essential to allow your snake to thermoregulate. They will get the heat they need to digest food from the hot end.
Shedding? Corns, in a spot-on setup shouldn't need any additional help with shedding, though some of us provide moist hides during the shedding periods. High temps won't help. |
| n/a |
Posted - 12/02/2010 : 10:35:35
Thank you all for replying but i'm even more confused than before.
If i ditch the heat lamp i have no way of controlling the heat as the heat mats only increases the heat by 5'C meaning the warm end being only about 25'C as room temperature is only about 20'C or less.
Also i was informed and have read that when shedding or feeding the temperature should be 30'C or above to help digestion and shedding.
Is this not the case?? |
| Kellog |
Posted - 12/02/2010 : 03:30:46
quote:
Originally posted by Jimbo83
......However i'm confused about the correct temperature when she's not feeding or shedding. differnt care sheets stat between 21C and 30C but i've found the this a big differnce in temperature whilst housed in the snake tank....Any advice???
James
Are you aware that the snake needs to have a variant temp within the viv so that it has a hot and cool end.....which means that the snake can then thermoregulate, choose which end it wants to be.
The cool end should be approx 21oC and the warm end just below 30oC. You also need to have a hide in each end of the viv so that it has somewhere to hide in both temps.
(Sorry if you are already aware of this, but by the way you commented on the difference in temps made me wonder - or maybe it is just my brain fog  !)
xxx |
| eeji |
Posted - 11/02/2010 : 18:57:19
all mine are kept at 27 with no troubles :) |
| mikerichards |
Posted - 11/02/2010 : 16:41:27
Both the above are spot on. Ditch the light, stick with the mat on a stat! |
| a33272 |
Posted - 11/02/2010 : 15:50:56
as SB has said 27 is fine you could go up to 30 though and it wouldnt be a problem, a light for corns is only really for viewing purposes there are a few people on here that use heat lamps but the majority of use just use mats for heating, and like SB said theres no need to change ya temps at all for any purpose other than winter cooling if you are breeding |
| SexyBear77 |
Posted - 11/02/2010 : 15:07:21
27c is fine, though I would ditch the lamp as corns to prefer to get their heat through their bellies, and 2 heat sources is a bit ott.
The temperature shouldn't need to change when feeding or shedding, just keep it the same all the time. |
