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8 Posts |
 Posted - 09/04/2009 : 22:49:49
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Hi folks,
I'm new to the forum and to keeping snakes generally - was hoping someone might be able to advise me on my setup.
We got our first corn today - he's four weeks old and dinky!
He's currently living in a plastic vivarium which is about 2 by 1 feet and about half a foot tall (hiding behind a loo roll and hasn't moved since we put him in...). He's got two hides, one at either end of the tank (plus said loo roll, which he seems to prefer so far!), plus a water bowl and a twisty branch thing to climb on. We're heating him with a heat mat which is under about half of the tank, and we've got a thermometer at each end.
I'm a bit worried about his heat - both thermometers seem to be showing the same temperature (about 20 degrees c). The heat mat is warm but doesn't feel massively hot - do I need an extra heat source?
Any help'd be massively appreciated - I've only had him for a few hours but I'm already attached! And I don't want him to cool down too much in the lovely Glasgow weather (i.e. raining and cold...). Sorry if these are daft questions!
He's called Basil, in case you were wondering :)
Aimee
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a33272
our battery charger
United Kingdom
3063 Posts |
Posted - 09/04/2009 : 22:53:02
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| what are you using as substrate??? what kind of thermometers have you got an is the mat on a mat stat?? |
    
0.1.0 creamsicle corn-Marmalade
1.0.0 jungle carpet python-Bumble
1.0.0 corn Casper
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Edited by - a33272 on 09/04/2009 22:53:39 |
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8 Posts |
Posted - 09/04/2009 : 23:03:50
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We're using woodchips, they're about a centimetre thick. The thermometers are exo-terra sticky-on ones...I'm wondering if I've put them too far above the substrate?
We don't have a thermostat for the heat mat - should we have one? Where can I get one?
Honestly, he doesn't move for hours and the minute I go to the computer he starts roaming all over the tank...
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a33272
our battery charger
United Kingdom
3063 Posts |
Posted - 09/04/2009 : 23:33:45
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he will just be shy for a few day keeping himself to himself, ya need ya thermometors layed on the substrate as thats where the heat is. id also try an thin the substrate out over that thermostate abit to say 5 mm if ya can.
ideally you want didgital thermometors as there more accurate than other ones you get, ya best off to use the mat with a matstat to control it otherwise ya substrate mite get to hot, ya can get them from most reptile shops an some pet shops do small ranges of rep stuff too
hope this lot helps :) |
0.1.0 creamsicle corn-Marmalade
1.0.0 jungle carpet python-Bumble
1.0.0 corn Casper
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Edited by - a33272 on 09/04/2009 23:38:51 |
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a33272
our battery charger
United Kingdom
3063 Posts |
Posted - 09/04/2009 : 23:37:36
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ohhh an also ya dont want ya substrate to thick while ya corns dinky as they have a habit of burrowing in it an ya mite start an panic abit when ya cant find if hes playing hide an seek like this
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0.1.0 creamsicle corn-Marmalade
1.0.0 jungle carpet python-Bumble
1.0.0 corn Casper
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8 Posts |
Posted - 09/04/2009 : 23:37:57
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That's great, thanks for the help!
I'll go and get a stat and a digital thermometer tomorrow then (if I can tear myself away from this little guy first!).
Cheers :) |
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8 Posts |
Posted - 09/04/2009 : 23:44:20
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| Also, aaaw! I'll bear that in mind :) |
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a33272
our battery charger
United Kingdom
3063 Posts |
Posted - 09/04/2009 : 23:47:07
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| have a read through the forum theres quiet alot about heating an temps etc mite help you understand about them a bit better |
0.1.0 creamsicle corn-Marmalade
1.0.0 jungle carpet python-Bumble
1.0.0 corn Casper
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gingerpony
Queen Bee
United Kingdom
10455 Posts |
Posted - 10/04/2009 : 11:57:17
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2' x 1' is quite a mahoooosive faun for a tiny corn, it could comfortably house a 3' snake! as plastic fauns are cheap enough (£5 at Wilkinsons) i'd be very tempted to get a smaller one for now as corns don't really appreciate a lot of space - it can stress them out causing health, feeding and handling problems.
yes you definitely need a thermostat to control your heat source which should provide a hot end of about 29-30*C. stats can be picked up cheaply, i got a brand new stat off ebay for £10.
really, if the pet shop you got your snake from is any good they should have ensured you had (or they sold you) an appropriately size enclosure and appropriate equipment including a thermostat!! grr, naughty shop!!! |
cornsnakes, ratsnakes, bullsnakes, boas and day geckos
Location:Leeds/York/Selby area |
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8 Posts |
Posted - 10/04/2009 : 12:41:57
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Thanks for the tips. We thought we'd done loads of research and he'd be alright with lots of spaces to hide in :(
He's been exploring the tank pretty thoroughly this morning - he's about 35/40cm long. Currently in the cool hide. He's been quite active (although we deliberately picked the most active one in the shop). We're off this afternoon to see if we can find him a smaller viv (this one was the smallest one the shop had).
Is there anything else I should do? Thanks again - I really appreciate the advice.
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8 Posts |
Posted - 10/04/2009 : 20:03:31
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Hi folks, me again.
Thought you might like an update - couldn't find ANYTHING you mentioned in our local petshops so I've ordered a thermostat and two digital thermometers from an online shop which should arrive on Tuesday. In the meantime we're making do with a cooking thermometer to check his substrate temp. The cool end is 21 deg. and the hot end about 29-31, with a temp of about 25 in the middle.
We've also covered him up a bit so he doesn't feel so exposed and we've got more pots and things to provide cover. Does that sound alright for just now? Sorry for all the questions, I trusted the guy in the pet shop and now I'm a bit paranoid!
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gingerpony
Queen Bee
United Kingdom
10455 Posts |
Posted - 10/04/2009 : 21:51:14
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that all sounds great aimee 
pet shop staff have to know a little bit about everything they sell, and quite often you get the same speech whether you're buying a bearded dragon or a boa! specialist reptile shops tend to have more knowledgeable staff but even then, there's good shops and not --so-good shops. glad you found thecornsnake.co.uk though, between the lot of us we have an awful lot of experience and knowledge to share
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cornsnakes, ratsnakes, bullsnakes, boas and day geckos
Location:Leeds/York/Selby area |
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58 Posts |
Posted - 10/04/2009 : 22:12:06
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So why could a large enclosure stress out a corn snake? if it does so,and it is often said that it does what do they do in the wild?
Michael |
1.0.0 Tom a 10 month old Flourescent orange Corn 29 inches and growing fast
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gingerpony
Queen Bee
United Kingdom
10455 Posts |
Posted - 10/04/2009 : 22:44:44
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| you can't really compare their behaviour in the wild with the behaviour of a species captively bred for 35 years. they have different ways of coping with different problems they encounter. |
cornsnakes, ratsnakes, bullsnakes, boas and day geckos
Location:Leeds/York/Selby area |
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8 Posts |
Posted - 10/04/2009 : 22:49:48
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Glad I found it too! Good to know that I can ask for help and get the right answer. I'm sure Basil'll be a happier snake for it :) He's having a good explore at the moment...
Oh, and I've just noticed a mistake in my first post - he's four MONTHS, not four weeks. Just a small typo  |
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lee2308
The Corn Snake Moderator
United Kingdom
3348 Posts |
Posted - 11/04/2009 : 00:18:15
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| hi and welcome,you cant go wrong with advise from gingerpony.Did you get him from a rep shop or just a pet shop,if there selling snakes they should atleast have basic equipment to keep them,stats ect. |
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Posted - 25/04/2009 : 19:09:52
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Hello! Sorry for delay in replying - been a bit lacking in internet.
We got him from a pet shop that we'd heard got their stock from a good breeder. I think in future I might just go straight to the breeder...!
Happy to report though that the stat and digi thermometers are happily installed and seem to be working well. I think the little 'un may be about to shed as well - his eyes have gone bluey and his skin looks duller than usual.
Excitement! :)
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