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dazb
The Corn Snake Moderator
United Kingdom
1278 Posts |
 Posted - 28/06/2008 : 18:56:02
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hi,
popped in to a little reptile shop today to kill some time and ended up feeling really unsure about the way im keeping my pets.
basically i have a 3 foot glass viv with my corn in, and heat it using a heat mat(also have a 40w red lamp for viewing). i was advised that (in his opinion) that this is a bad way of heating the viv due to heat coming from the bottom, when in the wild they are used to heat from above, also that glass vivs were a bad idea due to the way they hold heat and disperse it in a equal gradient to allow them to thermoregulate and that the snake would not feel comftable because it would seem to open (spacious) cos of the glass sides.
also when i described the size of him and age (approx 2 1/2 foot and the thickness of my little finger and 11 months ish old) he said he seemed to small. he expected him to be on small mice not fuzzys and said he recommends feeding twice a week not the 1 every 5-7 days i have been doing to all young corns he sells.
he said that all of the above would explain his small size and the fact he is not very active.
also wen i said that i was moving him to a wooden viv he said i shouldnt be putting a heat mat inside it as this was not recommended at all, and a only light should be used again.
Said the same stuff about heating and space wen i said i was going to move my leos in to the glass viv.
he was a really nice guy and was just offering his opinion and had owned the shop for years.
anyway guys sorry to go on but this has really put me about. |
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891 Posts |
Posted - 28/06/2008 : 19:10:54
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Everyone is entitled to their opinion & have their own methods.
The mats can go on the back wall as well as the floor. as long as there's substrate covering the mat which is not too thick & the mat is controlled by a stat then what's the problem ? 
I can see his point about the glass sides making the captive environment seem 'open' &/or exposed to the leos/corn but put backing on the back & sides so they are covered - problem solved.
I also agree with the feeding & size 'issue' about what the guy said about your corn. Mine were that old & nearly on mediums. But they all grow & develop individually so I wouldn't worry. |
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481 Posts |
Posted - 28/06/2008 : 19:37:33
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i wouldn't let him put you off, if you look through the internet there are so many different ways that people advise you to keep snakes and all of them think their way is right.
I know lots of people that keep snakes the same way you do, myself as well and have no problems.
If you think your snake is a bit on the small side up his food intake and like moneymaker says they all grow and develope individually,
At the end of the day there is no way of making it exactly like their enviroment in the wild but your snake is used to it the way your doing it and if he seems happy then i wouldn't change it |
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dazb
The Corn Snake Moderator
United Kingdom
1278 Posts |
Posted - 29/06/2008 : 10:24:46
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cheers guys, he just made me a little unsure.
gonna make a few changes, like im gonna get rid of my glass viv cos since he has said about it i have notivced that it doesnt hold and disperse heat that well,(some really cold spots unless its right by the light and heat pad.) so gonna build a wooden one.
he said this might be a reason chester is small cos of the cold envioronment he reckons his metabolysm maybe be to slow.
as for the heatmats he said it was of a safety issue aswell. overheating and catching fire etc.
as for heat mats inside the viv, would you cover it with anything before the substrate cos chester loves digging in to it and dont want him to get hurt from lying directly on it.
sorry to go on but its like starting all over again |
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gingerpony
Queen Bee
United Kingdom
10455 Posts |
Posted - 29/06/2008 : 17:16:09
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don't feel bad dazb it's just different people's opinions and experiences.
OK this is MY opinion:
the Ghost corn I got at Doncaster is a year old now and took his first adult mouse this week (previously on 3 fuzzies), he sounds a similar size to yours and as people have already said - they are all individuals.
I use a mat (with a stat) inside the viv, covered with a sheet of newspaper in case they burrow and then wood chippings on top, I put heavy things like the hides and rocks to pin down the newspaper so they don't get underneath. I also check there's a temperature gradient with thermometers each end, I'm sure this is achievable with a good sized glass viv so don't bin it just yet!
And finally I agree about the 'open' feeling of glass vivs, having backing on 2-3 sides would probably make your snake feel more secure, an immediate short-term measure is just to throw a sheet over the viv!
Like lindsei said - if it's not broken don't try to fix it - but if you do have a problem then research as much as you can and ask a variety of people about their experiences on the issue
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cornsnakes, ratsnakes, bullsnakes, boas and day geckos
Location:Leeds/York/Selby area |
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dazb
The Corn Snake Moderator
United Kingdom
1278 Posts |
Posted - 29/06/2008 : 17:52:24
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cheers guys,
dont worry not gonna throw it away or owt, been to my local shop today and got reassured wot im doing is ok and my confidence is back up
as for the glass viv i am gonna swap/sell it and get a wooden one for afew reasons that i have mentioned, and as i am putting chester in a ready made wood one, gonna make another for my leos plus just been to look at a mexican black king which my girlfriend wants, so a wooden one will be better for stacking.
Also got a stat today which im gonna start running my mats off.
gonna do same as you with my mat, and lay news paper along bottom of viv so he cant burrow in to it cos boy does he love to burrow.
as for feeding did you say you give him 3 fuzzys in one sitting???
anyway thanks for all the support.
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gingerpony
Queen Bee
United Kingdom
10455 Posts |
Posted - 29/06/2008 : 18:33:46
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| Yeah 3! Peachy is a CB07 and was on 2 a week when I got him then I tried 3 fuzzies before moving onto a small adult mouse. think he was a bit confused as adult mice have a lot more hair than fuzzies and it took him ages to actually swallow it. Petal's considerably smaller although she's a CB07 too (apparently - must be a very late one!) and on 2-3 pinkies so moving up to a fuzzy very soon. |
cornsnakes, ratsnakes, bullsnakes, boas and day geckos
Location:Leeds/York/Selby area |
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236 Posts |
Posted - 29/06/2008 : 18:34:05
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| The guy we got our BRBs from covers the bottom of his vivs and the heat mats with lino which he sticks down with aquarium sealant and he says makes cleaning out the vivs loads easier. |
4.2.0 dogs
1.1.0 cats
25.8.34 bettas
2.2.0 corn
1.1.0 brb
1.0.0 teenager |
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891 Posts |
Posted - 29/06/2008 : 19:34:05
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| that's exactly what I was going to say about the lino lol. Done the same in mine works really well. Then I cover it in apsen bedding. sometimes it can be better to feed multiple small food items than one big one as the smaller ones are easier to digest. |
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236 Posts |
Posted - 29/06/2008 : 23:17:54
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| We're gonna do the lino thing too once the vivs are built lol. He also suspends all the branches around the tank so when cleaning time comes the only thing he has to move is the water and the hides. |
4.2.0 dogs
1.1.0 cats
25.8.34 bettas
2.2.0 corn
1.1.0 brb
1.0.0 teenager |
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dazb
The Corn Snake Moderator
United Kingdom
1278 Posts |
Posted - 30/06/2008 : 12:50:56
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the lino is a great idea. very impressed never would have thought of it. lol
is builders caulk toxic to snakes?? already used it now uncertain about it.?
think might go over it with aquatic sealant just in case wot you guys think? |
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891 Posts |
Posted - 30/06/2008 : 13:26:54
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well to be honest I have never used aquarium sealent in my tanks & never had a problem with normal sealent.
It's up to you though, go with what you think is best. |
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dazb
The Corn Snake Moderator
United Kingdom
1278 Posts |
Posted - 30/06/2008 : 19:22:48
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i asked at my local shop and they said it was fine, normally leave it 24-48hrs just to go off cos of the fumes and thats it.
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891 Posts |
Posted - 30/06/2008 : 21:37:56
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Here's one of my vivs with the lino. |
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dazb
The Corn Snake Moderator
United Kingdom
1278 Posts |
Posted - 01/07/2008 : 17:13:08
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looks good. gonna design and build mine this week. chester has got blue eye at the moment so dont wanna swap his vivs til he has shed and is happy again.
the lino is a good idea as everything i read about geckos and their substate refers to compaction and problems with it. |
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891 Posts |
Posted - 01/07/2008 : 17:29:18
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I know 90% of the 'care' sheets say sand is fine blah blah blah, but then when you read the other 10% of care sheets that's where it says about impaction from eating substrate, etc  trouble is it's most likely that when people are looking for care sheets they find the 90% ones or get advised by pet shops to use sand 
try this also;
http://hubpages.com/hub/Natural-Habitat-of-the-Leopard-Gecko |
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