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dizzie85
Hatchling
United Kingdom
242 Posts |
 Posted - 02/10/2010 : 15:26:52
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Hi All new to the site but having brought a corn snake yesterday. I did lots of reading but opinions it suggests vary and different conflicting advice coming from all ways!
Right he hatched 11-08-10, his paper work says Sunglow x Normal amel male.
hatch weight 8gm (i think it says its smudged).
shed 12/8/10 abd had 5 feeds since on pinkies.
He came in a tub and the lady said put a thin book between the tub and the heatmat and thats all he needs for now size wise for atleast another month.
Well he shed last night and pooped so I put him into the viv (small tank sized) but it seemed absoloutely massive for him he was climbing up the sides n falling down n then proceeded to hide himself under the aspen. I decided its obviously too big for him and not enough is in there so once I'd cleaned his tub out n got it all clean n ready I put him back in the tub and put the tub in the viv.
My question is How will I know when the right time to let him into the viv will be? Also it says Feed him outside his living space if using aspen to save accidently ingesting it. So do I put him into a empty tub and then move him after he has eaten or leave him in an empty tub to digest?
Thanks for any input in advance :D. |
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gmac
The Scottish Admin
United Kingdom
5319 Posts |
Posted - 02/10/2010 : 15:33:11
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quote:
Originally posted by dizzie85
My question is How will I know when the right time to let him into the viv will be? Also it says Feed him outside his living space if using aspen to save accidently ingesting it. So do I put him into a empty tub and then move him after he has eaten or leave him in an empty tub to digest?
Thanks for any input in advance :D.
all depends really on the size of the viv you are wanting to put your snake in, large fauns are very handy for keeping young snakes in also smaller RUBs (really usefull boxes) will do just as well. usually when the snakes length is larger than the longer side + the shorter side of the rub do you need to move your snake up a size.
feeding outside his hoe is entirely up to you but if you do feed in a separate box, let the snake settle for 5 minutes or so then out hm back in his own box.
And welcome to the forum |
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Kellog
the nice one
United Kingdom
7308 Posts |
Posted - 03/10/2010 : 05:05:17
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It sounds as though you have done a lot of research before getting your corn Dizzie, which is fantastic, and you are right about there being a LOT of conflicting information out there.
When you say you put him into a viv (small tank size), what exact size is it? It could be that his behaviour when he was put in was normal for being in a new place and exploring and then hiding as he was settling in....or it could have been that the viv is too big for him and he is scared.
We always suggest you follow the one-week rule (it is more of a guide than a rule but worth adhering too!)....no handling or feeding for the first week to allow him to get over the stress of the move and for him to get used to the new smells and his new surroundings. This means just putting your hand in to change the water daily and straighten the substrate, so he can get used to your smell and not be threatened by you. You mustnt worry about him not feeding for that week, corns are a lot hardier than we realise and going for a week without food will not do them any harm, no matter how small they are. You are rarely advised this in a lot of pet shops or by many breeders  but it is an important way of getting him to de-stress and feel safe with you. Obviously he has already had a fair bit of handling and moving around, from tub to viv and back to tub....so it may be a good idea to leave him in the tub now for a week to settle in.
You say he is now in the tub that is in the viv. I am assuming that the heatmat is still under the tub (with one-third of the tub on the mat)? Is the heatmat controlled by a thermostat and do you have a digital thermometer monitoring the temperatures inside the tub? This is vital, but again is often not mentioned.
GMac has given you the correct guide (unsurprisingly  ) as to when to move him out of the tub....once his length = the length + depth of the tub.
As for feeding him, again GMac is right. It is down to personal choice. You could feed him in his tub but if you do then it would be a good idea to cover the substrate with something like kitchen roll to make sure he doesnt swallow any. I feed both my snakes out of their vivs to avoid this (and it also gives you a better chance to get good pics of them feeding  )....and I just leave them until the bump is half-way down their body before gently lifting them and returning them to their vivs, which is probably about the 5 mins that GMac mentions.
Why dont you say hi in the introduction section so we can all welcome you properly .
xxx
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dizzie85
Hatchling
United Kingdom
242 Posts |
Posted - 05/10/2010 : 11:51:36
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Hi well It was a 1ft by 1ft plastic tank but I have since brought him a 3ft viv with heatmat, heatlamp thermostat and lots and lots of hides!
I brought it becasue It was cheaper to buy the whole set up than It was to buy the thermostat and heatlamp seperately in the deal I got. So now he is in his tub in the big viv but it is VERY packed out with Aspen as substrate and a lot are saying it will be fine to let him straight into there. I succesfully fed him yesterday on a pinkie! He didnt seem interested at first but then all of a sudden struck at it and it was swallowed within 3minutes. Left him alone since then to digest his meal. I dont think reading really every prepares you for a new animal because I seem to be learning more from my snake (charlie) than I have from books!
What do you think, allow him into the 3ft viv? it isnt all that spacious now its covered in plants (snake safe) vines hides and water bowls. Just another silly question also the thermostat I have on at 28c, is that right? ive covered the floor with newspaper then put the substrate on top. Vivs temp is reading 82 on the warm side. |
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Newbie snake owner questions
