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Beenie
Snake Mite
United Kingdom
43 Posts |
 Posted - 14/04/2013 : 20:49:12
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| He's been hiding half under the chips all day :-/ should i be worried? |
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Kellog
the nice one
United Kingdom
7308 Posts |
Posted - 14/04/2013 : 21:17:14
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I don't think so Sophie. Remember you only got him yesterday and he will be stressed from the move and from being somewhere new. It will take him a while to settle down. Have you added anything new to his viv, like a new hide? What is the temp in the warm end?
Xxx
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Beenie
Snake Mite
United Kingdom
43 Posts |
Posted - 14/04/2013 : 21:21:16
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Not got the new thermometer yet so only going on the temp it shows in the middle which is 30c. Trying to find something else to use as a hide hole as well (was thinking a plastic tub with a hole in it but not sure if its ok use
or how many holes to put in it)
Think i may be worrying and getting worked up over it considering he's had the same set up all his life :-/ |
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Kellog
the nice one
United Kingdom
7308 Posts |
Posted - 15/04/2013 : 09:00:42
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Do you mean that the dial thermometer partway up the wall of the viv is showing 30oC??!! If so then I'd be very worried about the viv being too hot and, in particular, the heatmat being too hot. Is it controlled by a thermostat? I would suggest you take the dial thermometer off the wall and put it on the heatmat, to see if you can get some idea of how hot it is.
As for hides you can easily use cardboard boxes or anything you have lying around the house. He needs a hide in each end. These may help, How to make cheap hides , How to make a plant pot hide . All my snakes have got a plant pot hide and they love them.
The problem is he may have had that set-up all his life but it doesn't make it right. It's very similar to the set-up Kellog had when I got him  ....only one hide in the middle, no guard on the light and a dial thermometer partway up the wall of his viv. At least he had a thermostat for his heatmat. Yes, he'd survived til then with that set-up....but we want to do what's best for our snakes and offer them homes where they will be 'happy', safe and will thrive. Kellog's set-up was NOT what was best for him and it looks like Nipper's isn't either. I had many arguments with my OH in the early days about just this....but I stood my ground because, as far as I was concerned, Kellog was my responsibility and I needed to do everything I could to get things right. Obviously it's up to you what changes you decide to make to Nipper's viv....and this is only my personal opinion. Hope I'm making sense....it's a brain fog morning  .
Xxx
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Edited by - Kellog on 15/04/2013 09:01:54 |
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Beenie
Snake Mite
United Kingdom
43 Posts |
Posted - 15/04/2013 : 16:05:55
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Im confusing myself. Yes the dial that's stuck on the back :-/
I may new a list of things to buy then! |
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Beenie
Snake Mite
United Kingdom
43 Posts |
Posted - 15/04/2013 : 16:11:44
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| Im totally confused about heat mats now :( so with a 100 habistat do i need a special heatmat? Or a specific heatmat? and which is the best thermometer? And the hubby says i should turn the light off at night. Is this true? Thought i knew enough but it turns out im just not sure :-/ so sorry foe the questions! |
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lupi lou
Fully Grown Corn
United Kingdom
3670 Posts |
Posted - 15/04/2013 : 16:20:47
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| you don't need a special heat mat for your stat, as long as the mat covers 1/3 to 1/2 the viv floor its fine. Thermometer wise any digital thermometer will be fine I have one which I got of ebay and two exoterra ones each work the same, personally I prefer my exoterra ones as they show you the minimum and maximum temps that the mat has reached. If you are using a heat mat you don't really need the light as the heat mat will give you the hot end temp you need (controlled with a thermostat of course) Don't worry about asking questions we're a nice bunch on here and don't mind :-) |
 
1.0.1 Corns
0.1.0 Dog: springer
1.0.0 Horse
0.4.0 Gerbils
2.2.0 Leopard gecko
0.2.0 Cave gecko |
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Beenie
Snake Mite
United Kingdom
43 Posts |
Posted - 15/04/2013 : 16:31:12
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| Ok so turn the light off so it doesn't over heat, buy a habistat 100w? And a digital thermometer And set out a new hide? |
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Razee
Fully Grown Corn
United Kingdom
2525 Posts |
Posted - 15/04/2013 : 16:41:34
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You don't need a specific heat mat, just any heat mat, that would cover around 1/3 to 1/2 of the floor space is ok, usually it's the 20 w heat mat. Then you put the thermostat probe on the heat mat ( best to rubber band it together with a digi thermometer probe, that way you'll know the real temperature of the heat mat, and can tweak the stat accordingly , plug the mat into thermostat, and thermostat into the socket. I use Exo terra digital thermometers, but there are various makes.
The bulb you are using - is it just an ordinary bulb, to give light, or a heat bulb? Don't forget, that any bulb will give off heat ( unless it's the energy saving bulb, and even those give off a tiny bit of heat ) - so by using mat, and a heat bulb, you'd be doubling the heat ( ! ) You just need the mat on the thermostat, or just the heat bulb, but not both, as the snaky might cook! The dial thermometer, showing 30 C is your background temperature, that means it will be much hotter near the heat source, and there's nowhere cooler for the snake to go - could be why he's trying to burry down, under the chips.
You should give the snake day/ night cycle, so yes, the light should be off at night. Of course, if the bulb is your only source of heat, then you have a problem - in that case you can use an infra red - which is meant to be less disturbing for the snakes.
Best thing is to use just one heat source, either mat, or the bulb, on a thermostat. If you want lighting, go for LED, they don't give off any extra heat.
Hope it helps, please don't worry about asking questions, it shows you care and you want to get it right :-)
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0.1.0 late CB10 Carolina corn snake - Bazilishka
1.0.0 CB11 Abbots Okeetee- Little Twiddler
1.0.0 CB11 Hypo corn- Sebastianek
1.0.0. CB14 Butter Motley - Squidwood
0.0.2 CB18 normal/ Okeetee yearlings Bunny and Lalalishka
0.0.1 hognose
0.1.0 stable cat
0.1.0 house cat |
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Razee
Fully Grown Corn
United Kingdom
2525 Posts |
Posted - 15/04/2013 : 16:42:42
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Sorry, I was so long, writing my essay, that lupi lou got there first :-)
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0.1.0 late CB10 Carolina corn snake - Bazilishka
1.0.0 CB11 Abbots Okeetee- Little Twiddler
1.0.0 CB11 Hypo corn- Sebastianek
1.0.0. CB14 Butter Motley - Squidwood
0.0.2 CB18 normal/ Okeetee yearlings Bunny and Lalalishka
0.0.1 hognose
0.1.0 stable cat
0.1.0 house cat |
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Beenie
Snake Mite
United Kingdom
43 Posts |
Posted - 15/04/2013 : 16:57:31
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Haha that's ok..i think its a heat bulb so i have turned it off for now. its a tad dark in there now with no lighting so may look at getting an LED bulb for day and turning it off at night.
Am about to order stuff now so i have this on the list
Habistat mat control thing
Led bulb
Bulb guard
Digital thermometer |
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Beenie
Snake Mite
United Kingdom
43 Posts |
Posted - 15/04/2013 : 18:53:53
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| Can i use a wicker basket as a hide? |
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Kellog
the nice one
United Kingdom
7308 Posts |
Posted - 15/04/2013 : 21:53:09
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I know it seems complicated Sophie, there is a lot to wrap your head around to begin with. Have a look at Setting up an adult corn snake - My 101 . It will give you an idea of what mat, stat, digital thermometer to buy.
As Razee pointed out, the dial thermometer is picking up the heat from the bulb....which means it will be a lot cooler down where Nipper is. That's good, because its better that way than being too warm....if that makes sense. It also explains why he's lying partly under the substrate.
I would thing a wicker basket would be fine as a hide as long as its fairly tightly woven. If you cut a hole in it to make an entrance, make sure it's big enough and that there aren't any sharp bits that could scratch Nipper. Maybe rub some of his substrate over it before putting it in, so it smells a bit more of him.
You can use a normal, low wattage bulb in the viv, or an LED one. Just make sure it has a guard. I have the lights for my vivs on timers, they come on at 7am and turn off at 10pm....just means I don't have to worry about remembering  .
Sorry for the late reply, but hopefully you got the answers you needed from Lupi Lou and Razee  .
Remember, as you yourself pointed out, Nipper has lived with this set-up all his life, so he won't come to any major harm over the next couple of days while you sort out what you need. What I would say is that it means its extra important that you keep to the 1 week settling in period, and definitely don't feed him until his viv is sorted with a heatmat and a steady correct temp.
Xxx
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scottishbluebird
it is all my fault
United Kingdom
8403 Posts |
Posted - 16/04/2013 : 00:48:44
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| I was wondering about the sticks, they kinda look like just picked up and put in, is it ok to leave them since they been there for ages? since they should have had the bark stripped and treated? |
     
0.1.0 Corn - Kellogs
1.0.0 Hognose - Storm
0.1.0 Staffy - Lyla
1.0.0 Spaffy(staffy x springer)-Spyro
1.0.0 Ferret - Peanut R.I.P
0.1.0 Crestie - Fudge. Wish List - Pygmy hedgehog. Tropiocolotes |
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Razee
Fully Grown Corn
United Kingdom
2525 Posts |
Posted - 16/04/2013 : 08:22:07
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Scottishbluebird, I've long given up on bark stripping... I now leave the bark on, just scrub the branches well with warm water and brush. I'd say Twiddler appreciates the bark on them, he can grip well ( I smoothed out any sharp bits, though ). These are branches from our apple tree, so I know they haven't been sprayed etc.I let them dry out first.
I did strip the first branch, it was a hell of a job, then, when I rinsed it, the water was still running orange, because I haven't stripped the sapwood. Back to stripping, smoothing, etc. Took me days, and unfortunately, Bazil doesn't use it, because it's now too smooth, and she keeps slipping off it. It does look nice though, so I left it in her viv ( out of sheer vanity and pride in my stripping work ;-) )
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0.1.0 late CB10 Carolina corn snake - Bazilishka
1.0.0 CB11 Abbots Okeetee- Little Twiddler
1.0.0 CB11 Hypo corn- Sebastianek
1.0.0. CB14 Butter Motley - Squidwood
0.0.2 CB18 normal/ Okeetee yearlings Bunny and Lalalishka
0.0.1 hognose
0.1.0 stable cat
0.1.0 house cat |
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Kellog
the nice one
United Kingdom
7308 Posts |
Posted - 16/04/2013 : 08:37:05
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I'm the same as Razee, all the branches in my vivs have the bark on them and the sharp bits smoothed away....hard work done by my OH of course  . He did totally strip and sand a lovely bit of wood and was so upset when Kellog kept falling off it! As long as they are cleaned well, and wood ok for snakes, I think it's fine. And in Nipper's case I wouldn't want to change too much in his viv and unsettle him even more....maybe something that can be changed later if Beenie wants to.
Xxx
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Beenie
Snake Mite
United Kingdom
43 Posts |
Posted - 16/04/2013 : 09:02:10
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I may well invest in a java multibranch room screw on the side at the end of the month. He's not hiding this morning and is half in and out of his hide. Hubby doesn't think my wicker basket will be good enough so i might put a box in when i redo the tank. I will wait until everything comes and he's settled then get him out to weigh him and do up the tank a bit. The thermometer in the middle is now at just over 20c so its reduced loads since turning the light off so i think we might just get there with the habistat mat stat too.
As far as important aware he's had the sticks a while but im not sure about much else there :-/ |
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Kellog
the nice one
United Kingdom
7308 Posts |
Posted - 16/04/2013 : 11:06:35
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It sounds like he's settling in nicely....lying half in and half out of his hide, watching the world go by .
Nice to know your hubby wants the best for Nipper . Whatever you use will be fine. Just remember that they like small spaces to curl up in, so nothing too big.
Turning off the light has obviously made a big difference, which is good. The snakes don't really need it....we only have lights in the vivs for our benefit so we can see in, unless they are heat lamps of course. I'm sure he'll be fine until you can get everything sorted. Hopefully it'll come soon and you can get his tank how you like it....and how it should be  . Will be interested to know what his weight is.
Don't worry about not knowing much about him. Obviously in an ideal world you'd know more, but you can work with what you've got....with help.
Xxx
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Beenie
Snake Mite
United Kingdom
43 Posts |
Posted - 17/04/2013 : 05:27:01
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I may well invest in a java multibranch room screw on the side at the end of the month. He's not hiding this morning and is half in and out of his hide. Hubby doesn't think my wicker basket will be good enough so i might put a box in when i redo the tank. I will wait until everything comes and he's settled then get him out to weigh him and do up the tank a bit. The thermometer in the middle is now at just over 20c so its reduced loads since turning the light off so i think we might just get there with the habistat mat stat too.
As far as important aware he's had the sticks a while but im not sure about much else there :-/ |
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Beenie
Snake Mite
United Kingdom
43 Posts |
Posted - 17/04/2013 : 15:24:26
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| Nipper was up against the glass so hubby opened it and he just came straight out on him so we measured and weighed him. He's 4 ft and weighing 586g |
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took the plunge!
