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Sta~ple
qeeun speler
United Kingdom
6129 Posts |
 Posted - 19/04/2010 : 20:23:24
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I know about petshops being a joke. Last month I found out my snake's had been living in a set-up ore suited to lizards than snakes for the last 5 years. I have heat bulbs in my viv and got told I didn't need a bulb guard and that 2 snakes living in the same viv was fine. I also got told that I should feed my adult snakes every week. After finding this site, I just discovered how wrong the information I was given and I am now making progress into correcting the changes.
The book I had wasn't much helpful either, it just listed lots of rats snakes around the world :/ |
   
A very special super, duper thanks for K :3 |
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19 Posts |
Posted - 19/04/2010 : 20:30:22
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really :O, i really dont know how people are allowed to sell animals that they know nothing about, the lad who sold me mine really sounded like he knew what he was talking about, but turns out he duznt!
where about in widness was it i actually got mine from White moss, me dads goin mad about them telling us the wrong things |
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DannyBrown91
Fully Grown Corn
United Kingdom
3070 Posts |
Posted - 19/04/2010 : 20:32:03
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Its better to turn the mat off in the night so the temps don't get too high which could stress the snake even more or possily burn him.
Where about are you in Liverpool? I live in Kirkby normly but i am curently up in Runcorn. |
0.0.1 Ghost Corn - Casper
0.0.1 Diffused Corn - Reggie
0.0.1 Amel Corn - Candy A.K.A Baby
1.0 Commom BCI - Rocky
0.1 Japanese Akita - Sasha
Location: Liverpool |
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19 Posts |
Posted - 19/04/2010 : 20:34:52
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will tha be alright to turn the mat off then n the snake wont get too cole during the night?
im from huyton, bu got my snake yesteday from white moss garden centre in widness, what one did you have trouble with? |
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DannyBrown91
Fully Grown Corn
United Kingdom
3070 Posts |
Posted - 19/04/2010 : 20:53:39
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Its onlt a small shop owned by a familly, but were complete D***S.
I use to go to Roby Sixth Form college in Huyton 
Edit - sorry yer the snake should be ok with the heat mat off. You could help by leaving heating on in the room or by covering the front with a towel so heat escapes slower. |
0.0.1 Ghost Corn - Casper
0.0.1 Diffused Corn - Reggie
0.0.1 Amel Corn - Candy A.K.A Baby
1.0 Commom BCI - Rocky
0.1 Japanese Akita - Sasha
Location: Liverpool |
Edited by - DannyBrown91 on 19/04/2010 20:54:44 |
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19 Posts |
Posted - 19/04/2010 : 20:55:32
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so just a money makin shop then ay!
oooh did ya ye, wa did u study?? i was in there in 2006 doing animal care in myerscough now :) |
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Sta~ple
qeeun speler
United Kingdom
6129 Posts |
Posted - 19/04/2010 : 21:02:00
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dvised given in petshop in terms fo how to look after animals is how you look after an animals for a sort amount of time as that's all the owner has to do until someone buys the animal. However, when they pass off their knowldege to customers tahts's when it becomes a problem.
I think most petshops assume that people will keep their reptiles in glass viv or have no idea how differently glass and wooden vivs keep the temperature. With glass vivs apprently] (I have no idea, just something I read on the dark side) you don't need a stat because glass isn't very good at keeping heat so the mat never gets hot enough to burn the snake but when people get told they don't need a thermostat with a heat mat and they use a wooden viv, then they are just giving advise on how to cook the poor thing. |
A very special super, duper thanks for K :3 |
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19 Posts |
Posted - 19/04/2010 : 21:08:08
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| yer weell the lad who was talkin 2 me in the shop was sayin you dont need a thermostat really to help with the heat, which is a lie cua all am doin is checking the temp every 10 mins to make sure its ok, ill be able to relax once i get the thermostat |
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Sta~ple
qeeun speler
United Kingdom
6129 Posts |
Posted - 19/04/2010 : 21:24:23
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| I got told this as well. I got a dimmer knob thing that you have to manually turn to adjust temperature which is all fine That's fine if I'm in but I'm not always in the house so if I go away on hoilday or out the house for a few hours the temperature can be out of ideal range. I bet it's annoying to check every 10 mins should be a lot better once you get a thermostat though and less worrying :) |
A very special super, duper thanks for K :3 |
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19 Posts |
Posted - 19/04/2010 : 21:28:05
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| me dads just actually found a timer that he uses for his fish tank light that turns on and off depending on how you programme it, do u fink i wud be able 2 link tha up to the heat mat until purchasing a thermostat, so like have tha the on for so many hours then set the timer to turn them off for an hour to cool down. do you think this would be ok?? |
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Sta~ple
qeeun speler
United Kingdom
6129 Posts |
Posted - 19/04/2010 : 21:51:38
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I have no idea not good with electrical stuff :/ if it involves messing with wires then no I wouldn't risk it. If the heatmat can just plug into the timer then I see no reason why not just keep an eye on the temperature although I have no idea if a light timer would work for a mat or not, maybe need to do some searching on the internet for that one.
The weather is quite warm now so I wouldn't worry too much about the heat. Maybe off at night like Danny said and then turn it on in the morning and then turn it off before you leave the house and then on again when you come back later on. |
A very special super, duper thanks for K :3 |
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19 Posts |
Posted - 19/04/2010 : 21:54:53
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yea ok thanx, made up av come on this every1 knows what their talking about unlike the pet shops haha.
where about r u from |
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Sta~ple
qeeun speler
United Kingdom
6129 Posts |
Posted - 19/04/2010 : 22:32:31
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It's really sad that petshops don't know the animals they sell very well. Makes you wonder why they wanted to start a business in selling pets really if they can't be bothered to find out the needs of the animal hey are selling.
It's very nice that your dad is helping you though :)
I'm from Lincoln, it's like an hour away from Nottingham. |
A very special super, duper thanks for K :3 |
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DannyBrown91
Fully Grown Corn
United Kingdom
3070 Posts |
Posted - 19/04/2010 : 22:51:42
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quote:
Originally posted by Toni-Mc
yea ok thanx, made up av come on this every1 knows what their talking about unlike the pet shops haha.
where about r u from
Its true that many pet shops don't knowwhat they are talking about but they tend to be the shops that have expanded to incorporate reptiles to make more profit. If you find a shop which deals with reptiles in particular then its not so bad.
I was studying AS Psychology, AS English Language and AS Mosern World History.
It might sound a little boring, but when you have Barrie Hardy as a teacher there is always a laugh to be had. |
0.0.1 Ghost Corn - Casper
0.0.1 Diffused Corn - Reggie
0.0.1 Amel Corn - Candy A.K.A Baby
1.0 Commom BCI - Rocky
0.1 Japanese Akita - Sasha
Location: Liverpool |
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Kellog
the nice one
United Kingdom
7308 Posts |
Posted - 20/04/2010 : 03:49:44
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Toni....have only just caught up with this topic and am so sorry for all the stress you have been put through because of that **** petshop! Unfortunately many pet shops cannot be trusted with what they are telling you  . I know that I double check anything I am told on here. I have a pretty good reptile place near me, with the guy working there having bred corns for over 20 years....and they dont even sell stats cos, as far as they are concerned, heatmats are manufactured to get to a certain heat that would not burn the snake! Well, that is nonsense and has been proved wrong on here a number of times.
Unfortunately it is the shop my OH trusts so I have had a fight on my hands to get my vivs to how I want them and how I know they need to be. My first one came with just a bulb, water bowl, dial thermometers and one hide - and when he called in at the petshop on the way home from picking the snake and viv up to buy some mice they didnt see a problem with it....the bulb didnt even have a guard on it!
What I am trying to say...in a very long winded way....is that you are not alone , many of us have been caught out by the advice we have been given and it is why this forum is so important - I am so glad that you have found us. Why dont you introduce yourself properly in the welcome section so we can find out a bit more about you and say hi properly  ?
The advice you have been given so far is perfect and I am so glad you have a dad who is reacting to what you are telling him and making the changes necessary. I am afraid that I really dont know about whether the heatmat would work with the timer, but I dont see why not really - my low-energy bulbs are on timers and I would GUESS that you could just plug the heatmat in and have it come on for an hour a few times a night....at least it would help you sleep a bit better knowing your corn isnt getting too cold and having it on for such a short period would hopefully mean it wouldnt get too hot, especially as it is covered.
To be honest I wouldnt worry too much about the temperature dropping overnight....when my first snake was being heated with a bulb it was switched off at night and he was fine (I say fine, he survived and it was not how it should have been....but he didnt come to any harm). As long as your house is warm then the temperature in the viv wont drop below room temperature and that will be fine for your snake for the very short term.
I have both my heatmats covered with lino and neither of them stuck down. They are just weighed down with the hide and stones. You need to have just a light sprinkling of substrate over the heatmat, getting deeper towards the cool end so your snake can burrow. I am so glad you are getting the stat as soon as possible - you are showing how much you care about your corn with how worried you are about it.
I would also seriously recommend the digital thermometers as the others have. Not only are the dial ones inaccurate and hard to read but usually they are stuck part way up the side of the viv and therefore measuring the ambient temperature and not the temperature at substrate level, which is where your snake will be getting its heat. When you do get one you need to put it right next to the probe for the stat and lie them against the heatmat. They will need to be weighed down as well, my Silvesta is notorious for moving the stat probe so it is pointing sky high so I have put a rock over it now with pebbles around it and that has solved the problem.
One point is to reiterate what HannahB has said, about the week settling in period....and obviously your corn has had a lot to deal with since you got it and have tried to get its set-up right. We always suggest that you follow this 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 your snake to get over the stress of the move and for it to get used to the new smells and its new surroundings. This means just putting your hand in to change the water daily and straighten the substrate, so it can get used to your smell and not be threatened by you. You mustnt worry about your corn not feeding for that week, corns are a lot hardier than we realise and going for a short time without food will not do them any harm, no matter how small they are. It is an important way of getting your snake to de-stress and feel safe with you. It is a hard week, very frustrating, but worth it for the snake's sake. It is probably worthwhile restarting this week once you have finished 'fiddling' with your corn's viv.
I do have concerns about the size of viv your corn is in. There are differing opinions on this, but mostly it is felt that corns tend to stress if their home is too big for them. It does sound as though yours would be better off in a faun, but you could try keeping it in the viv as long as it is very filled out with lots of hides, branches, plants etc. The only problem with this is the stress then caused when you are trying to get it out to handle it - it leads to a chase around the viv. My 2nd corn came in a viv too big, so I do have experience in this, and was very nervous and hiding all the time. I moved him down a size (luckily my 1st needed to moved up in viv size so I could just change them over) and he has been a lot happier and more relaxed since...and a lot easier to get out!
As I have only ever had adults I am sure those who have had corns as young as yours can give you a better idea as to what size faun/viv you would need.
I always take the attitude that our corns are our responsibility and we dont just have the responsibility of looking after them, but of making their lives with us as happy, safe and secure as possible. It sounds as though you are already dedicated to that.
Sorry for the essay....didnt mean to write so much! But well done for finding us and for working so hard to get everything right for your corn (has it got a name yet?)
xxx
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Edited by - Kellog on 21/04/2010 04:18:14 |
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19 Posts |
Posted - 20/04/2010 : 17:51:29
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| haha thanks for all that info. how long have you been keeping the heat mat on for. just got a lower watt bulb to see wether that will get the temperature stable. snake seems to be doing fine thou :)and nope still havent thought of a name :( |
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Mouse
Yearling
United Kingdom
958 Posts |
Posted - 20/04/2010 : 19:31:11
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I've always had a glass Viv for Sprockett, as I was given one by a mate as a starter viv. I've always used a thermostat with mine, even though the heatmat is under the glass.
I just had 2 small boxes (with doorholes cut into them!) and some bits of cork to provide a rough surface to aid shedding(and something to hide under). She always seemed fine with that.
She seems to now like one box to hide in(on the heat mat), and one to throw about her viv (the one from the cool end!) Gobo, seem to prefer sleeping in his up-ended box, and gets stroppy if I turn it back over! but he's about 3 years old, and she's just over now! |
 
1.0.0 - Gobo - Snow Corn (RIP)
0.1.0 - Sprockett - Normal/hypo/het snow Corn
2.0.0 Anery Hatchlings
0.1.0 Amel Hatchling
0.1.0 Normal Hatchling
*Location - Southampton, UK*
http://www.weneedcake.co.uk |
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reptiledanny
Sub Adult
United Kingdom
1809 Posts |
Posted - 20/04/2010 : 20:18:30
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i was in my rep shop the other day who i sometimes trust, but somebody phoned the shop and me being a nosey git desided to lissen in, they were talking about heat mats and stats, they advised the person that thay wouldn't need a stat on the heat mat unless the heat mat was bigger than 36 inches  i was their stood in the corner goping at him thinking, they are gunna kill something, he then advised to have the heat mat in the tank without a stat, i have my heat mat in the cage but without a stat that will kill the animal!! |
1.1 royal pythons 0.1 hog island boa 1.0 corn snake
sig made by stapey |
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punumbear
Hatchling
United Kingdom
483 Posts |
Posted - 20/04/2010 : 21:43:05
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| indeed.. its bloody ridiculous which is why its majourity common sense to do a shedload of homework before people just go n get animals.. as 9/10 these damn places dont have two vaguely reasonable pieces of grey matter to rub together to even pass as a good damn brain.Its as with the care sheet on here.. yeah defo good place to start as it tells u everything u need basic wise...and plenty of peeps to advise on diff ways of doing things.. surprised you kept ya cool.. i would have been seriously tempted to throttle the moron with the phone cable. |
love my animals more than i like people.
the gang
1 ridgeback
2 kids
1 anery-lil aney
1 m, 4 ft candy cane corn.. aka kellogg..
1 carolina corn-claret/carrot
Newest additon.. f whiteout corn-pastel??
1african house snake - Bob |
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Kellog
the nice one
United Kingdom
7308 Posts |
Posted - 21/04/2010 : 04:23:49
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quote:
Originally posted by Toni-Mc
haha thanks for all that info. how long have you been keeping the heat mat on for. just got a lower watt bulb to see wether that will get the temperature stable. snake seems to be doing fine thou :)and nope still havent thought of a name :(
Apologies again for the long winded essay Toni  , there was just so much I wanted to say to you so that you realised that you werent alone!
Once you have a stat the heatmat is kept on all the time, 24hrs a day, as the stat will monitor the heat it gets to and switch it off automatically if it gets too hot. It is only during this period when you dont have a stat that it is wise to switch the heatmat off for some of the time.
Well done for getting the lower wattage bulb, that is the sort I use in my vivs and it is really only for my benefit so I can see in rather than for their benefit in providing any heat or light.
Once again, you are doing really well in how you are finding out what needs to be done and acting on it - I am just so glad that corn came to you instead of going to someone who would just blindly follow the advice of that **** petshop!
(my own starring out of a word as I get so cross with these petshops that it makes me want to swear - a very rare occurrence!)
xxx
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1st time owner of a corn snake. need help
