New Tank

Hey guys :wavey:
I was wondering if from scratch what would be the ideal size tank for a corn snake LengthxWidthxHeight?

I am going to get a tank built to spec for him(that is ideal for a snake not fish).

Since he is in a tank that is about 10gal, which seams too small he has no roaming space :sidestep:

Also what type of paint would be sutable for a snake tank(it will be plywood and glass) :shrugs: , I know for fish the only type is stuff that is aproved for potable water tanks.

I dont know for sure but I would only use the same sort of paint as for fish to play safe and tank dimentions would depend on your snake I am sure someone else will be able to give you more info that I can though.

Building tanks is one of those tricky things because you have to be careful with how you build it and what materials you are going to be using. I personally would recommend just purchasing a glass viv because I believe it would be cheaper and a lot easier. But I am one of those who likes to build stuff and I don't blame you.

I would just get the measurements of a standard 30g viv and take it from there (unless you want it bigger of course).

As far as paint, I have no clue what can safely can be used because so many paints and sealers are toxic. I would assume to use a water-based paint instead of an oil-based paint. Hopefully some more posts will follow.

The ideal size for a corn snake is probably 36x24x24", unless you snake gets huge.
There really is no need to make one though unless you really want to. You can buy quality vivariums of that size that are designed specifically for snakes. And I would imagine that having a custom tank done would be pretty expensive. :shrugs:

Thanks guys

Hey if you do not reccomend bulding one, where do you reccomend buying one?
I ask because the isn't that many places close by who sell tanks close by :bang: :shrugs:

Get out your yellow pages and look up "reptile." I'm pretty sure you will find a few listings. I was surprised with how many reptile shops were out here in CA. I don't know if you have any in NY, but big shops like Petco and Petsmart carry vivs.

Claude,

Check out my post futher down called "we built our own cage". I give details in there on what we did. These snakes are climbers so giving some height is a good idea. I come from south Fl and we would find them in trees all the time. Building a bigger cage is less than buying. For the cage we built it would have been over $300.00 and ours was under $200.00. The best part is you can do anything you want if you do it yourself. As far as lenght I would say 3 feet as a bare min. unless you go higher than 2 feet. These snake love to roam at night and when at full length they should be able to stretch out full in the cage. Some will tell you that a 20 gal tank is big enough for a full grown corn. I say No that is not healthy or comfortalbe for a 4 1/2 or more corn snake. I have seen adults in a 20 gal tank not much room left and none to stretch out. Now if you make it deeper and higher then you are OK with the 30" of a 20 gal tank. Then again you will not find it you will have to make it.

There is one cage making company that has reasonable cages. There beardie cage is 150.00 and is 36"x 24" x 12". They also have a 24"x24"x24" for same price. Here is the link http://www.herpcages.com/cages/cprice2.html If I had just one I would have bought from them. They have a good reputation and are the least expensive I have found in already made cages. Good luck to you.
:cheers:

:-offtopic
Hey akewa, Just wondering (plan on building one), how did you supply heat???

Thanks
Lennycorn

Thanks Akewa for the info:cheers: :cheers:

Lennycorn said:

:-offtopic
Hey akewa, Just wondering (plan on building one), how did you supply heat???

Thanks
Lennycorn

Click to expand...

Hey mate this what ya be looking for?:

No UTH it is not needed for room temp is never below 70. Lights will be minimal for alby since she is light sesitive the male with have a flouresant stick on light.

Click to expand...

No, But thanks anyway. I looking for ways to heat, I prefer keeping warm side to 84 degrees or so (belly heat) to help with digestion.

thank again

Lenny,

We are going with radient heat pannels on the top inside of cage. Here is a link to the site. http://www.pro-products.com/proheat.html

These are real safe but they do cost a bit. For our tanks the suggestion was for one on each side that would cost $89.00 each. You have to email all your tank information and the type of critter kept and room temp. Then you get the recomend size for your set up and how to place the order for it. I know of many that use them instead of the UTH. Have yet to hear anything bad about them.

Tamara :cheers:

Here are the tanks that I gotBig Apple Herp Acrylic Cages I like them because they are so light compared to glass cages. I have two of the 40L but I had built two cages of the same dimensions also.

I got a lot of good tips on building from this guy's site Basic Cage Building 101 he covers everything including heating, lighting, finishes, etc.

Have a great snake day!! :wavey:

akewa said:

Lenny,

We are going with radient heat pannels on the top inside of cage. Here is a link to the site. http://www.pro-products.com/proheat.html

These are real safe but they do cost a bit. For our tanks the suggestion was for one on each side that would cost $89.00 each. You have to email all your tank information and the type of critter kept and room temp. Then you get the recomend size for your set up and how to place the order for it. I know of many that use them instead of the UTH. Have yet to hear anything bad about them.

Tamara :cheers:

Click to expand...

Thanks Tamara, I'll look in to it.

Thanks again
Lennycorn

Your more than welcome. Always glad to help out.

Tamara :cheers:

You're putting heat panels inside of the tank? Wont that burn the snake?

Never A Burn With Pro-Heat Radiant Panels

Actually no it won't. I have a pro-heat panel. Go to their site and check it out. They are wonderful. They are radiant heat panels, nothing like the heat mats that are being used by many. Personally, I think they are the best thing ever made in reptile care. It is amazing what a difference there is vs. the standard heating methods used.

Here is the info. directly from their site.

Safest:

*Cannot catch on fire.

*Pro HeatTM radiant panels pose no fire hazard to objects in your cage, nor will they cause plastic to become deformed or melted.

*Unlike heat lamps and ceramic heat emitters, Pro HeatTM radiant panels are safe to the touch with no danger of burning and scarring your reptiles.

*Panel distributes heat evenly over entire surface with no hot spots.

Operating Efficiency

*Uses up to 80% less electricity than other heating systems, costing only pennies a day to operate.

*Pro HeatTM is the only heat source your reptile's habitat will require.

*Eliminates the need and expense to continually replace heat lamps or ceramic heat emitters.

Best Heat Source

*Replicates the sun's direct radiant warmth from above that reptiles require for proper thermo-regulation.

*Automatically creates the proper temperature gradient within the reptile enclosure.

*In addition to providing the right type of heat, Pro HeatTM radiant panels also provide added physiological benefits by lowering stress and improving your reptile's circulation, digestion, immune system and overall health.

P.s.

P.S. Thought you might want to know this. They come with a regular cord like you would imagine but with the plug end off. This is so you don't have to create a large hole in your viv to install this. Once you have your electrical cord run out your viv, you then connect the plug end. Which is just a locking mechanism, no fuss, no muss, you don't have to use a screw driver or anything. You simply push the cord into the plug and snap shut. It makes the connection between the elements. Cool huh?

hee hee, I was really excited about that feature when ours came in.

Wow! Thanks for the info. I've never heard of them. I might have to check one out.
I hate my stinking uth's right now. I think thats mostly because I have too many snakes and the uth's, even though they are the same size and brand, vary a lot. Its driving me nuts. I bought 2 heat cables and a mini rheostat, so I'm going to try that and see how it works. I ripped out all the uth's, and I'm surprised I didn't stomp on them. I guess they are fine for a few snakes. I'll look into those panels though.
Cheers!