My Okeetee is on my way - double check my viv please

Hi - my OKeetee corn is on its way from Kathy. I took some pics of my viv.
Temps stay around 77-85 on the glass (heated side). hudmity at about 65-70%.

There is about 2-3 inches of aspen substart on the non-heated part and about 1.5 to 2 on the heated part.

Check out the pics. I was thinking of puting some cardboard infront of the blue hides so he is enclosed and has to go though the toliet paper roll to exit/enter.

http://img439.imageshack.us/img439/2239/p10100013mw.jpg
http://img521.imageshack.us/img521/2312/p10100027gy.jpg
http://img388.imageshack.us/img388/962/p10100038vn.jpg
http://img388.imageshack.us/img388/1830/p10100048ai.jpg
http://img488.imageshack.us/img488/2765/p10100053io.jpg

double checked

Trigger, are you buying a surplus adult or a hatchling from Kathy? I will guess from the smaller TP tubes that it will be a hatchling. I don't know how true it is as I am unable to perform "mind melds" with my snakes, but I have read and heard that hatchlings do better in small cages. I have always heard that hatchlings feel more secure in a smaller viv and don't feel secure in a big open area. Personally, I know my snakes (hatchlings to adult) seem to spend all there time crammed up into the smallest places they can find even if there are many different hides to choose from. If you want to place snake psychology aside, think in terms of easy maintenance for yourself. A plastic shoebox with a water dish, substrate, and warm/coolside hides would be a lot easier to clean up. As the snake gets bigger you could move him into the large glass viv. Also, in a very large viv, it would sometimes be difficult to locate the little guy/girl as it will no doubt spend all its time curled in a ball, buried beneath the substrate. If it were me, I'd go with a plastic shoebox to start out. Good luck and congratulations on the snake.

I agree. I like to start my hatchlings in shoe boxes. Your tank looks fine. i have a 2002 male I love okeetee's enjoy :cheers:

As long as you have enough hides (You look like you do lol) and enough patience to find it it should be alright in the large viv

Nice big viv Maybe a little too big for a hatchling, try putting a divider down the middle for now??

Also your humidity is far too high, 65-70% is a tropical atmosphere.
Corns only require 40-50% humidity, if it is too high, it can cause blisters and scale rot.

Not to disagree, but I think that your corn will be fine with the humidity levels where they are, assuming that you have something heating your viv. I would be willing to bet that you recently put the aspen in your viv..this usually creates a temporary upswing in the humidity..untill it dries out.

Also, there really isn't a need for that many tp rolls. I have never used tp rolls...but I have seen a great idea for using a paper towell roll. Since they are so much longer, you can place half of the paper towell roll on the heated side of the viv, and the other half on the cool side ( I don't mean to say that you should cut the paper towell roll in half...simply place the whole paper towell roll half way over the warm side). This allows the snake to choose it's proper temp in one hide. You can also partially burry the paper towell role...that way it looks like a mound in the aspen.

I also think that you should make some room for a larger water bowl...maybe move the ones that you have together and place them in a corner or along the edge (this will help your hatchling find water, as they cruise the edges of the viv, especially when young).

You might also want to coniser a digital thermometer with a probe....I can't tell what those white wires are for. If you have one already, good choice, if not they can be the difference between life and death ( I learned the hard way on this one, and unknowingly slow cooked a snake as a beginner).

Well, that's just some little bits of advice. This forum will get you to the level of an experience herp'r if you read enough of it. Good luck and have fun.

Sorry for all the typo's.....

Your tank looks fine. I wouldn't worry about the cardboard in front of the blue hides, though. The snake probably won't use those that much anyway. It will prefer the TP rolls.

Your tank is not too big. That hatchlings need a small tank is a myth. After all, wild snakes are not limited to a 20" x 10" space. With the number of hides you have, your snake will do fine. I concede, however, that it would be easier for you to FIND the baby in a smaller tank. However, it's not so much easier that I'd rush out and buy anothe viv.

Everything else sounds good. Be sure and post pics of the baby when you get him.

Jeez, all those TP rolls, someone been working overtime? LOL

Tank looks phenominal!!! Great job.

Lol. Yeah. Ive been waiting a few months for my little baby to be hatched I saved up all the TP rolls i could get my hands on.

I ordered him from Kathy Love (baby hatchling.)

I think I will be fine with this larger viv, i made sure i supplied him with enough hides.

The water bowls are actully quite big, about an inch deep and as big as my hand. I would include another water dish but i would have to take out of the hides.

I use a digital themometer. I also have a thermostat installed and keeps the temps constant (cant quite see it.)

The humidty is as low as I can get it. Tropical humidity is like 80-100% i thought? How can i lower the humidity if it gets any higher?

Thanks for the help guys.

looks like a mouse haven to me!

Creative set up though, with all those TP rolls there's no where you're snake will feel uncomfortably exposed! I'd suggest putting the larger hideboxes in the corners though.