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Do you recommend the Zilla Deluxe Snake Kit?

CRIKEY!

CRIKEY!

New member
Now that I’m getting back to my first love (herps), I need a new viv, because I got rid of all of them years ago. I came across the Zilla Deluxe Snake Kit at Petco the other day. I think it was around $60 or so. The one thing I noticed was that it did not come with a bottom heater. So I’m wondering if it would be better to buy all the parts separately. Maybe a 10-gallon tank would be better for a baby anyway. I don’t know. :shrugs: Has anyone tried this kit? What do you think?

Thanks!:grabbit:

http://www.zilla-rules.com/products/deluxe-snake-kit.htm
 
I would buy it, my pet store sells the kit for $150, so for me it's cheap. There was a thread about snakes in certain cage sizes. I believe it is all right as long as you provide alot of hides and decorations and stuff so it doesn't get scared and stressed.
I believe buying the 10 gal alone and the accesories would cost just as much as or a little more... It all depends on where you live though.
I'll try to find the thread here somewhere so you can read over it.
 
For what you're getting in that "deluxe" kit, it seems over priced. I think you'll be able to put together a list of the items that it does come with at about half the price. It comes with 2 lamps that really isn't necessary. Up to you if you want to get it all in one shot or spend a little bit more time and shop around. It'll save you some money and that extra money can be put towards more Herps =).
 
hmm i acutally bought the kit because i figure it would save alittle but the lamp some people might not need it but i certainly do. my house is mainly ranges about 67-70 degrees and i like it cold so when i have heating pad it the heat stays at 82 but the cool side can get down to almost 70 or lower. so i have a red light that keeps it like at 75 or so. but its a nice kit i prolly did pay to much though but ehh im lazy and didnt feel like looking for everything! lol
 
itzchaboiwesley said:
hmm i acutally bought the kit because i figure it would save alittle but the lamp some people might not need it but i certainly do. my house is mainly ranges about 67-70 degrees and i like it cold so when i have heating pad it the heat stays at 82 but the cool side can get down to almost 70 or lower. so i have a red light that keeps it like at 75 or so. but its a nice kit i prolly did pay to much though but ehh im lazy and didnt feel like looking for everything! lol
Click to expand...
Yeah…we keep our house cool too. I used to use a heat emitter in the lamp for my iguana and that worked well. Maybe I could do that in one of the lamps and a heating pad.
 
Personally, I think that kit is a waste of money. If you bought it, you would still need at least one extra hide (more than one if your snake is a hatchling), a thermometer with a probe, and a thermostat. I wouldn't recommend using a heat lamp at all, just go with a UTH. It's not a big deal if the cool side is room temperature. And the light is COMPLETELY unnecessary for a corn.

Edit: Also, aspen is a much better choice for substrate.
 
It doesn't seem like the best setup for corns. You'll still need to get a heat mat, thermostat, thermometer and 2nd hide at a minimum. You also might want to use aspen instead of fir. At $60 it might be an ok deal but not at $150. I recently spent a little over $50 to outfit a 40 gal. Critter Keeper that I found on Craigslist for $25.
 
Crikey,
Depending on the age of the snake, I use different cages. I either use a rack with tubs or a 20 gallon critter cage. I get these a pet shop I am good friends with at cost. And every month their supplier has a different size on sale. So I have gotten a 20 gallon long for under $30.
Now for my wee ones, any snake under 150 grams. I keep them in the flat Fauna cages that I pick up at Walmart for about $10. I keep a hide and water bowl in there. I haven't had any problems with any of them being stressed.

I personally do not bother with lights for my snakes. I just do not want to chance a fire or leaving the hot light on a carpet, bad scene. lol
If you do go with a larger cage, yes as noted you will need to have more than one hide, a few of them would work best. One in cooler side and one on a warmer side and a few in between. For younger snakes I use toilet paper rolls. They work fantastically and everyone has them in their house.

For heating, I recommend a Under the Tank Heater. They work very well mainly for glass tanks, not so much for plastic ones. Also you may need to buy a rheostat for your tank as well to help control the temp.

lol I personally now have a herp room. I use the smaller cages for wee ones and then move them to a larger cage. In turn getting another wee one for the small cage. ;) Its a constant cycle and a dangerous one (dangerous to the pocket book).

Another cheap way of going is go to your Local Co-op store. If you live in the city, it might be harder to find one. But they are out there. See if you can find aspen horse bedding. This is cheaper than buying Aspen from petco or petsmart. Large bags at those 2 places range from $16-20 dollars while at a co-op will run you about $4 for the same size bag.

Another thing I recommend is Kathy Love's Book, The Corn Snake Manual. Its a great book for starters and old timers a like.

I hope this information has helped and can steer you in some right directions. Seriously, you can do pretty good for yourself on a snake cage setup for Under $75 or less if you shop around and shop smart. This will give you more money on your snake.
 
hmm thats true but a 20 gal tank by itself is atleast like 49.99. and that kit is only like 75. so mind as well get a alittle more with an extra 15 bucks. you get a rock cave. a water bowl, temp/humidity gauge. which you can have on the cool side. but make sure you have a temp with prob though for the warm side. but any who yea. and they give you two heat lamps. like everyone say its not really needed but a uth works great and thats true. but when i was using the lamps at first it work the same as well. temp stay the same and the lamp worked great for me. but deceide to try out uth too so that was koo. both lamp and uth worked good for me!
 
I wanna know what petco in your area has that for $60. I used to work there and the cheapest I ever saw it was on sale for $109.
 
tricksterpup said:
Crikey,
Depending on the age of the snake, I use different cages. I either use a rack with tubs or a 20 gallon critter cage. I get these a pet shop I am good friends with at cost. And every month their supplier has a different size on sale. So I have gotten a 20 gallon long for under $30.
Now for my wee ones, any snake under 150 grams. I keep them in the flat Fauna cages that I pick up at Walmart for about $10. I keep a hide and water bowl in there. I haven't had any problems with any of them being stressed.

I personally do not bother with lights for my snakes. I just do not want to chance a fire or leaving the hot light on a carpet, bad scene. lol
If you do go with a larger cage, yes as noted you will need to have more than one hide, a few of them would work best. One in cooler side and one on a warmer side and a few in between. For younger snakes I use toilet paper rolls. They work fantastically and everyone has them in their house.

For heating, I recommend a Under the Tank Heater. They work very well mainly for glass tanks, not so much for plastic ones. Also you may need to buy a rheostat for your tank as well to help control the temp.

lol I personally now have a herp room. I use the smaller cages for wee ones and then move them to a larger cage. In turn getting another wee one for the small cage. ;) Its a constant cycle and a dangerous one (dangerous to the pocket book).

Another cheap way of going is go to your Local Co-op store. If you live in the city, it might be harder to find one. But they are out there. See if you can find aspen horse bedding. This is cheaper than buying Aspen from petco or petsmart. Large bags at those 2 places range from $16-20 dollars while at a co-op will run you about $4 for the same size bag.

Another thing I recommend is Kathy Love's Book, The Corn Snake Manual. Its a great book for starters and old timers a like.

I hope this information has helped and can steer you in some right directions. Seriously, you can do pretty good for yourself on a snake cage setup for Under $75 or less if you shop around and shop smart. This will give you more money on your snake.
Click to expand...
tricksterpup, great minds think a like. I just received my new book from Kathy Love. After I post this reply I'm going to open it. I'M PYCHED!!! :dancer: I also agree with you about the lamps. I've always been afraid of a fire. Are UTH fire safe?
 
hmm although heating lights can cause that. uth can also too. even says on the warning labels. causes electric shocks and that can cause fires too
 
CRIKEY! said:
tricksterpup, great minds think a like. I just received my new book from Kathy Love. After I post this reply I'm going to open it. I'M PYCHED!!! :dancer: I also agree with you about the lamps. I've always been afraid of a fire. Are UTH fire safe?
Click to expand...

If they're hot enough of malfunction, then yes, they can. The best thing to do is to keep the bottom of your tank about a half inch off the surface it's on.

I read warning labels:dancer:.
 
UTHs can cause fires, but it is MUCH more rare than a bulb. Usually, a UTH will only start a fire if it's damaged and the heating element or cable is exposed. Theoretically, every UTH should be on a thermostat or rheostat, so they should never get hot enough to malfunction.
 
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