Newbie Advice

Woo. I decided to get into snakes (finally, after owning every other animal) at the age of 18. I'm planning on buying a hatchling from BHB. Honestly I just want to hear all of the forums most experienced members opinions on my initial set up because I feel as though the members of a specific forum really know the most of what's best for a certain animal. For example I have kept tarantulas for a few years now and the members of Arachnoboards have literally taught me everything there is to know.

To start off I have a 20 gallon aquarium, heat lamp with a red bulb, or heat bulb (from previous house gecko terrarium) and I'm going to buy some aspen bedding to replace the Eco earth I currently have. I also have an IR thermometer to measure temperature.

Is a heat mat necessary if I have a constant red heat lamp on? If so, should I have a heat mat and a regular heat bulb on during the day, on the same side of the vivarium, and just the heat mat on during night? I have a timer to set the heat lamp.

Other than these questions I can't think of anything else at the moment to assist me for preparing for my little snakey. If you have any other helpful input please include it for a new dude in the hobby.

Thank you!

Damn. One more thing, will a live pinky every week from my local pet store be sufficient? I live in a dorm and a bunch of frozen dead mice in the tiny ice box probably wouldn't sit well with the housemates.

A heat source is necessary. A ceramic bulb is probably a better idea. A heat mat isn't a must. As long as there is a warm spot, °80-°85. Corns in the wild get their heat from the sun, not the ground. They find a warm spot and lay out. As long as one side is in the mid 80's, and the other is in the low-mid 70's all the time you're good. If I had to pick a heat source I would choose a heat mat. I wouldn't put a heat mat on a timer if you choose to use a heat mat, you will need a rheostat or a dimmer to set the ideal temperature.

Sorry, as for the pinkies, the size of the feeders depends on the size of the snake, the frequency as well. A hatchling is good with eating every 5 days. Google "Munson feeding plan" that's a good feeding regimen to follow. It goes by food and snake weights. It also advises the frequency between feedings as well.

Great, I already have a ceramic bulb. How do I regulate the temperature? A thermostat?

Get a lamp dimmer from a hardware store. Then you just mess with it until your ideal temperature. I'm not bashing heat mats, they are relatively inexpensive to buy and use. They also last a lot longer than those ceramic bulbs( $20.00+). Also, keep in mind that the bulb is gonna be on 24 hours a day. °80-°85 is the target temperature on the warm side. Don't forget the top, it will get out if there is no cover, don't forget the clips(locks) too.

Originally Posted by murder4me

A heat source is necessary. Corns in the wild get their heat from the sun, not the ground.

I have to disagree with this, corns are a breed of snake that don't require basking heat. They are nocturnal and hide during the day and come out in the late evening, usually finding a road or warm spot to lay on. Lamps are more trouble than they are good, they dry the viv out considerably, are prone to breaking often (and the bulbs aren't cheap) and can catch fire if something flammable touches it.

A UTH is the best source for corns, they provide the belly heat necessary to digest, and are much safer.

You do need a digital thermostat, you will set it to 87° and place the probes for both the thermostat and the digital thermometer under the aspen, on the glass in the middle of the UTH. The top of the substrate will be about 85° which leads to a good gradient of around 75°. There is no need to switch the temps from day to night, just a good, solid temp is fine.

As for the pinkies, that is fine.

This is a link to my care sheet for newbies, and Nanci has also done one, a lot of information in mine I got from her sheet.

Please read all the "stickies" at the top of each topic, they will really help, as will the search function.

Best of luck, and we want pictures!

If you're living in a dorm, I would invest in a lock for the cage too. You never know who may just wanna "look at" (hold) your snake in your absence, and then forget to close the lid properly, and then you have an escaped snake. There's also the risk of them trying to hold your snake at times when you would know better, such as just after you've fed it, possibly resulting in regurgitations. Having had plenty of roommates myself (and just people over in general) it's impossible to have your eyes on a cage at all times, and the more you can control access the better.

Also, don't forget to have lots of hides on both warm and cool sides. Another good reason to have a heat mat instead of a light is because snakes like to hide while they digest, and a light doesn't heat the inside of a hide as well as a mat.

The other thing I thought of is to make sure you have a REALLY realiable source of pinkies if you're only going to be picking up one at a time. Lots of places seem to sell out before they buy more, resulting in not always having pinkies available... especially if you're feeding live! Even with a tiny icebox, I would recommend going frozen and getting a few at a time. Half a dozen pinkies barely take up more room than an ice cube or two!

And good luck!!

So have you decided on which morph to get yet???

Thank you all so much. I won't be needing a pad lock my house mates are respectable and intelligent.

I've decided on the black motley. I would love a scaleless, but damn are they expensive.