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When to get a bigger tank?

captainjack0000

captainjack0000

Student
I have a 2 year old wild type (supposedly Okeetee) corn that recently hit 48" and there does not seem to be much sign of his growth slowing down. I feed one 25-30g mouse about every 7 days, never sooner, sometimes longer (like 14 days).

He's in a 20L (30"x12"x12") with two hides, and loft & ladder (see photos below). He loves his loft and I feel like he has plenty of room to stretch out and climb, but I don't know how for how long.

The basic question is: How long does a snake need to be before it should be in something bigger than a 20L tank?

Other details:
Here is the dilemma: like spirit of the rule vs letter of the rule, I'm not sure when to move up to a bigger tank to make sure he isn't cramped.

I have read and heard several people tell me a 20L should last a corn its entire life.

I have also heard 1 sq. ft per foot of snake (which BTW would mean only a 2.5ft snake in a 20L, which seems a bit off to me)

I have heard L + W of the tank should = snake length (in this case then a 42" snake)

I have also heard that corns need more floor space, but considering my guy loves to climb and use his loft, could a taller tank fit the bill?

I'm considering a Zilla 29gal (which is the same as the 20L, but taller). If I go this route, I'll make a bigger loft.

Or an Exo-terra that is 24"x18"x12". It isn't any taller than what he has now, but has a slightly larger footprint. It isn't as long though, so less of the snake can be stretched out any given time.

I do not have room for a 30gal or larger.



 
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You're fortunate to have such a beautiful healthy snake. Since there are no space limitations in nature, I've always felt that the animals deserve all the space you can afford to give them.
I don't think theres a definitive answer to your questions and you have to do what you feel is appropriate for your animal.
We've pretty much always kept our snakes in the largest habitats that we had room for and that even included a few hatchlings.
Being that you're somewhat limited in space, why not just get the largest you have room for.

Good Luck!
 
I feel the height of a 29 would offer less than one with more floor space. Of course, yours seems to utilize it more than most. I have put many corns in larger cages with climbing branches, and once they grow up, they seem to use it less. Pretty sure they make a 30 gallon long, that would offer more utilizable space IMO. The 20 long "for the rest of their life" thing makes no sense to me. I have some that stopped growing at <400 grams that would be fine, and others that are twice that size and would be cramped.
 
Sorry, I've been away.

Chip you're right, they do make a 30 gal, I think its a breeder though, unless you know of a manufacturer that I don't. I have a Zilla 30 gal right now for my hondo milk. I had thought about swapping them (the corn and milk), but that might only buy me some time because the milk is supposed to be much larger than the corn in the end. Right now the milk is about 3ft long. Who knows though for sure...pet trade hondos often have other subsp. in them. I just don't have room for two 30 gals at the moment. I should have more room in a few years if the whole graduation, career, house thing plays out as I want it to.

So yeah, biggest possible, but biggest in total volume or area, or what? Does the fact that he is a climber matter?
I'm still not sure.

Thanks for the comments though. I will arrive at a decision eventually I'm sure.
 
Nanci,

Yeah as it turned out their delivery date for my area was the day I found the website. So I could have either driven 2 hours to the show and hoped they had what I wanted, or waited until they came back through my area, which wouldn't have been for some months. They want an order for delivery put in before their scheduled delivery date. So I just missed them.
 
Thank you.

Yes I did. It is a little big IMO, but my snake loves it. I actually made two. The other one is not as nice looking. My other corn has used it though. They're a bit heavy.

I also made two smaller ones that my milk snake has enjoyed, and have stacked tiles as though they were rocks for my hognose.

I went to Lowe's and found their discount/discontinued tile, and just hot glued it together. Some of the bigger Lowes stores will cut tile for you, so if you know your dimensions, you can customize it. I just bought a stack and tried different things until it looked right. The best ones were a mosaic wall tile set that had different shapes and colors. I used them to get the perfect height for my smaller hides for the milk snake.

Some of the glossy and really smooth tile did not stick with the hot glue. The more porous stuff sticks really well.

The loft and ladders I made too. Dowel rods, a small saw, and hot glue. I am thinking about building a log cabin for him sometime :) though, poo doesn't come off of the wood that easily. The wood absorbs some of the liquid part it seems. The loft works great because I never have had him poo up there. Sometimes some gets on the support posts though. I rinse them off and let them dry. And if it gets funky, just rip it off and glue on another one.

I also have a couple of suction cups to help keep it stable.
 
Thanks Capt.

We just finished a kitchen remodel and have quite a bit of random tile lying around. I will have to see what I can stick together for a small hide.
 
That Exo Terra you have now seems like a nice fit. I too have an active climber who really re-defines "semi-arboreal". I have him in a 24x18x12 right now, as he's less than 6 months, but he makes avid use of the vertical space provided via abundant vines and plants.

I, too, had the idea to maybe go against the norm and give my guy a vertically oriented enclosure. After much observing, I concluded that while some corns do enjoy climbing more than most, and make fantastic utilization of the vertical space, they don't necessarily "dwell" in these heights. That is to say, they may frequent these locations, but they won't often retreat there when they seek comfort. Instinct leads them to their secluded hides. Arboreal herps, like Cresties and such, utilize the vertical space for the height itself, and as means of distancing themselves from the ground, rather than exploring and hunting in a newly accessible area- simply because it is accessible.

I believe vertical space is important to some corns who express this "chondro-ism", but even when exploring their vertical space, they still travel in horizontal planes. That is to say, they don't seem to seek the height for comfort as an arboreal creature would. but they utilize it in their activities. I plan to upgrade from the 24x18x12 to something with maybe 18" height, or maybe 24", but I wouldn't go for the strictly vert vivs. IMHO, stick with a good large floor space that matches or mirrors the height (24Lx18H or 24x24H, IE)
 
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