heat mat temps

[cornyjo]

Good morning people I'm looking to steal some knowledge.?My 13 nearly 14 yr old son has been asking for a corn snake for years I have put it off and put it off with the fear he would lose interest and I would be left looking after it . This year we decided he has shown enough maturity to get him his first snake so bought him a viv with heat pad and regulator leaving him to get whatever else was needed.Since getting viv on Xmas day he has set it all up but my concerns are _ the thermometer and sensor have been tied together and placed on floor of viv with a plastic sucker this is covered with ashen and weighed down with edge of hide ,problem is the temp range is not staying at a consistent level ranging from 23-30 c I should say this is with chatty set at 27 we have tried to adjust this over last few days but still temp range can change ??? I don't want to put new snake in this till I'm sure it's safe ,our local pet shop have not been much help can anyone.e give me any advice please it's a small wooden viv with glass panel / at front and on lid thanks in advance xxx

 

[bensmith5862]

not an expert here lol. but if its too hot it will spend more time in the cool area.. good hint to turn it down..

 

[Todd120]

You need to cover the sensors with a hide. I have a dome hide that looks like a rock. It holds heat in to maintain a more consistent temperature. As long as you hover a couple degrees above and below 29 C you will be fine. If you are a little over, the animal will move out of the hide. In the colder winter months, I cover 2/3 of the screen top with a towel. This helps hold some humidity in. Ive been holding at 50 to 60 precent humidity. This is enough to get nice clean sheds.

 

[cornyjo]

Thanks guys, I weighed down with a hide today and temps still ranging from 24_31 I know all temps in this range are safe I just thought the temp would be bit more consistent?anyway after visiting pet shop today I was told by a member of staff that that viv was not set up correctly (I described it all )I had the two cables thermostat and thermometer cables tied together with band through the grommet hole into vivid then lay them together on heat pad . The guy told me that's why my temps are ranging so much ?he said cables thermostat and thermometer should be at opposite ends of viv??? So I came home changed cables to how he told me with thermostat still set to 27 with cables at opposite ends a nd temp went up to 42c .Totally baffled now where should these cables be positioned as if it is opposite ends my heat mat must be faulty ????

 

[blacktip]

You want the one for the thermostat to be placed directly over the center of the heat pad. I run two thermometers on mine, one over the heat pad next to the thermostat probe and the other on the cool side of the viv. I keep the one thermometer over the heat pad so I can compare it to the thermostat readings.

 

[cornyjo]

It seems I'm getting the wrong info from pets shop !!!! I have a thermometer not digital in the cool end now and digi thermometer over heat mat with thermostat beside it ! Temps ranging from 25-30 when set up this way at hot end . This is ok ......right? Why did dude in shop say they should be at opposite ends of viv ,the fact he didn't handle hatching when we went in gave me impression he was nervous and now I have zero confidence in their advice ,my poor son just desperate to buy his corn but nut job mum still concerned with vivid temps

 

[blacktip]

Ideally it would hover between 28-31. What temperature is the thermostat set at? And what's the temperature in the room it is in?

 

[cornyjo]

The thermostat set at 27 anything higher and it goes over 30 at times the room temp is 23 ,it's sitting between 25-29 today .We brought home our baby corn this afternoon no name as yet ,he seems very inquisitive leaving him to settle in to his new vivid today though.He spent an hour in his water bowl this afternoon and is now hiding in cold hide , shop were not aware when his last shed was as not recorded not very helpful !!! He was born August so still tiny xxx

 

[blacktip]

I would bump the thermostat up to 28. Other than that everything sounds good. And enjoy your new baby and don't be surprised if you start wanting another one in a couple months, they're addictive.

 

[cornyjo]

Firstly thank you to everyone that offered advice , I love this site it's like you always have back up lol ! Our wee friend is no where to be seen just now I woke at 2am and ran through to check on him and temps lol it's like having a new born temp sitting at 26 with thermostat regulating so all seems well I'm just happy he out his water bowl .:.Happy New year to all still no name for wee v horny as yet xx

 

[HerpsOfNM]

A temp range of 26-31°C (approx. 80-88°F) should be fine; ideal range would be 84-86°F (28.8-30°C). This should be for 1/4 to 1/3 of the cage. The rest of the cage will be fine at room temp of 20-25°C (68-77°F). 20°C may sound low, but so long as the warm spot is within an accurate heated range, then the snake will be able to properly and sufficiently thermoregulate its body for various bodily functions including digestion.

As for the range you're obtaining, if the thermostat that controls heatpad is a simple on/off type thermostat then you'll see such a large fluctuation in temperatures. Investing in a more expensive proportional thermostat (where power is constantly trickled to maintain temp...the good ones I own maintain temp with only using 10% power vs on [100% power] or off [0% power]) will yield a more stabilized heating pad temp range.

As mentioned, place the digital temperature probe next to the thermostat probe. Both of these need to be placed at the center of the heatpad. The heatpad goes on the outside, underneath the tank. Probes (thermostat and thermometer) go in the tank. Heat pad should only be on one side, either left or right and should only cover 1/4 to 1/3 of the tank. Less can result in inadequate heating, more can result in overheating. Do not rely on analog thermometers, stick to digital indoor/outdoor types with a wired probe or invest in an infrared temperature gun (most accurate).

If properly set up, there really isn't a need, per se, to check temps on the cool side of the cage. Place multiple hides throughout, 3 being the minimum with those placed on the hot, warm, and cool sides. Hides can be just about anything, from plastic tubs with holes cut in the lids to more aesthetically pleasing faux rock caves, etc.

Hopefully that's a tad more clear from the pet store advice you've received. Don't bug the new wee one too much. You want to give it ample time to settle into the new environment.

Happy New Year from way inland across the pond. We still have a little over an hour of 2014 left.

 

[cornyjo]

can i check him

I know in not meant to disturb him but is acceptable to lift hide and check him

 

[smigon]

I know in not meant to disturb him but is acceptable to lift hide and check him

Yes, you can check on him if you think something is wrong, otherwise let him be and settle in.

HerpsofMN is right, you need a digital thermostat plugged into the UTH and set it to 30° and put a digital probe thermometer next to the thermostat probe in the viv, on the glass directly above the center of the UTH. The thermostat will keep the temp steady, and the thermometer will make sure it is staying at the proper temp.

Good luck!

 

[cornyjo]

if only i had come to you first

Great advice I think im doing everything spot on now although I'm gonna change heat mat ,I have ordered a better one as well as a laser temp gun to keep myself happy but he is fine at moment till that arrives.I'm really shocked that pet shop giving out wrong advice ,thank god for this site. I lifted hide to check on him he was curled up in hot end seems quite happy .Whilst I remember we got him yesterday he usually gets fed Wed and Sun so obviously never got feed yesterday pet shop said we could handle today and feed Sun ,we haven't handled him today after reading advice on here how long should we wait now to handle and feed don't wanna stress him out x

 

[smigon]

I'm really shocked that pet shop giving out wrong advice ,thank god for this site.

Don't be. It happens ALL the time. The big box pet chain stores usually have care sheets for animals, but not all snakes are meant to live in the same conditions, just as cats and dogs aren't the same although they are both mammals.

These store's employees usually know a little about everything but not all about one certain thing. You will see lots of bad info out there, here you will get the info from people who have been keeping and breeding corn snakes for 40+ years. I will take that over a big box store care sheet any day!

 

[cornyjo]

Absolutely! Our wee guy still has yet to be named and fed and handled !!!! It feels like we neglecting him leaving him alone but totally understand why .Again pet shop said to wait a day before handling and a few days before feeding again this site suggests different .We brought him home Wednesday and other than changing water have not bothered him,we were told he normally fed pinkie one on a Wed and one on Sun so he missed his Wed feed this week as didn't want to feed him on same day as move .Not sure now when to handle or feed ?? I should say he only hatched August so still tiny ,any advice greatly needed

 

[smigon]

After he gets home, regardless of when he ate last, wait 5-7 days before holding him. When you do go to pick him up scoop from underneath with no hesitation, a hesitating and trembling hand will be picked up as fear from you, so if he never knows what hit him but is now safe in your hands he will react better.

After the initial waiting period, take him out for a few minutes a day, he will be flighty at first but will calm down once in your hands. Before feeding I weigh each one (in grams, get a good digital kitchen scale) and keep track of his weight, when he is fed, if he is in blue, when he sheds, etc. as this info may help down the road if he gets sick and it is fun to look back at dozens of pages of your journal to see how far he has come!

After that you can try feeding him. I feed inside the viv (I think members here area about 50/50 on feeding in or out of the viv so there is no right or wrong answer to this) and once I put them back in I aim their face at the mouse on a deli lid that is already inside the viv (I put it there with the mouse while playing with him) and if they strike right away, bonus, if not, let him go and leave the mouse overnight. If he still hasn't eaten in the morning it means he is probably in blue, meaning he will shed soon. Toss the pinky (never reuse them or feed the mouse to another snake, cross contamination is likely if something is in the viv that shouldn't (mites, trolls, wicked step mothers) and retry 4-5 days later. Snakes can go a very long time without feeding, so don't think you are starving him, his body may just have other plans!

Once he is fed and back in the viv wait at least 48 hours for him to digest and poop. If you dare take him out before he pooped, guess what will happen to that nice new shirt you just bought? And the smell is nothing like roses either.

 

[cornyjo]

Smigon your advice is brilliant ,I feel more confident already .I will attempt a feed on Sunday which will be 5 days since he arrived, in or out viv was another question of mine for feeding I have read snake (still no name as yet )can become snappy if that's a good term if u feed direct in viv therefore was thinking feeding box may be better for us? Jordan my son (14 this month) said he came out his hot hide yesterday and went to front of viv and opened his mouth mega wide before disappearing back inside we debated whether he was yawning or searching for food ????? I kind of hope he was searching for food as more chance of a successful feed on Sunday but really don't have a clue.I'm just happy temps sitting nicely now between 28_30 and he is popping in an out of hide so far so good .I wouldn't be so comfortable and confident without this advice so again thank you from Perth in cold Scotland xxx4

 

[cornyjo]

in or out

I should add my son wants to feed in viv I want to feed outside viv ,question is if you not meant to handle directly after feeding how to I get him back in vivid is there a safe way to transfer back in x

 

[Afrederi]

I should add my son wants to feed in viv I want to feed outside viv ,question is if you not meant to handle directly after feeding how to I get him back in vivid is there a safe way to transfer back in x

When we're talking about handling, we're talking about having him out for extended periods of time. Once the food is in his belly and he's moving around, it's perfectly okay to move him back to his viv by picking him up.