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Husbandry and Basic Care General stuff about keeping and maintaining cornsnakes in captivity.

Can a terrarium be too large?
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Old 07-14-2011, 05:53 PM   #1
Lycari
Can a terrarium be too large?

Right, well, I've been looking for the answer to this question for quite a whlie, but it seems all I can find is information on when the tank is too small.

Basically, I'm planning toward getting a hatchling as soon as I possibly can, but, being on a tight budget, I'm not too eager about the idea of replacing the tank every year or so. I've been looking at this Exo Terra tank that says it's 18in wide by 24in long by 18in high. If my math is right, that means it's 4.5 cubic feet, which is approximately 33 2/3 gallons. Is that too big for a baby? Is it too small for an adult? How long could it last me? Argh! This is the most confusing part about trying to get a setup for my very first snake.

Can anyone help me? Please?
 
Old 07-14-2011, 07:04 PM   #2
Lennycorn
A 20 long or bigger will do an adult. pet-smart or petco just had a sale on tanks
Check them out.
You can search for used tanks on line at thrift shop or CL too or you can buy plastic tubs. big storage tubs, 80 or 100 quarts ?? I'm guessing.
 
Old 07-14-2011, 07:47 PM   #3
Lycari
Yes, I've seen the "a 20 long is big enough for an adult" bit around, but I honestly don't know what that means. 20 what? Gallons? Inches of length? Some other measurement I haven't heard of? I've never really even looked at tanks of any kind before and don't understand the usual terminology as well as I'd like to yet.

So... Is the tank I'm considering too big for a baby, or too small for an adult, or what?
 
Old 07-14-2011, 07:50 PM   #4
ceduke
20 gallon long. It's not too big for a baby. As long as the baby can find its water, and you can find the baby, it's fine.
 
Old 07-14-2011, 07:54 PM   #5
Lycari
Excellent! So then this tank should work fine until the snake outgrows it, which should be quite a while. Thanks very much! ^_^
 
Old 07-14-2011, 08:00 PM   #6
MysticExotics
The Exo Terra's are great, but not usually the first choice for corns. Corns "generally" do not do much clibming, so more floor space is usually best for them. That said, there are always exceptions to the rule.
20 long is a 20gallon tank that is longer than it is tall. It is generally the most used as far as tanks. If the Exo Terra is 24 inches wide, & 18 inches tall, that would be fine. I don't recall seeing one like that, but I could be wrong. I've seen them as 18 wide X18 deep X 24 tall, which would not be ideal, but if it is 24" wide, that should work ok, IMO.
I do love the Exo Terra's. They're easy to get into, fairly easy to clean, & they look really nice.
 
Old 07-14-2011, 08:02 PM   #7
Lennycorn
Yeah a 20 gal long in the minimum for an adult but like you I'm not up on the sizes. I did have a link on tank true sizes to the gallon terms but ..it's loss. I bet you could google it tho and get the right size terms

If you go with a larger tank or tub (adult size) add more hides. Normally you use two, one for the warm side and one for the cool side. I would add two more and fake plant/vines. Hides can be food box and use cool whip type of containers too. You don't have to buy them. My butter uses his plastic dog water bowl for a hide.
 
Old 07-14-2011, 08:33 PM   #8
Lycari
Well, I'm looking at the thing now on Amazon, and it comes int two sizes: 24 by 18 by 18-inch and 24 by 18 by 24-inch. The picture for the latter looks a lot taller. *shrug* I wish I could get a better look at them, but alas, I cannot. As far as I can tell, it's 24 inches long.
 
Old 07-14-2011, 11:48 PM   #9
Caryl
The key to having a happy hatchling in a large tank is giving it lots of place to hide. You may not see your baby much initially, but as it feels secure you'll likely see more of it. Some enjoy burrowing quite a lot. Other like to hang out in vines. Lots of things eat baby corn snakes in nature, so they're programmed to hide. Make certain that your baby knows it can get to safety if it feels afraid. There's no reason your baby can't stay in a large tank that would be fine for it as an adult. You don't need to keep upgrading unless you want to do so.

One other tip - place the snake's water source along the wall. Babies cruise along the sides of the tank more freely than in the middle, and you want to be sure your pet stays hydrated. There's no harm in having more than one water dish when they're small.

Good luck to you! Enjoy your new corn.
 
Old 07-15-2011, 12:16 AM   #10
Lycari
Alright, thanks very much! ^_^

What about water bowl sizes? I've seen arguments for both providing a very large bowl the snake can soak in (when it is an adult, of course) and for keeping it very shallow so the snake can't drown itself. I figure getting the smallest bowl size would be a safe place to start, but should I really be worried about the snake drowning itself?
 

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