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

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Old 08-08-2021, 06:44 PM   #1
Nyrkorey
New to the snake world!

So i plan on getting a corn snake, it will be my first tank! So I figured ide come here and get more information on everything before I just go and get one.

I plan on housing him in either a 65 or 75 gallon tank. ( have both laying around in my shed)
Are those too big or bigger the better??

Im ok on substrate and decor. My next question would be about lighting. I've had a bearded dragon for about 10 years, and I know they require alot more lightning then snakes or corn snakes.

So for lightning do people recommend having a light on top of the tank on the hot side and ALSO a heating pad underneath the substrate? And if so does the heating pad stay on 24/7 or turn off when I turn off the heat lamp at night? Do you suggest putting thier hidding spot on top of where the heating pad is?

As for humidity? I read conflicting things from 50% all the way up to 80% so I'm wondering what everyone else does? And how do they keep thier humidity? Just spray the substrate and monitor the readings?
 
Old 08-08-2021, 06:52 PM   #2
nikkirnoto
They need a 40 to 50 gal at adult age. And the temp is between 70f
and 85f. Mine hangs out on the cool side most days. This is my 1st snake and it's been really easy to manage the tank and snake.

They do get out easily so just make sure whatever set up you get is secure as our daughters corn snak got out (we got her a week after ours and the tanks were different )

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Old 08-08-2021, 06:59 PM   #3
nikkirnoto
Quote:
Originally Posted by Nyrkorey View Post
So i plan on getting a corn snake, it will be my first tank! So I figured ide come here and get more information on everything before I just go and get one.



I plan on housing him in either a 65 or 75 gallon tank. ( have both laying around in my shed)

Are those too big or bigger the better??



Im ok on substrate and decor. My next question would be about lighting. I've had a bearded dragon for about 10 years, and I know they require alot more lightning then snakes or corn snakes.



So for lightning do people recommend having a light on top of the tank on the hot side and ALSO a heating pad underneath the substrate? And if so does the heating pad stay on 24/7 or turn off when I turn off the heat lamp at night? Do you suggest putting thier hidding spot on top of where the heating pad is?



As for humidity? I read conflicting things from 50% all the way up to 80% so I'm wondering what everyone else does? And how do they keep thier humidity? Just spray the substrate and monitor the readings?
Also I forgot to add we have a 24 hr light on a timer. They spend most of their time underground and are crepuscular so they are only really out at dusk and dawn.

We got a heat lamp and that will be good for the winter in our area but currently we only use a heat mat on one side of our tank

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Old 08-09-2021, 08:30 AM   #4
67temp
So i plan on getting a corn snake, it will be my first tank! So I figured ide come here and get more information on everything before I just go and get one.

I plan on housing him in either a 65 or 75 gallon tank. ( have both laying around in my shed)Are those too big or bigger the better?? Most people go with a minimum of tank length + width should equal the length of the adult snake. For using a larger tank with a smaller baby make sure to provide a thick layer of substrate and plenty of places to hide.

Im ok on substrate and decor. My next question would be about lighting. I've had a bearded dragon for about 10 years, and I know they require alot more lightning then snakes or corn snakes. I dont povide any additional lighting.

So for lightning do people recommend having a light on top of the tank on the hot side and ALSO a heating pad underneath the substrate? And if so does the heating pad stay on 24/7 or turn off when I turn off the heat lamp at night? Do you suggest putting thier hidding spot on top of where the heating pad is? A heat pad under one side of the tank controlled by thermostat is usually recommended. Have hides on the hot side, cool and some in between.

As for humidity? I read conflicting things from 50% all the way up to 80% so I'm wondering what everyone else does? And how do they keep thier humidity? Just spray the substrate and monitor the readings? 50-80% is typically for ball pythons. I've had the ambient humidity in me snake room down to 20% in the winter and still get full sheds. Normally my room is around 40%. A humid hide can also be used.

Also since you are in new jersey you will be limited to what you can legally own for corn snakes. So read up on the laws.
 
Old 08-09-2021, 12:17 PM   #5
Nyrkorey
Awesome thank you so much for all that info!

Looks like I just use a heat matt for the hot side and just monitor everything else! I plan on putting him in a big tank so ill make sure too give him enough hides.

Feeding wise, how often do the babies usually eat and do you guys take them out to feed them, then put them back in the enclosure, or do you feed them straight into the enclosure, I read mix things about that too!

Yeah NJ is a tough one, I plan on getting permits but at the same time ,how would the state even know I own one honestly?
 
Old 08-09-2021, 12:48 PM   #6
nikkirnoto
Quote:
Originally Posted by Nyrkorey View Post
Awesome thank you so much for all that info!



Looks like I just use a heat matt for the hot side and just monitor everything else! I plan on putting him in a big tank so ill make sure too give him enough hides.



Feeding wise, how often do the babies usually eat and do you guys take them out to feed them, then put them back in the enclosure, or do you feed them straight into the enclosure, I read mix things about that too!



Yeah NJ is a tough one, I plan on getting permits but at the same time ,how would the state even know I own one honestly?
Feeds are based on size. We only feed ours 1 pinkie once a week. She's 17 inches long. I know there is a formula on here for feeding but a veteran could tell you more.

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Old 08-09-2021, 03:07 PM   #7
hypnoctopus
While they're on pinkies, I feed once every 5 days. You certainly can do once a week, but I like to get them past the fragile baby stage a bit more quickly. After they're on fuzzies and everything larger, I feed once a week until they're adult sized, and then I adjust the schedule according to weight gain, but usually once every 10 to 14 days is a good schedule for most adult corns.

And the state probably wouldn't know if you got one, but if you did get caught, it really gives a bad name to the reptile hobby as a whole (as well as personal consequences like fines and having the snake removed). And since so many people are already afraid of snakes, I think it's really important not to give them any extra ammo for further bans. I'm not an expert on New Jersey laws, but my recollection is that you can own light eyed morphs? You'll have to do some reading and see what is legal for you to own.
 
Old 08-09-2021, 04:42 PM   #8
Nyrkorey
Now do you take him out of the tank to feed them? And then when they have eatin, put them back in and leave them be? I hear mix things about feeding inside enclosure or outside in a plastic bin
 
Old 08-09-2021, 04:46 PM   #9
nikkirnoto
Quote:
Originally Posted by Nyrkorey View Post
Now do you take him out of the tank to feed them? And then when they have eatin, put them back in and leave them be? I hear mix things about feeding inside enclosure or outside in a plastic bin
We do both, our perfers eating in her tank. We've tried to feed her in another container and she just tastes it.

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Old 08-09-2021, 06:46 PM   #10
hypnoctopus
Either method can work, but I much prefer feeding in a separate container. For a new baby, I've always had the most success feeding then in a little container, like a deli cup. They seem to sometimes either not find it or not feel secure enough if offered food in the enclosure. Plus, I've always wanted to avoid any chance of impaction from eating substrate accidentally. And I also like to clean and refill water while they're contained outside of their enclosure. If you do decide to feed inside the enclosure, I would recommend feeding on a dish or plate to try to avoid letting the snake eat substrate. They may end up dragging it off the dish anyway, so it won't be 100% preventable.
 

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