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My setup

Y

yvez9

New member
I finally got all my gear and I've even found the snake I want.

Here's what my setup looks like.
I used Repti-bark substrate

There's a heat mat directly underneath the cave on the right side
I'm thinking of getting a heating lamp because the ambient temperature is 70 inside the viviarium. The glass above the heat mat is a bit warmer. I'll wait unitl tomorrow for sure to see how hot it gets though.

Tell me if i'm missing something!

100_3633.jpg
 
Looking great mate... Very natural looking set-up you got there. If you read on the FAQ, it says that ambient air temp. is not what you need to look at, you need the substrate temperatures... meaning a probe thermometer or thermostat. I dont think a heat mat would heat the air up much, but it will heat the substrate up nicely. And snakes absorb heat through their ventrical scales on their belly, so he will probably get more heat with a heat mat than a bulb.

Is he a hatchling? Im assuming he is... from a safety point of view, I would stick with the heat mat, hatchlings tend to be more active than adults and would, in theory, be more likely to touch the bulb and get a possible burn.

I hope I at least answered one of your questions, I know I tend to ramble on about things. Good Luck with your snake, he should be very happy with your set-up :cheers: :cheers:
 
Thanks for the info
I'll leave the tank as it is then!

yes i will be getting a hatchling
he's about 10 or 11 inches long
they've had him for 2 weeks at the sotre and he's eaten 3 times already! He's the biggest of the lot. He's black and grey, I'm not quite sure of the name though...
I held him for about 20 minutes at the store while the lady was doing water changes on fish tanks and talking with me. I love that store :)
 
Sounds like you're all set to go! Just make sure you regulate the temp of the heat mat so that you don't get the tank too hot. Under tank heaters can get up to 110F in an hour.

:-offtopic

Yvez9

Wondered why the name sounded so very familiar...then I figured it out: Tropical Fish Forums. I always see familiar names around here...and I think that's where they come from! :grin01:
 
haha
yeah i do post on TFF once in a while! Not as much as I used to though as my tanks are pretty stable and I've stopped buying fish for space purposes!

Good to see fellow TFF friends on here, makes me feel more at home! :wavey:
 
your setup looks great, you have the same greenery as myself, and my one loves it. if you put it up one corner, then your hatchling is small enough to climb it and sleep in it.

I would advise caution when using that substrate though. make sure you feed your corn on a dish or something, even kitchen roll laid out for feeding time. The repti bark is large enough to cause an obstruction in hatchling corns. however when he is bigger, there should be no problems using this substrate. Pinkies are sticky, and when they land on the substrate, bits can get stuck to the feed, and i wouldnt want to wrestle my corn to try and get it off before being ingested!!

Good luck!!

Rona :wavey:
 
You might like to supply a much smaller hide somewhere. I use that cave myself so I know how big it is - its HUGE for a hatchling. My subadult python can fit quite comfortably in his. Snakes like to be touched on all sides when they hide, they dislike large hides. Just something to think about. :)
 
Plissken said:
You might like to supply a much smaller hide somewhere. I use that cave myself so I know how big it is - its HUGE for a hatchling. My subadult python can fit quite comfortably in his. Snakes like to be touched on all sides when they hide, they dislike large hides. Just something to think about. :)
Click to expand...

Is that one you can get from that reptile place in Dorset? I was looking at those last night. It is really hard to tell how big they are from the photo's isn't it.

I was looking at the small ones thinking... Hmm can they get in there once they grow a bit?? !! I was going to opt for medium but perhaps then small is better.
 
Most UK reptile stores sell those. You have to keep buying larger hides as the snake grows, which is frustrating I know, but the snake's needs come before money/convenience.
 
Oh yes of course, no arguments from me there. But i wondered if they grow very quickly to start with in the way that mammels do in which case they may out grow it in a number of weeks if it was very small. But on that note, I will get the small size to start with :)
 
I hadn't thought about the size factor
I might just cram something in it though to make it tight. I could put more bark in there to fill it up and the snake will be surrounded by bark!

Thanks for all the advice folks, well appreciated!
 
I measured the substrate temp
cool side is around 80, warm side is 95
I'll have to setup a dimmer switch tomorrow as it's way too warm right now. the ambient air temp went up to 80 since we shut off the A/C today
 
This morning the cool side is 76 and wamr side is 90 so it's all good. I guess yesterday was warmer than usual in the room. I'll still setup a dimmer or thermostat on that heatpad though.
 
Plissken said:
No, they certainly don't grow THAT fast. It will last you a good six months I would think.
Click to expand...

I would have to agree that they don't grow as quickly as small mammals. I purchased two '05s in March, and they have grown about 2 inches a month. That said, they still enjoy the same hides that I put in at the beginning (I also added in some paper towel tubes...they love these!).
 
the snake is in right now!!
I got a proper thermotmeter with a probe and a dimmer switch for the uth

The temp above the pad is now pretty stable around 86F and air temp is just below 80

As soon as I put him in the viv he dashed for the big hide and he hasn't gotten out yet (well i haven't noticed anyway...). I'll give 3-4 days before I peek at him. I also got him a pinkie for next week. I got to hold him for about 20 minutes at the shop earlier this week and he's quite active. Certainly the most active of them all. The lady there told me what to look out for when picking one out. She told me about the eyes, mites and so on. I love that store!

Question:

Is it ok to have water spill a bit over the substrate? I'm pretty sure it's ok as snakes will surely cope with rain in their natural habitat and the soil will get moist. Nothing big, just a few drops of water that spilled around it.
 
Night one was a success
Temp dropped to around 81 on the warm side and around 70 on the cool side.

I got home from work just before midnight and the little bugger was exploring the big piece of wood in there. He was also seen hiding underneath the fake plant last night. Monday I'll try to feed him a pinky. He's eaten twice at the store already (I believe the guy who told me that) and it's been a little over a week now since his last feed!
 
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