• Hello!

    Either you have not registered on this site yet, or you are registered but have not logged in. In either case, you will not be able to use the full functionality of this site until you have registered, and then logged in after your registration has been approved.

    Registration is FREE, so please register so you can participate instead of remaining a lurker....

    Please be certain that the location field is correctly filled out when you register. All registrations that appear to be bogus will be rejected. Which means that if your location field does NOT match the actual location of your registration IP address, then your registration will be rejected.

    Sorry about the strictness of this requirement, but it is necessary to block spammers and scammers at the door as much as possible.

appropriate tank for an adult corn

is the exo terra terrarium of 36 inches x 18 inches x 18 inches an appropriate size for an adult corn? or will i have to buy a bigger one?
 
ALSO! (sorry, i don't even have my snake yet, but i am very excited to set up the enclosure!)

what do you guys think of repti-bark? if i were to use repti bark, how often should i change the entire substrate, because obviously you can't sift through repti bark to eliminate the poop as easily as you can with sand.
 
That size vivarium will be fine for one corn for the whole of its life, I would, however if you are getting a hatchling start with a smaller RUB type box (approx 9l) with plenty of cover for him/her to hide.
I like the new 36" exo-terra vivs, but sadley i don't think they are available here in the UK yet.

The wood and vines will also be fine, I have the vines in my viv, it looks good if you get two sizes and twist them together.

Good luck!
 
Sorry, forgot about the substrate........

Repti-bark is ok, but most people prefer Aspen if you can get hold of it, as it is easier to spot clean and the snakes love to tunnel through it.

I spot clean as and when required and then full empty and replace substrate once a month, this would be the same for most substates i would think, however i only use aspen.
 
how often should i change the entire substrate, because obviously you can't sift through repti bark to eliminate the poop as easily as you can with sand.

FYI- Cornsnakes should not be housed on sand. Ideally I'd suggest aspen too. They can't burrow through reptibark as well as aspen. I use newspaper for some of my snakes, aspen for others, and reptibark for my tarantula. As for looks, I like the reptibark the best, but I've tried it with corns, and the snakes seem to enjoy the aspen the most.
 
Reptile bark sucks, IMO. When I first started keeping snakes I used it. I kept a boa and some corns on it, finally when I made the switch to aspen, I thought I would use up the rest on two corns till it was gone, well after the next cage cleaning I switched to aspen on them too, took the rest of the bag back to the petstore (they use it there) and just gave it to them to use in their tanks in the store. Just don't like the stuff. Get shredded aspen, much better. Also, don't use sand. If you use that viv to start off with a baby make sure you give it plenty of hides so it will feel secure moving around the tank. Good luck! Getting the first one is exciting....heck getting # 25 is still exciting, lol. :)
 
Hi katia, it's the shredded Aspen that most corn keepers use, as it's great for the snake to tunnel through and it holds the tunnels well. That Aspen crumble looks too fine and gravelly (sp?) almost like large grains of sand and I wouldn't recomend it, as corns shouldn't be kept on sand either.

Also well done you, for looking into and getting what's needed and looking for advice BEFORE you get your corn. I only wish there were more prospective corn snake owners that did this, so good for you!

Hope that's helped and remember to post pics once you get your corn!
Good luck and best wishes,
 
thanks for all the help guys!

another thing, i am gonna use a 75 watt heat lamp, must i leave the light on overnight as well as during the day? will leaving the light on pose any type of fire risk? i am deathly afraid of house fires... is it even possible for the lights to get hot enough to start a fire?

i'm sure i'll have many more questions to come!
 
Personally i wouldn't use a light at all, as corns do not need any special lighting for their health. You would be better getting a heat mat (no more than half the size of the base of the viv) and connect that to a thermostat. Thiis then will be placed under the viv on the outside. This is the preferred option of most and in my opinion safer for both you and the snake. It is also important to get a digital in/out thermometer so you can monitor the temps on both sides of the viv.

Good luck, and post away if you are still unsure of anything.
 
Forget the light. You don't need it, and it will be much more hassle than it's worth. *ANY* source of heat needs to be on a rheostat, or preferably a thermostat. Many people think that if they get a light, they won't need to worry about getting a thermostat/rheostat. Simply not true. A light is just as likely, if not MORE likely to overheat than a UTH is. A light is also more likely to become a fire hazard.

The UTH should cover 1/3 to 1/2 of the floor space of the viv. You can buy a pretty good UTH online for roughly $25 (I don't know what that translates to in Canadian dollars, sorry). You can buy a decent thermostat for another $20, or make your own rheostat for less than half the price.
 
Back
Top