Hatchling self-cohab...*sigh*

[Cegninedorf]

The whole point of my post was that not every rule is set in stone. I guess you can take it with a grain of salt or whatever.

Which is exactly what I need to hear so that I calm my paranoid-self on down... I keep the research and expertise in mind, but I also realize that one-size doesn't necessarily fit all. So...c'est la vie!

Thanks!

 

[Roy Munson]

For example I disagree about deli cups as a suitable enclosure. I won't house hatchlings in deli cups, I'd rather have a few in a larger enclosure than one in a tiny one.

If you don't do as I do, then I have no choice but to terminate our friendship. :grin01: But all jokes aside, I don't have a problem with your method, but I do wonder why you think deli cups aren't suitable enclosures for snakes that are less than 10g. Are they ideal? Probably not. But are they suitable? I think so.

 

[ghosthousecorns]

LOL I guess I should explain. The Delis are fine in size. What I don't personally like is the fact you can't have a decent sized water bowl in one, which necessarily means more work - having to check the water in each deli daily, which with 100 delis equates to a lot more work in my eyes. In a shoebox rubbermaid enclosure I can have a bigger water bowl which I will have to check a bit less often. As a matter of fact I might be trying sandwich boxes for a new rack I made this year, if I can figure out a way to get a decent sized water bowl in one. I'm thinking of getting those plastic beer cups like you see at keg parties and cutting them in half. If I can get that to work, I'll be fine with it sizewise.
So we can still be friends?

 

[patm1313]

LOL I guess I should explain. The Delis are fine in size. What I don't personally like is the fact you can't have a decent sized water bowl in one, which necessarily means more work - having to check the water in each deli daily, which with 100 delis equates to a lot more work in my eyes. In a shoebox rubbermaid enclosure I can have a bigger water bowl which I will have to check a bit less often. As a matter of fact I might be trying sandwich boxes for a new rack I made this year, if I can figure out a way to get a decent sized water bowl in one. I'm thinking of getting those plastic beer cups like you see at keg parties and cutting them in half. If I can get that to work, I'll be fine with it sizewise.
So we can still be friends?

Wow, creative. I would've never thought of something like a cut plastic cup.... Hmmmm.....

Two things:

A. I find that all plastic that is cut can have sharp edges, beware.

B. The reason why I think this reason is brilliant it because those plastic cups are washable in the dishwasher. They say disposable, but that's cause "the man" wants you to trash them and buy more. Sure, it may cause cancer in humans, but I do it and I'm still tickin'.

I can see you buying 200 of those cups, and switching them in sets of 100 between the dishwasher and the deli's/sandwich boxes/tubs etc.

 

[Roy Munson]

LOL I guess I should explain. The Delis are fine in size. What I don't personally like is the fact you can't have a decent sized water bowl in one, which necessarily means more work - having to check the water in each deli daily, which with 100 delis equates to a lot more work in my eyes. In a shoebox rubbermaid enclosure I can have a bigger water bowl which I will have to check a bit less often. As a matter of fact I might be trying sandwich boxes for a new rack I made this year, if I can figure out a way to get a decent sized water bowl in one. I'm thinking of getting those plastic beer cups like you see at keg parties and cutting them in half. If I can get that to work, I'll be fine with it sizewise.
So we can still be friends?

Ohhhhhh. Ok, we can still be friends. You've actually hit on my biggest problem with deli-cup housing: water bowls. I use soda-bottle caps (the ones found on 20oz and 2 liter bottles). But these are easily tipped, and they don't hold much. But the idea of burning holes in 100 sandwich containers makes me want to cry too. And nothing's messier than a hatchling corn; it's nice to thow away a particularly nasty fouled deli-cup and replace it. And the sandwich containers take up a LOT more space than deli cups. Still, I try to move all my keepers and higher-end stuff into the sandwich containers before too much time has passed. And I use a variety of things as water bowls in those containers: cut-down Solo party cups as you suggest (sharp edges have never been a problem), those little condiment cups they give you when you order Chinese carry-out, cut-down plastic Dixie cup thingies (bathroom size), etc..

 

[Nanci]

Never having bred a snake, or kept a baby in a deli cup, I can say with certainty that the PVC pipe caps with the two grooves cut in the upper rim look like the coolest hatchling water bowls there are. Can't tip over, and a determined baby can take a bath in one.

 

[ghosthousecorns]

PVC caps are cool. but also kind of expensive... at least the bigger ones were in an irrigation store I checked out. The small ones were cheap. but might as well use a soda bottle cap then. The ones for capping bigger pipes, which looked more suitable for water bowls, also had a tendency to have a rounded top which means they would tip easily. I guess you could cut grooves in them and all, but still a lot of work.
I don't know, I think I'd rather grit my teeth and solder holes in the sandwich boxes once, than check all those soda caps daily. Good to know the plastic beer cups won't have edges so sharp it would harm a hatchling. They are cheap and decent sized...
(Cegnine sorry this went way off topic!)

 

[Cegninedorf]

(Cegnine sorry this went way off topic!)

Not a problem at all! This has been really interesting to read, and if anything, it seems to have gotten a nice conversation started. It also gave me some food for thought as to what to do when the hatchlings hatch...I've read plenty about what to do when there are eggs, but I haven't read much as to what to do immediately when you have hatchlings.

Feel free to keep it going.

 

[susang]

Since my first eggs are in the incubator I can't really comment on how they'll be kept. I have been collecting the little Crystal Light cups. I thought I would hot glue them to the bottom of deli-cup, or shoe box?

 

[patm1313]

Since my first eggs are in the incubator I can't really comment on how they'll be kept. I have been collecting the little Crystal Light cups. I thought I would hot glue them to the bottom of deli-cup, or shoe box?

I wouldn't suggest hot glueing. They wouldn't ba able to remove and clean, and would make cleaning the housing containter difficult.

 

[Corny Noob]

Well if the watercap is glued down there will be nothing to clean underneath it....And deli cups ain't that big to clean....

 

[Susielea]

Since my first eggs are in the incubator I can't really comment on how they'll be kept. I have been collecting the little Crystal Light cups. I thought I would hot glue them to the bottom of deli-cup, or shoe box?

Yay, that's what I do Well, I use the tops off of a certain milkshake bottle we have over here, a bit bigger than soda bottle tops, and hot glue them on the bottom of the plastic food containers, that I use to house hatchlings. I always have double the amount I really need, (containers with bottle tops ready glued) then I can just transfer the hatchling to a clean box, if the first one is particularly soiled and I can clean the dirty one later. Saves a lot of time

 

[patm1313]

Well if the watercap is glued down there will be nothing to clean underneath it....And deli cups ain't that big to clean....

I thought she was going to do it in something besides deli cups. I think you could just throw the deli's away after awhile.

 

[Snake Dave]

I thought she was going to do it in something besides deli cups. I think you could just throw the deli's away after awhile.

Pat, stop telling breeders and experienced members what to do when you've never hatched a clutch, or used any of the methods that they're discussing here...

 

[Susielea]

Since my first eggs are in the incubator I can't really comment on how they'll be kept. I have been collecting the little Crystal Light cups. I thought I would hot glue them to the bottom of deli-cup, or shoe box?

I thought she was going to do it in something besides deli cups. I think you could just throw the deli's away after awhile.

I'm sure susang said "deli cup, or shoe box" I must have read it wrong :shrugs:

 

[TripleMoonsExotic]

To avoid tipping water dishes without gluing anything, I use glass votive tea light holders from Walmart. They're relatively cheap, hold a weeks worth of water and fit perfectly in my Cornsnake hatchling bins.

 

[Blue Apple Herps]

Since my first eggs are in the incubator I can't really comment on how they'll be kept. I have been collecting the little Crystal Light cups. I thought I would hot glue them to the bottom of deli-cup, or shoe box?

My only concern would be if poop or what not got stuck right wher ethe lid meets the deli cup it could be hard to clean.

I personally use the sandwich tubs from glad that are resealable. They're easy to stack and I can fit the little 2 oz solo cups in for water bowl. And they're about the same size as a napkin, so I use that for a "substrate".

 

[kathylove]

I don't like the delis because they get too damp in our Florida climate. I do have some sandwich boxes that I melted about a jillion holes into so they can get fresh air and dry out some. I use the little condiment cups you can buy at any restaurant supply store. I find that you can even get a small temp gradient if you put one side up against a heat tape (but be sure to have LOTS of holes so the box can't overheat accidentally).

If you use the taller delis (twice as tall as the usual delis we display the corns in shows - forget the actual size though), you can get 2 condiment cups for each deli, and staple one to the side an inch or two from the bottom. The shavings or ends of towels won't fall into the water. Put a clean cup inside the stapled one - that is where the water goes, and what needs to be cleaned or discarded.

 

[RyanR]

Hello...*sigh*

Believe me, I've read the threads on co-habbing, including this latest one, and I'm not trying to start anything in the way of a fight, but I have to wonder: do breeders immediately separate hatchlings into their own boxes/tanks right after hatching, or can the hatchlings stay together for a little bit & then be on their merry way?

In my case, I have two charcoal ladies who are both about 5-6 mos old, and one is 20 g & the other is 30 g. I took a 20-gal tank & cut a plexi-glass wall to go between them -- and it's been working great until Hyetti discovered that she lives in a sorority house. She found the tiniest sliver of space & keeps going over the wall. First she did it, then Zya went to visit her, and now Hyetti won't stay on her side. I'm a wee bit frustrated -- and yes, I'm working on getting her her own enclosure set-up this weekend.

However, in the meantime, will it be safe enough to let Hyetti keep visiting Zya? They're well-fed & pretty much ignore each other. Is cannibalization frequent in hatchlings? And when does a hatchling stop being a hatchling?

By no means do I recommend co-habbing; in fact, I even put the question on my Q-&-A sheet at ReptileFest this past weekend advocating against it. So, I do understand the dangers, but I feel that I have to defend myself right off so that I don't get burned by asking this...thanks.

These two got past a divider in a 10 gallon tank, Were fed 4 days prior...