Heat Pad?? Heat Lamp?? Need some help.

[Christian P]

Hello everyone...

I just got a Corn Snake from my girl, We have a heat lamp that sits on top of the 10gallon tank...and we have a heat pad?? that sticks to the bottom of my tank. I have the light on top and heat pad on the same side...I have his rock house on that side...I have his water dish on the other(cooler) side...We have only had him for a day and a bit....But notice that he stays on the colder side of the tank...is the heat pad underneath too hot??? or is he not use to it maybe??? i guess it could be alot of things...but what do i know??? Nothing at this point. I just wonder if the heat pad is ok...and maybe he is just getting use to this new tank..

The snake is a baby...If that matters...

Any help would be sweet.

Thank you all.

 

[OkateeManiac]

first of all read up on corns before to take care of one also yes im sure it is to hot for the snake on that side get a thermometer and take the lamp off and if it is between 82 to 88 on the hot side your fine

 

[Christian P]

I have a thermometer, and it sits on the colder side of the tank...In the top right hand corner, It reads around 70 in the day. So I am not sure what the differance would be on the side with the heat pad and the light. It's only a 10gallon tank. The thermometer is stuck on with 3M tape, So I can't take it off and put it on the other side to find out. I have read up and used the advice that was given to me from the Pet Store, {but part of me feels like, the people at the pet store might not know entierly what they let on. If you know what I mean} Now I am hopeing people that have maybe gone through this might know, so i dont worry myself about how he is making out. I just wanna know if i should keep the heat pad on all the time....even when his light is on??? or if i should keep his pad on at night only...

I really don't know. I just wan't what's best for him.

 

[OkateeManiac]

what u can do is use the light durring the day and use the pad at night but i need to know what wattage bulb it is

 

[Bluebeard]

ok first off welcome to the site fellow Canadian i'm from Edmonton myself, second get another thermometer for the warm side,
http://www.cornsnakes.com/forums/showthread.php?t=19168
this thread give a really good idea for the heat pad because it may be to hot put this on and then test the surface of the glass that the UTH (under tank heater) is on it should be around the low 80's, and there should be another hide on the cool side as well as the warm side, i find with my tanks i need both, due to our colder climate here, plus I'm in a basement suit so its always colder in here. i think thats it for now, there is alot of really good information on here do alot of reading thats all i did the first few day i had my snake. good luck.

 

[Christian P]

what u can do is use the light durring the day and use the pad at night but i need to know what wattage bulb it is

I have a 60watt bulb.
That is what I was leaning towards...I am going to pick up some more things for taking care of him...but it was a surprise present, So now I am adjusting and picking up as I go...

 

[Christian P]

ok first off welcome to the site fellow Canadian i'm from Edmonton myself, second get another thermometer for the warm side,
http://www.cornsnakes.com/forums/showthread.php?t=19168
this thread give a really good idea for the heat pad because it may be to hot put this on and then test the surface of the glass that the UTH (under tank heater) is on it should be around the low 80's, and there should be another hide on the cool side as well as the warm side, i find with my tanks i need both, due to our colder climate here, plus I'm in a basement suit so its always colder in here. i think thats it for now, there is alot of really good information on here do alot of reading thats all i did the first few day i had my snake. good luck.

Hello Bluebeard,

Thank you for that link...that seems very helpful, I also have been reading alot of the older threads and I find real helpful info...Thank's again for the help everyone.

 

[Lennycorn]

Welcome to the forum, Most all you questions can be found in the search section. Please read, and read some more.
You might try a indoor/outdoor thermometer with a probe that lays on the surface where the snake is. The stick on thermometers only read the air temp. above the snake. The pro's know more than I. Please read the forum.
You're at the right place.
Good luck and have fun.

 

[mosdef]

i only use heat pads on 2 tanks and a light on one, i would use one or the other for sure not both and put a hide box on each side, you would have relativley the same temps as me here on the east coast, bit hotter there in the summer, a heat pad should be fine but you will need to get a decent thermometer i have found those sticky thermometers up to 10 degrees off as compared to my electronic one. good luck

 

[lisa127]

On my 20 long tanks, I use a UTH 24/7 and a low wattage (only 25 watts) red bulb for winter time only. A 60 watt bulb sounds way too high for a 10 gallon tank.....

 

[cowboyman13]

I have been able to succesfuly mantain my temps at the reccomnded level using only a UTH. I agree that a 60 watt is probably to much. With a 50 on my land bound turtle tank i am able to keep a basking spot at about 85 to 90 adjusting the distance between light and tank. I think the UTH will do just fine all you need to do is adjust the amout of substrate over it to regulate the temp. It took me about a week to figure out how to get it just right. You really shoud get another gauge in there to check the temp on the warm side. I just let mine sit on top of the substrate over the UTH. It dosent seem to bother wrangler he just kinds of slides it around once in awhile. I hope this helps.

 

[justcage]

For a corn a UTH will be the better option sonce they are not going to require all the higher ambiants that some others require..

 

[Bandit]

Most of the advice already given is good, especially about taking the temps at the level of the substrate where the snake lives and the 60 watt bulb may be too hot. I use a digital indoor/outdoor thermometer with an attached probe bought at Walmart for only $10 Canadian. For $25-30 dollars you can get one that also reads the humidity. It is accurate and you can take multiple readings at various locations around the vivarium.

When you use both a UTH and a basking light off set them on the same side of the tank so there is a temperature gradient. The UTH should give a temperature of between 85 and 90 degrees at the surface and an ambient air temperature around it of 80 to 85 degrees, while the basking light should give you a temperature of from around 88 to 93 degrees at the surface. When the snake wants to thermoregulate it will go to the warm side of the tank use whatever areas it wants to, and when it wants to be cooler it will go to the other side of the tank. I often place a piece of slate over the top of the UTH so the heat radiates through this and easily dissipates into the ambient air of the viv. This gives the snake a nice resting spot to sit on and negate any possibility of being burned by the UTH (although I have never had that kind of problem with a UTH) and I will put another piece of flat rock under the basking light for a second spot for the snake to thermoregulate.

Try taking the temps with the UTH alone. If you have the proper size UTH, a 10 gallon vivarium should not require a second heat source like a basking light and being nocturnal, Corns do not need any light what-so-ever. As long as the UTH is giving a temp of at least 80 to 85 on it's surface and the cool side doesn't go below 70 degrees, then the snake will be just fine. You don't really need a higher temp basking spot. They are really adaptable. I find that the temp on the surface of the slate over the UTH generally sits around 90 degrees and the ambient air temp sits between 80 and 85 around the warm side of the viv.

With several of my smaller vivs I use a UTH by itself, or only a red basking light that gives the right temps. I use anywhere from a 25 to 50 watt bulb depending on the size of the tank (I test temps before putting the snakes in). I use the UTH and light combos on the larger tanks (30 gallons and higher). I use heat tape on the rack system -- but that is another situation altogether.