Heat Rocks and Water Question

[ShenziSixaxis]

I was just under my bed digging around for an artificial plant to soak in a bleach solution with some other stuff so I could get my 20gal tank ready for my corn, and with the plant I found a heating rock. I know that reptiles have something going on with the nerves on their under bellies and tend to burn, but is it okay to use any heating rock in any way?
The one I've got is older, and is pretty heavy, so all you do is plug it in and it turns on. But it's nice and big and I think it'd be a pretty good aid in digestion. It looks like these, but isn't nearly as realistic and is an orangey color.


Also, I'm curious about water in the dish. I know bottled water is probably best, but err, http://www.onlineeducation.net/bottled_water/. Yeah, I don't wanna use bottled water if I don't have to. However, I'm not totally sure what distilled water is. Is it just tap water that's been sitting out for a day or something?

 

[Aislin]

Heating rocks are not a good idea. I have been told by more experinced members here that they can easily cause severe burns in snakes as they cannot be regulated properly.

I'm not sure about the distilled water..I've always just bought those big bottles of water(1litre) from Safeway. They last us pretty well as we only have one still small corn.

 

[jlindp]

I would HIGHLY, HIGHLY recommend against heat rocks. It's much safer and wiser to use an under tank heater paired with a thermostat.

As for water, you can use filtered water, or tap water that has been left to breathe for at least 24 hours. Don't use distilled water as it doesn't contain any minerals that are good for snake growth. :}

 

[Iguanagirl8662]

Heat rocks have no use, except maybe for a paper weight. Your best off just throwing it away. They burn animals and I have also read about them causing fires. To heat your tank you want a heat pad with a thermomstat and a digital thermometer. Do not use those dial ones they are not accurate.

As for the water I use plain tap water. I have city water and not sure if I would use well water, all the well water I've drank taste yucky and I would not use it for my animals.

 

[K. Rene]

Well Water?

I have city water and not sure if I would use well water, all the well water I've drank taste yucky and I would not use it for my animals.

Who's well were you drinking out of? I love well water, it only get's yucky when it rains a lot, it kinda turns brown lol. I live in the city and I don't like the water much, so I get bottled water for the snakes.

 

[ShenziSixaxis]

I've had the heat rock plugged in for about three hours now, and by human touch it's just warm enough to be considered warm. I'd be happy to use it if anyone knows what the temp is that reptile bellies tend to burn. If not, I'll just use the heating pad and a heating lamp when needed.

Also, the heating pad I have right now is one sized for 5-10gal tanks; my snake is going in a 20gal, so is it okay if I get another heating pad to use with it (of the same size, of course)?

 

[Aislin]

If the heat rock is warm to you..its way to hot for your corn. Your base body temp. is higher than a corns so it should feel barely warm to you at the proper range. I would just not use it at all.

If you are going to go out and buy another UTH I would buy one that is made for a 20g. tank. they don't cost much more...you don't need the lamp at all if your UTH is set properly at between 80 to 85F. I would suggest using a reostat, or a thermostat to regulate it. Many members (including myself) use a lamp dimmer to control the heat on the UTH.

..oh and don't forget the thermometer with a probe (which should be placed directly over the UTH but inside the tank) so you can monitor the temps.

 

[Iguanagirl8662]

Who's well were you drinking out of? I love well water, it only get's yucky when it rains a lot, it kinda turns brown lol. I live in the city and I don't like the water much, so I get bottled water for the snakes.

Maybe I'm just use to my water but a friend of mine about 10 minutes away has well water and it's gross he won't even drink it and he buys bottled water for his lizards. My dad's house also had well water and I wouldn't touch it, it may just be my taste I grew up with city water.:shrugs:

 

[ShenziSixaxis]

^ We're not talking about well water here. :laugh:

If the heat rock is warm to you..its way to hot for your corn. Your base body temp. is higher than a corns so it should feel barely warm to you at the proper range. I would just not use it at all.

I'll think long and hard on it. At the least, I'm going to consider putting the rock in as a decorative item, since it's coloring is a bit off of aspen and might look good.

If you are going to go out and buy another UTH I would buy one that is made for a 20g. tank. they don't cost much more...you don't need the lamp at all if your UTH is set properly at between 80 to 85F. I would suggest using a reostat, or a thermostat to regulate it. Many members (including myself) use a lamp dimmer to control the heat on the UTH.

Okay; would two of the sizes I have now be better or a 20gal? 'Cause I've never used UTHs and I want my snake to be warm at night since the middle of the winter is bloody horrible here.

..oh and don't forget the thermometer with a probe (which should be placed directly over the UTH but inside the tank) so you can monitor the temps.

I'm going to go make a list of stuff to buy tomorrow, including that; if all goes well, that might also be the day I get a corn.

 

[Iguanagirl8662]

I've had the heat rock plugged in for about three hours now, and by human touch it's just warm enough to be considered warm. I'd be happy to use it if anyone knows what the temp is that reptile bellies tend to burn. If not, I'll just use the heating pad and a heating lamp when needed.

Also, the heating pad I have right now is one sized for 5-10gal tanks; my snake is going in a 20gal, so is it okay if I get another heating pad to use with it (of the same size, of course)?

I agree with what Aislin said your temp is higher then a corn so it feels warm to you were as it would be way to hot for a reptile. Plus I really don't see a corn using a heat rock even if it was cool enough. Corns like to hide and tend to like to go in their hide on top of their heat pad rather then lay on top of something. It's best just to buy the right size heat pad, you don't need the lamp if you have the heat pad set at the right temperature. Heat pads get much hotter then 90 degrees so you need a thermostat or at the least a lamp dimmer. I do not like the lamp dimmers because the temperatures vary throughout the day where as thermostats keep the temp set. You also need a digital thermometer with a probe to measure the temperature directly over the heat pad.

 

[Aislin]

If you have two UTH's being used then you need to buy two reostats or thermostats. I think it would be easier (and cheaper) to just use one larger UTH and use that one with the reostat or thermostat and keep the smaller one for your next corn (cause you can rarely have just one)

>...if you do buy another that is the same size I *think* you can buy thermostats that will control more than one heater at a time. I just think its not necessary to use two heaters when one bigger one will work just fine.

 

[Iguanagirl8662]

A 20g UTH would be easier to control the temperature rather then having to control two. It's also best to buy all the stuff you need set the tank up and let it sit a couple days to make sure the temperatures are good.

 

[ShenziSixaxis]

I'll get the one pad then.

A 20g UTH would be easier to control the temperature rather then having to control two. It's also best to buy all the stuff you need set the tank up and let it sit a couple days to make sure the temperatures are good.

I'll think about that, and I did plan to do that, but the place I picked to get a corn said they're only going to get MAYBE one more shipment of corns, so I don't want to screw up and miss getting a perfectly healthy snake. I guess we'll have to see.

 

[Iguanagirl8662]

I'll get the one pad then.



I'll think about that, and I did plan to do that, but the place I picked to get a corn said they're only going to get MAYBE one more shipment of corns, so I don't want to screw up and miss getting a perfectly healthy snake. I guess we'll have to see.

You could always ask if you can pay for it and pick it up in a day or two, some pet stores will do that.

 

[ShenziSixaxis]

^ Yeah, but I'm not sure if the place I picked out does that. Tomorrow when I go out to get the last supplies I'll ask.

 

[francka]

About the water, what is good for you is also good for your snake. Our tab water is very good (is better than the water in the bottles) and I give to my snake only tab water.

A short explanation about the distill water:
The distill water is not good for you and for your snake. distill water is without minerals and can be very dangerous to drink because it takes out the minerals from your body (because the osmosis). If we (and snakes) don't have enough minerals our body can't retain water and we can be dehydrate even if we drink.

 

[ShenziSixaxis]

^ Isn't there something about not using water with any amount of chlorine in it?

 

[Aislin]

Yes there is but you can let the water sit for about 24hrs to evaporate the chlorine. When I don't have any bottled water I just leave a jug of water on the counter and use that instead.

 

[ShenziSixaxis]

^ That's what I'm doing. Cheaper than bottled water.