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need help setting up tank for corn snake.

W

wanttogetacornsnake

New member
Hi guys. I would appreciate some help with knowing what to buy for the tank I have for a corn snake. I have done a lot of research online, but everything just doesnt match up, so I dont know what to go by. I think it would be safer talking to real people, that know what they are doing. Anyway. I have a 55 gallon tank that I would use, It is a fish tank at the moment, but would be emptied and disinfected before the snake came in. I want to know everything from feeding, cleaning, heating, and all that. I just want to make sure I will keep my snake as healthy and happy as possible. All input is very much appreciated. Thanks guys.
 
Hey mate, welcome to the forum. :)

Right, well it might seem obvious; but make sure you have a secure, tight-fitting lid. Corn snakes (like most snakes) are excellent escape artists, so one slip-up, and bam! They're gone. (Please, no one quote the Cillit Bang advert, lol)

Okay, well here's a list of what you need:

- Heat mat covering 1/3 of the tank
- Thermostat to control the mat
- Digital thermometer (with a probe, preferably)
- Two hides (one on the warm side, one on the cool side)
- A water dish
- Substrate (aspen's great, but make sure you feed in a seperate tub)

Anything else is an extra, but with a tank that size, a hatchling's gonna get freaked out (and probably not eat). Either you put the hatchling in a smaller tub, or you buy lots of artificial plants, lots of hides, places to climb etc. The aspen will also help it feel secure (by burrowing)

Feeding

You should be feeding a prey item that's 1 to 1 1/2 times the girth of your snake. With smaller prey items, I feed once every 5 days, and with larger prey items, I feed once every 7 days (eventually once every 10 days). You should leave 48 hours before handling your snake, apart from briefly handling it to place it back in the tank after feeding. If you get a regurge, don't feed for 10 days, and feed a smaller item (if it's a hatchling, it should be a pinkie head or half a pinkie).

Cleaning

I spot clean whenever there's waste, and I give a total clean out once every 6 weeks. I clean the water bowl and replace the water every other day. I use a biological cleaner for spot cleaning and the total clean out, but a 5% bleach solution is fine too (allow an hour or so to air it out).

Heating

I've explained what equipment you need, but you'll need a warm side that's between 80 - 85F, and a cool side that's between 70 - 75F.

If you have any other questions, don't hesitate to ask or send me a PM.

All the best

David
 
Thank you very much David, I also read the sticky that has been posted. I now have great information. I was wondering what the average price of the heaters and all that is. I have the tank, which I have several sizes to choose from as it grows, 10 gallon, 30 gallon, 35 gallon. to a 55 gallon. I would need the top, the heater and/or lamp, substrate, dishes... i geuss the biggest deal would be the heating for the snake, the top, and the thermometre... i live in southern ontario, near detroit, dont know if i would need to keep check on the hunmidity in the tank or not... thanks...
 
That is really a huge question. I don't think it is the kind of question that should be answered in a couple of paragraphs. Dave make a valiant attempt but you really need to buy one of several inexpensive books and read them cover to cover. Kathy Love has a great book you can buy on her site for not too much money. Don Soderberg does as well. Either book will answer all your questions and then you will have a reference at hand for when your forget stuff.

Good luck and welcome to the forum.
 
If you start out with a 10 gal, which will be fine for the snakes first year of life, get a UTH sized for a 10-20 gal. $18 or so in stores here, about $10 online. Mount it on a separate piece of glass or ceramic tile or just foil tape it directly to the bottom of the tank without removing the adhesive so you can re-use it when you move to a new tank.

For the 55 gal you will need a bigger UTH.

For a thermostat, ZooMed 500R is good, $40 in stores if you can find it, $22 online. Obviously you are much better off ordering these items online.

Thermometer, any digital thermometer with a wired probe. $9 and up in stores, $5 and up online.

I'm not sure about shipping to Canada but reptilesupply.com and reptiledirect.com both usually have good prices on these items, as well as fake plants, water dishes, hides, etc. Everything is usually about 1/2 the store price if bought through internet vendors. Order all of it together and minimize the shipping costs.
 
wade said:
Kathy Love has a great book you can buy on her site for not too much money. Don Soderberg does as well.
Click to expand...

Just so you know, he is talking about these books;
Corn Snakes : The Comprehensive Owner's Guide by Kathy & Bill Love
Corn Snakes In Captivity by Don Soderberg

And almsot all of CS.com will recomend these books. They are FANTASTIC.

Welcome to the fourum, btw. :)
 
thanks guys... i will see if i can find them... and now... i have looked in the gallery, and seen the different colours of the snakes.. i really like the red, yellow, and orange ones... would i be able to just ask for the colour.. or do i need to use the proper terms...
 
That's an Abbott's okeetee. You'd be hard pressed to find a snake that looks as good as that, lol.

You go in and ask for an okeetee, or ask if they know a local breeder or can order one in for you.
 
just curious, where in canada are you? I'm on Vancouver Island, BC. I own an Okeetee (referring only to its coloration as it's lineage cannot be traced). Good luck and enjoy
 
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