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Newbie with questions!

C

CandyKitty13

New member
Hi Everyone!

I have some basic care experience, but am new to snake ownership. Yesterday I came home with my very first snake, Que, from the New England Reptile Expo in New Hampshire. I have some questions for you expert caretakers!

I read that UTH can be potentially harmful for burrowers since the snake could lay right up against the glass where the heater is attached and get burned. Que has already shown that he loves to burrow, so I was planning on staying away from the UTH (I have overhead ones too, but wanted to use whatever is most preferred/safest for the snake). What do you guys tend to use?

How long should I wait for him to settle in before feeding? I checked with the breeder and his last meal was 5 days ago, so he is about due for his next. I wasn't sure if I should "dig" him out for mealtime, or give it another day or two.

Thanks in advance :)
 

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Do as much research as possible on here.
The UTH can be harmful if you don't have a thermostat to regulate the temperature.
You can get a 30 dollar Hydrofarm thermostat off Amazon.
I would personally not recommend overhead heating of any kind, as that can get way too hot and burn scales.
From the day you brought him home, leave him alone for 4-5 days to settle in. He'll hide because everything is new, so just let him be.
Make sure if he is going into blue, or shed, that you also leave him alone until he is done.

There are a lot of posts on this site about excellent snake care, so please make sure to read as much as you can so that you can give your snake a healthy and happy life.
Welcome.
 
Zeina said:
Do as much research as possible on here.
The UTH can be harmful if you don't have a thermostat to regulate the temperature.
You can get a 30 dollar Hydrofarm thermostat off Amazon.
I would personally not recommend overhead heating of any kind, as that can get way too hot and burn scales.
.
Click to expand...


How does the Hydrofarm thermostat connect to the UTH (and is it compatible with Zoo Med?) I didn't know they had regulators for those!

I was planning on getting a Rheostat to regulate the overhead heater - currently it is a small ceramic bulb style on one end, and I have a UVB fluorescent bulb on its way for the longer overhead I have, as I read that the snakes benefit healthwise from getting UVB exposure.

Thank you for your input! I have been reading up on snake care since the day before I got him, and keep finding new info!
 
The UTH plugs into the thermostat and there's a probe that measures the temperature. The Hydrofarm thermostat will turn the UTH on and off to control the temp. It's totally compatible with the ZooMed UTHs

P.S. Your snake is beautiful. Welcome and congrats!
 
Thank you so much!

I prefer the idea of temperature regulated UTH than the overhead ceramic bulb (we were already stressing over a makeshift barrier to prevent the cats from knocking it down or burning themselves). I feel they would work better for Que anyways since he is burrowing. The majority of my setup I got for free from a "retired" snake breeder/owner when I purchased the tank from him, so I started with what he gave me and am making adjustments.

I am going to order those thermostats and UTH right away!
 
I have not heard of anyone using UVB, I am not familiar with that and cannot comment on it.
I just know keeping it simple is best.
As long as they have a warm side that is a temp between 85-87 and a cool side around 75ish, they're good. They don't need extra lighting, heating, UVB or anything like that that I am aware of.
I am fairly new, I just started keeping back in 2014, and I got both my boys as babies.
They have thrived, shed, fed and been happy within my care, which I am extremely grateful for.
Snakes are very low maintenance and fun to care for, so don't stress too much and try not to over-complicate anything. Just enjoy!
 
Congrats and welcome! I definetely second the Hydrofarm thermostat (I use it). That way you can guarantee that the glass does not get too hot. Also, UTHs are preferred because the offer belly heat which is important than digestion. So there really should not be a need for an overhead heat lamp.

As for feeding, it is good to give snakes a settle-in period with no handling for about 5 days. So personally I would feed in 6 days (the one day won't hurt at all - adult snakes can go weeks without feeding (although obviously you want to stick to an appropriate feeding schedule).

After he eats, give him at least 24-36 hours to digest (to prevent regurge and other discomforts). Then you should try to handle him a little to get him used to you.
 
I looked around for some other threads regarding UVB and it sounds like for Corn Snakes it really doesn't make any difference with or without it, so I will pack that heater away in my supplies stash lol.

UTH definitely seem the way to go - both for Que's comfort, and for my sanity sake regarding the nosey felines! I know I have seen mentions how many people get two, so there is a cool side and a warm side. How much of the bottom do you want covered by the mats? I have a 20 gallon long tank - and am looking at the 8"x12" size (30-40gal I think) which looks like it would cover the majority of under the tank. Would this be too much? The 10-20gal size seemed a bit small to me.

I will wait until the weekend to feed him, so he can settle in. He last ate on Wednesday, and I brought him home yesterday afternoon, so Friday would be 5 days hands-off.

This is great to be able to hear everyone else's thoughts/opinions on this! A lot of the general care guides online are so generic and aren't nearly as helpful as all of you!
 
You only want about 1/3 of the tank to be covered by the UTH- that's it. That way they can choose to be on the cool side or warm side.
 
In the colder months here our heat is usually set at 65ish - so I didn't think the tank would be warm enough on the cooler side without some added help. Is this true or am I just being overly concerned?
 
Well, as Zeina said you want to cover 1/3 to have a heat gradient. However, the cold side should be 70-75, so 65 is cool. The room where Jag (my snake) lives gets very cold (like 60 degrees)in the winter, so I have a space heater that sits next to her tank to warm up that part of the room so the temps gets up to 70. Is that an option for you?

65 is going to be very cold for your snake, so I would try to get that up a little, probably easiest to increase ambient temperature (with a space heater near the viv), but you could possibly put a heating pad under the cool set to a super low temperature only for the winter.
 
your UTH will not hurt the snake if properly set up and used. Most of the folks around here use a UTH. A thermostat is required for any heat source you use, just as you use a thermostat in your home heating, you should do the same with the snake's heating.

If the UTH is set to 85 degrees, how is that going to harm the snake?

It won't.
 
A space heater is not really an option for me because of my cats (long story short, they can be jerks). Would it make more sense to get the 8"x12" size for the warm side, and maybe a smaller one (like the 6"x8") for the cooler side just to maintain that 70s temp during wintery weather? That way the entire tank is not covered.
 
Unfortunately I cannot comment on the winter temperatures. I live in Florida and am not familiar with the term winter or snow.
I am not sure of the best option for keeping the cool side at 75 degrees, or if it's okay to have it around 65. There are many members on here who live up in North and will be able to help you =)
Also search the threads on this website as there may already be one on this issue.
 
I use 2 heat pad on my setup. It gets cold where I live.

I have one on the warm side set at 86 degrees, and I have one on the cool side as well set at 73 degrees. (If the temp is above 73 it doesn't even come on. It's just there for those really cold days)
 
Karl_Mcknight - how big are your two pads in comparison to the size of the tank bottom? I am not sure how big to get them, I don't want to cover too little of the tank and end up with cold pockets.
 
I have a 30 gal tank.

The pad on the warm side is approx 8" x 12", the pad on the other side is the same 8 x 12, and there is still a good amount of space between them that has "Nothing at all" on it.

You might say I have 3 zones instead of the preferred 2.

But in the summer time that 3rd zone goes away.
 
That looks like Mt. Pleasant Herps "Que" ... as I recall he is ph for a couple things .. congratulations ... nice snake ;-) I agree with the Hydrofarm thermostat control temp .. I have a couple and they work great. A corn snake should be fine in New England as long as there is a warm side if needed .... ours mostly stay on cool side unless digesting ... I find too much heat is worse for them than a little cool .. it's about options ... temperature gradient! I also .. agree let him settle in for 5-7 days before trying to feed ... as far as heat pad .. a 20 long is 30x12x12 ... I usually figure 1/3 of surface area for heat pack leaving plenty opportunity to seek heat but to also get away from it.

Best of luck with him ... suppose to be a great snake for a pet! :)
 
Yup, he is from Mt Pleasant Herps! I saw his bio the night before and made a point to see him at the event. I fell in love the moment I held him!

Thank you for all the UTH info - I want to be sure to get it right the first time :)
 
Also - as important as temps are, if there are a couple of nights over the course of the winter where the temps on the cool side drop to 60-65, as long as there is an appropriate warm side, there is no need to stress. Living in upstate NY, this has happened to me even with a heater and as long as the warm side is still warm enough, there have been no ill-effects on my snake. Also, I would recommend a heat gun to check surface temps, they can be found on Amazon for less than 20 dollars and they are pretty fun to use.
 
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