I am planning to purchase my first snake (Corn) at the Midwest Reptile show in Indy in November...has anyone ever attended?Would I be best to start with a Sterilite enclosure or immediately go to a 20 gal. terrarium? I'm not sure what the best method of providing a heat space would be if I used the plastic container. Your help is appreciated. P.S. more questions to come I'm sure!!
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Newby needing help
- Thread starter jmarsh01
- Start date
Lyle
New member
Hi, i'm new too so welcome. A very good reputable breeder said for me to use a plastic shoe box type container, they are real cheap at Walmart, it should have a tight fitting lid and small air holes(smaller than the snakes head), I ended up with a plastic reptile container about 12"x18"x5"high with a snap lid and bought a repile heat pad 7"x10" and put it only a little way under the container, I used an indoor/outdoor thermometer for cars so you can get the warm side temp as well as the cool side, always watch the temp.(better a touch cool than too hot, it should only be real warm in one area of the tank) a small hide or two is good and newspaper is fine for the substrate, and a small branch, and an untipable water dish. This worked well when my Okeetee was only 7" long, but I was lucky enough to optain a 55 gal aquarium from my grandma, who had passed away. She is very happy now. It's good to buy them as babies so they can get used to being held, an older one may scare some if it was to bite, unless it was also held alot. Goodluck
if you have the money and the space a 20 gl long take with a good lid is best. your snake can live out the rest of its life in this. if you do want to start small or money is a problem i recommend a plastic type of container with roughly the same ground area as a 10 gl tank. for heating with either setup, i suggest an inexpensive heat strip with a thermostat.
Rainey
Why can't I have more?
Hey Jmarsh!
Welcome to the Forum! and welcome to you too Lyle!
First thing is first, generally, many of us use those small sterilite shoe boxes with many small holes punched in it for the small ones. Then they grow out of it and a 10 or 20 gallon enclosure works nicely, and then once it starts getting near full size I think a 20 gallon enclosure is about the smallest one should use. That's what I've read atleast.
As far as heating goes, an 8 x 8 Under Tank Heating pad works great. Just put it under a little less than half of your show box enclosure then you can use it when you upgrade in size. I don't use a thermostat, but that's just me.
To get you started out cheaply this is a good way to do it. Aspen is a good cheap substrate also.
Hope this helps!
Welcome to the Forum! and welcome to you too Lyle!
First thing is first, generally, many of us use those small sterilite shoe boxes with many small holes punched in it for the small ones. Then they grow out of it and a 10 or 20 gallon enclosure works nicely, and then once it starts getting near full size I think a 20 gallon enclosure is about the smallest one should use. That's what I've read atleast.
As far as heating goes, an 8 x 8 Under Tank Heating pad works great. Just put it under a little less than half of your show box enclosure then you can use it when you upgrade in size. I don't use a thermostat, but that's just me.
To get you started out cheaply this is a good way to do it. Aspen is a good cheap substrate also.
Hope this helps!
Hmm
Hi, im not a expert on corn snakes YET but i have been able to learn alot abou them from here and from sites reading.. If i was you depending on the size of the corn snake you are getting if it is a baby/hatchling I would just go with a 10 gallon tank, you don't need anything bigger for now. I currently have my little corn snakes in plastic clear boxes that are around 10 gallon size.
Hi, im not a expert on corn snakes YET but i have been able to learn alot abou them from here and from sites reading.. If i was you depending on the size of the corn snake you are getting if it is a baby/hatchling I would just go with a 10 gallon tank, you don't need anything bigger for now. I currently have my little corn snakes in plastic clear boxes that are around 10 gallon size.
Wish I could go too!
Though I haven't been to the Indy show, I purchased my new baby at the Tinley Park, IL show last month. It was great to be able to look at so many corn snakes and choose, plus you will be able to pick up items you may still need. Do you have the Corn Snake Manual by Kathy Love yet?
There will be experts there that you can talk with also. There are several different ways to go about housing your snake. My yearling is in a 20 gal. "long" tank, and my baby is in a 10 gal., but you certainly may start out with a small plastic container if you wish and use "heat tape" for the heating source.
Both of my tanks have a water bowl, two hides, a branch to climb and aspen substrate. I have a heat pad under 1/3 of the big tank, and heat tape under 1/3 of the 10 gal. Now that summer is over, I use a spray mist every once in a while to help with humidity. (I do have a thermometer and humidity gauge in the larger tank)
Cornsnakes are wonderful, and easy! Basically you need water, 2 hides, and a heat source on part of the tank, with aspen, newspaper, or some other substrate (and pinkies of course!) Good luck and have a great time in Indy!
Though I haven't been to the Indy show, I purchased my new baby at the Tinley Park, IL show last month. It was great to be able to look at so many corn snakes and choose, plus you will be able to pick up items you may still need. Do you have the Corn Snake Manual by Kathy Love yet?
There will be experts there that you can talk with also. There are several different ways to go about housing your snake. My yearling is in a 20 gal. "long" tank, and my baby is in a 10 gal., but you certainly may start out with a small plastic container if you wish and use "heat tape" for the heating source.
Both of my tanks have a water bowl, two hides, a branch to climb and aspen substrate. I have a heat pad under 1/3 of the big tank, and heat tape under 1/3 of the 10 gal. Now that summer is over, I use a spray mist every once in a while to help with humidity. (I do have a thermometer and humidity gauge in the larger tank)
Cornsnakes are wonderful, and easy! Basically you need water, 2 hides, and a heat source on part of the tank, with aspen, newspaper, or some other substrate (and pinkies of course!) Good luck and have a great time in Indy!