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Size of cage question

Had1nowwant1

New member
Would it be ok to go ahead and get a 20gL tank for a month and a half old corn? I wanted to get the 20L so i wouldnt have to buy another tank later on.
 
Sure, you could do that. Just make sure you have LOTS of hides for the little guy/girl. Young corn snakes are very shy, and if you don't give them enough places to hide so that they can feel comfortable they will get stressed out, which can lead to eating problems which can lead to health problems, ect. You want to make sure that the hatchling can make it securely from the warm end of the tank to the cool end of the tank without having to expose itself too much. My favorite method is using paper towel tubes in the vivs. It really seems to do the trick and is quite inexpensive and easy to replace should they get "messy." :)
 
i will be using aspen bedding so it can burrow in it where ever it wants. I will have paper towels or something covering the UTH so the snake can not get directly on the hot glass.
 
That all sounds real good. I would still think that lots of hides on top of the aspen are pretty important too; lots of options are always nice. ;)
 
Put a nice piece of black slate or flat rock on top of the UTH if you are worried about possible burns from the UTH. The heat will radiate through the rock, will not interfere with heating the tank and provide a nice basking spot for the snake. It will also add to the overall feel and look of the tank. My snakes often use this rock as a place to rub against to discard the old skin. :crazy02:
 
Something else that I would add would be maybe some of those plastic plants that you can set up like bushes around the viv...this will give some cover when your baby wants to 'roam'. Plus they give a cool look to your tank. Sorry to disagree with you Bandit, but I wouldn't put a flat rock over the UTH...just for the simple fact that I like to add a hide over the UTH to give the snake a place to curl up and let the food digest in 'secrecy'.
 
You have a good start*

I would be afraid to put a rock over the UTH, I have a turtle shell that is about 5in long 4 in wide and like 4in high, I think that the aspen keeps warmth well, But as far as a rock I do not know for sure and you may have more experience than I do; I do not know if it is like an “old wives tale” but I have heard that sometime the younger corns like kill themselves when they rest on a hot rock for long. But please correct me if I am wrong, this is just one of the things I have heard repeatedly.


I also wanted to say that the 20gL should house a corn for its whole life, so you should not have to worry about “upgrading” unless you personally want more room.
:)
 
I have a large flatish granite rock dirrectly under the 100W lamp to absorb heat during the 'lights on' hours and slowly release it during the 'lights out' hours, so I use the same theory but with a different heat source....the snakes seem to like it...
 
I have a plastic plant thing that i got for my crested gecko and i only put half of it in the cage so i may put the other half in the cornsnake cage. Yea i know that corns can live in a 20gL for their whole life but i was thinking the hatchling might get stressed from having such a big cage. I will have a hide on both ends of the cage, possibly the plastic plant, under the water bowl if it happened to go under there, and the aspen so it will have many places to hide. I got one of those vine things that they sell at petstores for my crested gecko but never used it so i might put it in the corn's cage for it to climb on.
 
plants

I have a 30 gallon for my little guy (he's about 15 inches) and all he did was stay in his cage or burrow until i got some plants in there, now he's as snug as a bug in a rug. It gives them something to climb on, and he likes to "hide" behind one in a ditch around the pot. I find that he likes things that branch out instead of up. He probably feels more secure with the "roof" (leaves) closer to his head. Plants are probably a very good idea. Plus it'll give him something to climb on and stretch his muscles. Just be sure that with the addtion of plants the lid is secure because the plants bring him closer to the top of the tank.
 
what ever size cage i get i am getting an All Glass Aquariums Critter Cage. These cages have the sliding tops with a lock in the back so the snake cannot push the top up or slide it off.
 
Good move! I had intended to get one of those, but my tank was on sale for $50, so we thought it was a good deal, but now that my guy keeps going for the lid I'm starting to wish that I'd gotten one of those. More cage locks for me though :-D
 
The topic got kinda thrown off with the talk about cage decor and UTH's. Does anyone else have an opinion on the cage size. I dont want to snake to get stressed out by a big cage. Would a 20gL stress out a hatchling even with multiple hides?
 
Alltough i am fairly new only about 3 months into owning a cornsnake. From what i understand from all the research i have been doing in the past3 months. And from the few responses you have gotten. It sounds like it will be just fine as long as you give it some hides.
 
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