Temporary Viv!!!?? Need help

[sweetdiego7]

Well it looks like my Barrs cage wont be here til the 18th, and my lil snake is showing up tomorrow... the 13th! So what do I do til then? I dont want to spend a bunch on an aquarium, although they might still have their cheapy 10gallon tanks on sale for $10....but then I have to find a top that is escape proof.

Would a critter keeper work? Just something like this http://www.petco.com/product_info.asp?sku=1083820020&dept_id=-2

It will ONLY be for 5 days... I would have to test out the UTH on it to see how the temp is in there though..

Any help would be greatly appreciated...and quick responses are even better...seeing as I have to go out and buy something like pronto tomorrow right after my morning class.
Thanks!

-Day

 

[starwarsdad]

Assuming you are getting a baby corn, the enclosure you linked to might be OK. You would have to go over it in person though to ensure there are no holes large enough for the snake to escape. Another option would be a Sterilite or Rubbermaid tub at Target or Walmart. Five minutes with a soldering iron and you have a nice inexpensive home.

 

[Vicki M]

I have one exactly the same for feeding. It will be fine. Just put the heatmat on underneath on the outside under about 1/3 and put some substrate, water and a hide in. Congratulations on your new snake :crazy02:

 

[brownie55]

I do the same things as Vicki M. You will probably want one around for a feeding container anyway. The only thing is I'd step up to the large for 3 bucks more. Hope this helps. Enjoy the new snake. Post pics after s/he has had time to settle in.

 

[Packerfan4]

Just get a rubbermaid tote put papertowls, a waterdish and a hide box in there and throw a heating pad under it.

 

[brownie55]

I don't know about the RubberMaid tote, but the Kritter Keeper has a really secure lid.

 

[IguanaMama]

I use this one:

http://www.petco.com/product_info.asp?sku=1083820096&dept_id=-2

It's only a couple of dollars more, but it is really great, very spacious for a baby snake! Lee's makes a light ($10) that fits right into the smaller door.

http://www.petco.com/product_info.asp?sku=1083819998&dept_id=-2

I also have a small t-rex cobra heat mat that I keep under it, on the side with the light and the temps are just right that way.

http://www.petco.com/product_info.asp?sku=4385482010&dept_id=-2

After you use it as temporary housing, you could always use this for quarentine or feeding etc. I use it for quarentining all my new herps and temp housing if someone catches my eye that I don't have a set-up for yet.

Good luck with your new snakie!

 

[sweetdiego7]

Ive got another question....right now I have a Zoo-Med UTH, and it attaches to the enclosure with a sticky surface....

So what do I do about my temporary tank, if I put the heating pad on the temp. one, I wont have it for my barrs cage when it comes. In the instruction booklet that came with it, it says that removing the pad after you stick it on can damage the internal wires, and the warranty is void. (i dont care about the warranty...) but do any of you have any suggestions??

 

[starwarsdad]

Don't peel the contact layer off??

or attach it to a piece of ceramic tile. Then you can use it on any enclosure down the road.

 

[sweetdiego7]

If I dont take the contact paper off wont it burn? I thought about just stick 2 edges of the UTH to the container...since most complain that Zoo-med UTH's get too hot....

I dunno, I just dont want it to be too hot or too cold, and when needed I'd like to be able to switch them. hmmmm I wish I was back in SAn Diego with a decent # of pet stores, instead of JUST Petsmart, and a petsmart which is lame on all their products.

 

[howiet4702]

i think Petsmart also sells a UTH that you don't have to peel the backing off.....I read it in another post this week. I wish I could remember the name of the UTH....I will have to get back to you unless someone else answers b4 me...

 

[darkpbstar]

yea I also use one of those for feeding. the critter carrier, only mine is a different brand, but the same thing.

 

[Wilder]

For the sticky-backed UTH, just peel off the backing, lay a sheet of aluminum foil over the sticky stuff, and smooth it on. Then trim excess from around the heat pad. Works great, it's what I did with mine. That way I can use it on the 20 gallon in the future and on up until I get the large permanent enclosure.

Hope that helps.

 

[howiet4702]

i think Petsmart also sells a UTH that you don't have to peel the backing off.....I read it in another post this week. I wish I could remember the name of the UTH....I will have to get back to you unless someone else answers b4 me...

It's a cobra heat mat if anyone is still interested. You use your own double sided tape so you can reuse the UTH over and over again...

 

[daisy]

I wouldn't get too excited about the UTH personally...you're only looking at a few days here...When I got Chester, it was Christmas vacation and I kept him in a kritter keeper with paper towels, a small dish of water and a TP roll. I just kept it near the heater in my apartment and he was fine...mind you I didn't feed him until he was settled in his permanent home.....

 

[Alias47]

I know people that have used UTH's with the contact paper on them for YEARS with no problems...even if they got up to 120 (and they definitely shouldn't) it still isn't enough to start the paper on fire.

I have pulled UTH's off of LOTS of tanks...and never had a problem with one working when reapplied to the next tank...
Just peel carefully.

Or use a human heating pad, if you have one laying around...just adjust the setting (low should be sufficient) and the amount of heat pad the temp viv is on.

Or don't use one...put it in a warm spot for the couple days.

 

[MegF.]

I use rubbermaid totes for my hatchlings and I just drilled holes in the plastic for them to have air. I also stuck my uth to a piece of photo glass. That way it won't be stuck directly to the plastic, the glass is thin enough to transmit the heat, and as I change containers, I can continue to use it.