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Viv is too hot >.<

Z

Zakel2

New member
New owner here - and I've kind of been lurking around these forums for the past couple weeks.

So I have a problem with my viv - I got the tank/bowl/hide/substrate/lights/thermometer as a all-in-one set up from the pet store. I finally got a digital thermometer to temp and yeah - it's about 20 degrees hotter than the thermometer I have right now - 111 degrees :/

I have a 50watt light in there now and it is 91F on the hot side and 78F on the cold side.

I've heard people taking about using thermostats - what do you use to heat and what do you actually use for the thermostats? Being able to control the heat would be nice since... some days its really hot and others it is very cold.
 
Put a dimmer switch on the heat pad. And consider using an exstention cord so you can put the dimmer on that and dime both your light and heatpad
 
An undertank heater (UTH) and thermostat are usually recommended - that's the setup I use. Corns don't need artificial light, so if you get a UTH, you can switch them off altogether.

Most heat sources - light, ceramic or mat - will be far too hot for a Corn without a thermostat to keep them low enough.

Put a dimmer switch on the heat pad.
Click to expand...
Don;t think there's a heat mat involved at the moment.

And consider using an exstention cord so you can put the dimmer on that and dime both your light and heatpad
Click to expand...
I'd advise against this. You can use one thermostat to control two bits of *identical* equipment e.g. two heatmats. However, they have to be in the same position in two tanks in order to make this work (there's only one probe per thermostat).

Trying to control two different bits of hardware - in this case a light and a heat mat - would definitely not work. They'd be switched on/off at different thresholds.
 
Wait - do they need UV light at all? Because I have one of those too (doesn't give off much heat)
 
No, Corns have no need for UV light at all as they're not a basking reptile.

With a UV light on, a Corn is more likely to hide away to try and avoid it. In the wild, they're most active at times of low or no light (dawn, dusk, overnight). Having a UV light on is like having a permanent midday sun above them.
 
Well - that would explain why she's burrowed all day xD - So for the heat situation - I should get a heat pad with a thermostat - do they come bundled together and could you possible point me in the direction of one? Also - do I want to keep the digital thermometer in the tank at all times to monitor temps or just check from time to time?
 
Oh dear, that is WAY too hot.

What size is that tank? The light is inside? Is it covered so the snake cannot touch it and get burnt?

I had a 60W red bulb on top of my 10 gl tank, and it was reading at about 85-86 on the substrate. Yours sounds like it must be too close to the bottom of the tank.

I just now got the rest of my supplies, my thermostat and my dual probe digital thermometer. It does control the heat quite well, I see variations from about 82-87 degrees but probably when it gors down to the 82, it turns back on to it's set temp.

I have it on a head pad, which is under my tank. From what I've gathered here the undertank mats are the best option and use a thermostat and a digital thermometer, it really is much easier. I can tell you what most people here are gonna say - turn all of your heat off until you get a thermostat, I've been told that over and over and I have one.

91 probably won't be way too much but anything over that I would say could be dangerous, especially over 100!
 
Agreed about trying to use any thermostat/dimmer in order to control 2 devices. I watched something on BigAppleHerp that then the thermostat has no way to know what it's controlling.

If you have to turn off the heat, your snake will be ok as long as it doesn't get too cold, 68-70 would be ok until you get it regulated. Better safe than sorry. I had to do that with mine. It has cost me way more than I thought b/c I didn't get all of this advice before I got my snakes, I trusted what I had been told from where I got my snakes.
 
Uhh its a 20g long tank and I have the light on top of the screen. Ambient temp in my room is ~73F - I don't want it to be too cold so she can digest because I just fed her last night.
 
Zakel2 - You may want to buy a book. Corn Snakes in Captivity (Professional Breeders Series) [Paperback]
Don Soderberg (Author)
 
I did try looking for some books at my local bookstore before hand but didn't have any luck... Thank you for the recommendation - I will take a look at it.
 
There is a thread under general cornsnake regarding low priced thermostat. A couple really good rec's there and I think maybe even a thermometer prices too.

I am amazed at how quickly I fell in love with the dual probe digital therm. It's hanging on the wall and I can check temps every time I walk by with ease. I also have a laser thermometer that needs batteries and for now I have 2 thermometers in the tank just in case - this can double check the temps.

That thread was called thermostats on a low budget I think.
 
I didn't know they made special ones for heat mats! another tip, just b/c I asked - is when you get the thermometer & thermostat to keep them held down at the bottom so the snakes can't move them is to go to Walmart or hobby store and get something that almost gummy kind of stick on stuff you can use to hang posters & stuff on your walls. It's in the office supply section at walmart. It looks like this:

http://www.shindigz.com/party/Sticky-Tack.cfm - I was going to use electrical tape but apparently this stuff is safer and snake can't get tangled up in it.
 
I use blu-tak, which seems similar. It doesn't stick to the snakes at all. It does need to be replaced now and again, but I've found it very helpful.
 
I'm gonna use that, especially since I don't have a glue gun and if I do, who knows were it is. I found that tack stuff at walmart for 1.88 for 4 strips.
 
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