Viv Pictures + Questions.

[Pet Corn Snake]

Hey guys, well Since my new Viv had a small fire I have never really felt right putting Damien back in it, even though I'm like 100% sure it's safe, so I (as some know) put him back in his old Viv witch is actually an aquarium, this makes a Great home for Damien, I'm pretty sure he likes it

anyways here are some Viv pictures:





Okay anyways here are the questions,

I'm considering changing Damien from beach chippings as bedding to shredded paper towels and loo roll, this would be far better for him to bury himself in witch he likes, and would make feeding him better both now and as he grows, I have never really been to keen on feeding Damien in a tub as he does not like being put back in his tank afterwords,
I think thats about it for the questions actually LOL, just hope everything is okay with the Viv,

I'm considering using the Viv for my geckos at Christmas, I may have to paint over the burn with reptile safe gloss but I'm not 100% sure were i can get that.. maybe it will be fine as it is, I sanded it down with sand paper like Kathy love suggested and then i put electricians tape over that, it's only a very small burn, but anyone who has seen a lot of me on here will know, everything has to be perfect for my snake and future reptiles

oh yea, and my UTH has always been in the tank, Damien has never dug down and tried to get under it or anything and it's on a thermostat, I may move it to actually under the glass but I'm worried it may crack the glass or burn the wood of the stand.. any ideas looking at the above Viv picture...?

 

[Roy Munson]

I'm considering changing Damien from beach chippings as bedding to shredded paper towels and loo roll, this would be far better for him to bury himself in witch he likes, and would make feeding him better both now and as he grows, I have never really been to keen on feeding Damien in a tub as he does not like being put back in his tank afterwords,
I think thats about it for the questions actually LOL, just hope everything is okay with the Viv...

...oh yea, and my UTH has always been in the tank, Damien has never dug down and tried to get under it or anything and it's on a thermostat, I may move it to actually under the glass but I'm worried it may crack the glass or burn the wood of the stand.. any ideas looking at the above Viv picture...?

You shouldn't feed your snake on shredded or chipped material of any sort. Who cares if he "doesn't like" being returned to his tank afterward? There are lots of things we do for our pets' welfare whether they like it or not. I'm sure my snakes would rather eat in their enclosures as well. Too bad. Also, I have no issue with using paper towel, shredded or unshredded, but bathroom tissue is not a good choice of substrate. The stuff's pretty disgusting when it gets wet.

UTH is the acronym for "Under-Tank Heater". Do you know why they're called that? Because they go UNDER the tank. :grin01: You're worried about it getting hot enough to crack glass or burn wood, but you have it in WITH the snake? I'd get it out of there.

 

[susang]

Okay anyways here are the questions,
I'm considering changing Damien from beach chippings as bedding to shredded paper towels and loo roll, this would be far better for him to bury himself in witch he likes, and would make feeding him better both now and as he grows, I have never really been to keen on feeding Damien in a tub as he does not like being put back in his tank afterwords,
I think thats about it for the questions actually LOL, just hope everything is okay with the Viv,
oh yea, and my UTH has always been in the tank, Damien has never dug down and tried to get under it or anything and it's on a thermostat, I may move it to actually under the glass but I'm worried it may crack the glass or burn the wood of the stand.. any ideas looking at the above Viv picture...?

Ok, which is it he likes to bury himself or he doesn't? My UTH are under glass and have been for 4 years no cracked glass yet nor have I ever heard of the glass cracking do to heat mat. However, I have seen a snake (not mine) burned on a heat mat inside the viv. :bang:
I have also read enough to know feeding inside viv on bedding which can stick to and be ingested by snake is not a good thing. :bang: How do you know he doesn't like being put back in his viv after eating?
:shrugs: susan

 

[Nomed]

I would take Dean's advise with the whole under tank heater under the tank lol

do what I did to make a uth an option. I built a little stand using a saw peice of wood and 4 hockey pucks. Cut a hole to fit the uth (bigger is better) then super glue the hockey pucks on the 4 sides. I used gorilla glue this stuff it amazing!

 

[susang]

Dang Dean you type faster than I do "witch" is just one of my many faults. :sidestep: susan

 

[Pet Corn Snake]

Hey guys, yea I was wondering about the loo roll, it does get a bit tacky when it's wet :/

he never bury himself on the heat mat side due to me putting a big heavy hide there, the heatmat itself does not get too hot because of the thermostat I was just worried that with the pressue of the tank on the mat and the wood it may cause a fire, after my last Viv fire I think I'm right in making sure everything is good before I go into changing things, he loves burying himself on the cool side though he does it a lot,

I get told many times, how do you know what your snake likes and disliked, well I don't but I like to think I understand Damien, and when i see him burying himself a few times I like to think he enjoys that.

Damien does not like be (piking him up) after he has been fed, I don't know if it gives him bellyache but he seems to totally change his attitude, this ain't a problem for me, I'm just worried maybe me piking him up to put him back in may give him a bad belly ache witch i don't want.

 

[susang]

You shouldn't feed your snake on shredded or chipped material of any sort. Who cares if he "doesn't like" being returned to his tank afterward? There are lots of things we do for our pets' welfare whether they like it or not. I'm sure my snakes would rather eat in their enclosures as well. Too bad. Also, I have no issue with using paper towel, shredded or unshredded, but bathroom tissue is not a good choice of substrate. The stuff's pretty disgusting when it gets wet.UTH is the acronym for "Under-Tank Heater". Do you know why they're called that? Because they go UNDER the tank. :grin01: You're worried about it getting hot enough to crack glass or burn wood, but you have it in WITH the snake? I'd get it out of there.

George you need to read what Dean wrote, many people use paper towel rolls for hides, but it sounds like you want to use toilet paper for bedding. If your snake pee's or poo's in a paper towel roll just pic it up and throw it out.
Your snake could get one major bellyache it it injests substrate uke01: Take his UTH advise he has been at this longer than you or I. susan

 

[Pet Corn Snake]

George you need to read what Dean wrote, many people use paper towel rolls for hides, but it sounds like you want to use toilet paper for bedding. If your snake pee's or poo's in a paper towel roll just pic it up and throw it out.
Your snake could get one major bellyache it it injests substrate uke01: Take his UTH advise he has been at this longer than you or I. susan

Yea I'm going to take his UTH advise, I would just like to know if there is a small chance even though the temps are controlled of any kind of fire accruing, if there is a chance then I could work something else out, but even a small risk of a fire is not worth it when Damien is concerned at all.

I was talking about using the paper towels as substrate, I know some people use shredded news paper, but the ink in it would be a worry for me, but news paper is just like paper towels, except I think paper towels are a little softer and probably easier to bury in, all I want is the best for Damien and I'm trying to do that, I know there are lot's of ways to do things in this hobby, and I intend on looking at all possibility of everything before jumping into anything, I will take Deans advise because I trust him as a experienced corn snake keeper, and I value all advise given to me from everyone, I was thinking instead of paper towels maybe aspen, it's a little softer then beach chippings so he could bury in it.

 

[Roy Munson]

Damien does not like be (piking him up) after he has been fed, I don't know if it gives him bellyache but he seems to totally change his attitude, this ain't a problem for me, I'm just worried maybe me piking him up to put him back in may give him a bad belly ache witch i don't want.

Belly ache? Their attitudes sometimes change immediately after feeding because instinct has made them wary at this vulnerable time. When a snake is full of mouse, it is not as effective at escaping predators. I'm in the middle of feeding 25 snakes right now, and they're all being fed outside of their enclosures. I'm not in the least bit worried about belly ache.

 

[Pet Corn Snake]

Belly ache? Their attitudes sometimes change immediately after feeding because instinct has made them wary at this vulnerable time. When a snake is full of mouse, it is not as effective at escaping predators. I'm in the middle of feeding 25 snakes right now, and they're all being fed outside of their enclosures. I'm not in the least bit worried about belly ache.

Thank's Roy, I did post above explaining I will be using your advise, I guess I worry too much lol, about the whole belly ache thing, and other things really, but I really really care for my little guy he means the world to me, and I just want him to be really happy!

 

[Roy Munson]

Yea I'm going to take his UTH advise, I would just like to know if there is a small chance even though the temps are controlled of any kind of fire accruing, if there is a chance then I could work something else out, but even a small risk of a fire is not worth it when Damien is concerned at all.

There is a fire risk associated with every form of electricity-powered supplemental heating. The best way of minimizing the risk is to use the highest quality heating devices and thermostats available.

I was thinking instead of paper towels maybe aspen, it's a little softer then beach chippings so he could bury in it,

Go with aspen. In my opinion, it's the best substrate for the corn snake and the keeper.

about the whole feeding thing, ATM I just used a box inside his tank in witch he enters and then eats his food then comes out I remove the box, thats a good way, it works well too : )

There's nothing really wrong with that method. I like to spot-clean or full-clean the snakes' enclosures while they're eating elsewhere, so it wouldn't be a good choice for me.

 

[susang]

I don't know about your viv, but mine have like a little lip all the way around, my newer UTH have little feet that come with it so the mat doesn't sit on the wood directly with those, the older ones are old enough now that I tape them up and under with duck tape those vivs either sit on another piece of glass/on wood or melamine. hope this helps, susan

 

[Pet Corn Snake]

There is a fire risk associated with every form of electricity-powered supplemental heating. The best way of minimizing the risk is to use the highest quality heating devices and thermostats available.

Go with aspen. In my opinion, it's the best substrate for the corn snake and the keeper.

There's nothing really wrong with that method. I like to spot-clean or full-clean the snakes' enclosures while they're eating elsewhere, so it wouldn't be a good choice for me.

Thanks again Roy, yea I edited that post before you quoted me on it because I wanted to keep on track without putting up like 10 different topics of discussion and getting all lost like i normally do, but yea the method works really well!

I use a habistat heating mat, I think thats a good one..?

 

[Pet Corn Snake]

I don't know about your viv, but mine have like a little lip all the way around, my newer UTH have little feet that come with it so the mat doesn't sit on the wood directly with those, the older ones are old enough now that I tape them up and under with duck tape those vivs either sit on another piece of glass/on wood or melamine. hope this helps, susan

Thanks Susan! : )

I'll check the mat in the morning to see if it has them little legs.

 

[Roy Munson]

Thanks again Roy, yea I edited that post before you quoted me on it because I wanted to keep on track without putting up like 10 different topics of discussion and getting all lost like i normally do, but yea the method works really well!

I use a habistat heating mat, I think thats a good one..?

You're welcome. I don't know much about heat mats. If you're worried, do some consumer research on your mat and especially on your thermostat. I'd never trust the cheap thermostats. Heck, I don't trust some of the expensive ones.

 

[susang]

:-offtopic George, you seem like a caring kid, but do you stress about everything like this. If you do when your my age you'll have high blood pressure like I do, which is why I like snakes they are very calming and yes at times stressful. With the fire you learned a lesson and you probably won't do that again, please so I don't get higher blood pressure LOL calm down and enjoy your snake, really just kidding it's just hard to enjoy something if it causes you stress. susan

 

[Pet Corn Snake]

You're welcome. I don't know much about heat mats. If you're worried, do some consumer research on your mat and especially on your thermostat. I'd never trust the cheap thermostats. Heck, I don't trust some of the expensive ones.

Cool yea I'll try researching the mat : )

 

[Pet Corn Snake]

:-offtopic George, you seem like a caring kid, but do you stress about everything like this. If you do when your my age you'll have high blood pressure like I do, which is why I like snakes they are very calming and yes at times stressful. With the fire you learned a lesson and you probably won't do that again, please so I don't get higher blood pressure LOL calm down and enjoy your snake, really just kidding it's just hard to enjoy something if it causes you stress. susan

haha! yea I do get a little stressed, nothing to worry about though lol, yea I know what you mean about corns, they are very calming, I love watching Damien i could do it for hours! :cheers:

 

[Plissken]

George - heat mats outside glass tanks, inside wooden vivariums.

 

[Brizzle]

Wow, George, you really need to calm down. You stress out too much. A lot of the stuff you ask is just common sense.
You should know a UTH is an under tank heater just by reading all the info on the board. Which means it goes under the tank.
You should have read things on feeding your snake outside its tank because of things that could possibly happen. Damien probably seems irritated after eating because he's in hunt mode. You'd be dinner, but you're just too big for him to eat.
As for bedding, just stick with the aspen. The bedding that is in your tank in the pictures looks fine.
:-offtopic Did you name Damien after the kid in The Omen? The new movie of The Omen scared the crap out of me. I kept having to close my eyes.