Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I am getting a corn snake in about 3 weeks. Would an undertank heater with a thermostat work for heating? and for lighting I was just going to use a normal flourescent tube, and what should I put on the bottom so that the snake cannot directly touch the glass and get burned?

I know I'll catch heck for this, but I do not like Under The Tank Heaters on aquariums. Glass is not great at spreading heat across the cage. I got a 7 pound ball python because it had belly burns from this setup. And I have worked with people that have colder homes and larger tanks and it is 85 on the pad area, yet to cold across a larger tank, lets say a 55 gallon.

There are a lot of variables here. I prefer to see a simple setup with a dark incandescent bulb to create a warmer end of a tank. A light heats the air, so creates a nice gradient heat pattern.

Also buy a lamp dimmer, and you can adjust the light to give what heat you need across the cage.

If someone is set on an UTH, my only idea is a ceramic tile over 1/2 the pad area towards the cooler end of the cage. It absorbs heat and spreads it better a bit like the old slate bottom tanks.

Note: I use heat tape, but my room temp and cage sizes help a better gradient pattern and my cages are not glass.

good luck.
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ontogeny recapitulate phylogeny

Charlie Mike

I am your worst nightmare! I have a three-line phone and plenty of time to kill!
(Dale Gribble)

1.3 Bearded Dragons
6 baby female Western hognose, 3.5 adults some friend some mine,,,building breeding stock)
1 Corn snake (bloodred) 0.2 1 MIA In the house I hope
1 baby creamcycle 0.1
2 Okeettes I think? 1.1 youngens
ochrocephala oratrix 0.0.1? Adult, and a killer!
ochrocephala auropalliata 0.0.1? Adult
2.0 Dogs,
0.2 Cats,,
0.1 Wives, (Long term captive!,, I mean ME!)
1.1 Kids (Paininthearsius takamemonii) J/K great kids
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tom

www.herpzilla.com

depending on where you live and the temps you keep your house, you may not even need to heat the cage at all. You just want to make sure its warm enough to digest and a gradient is nice. You dont really need to add any special lighting for the snakes benefit, only if you want it to look a certain way. For a substrate I would go with aspen. I assume you are getting a baby though, so in that case, I would say to keep it on newspaper or paper towels until it gets a little bigger. The minimum you will need is a water bowl, a hide spot, and a secure enclosure. You can do it up from there as you see fit. Good luck. A really good book to have is Kathy Loves corn snake book. Its got everything you need to know.

ep
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Occupants not paying rent:
1.1. balls
1.1 corns
1 everglades rat
1 w. hognose
1 bearded dragon
2.1 cats

I use UTH with no lights at all and no termostats. I use reptile carpet in all my Corn enclosures. So far no problems and my corns are very helthy

My Research and Collection

GOOD POINT! I help so many people locally here in NE Ohio, I forget when I'm here I can be talking to a person anywhere in the US or world for that matter. Another good reason for a lamp dimmer. I just wish they were cheaper. No reason to be $20 except they are not that popular.

tom

>>depending on where you live and the temps you keep your house, you may not even need to heat the cage at all. You just want to make sure its warm enough to digest and a gradient is nice. You dont really need to add any special lighting for the snakes benefit, only if you want it to look a certain way. For a substrate I would go with aspen. I assume you are getting a baby though, so in that case, I would say to keep it on newspaper or paper towels until it gets a little bigger. The minimum you will need is a water bowl, a hide spot, and a secure enclosure. You can do it up from there as you see fit. Good luck. A really good book to have is Kathy Loves corn snake book. Its got everything you need to know.
>>
>>ep
>>-----
>>Occupants not paying rent:
>>1.1. balls
>>1.1 corns
>>1 everglades rat
>>1 w. hognose
>>1 bearded dragon
>>2.1 cats
-----
ontogeny recapitulate phylogeny

Charlie Mike

I am your worst nightmare! I have a three-line phone and plenty of time to kill!
(Dale Gribble)

1.3 Bearded Dragons
6 baby female Western hognose, 3.5 adults some friend some mine,,,building breeding stock)
1 Corn snake (bloodred) 0.2 1 MIA In the house I hope
1 baby creamcycle 0.1
2 Okeettes I think? 1.1 youngens
ochrocephala oratrix 0.0.1? Adult, and a killer!
ochrocephala auropalliata 0.0.1? Adult
2.0 Dogs,
0.2 Cats,,
0.1 Wives, (Long term captive!,, I mean ME!)
1.1 Kids (Paininthearsius takamemonii) J/K great kids
-----
tom

www.herpzilla.com