Reptile & Amphibian Forums

i am looking at getting a corn snake there about 3 months old i was woundering what i need for it lighting heating and soon on i have a 10 gallon tank is it to big to start in or should i get bigger all the help would be great thanks

a 10g tank with a secure screen top is fine, i would also recomend a good book. i keep my snakes in the house and provide no extra heat and they are just fine
Foot Hill Reptiles

I agree a good book will help you out alot....I recommend Cornsnakes In Captivity by Don Soderberg. Its not expensive and it very informational.
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My inside problems only effect the outside world....And I am ok with that.

>>i am looking at getting a corn snake there about 3 months old i was woundering what i need for it lighting heating and soon on i have a 10 gallon tank is it to big to start in or should i get bigger all the help would be great thanks

The 10 gallon tank will do fine starting out.
As mentioned make sure to have a SECURE screen top. Corns are escape artists so make sure to get extra clips.
You need to get an Under Tank Heater (UTH).
You can get these at any of the chain pet stores. Don't get one that is too large. You only want it to go under one end of the tank.
You don't necessarily need a light but you can use a light if you would prefer to see your snake.
You do not need any special lighting. Standard fluorescent or household bulbs will work fine.
If you use a standard light bulb and plan to use a dome type fixture resting on the screen top then I would not go over a 40 watt bulb. Any stronger then that and it can get too hot in the tank.
You need good substrate. I personally recommend aspen shavings. Some people recommend news paper or paper towel but they just don't look as good and don't create a good buffer between UTH and snake.
With aspen I like to go two to three inches deep.
You should also have a hide on both ends of the tank so the snake can regulate its temperature.
I use a water bowl with the openings in the sides.
I make sure these water bowls are large enough for the snake to fit in if it so desires.
I place the water bowl on the cool side to act as a hide and a water source of course.
You can use just about anything from manufactured hides to small boxes as hides for the warm side.
I have found that when you use screen tops on aquariums you can sometimes have low humidity resulting in poor sheds.
If this happens just cover half the screen top. This will help hold in moisture increasing the humidity slightly. It usually doesn't take much.
You can add some type of branch for exercise but it isn't 100% necessary.
Some will use them some won't.
When you get your snake I would recommend feeding it in a separate container. A small Tupperware dish or something similar.
Just place the prey item and the snake in the dish, place that back in the tank and leave them alone for a little while.
BUT...wait three or four days after you put your snake in it's new home before you attempt to feed or handle it. Give it time to acclimate to its new surroundings.
these are just general set up suggestions..you can go as elaborate or simple as you desire.
Just follow the basics..warm and cool sides, hides on each of these sides large enough water dish and secure top.
My best advise, for the specifics, would be buy Don's Soderbergs's book "Corn Snakes In Captivity" and Kathy Love's books "The Corn Snake Manual" and "Corn Snakes The Comprehensive Owner's Guide." Definitely the three best books on corn snakes on the market.
good luck and enjoy
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Corn snakes and rat snakes..No one can have just one.
"Resistance is futile"
Jimmy Johnson
(Draybar)
Draybars Snakes

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welcome to the addiction! You might need some heating, depending on what temperature you keep your house, or the area that the snakes cage will be kept at. They seem to do pretty good in the mid 70s, but a warm spot of low to mid 80s can help in digestion. All snakes are different, so whatever you get, just watch your snake and see which end he/she spends most of its time...if it only stays on the cool side, you probably have it too warm, and vice versa. I recommend getting a digital thermometer to accurately check temps (you can get pretty cheap ones at walmart that do the job, plus many of them have an outdoor probe, so you can set it in the cage at one end, and the probe at the other, and know both temps at the same time). If you keep your house down around 68 or 70, I suggest a small heat lamp to warm one end. They make them know with a "dimmer" knob which really helps in adjusting the heat just right. Many people don't like the heat lamps because they can dry out the air, but corns don't require much humidity at all so this shouldn't be a problem (it hasn't been with mine). If yours does have a shedding problem, you can always soak it to remove all the bad shed (make sure all comes off the tip of the tail, as this can be potentially deadly), and then next time before they shed provide them with a damp hide box. For this, you can just use a plastic container with damp paper towls. I don't like heat pads, as they are hard to control (you would have to also buy a thermostat or rheostat, both can be fairly expensive) and they do nothing to help with ambient temps. Aspen is a good bedding; it's easy to spot clean, and gives them something to burrow through. It also gives them a greater ability to thermoregulate since they can move anywhere in the cage and still remain hidden. I would also provide some hides on top of the bedding. And decorate the cage however you see fit...they love clutter, and avoid large open areas. A ten gallon will be fine to start with, but an adult will need at least a 20 gallon. You can buy a new one, or since you already have a 10, just be watching classifieds ads for cheap ones...craigslist also is a good place to look. You could start it in the 20 now, just only use part of the cage. For my hogg island boa, I got a 40 gallon breeder for her right away, and used cardboard to block off most of the cage, and only kept her in about a third of it to begin with. As she grew, I just expanded her area. Hope some of this was helpful! And enjoy the experience...just remember, they can be very addictive! lol many here started off with the mindset of only 1 or 2, and before we knew it, we had a zoo!
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-David

Check out my pet pics at:
http://www.myspace.com/obx_fisherman

1.0 ball python (Pandora - don't ask)
1.0 argentine boa (Prometheus)
0.1 hogg island boa (Andromeda)
0.0.1 brazilian rainbow boa (Inara)
1.0 kenyan sand boa (Diablo)
1.0 normal corn snake(Cypress)
0.1 amery. corn snake (Morgan LaFay) RIP
0.0.2 baby corns (Romulus and Remus)
- 1 normal, 1 ghost
0.0.1 banded cali. kingsnake (Cain)
1.0 tangerine honduran milksnake (Narcissus)
0.0.1 snow corn snake (Valkyrie)
1.0 amazon tree boa (Pegasus)
1.0 colombian boa (Poseidon)
0.1 albino san diego gopher snake (Athena)
0.0.1 sandfish skink (Slick)
0.0.1 fire skink (Phoenix)
1.0 dog (Luke)

the wife's pets:
1.0 bearded dragon (Leonidas)
1.1 ferrets (Ares, Enyo)
1.2 cats (Galahad, Ripley and Sassy)
0.1 Boxer (Zoe)

NEWEST ADDITIONS:
1.0 adult Dumeril's boa
0.0.1 baby yellow amazon tree boa

I forgot to talk about cage lighting! a small florescent light will do fine. You can get small ones (unit and bulb) for like $10 at walmart. I would also recommend getting a timer (also can get at walmart for like $5). This will maintain a good day/night cycle for your snake if it's not going to be where it gets a lot of natural sunlight. For the heat bulb, if you go that route, you can get one that's a "day light" and only use it for lighting and heating both, but if your home drops down below 70 at night, you might want to get the florescent tube light, then also use a red or black heat bulb, and keep it on 24/7 and only have the florescent light on a timer. Now, you probably won't have room on the 10 gallon for both, but you will on the 20. For feeding, I feed all my cornsnakes outside their cage. I use a plastic bucket and I simply place the snake in it, then dangle a f/t mouse in front of them (using tongs). They usually eat pretty hearty, especially when everything in the cage is right and they don't feel stressed. When they are done eating, I gently pick them up and place them back in their cage. This might all sound like a lot to remember at first, but it's a lot like a salt water fish tank...it takes some work to get everything right at the beginning, but after you do, it's really easy to maintain.
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-David

Check out my pet pics at:
http://www.myspace.com/obx_fisherman

1.0 ball python (Pandora - don't ask)
1.0 argentine boa (Prometheus)
0.1 hogg island boa (Andromeda)
0.0.1 brazilian rainbow boa (Inara)
1.0 kenyan sand boa (Diablo)
1.0 normal corn snake(Cypress)
0.1 amery. corn snake (Morgan LaFay) RIP
0.0.2 baby corns (Romulus and Remus)
- 1 normal, 1 ghost
0.0.1 banded cali. kingsnake (Cain)
1.0 tangerine honduran milksnake (Narcissus)
0.0.1 snow corn snake (Valkyrie)
1.0 amazon tree boa (Pegasus)
1.0 colombian boa (Poseidon)
0.1 albino san diego gopher snake (Athena)
0.0.1 sandfish skink (Slick)
0.0.1 fire skink (Phoenix)
1.0 dog (Luke)

the wife's pets:
1.0 bearded dragon (Leonidas)
1.1 ferrets (Ares, Enyo)
1.2 cats (Galahad, Ripley and Sassy)
0.1 Boxer (Zoe)

NEWEST ADDITIONS:
1.0 adult Dumeril's boa
0.0.1 baby yellow amazon tree boa