Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hello, was wondering..I am using my 20g long tank...is it not good for my snake not to have the temp drop at night? I am currently using a red night 60 light.. I use day and night...that is the only source of heat I use..I keep it on one end all day and night, and it keeps the warm end roughly 84ish...the cool end stays around room temp. Its ok to keep this light on at night also isnt it? Im gonna ask this on the King Forum also as I also have a little king snake. The baby Corn I have is out all night long hunting, so It doesnt seem the light, nor the heat on that one end bother him. But I just got my King yesterday(desert,in a separate 20) and Im not sure at this point if its ok or not for my King(I was thinking Kings are from the desert, so was gonna shut off the heat at night completly, and keep the whole tank like 68-72(Like a desert night)...Just a simple question, thanks, Pete

Weren't you mentioning a little bit ago you couldn't afford a under tank heater but now you bought a new snake? Personally I would have bought the under tank heater and had your corn snake set up properly before getting into another snake which would also need its own undertank heater.

But to answer your question, corn snakes can survive without a night time drop.
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PHLdyPayne

Last I heard, a UTH is a thing of preference but not a requirment...Is this wrong? I have heard of lots of snake keepers, (including my own ball python and King snake around 10 years ago) that never used a UTH..my lamp seems to reach the proper temps w/no problem, and humidty is not an issue

>>Last I heard, a UTH is a thing of preference but not a requirment...Is this wrong? I have heard of lots of snake keepers, (including my own ball python and King snake around 10 years ago) that never used a UTH..my lamp seems to reach the proper temps w/no problem, and humidty is not an issue

It isn't a requirement but it is better.
How cold is your house?
I think it would be better to turn the light off at night.
You wouldn't want 24 hours of light would you?
House temps over night should not be a problem.
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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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house is room temp....between 68-72....I thaught the red light is good cause they cant see the red...if 68-72 is fine at night, i may shut it off, unless he just ate, then turn it on for those two nights.....he doesnt seem to mind the red, as he is always out at night

uth is more efficient, they provide belly heat. when i kept my snakes in aqauriums before i used uth i had ceramic bulbs and the surface was over 500f (which can cause burns or start a fire) and they did the same as a uth which has a surface temp of 125f? and its much cheaper
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Jake Barney

snakes
1.1.1 ball pythons
0.2 corns

aquarium
0.0.1 Typhlonectes natans (aquatic caecilian)
0.0.1 common pleco
0.0.? feeder fish/ shrimp