Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Well, I may have made a mistake in taking care of my baby kingsnake...maybe you can help me out.

I am currently heating a 55g tank (12 inches by 48 inches) with one 100w basking bulb. It didn't seem like enough, but according to my thermometers, it was steady at 83 or so on the worm side and 72 or so on the cool side. The light was off at night and it was dropping to 65/70. Seemed cold...but books said a 15 degree difference was ok.

Anyway, the other day my snake struck at me and I swear I saw bubbles in his mouth (indicating a respitory infection?). So I panicked and ran out and bought a night time blue bulb (75w) and am maintaining the tank at around 75 at night. I have been leaving BOTH lights on during the day and it is hitting 90.

Now my snake is only staying on the cool side during the day and moving under the light at night. Should I unplug the nighttime blub during the day? Am I going to cook my snake?

If he did develop a mild respitory infection due to the tank not being warm enough, will the added heat clear it up? He seems to be fine now...but he hasn't struck at me again so I don't know if he mouth is still bubbly. It was so fast though, I may have been seeing things.

Sorry for all the questions, I hope someone can help. Thanks!

Hi,

I use Rubbermaid clear storage containers # 2223 . Sterlite 58 quart 23x17x12 is excellent . Go to www.Pro-products.com and buy a 6x12 inch radient heat panel . Take the panel and bolt it length wise to one end of the cage . Drill a hole for the detachable plug remove the plug run the cord thru the hole and re-attach the plug . I recommend running the panel off a preportional thermostat , you can get these from big apple herpetological . If you ca'nt afford a thermostat you can run the heat panel off a sliding light dimmer switch . You can pickup the sliding plug-in kind from Lowes or Home Depot. Just plug in the panel to the dimmer switch or thermostat . you also need some digital thermometer probes , place the probe so it's under the heat panel and keep it around 84 to 85 . The coolside needs a probe to so you can monitor proper thermal gradient . What kind of king are you keeping ?

Derek

It's a california kingsnake.

I'm sorry, but I have no idea what you're trying to tell me to do and what it has to do with my problem...?? I'm just trying to figure out if the two lights combined during the day are too warm.

I'm not going to set up some totally elaborate design to keep the tank exactly the same temperature all the time (if that's what you're getting at). It seems totally unnecessary and overboard. Snakes crawling around the wild are subject to temperature graduants much more severe than in a regulated house. My tank temps stay VERY steady hour to hour and day to day. I just need to know if I need to turn the one light off during the day and go back to the original temps.