Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hi all I'm about to get my first cornsnake in the next couple of days. I have a 10gal aquarium (the snake is a hatchling so I figure this'll work for next couple of months) reptile carpet, undertank heater, in-tank thermometer, rheostat and I'll be fashioning something (out of non-toxic substances) or other as a hiding spot and a water dish (I'm also a sculptor so it ought to be fun!).

I'm wondering first, what am I forgetting?

And second, is there any reason I shouldn't put a few live plants in there for decoration? I know the snake won't care, but I like nicely planted tanks.

Thanks much!
Kel

>>Hi all I'm about to get my first cornsnake in the next couple of days. I have a 10gal aquarium (the snake is a hatchling so I figure this'll work for next couple of months) reptile carpet, undertank heater, in-tank thermometer, rheostat and I'll be fashioning something (out of non-toxic substances) or other as a hiding spot and a water dish (I'm also a sculptor so it ought to be fun!).
>>
>>I'm wondering first, what am I forgetting?
>>
>>And second, is there any reason I shouldn't put a few live plants in there for decoration? I know the snake won't care, but I like nicely planted tanks.
>>
>>Thanks much!

I have used the repti carpet and in my opinion it was just too hard to keep clean. It seems to hold the odors. I even had two and would pull one to wash and put a new one in but this just got to be too much of a hassle. I had to redecorate the whole tank every time.
I prefer aspen shavings.
some other substrates are newspaper, paper towels or carefresh.
The rest sounds just right.
If you use live plants make sure they wont be toxic to your snake and make sure they are in their own pots and sturdy.
As a snake grows it can do quite a bit of damage to a live plant. You can get some plastic plants that look real and are much easier to take care of
Jimmy
-----
Remember, My posts are MY opinion only!
Jimmy (draybar)

You didn't specifically mention it, but make sure you have a good secure lid. Probably with metal clips to make it more secure. Corn snakes are escape artists. You probably want two hides (one on the cool side of the tank and one on the warm side). Possibly something for your snake to climb on (not necessary -- some corn snakes enjoy climbing while others will ignore the branch). You also want something rough (a section of unglazed ceramic would work fine) for your snake to rub his nose against should he need it to start a shed. Mine like a water dish big enough to take a bath in.
Many people prefer to use a separate container for feeding.
Corinne
dragonfly@w-link.net

Hmmm, cage lids. I have a metal screen lid, it's pretty heavy, but it came with no clips and I wasn't able to find any when I went to pick up critter supplies today.

I *think* the lid is secure, I might have to double check that. I also have a slew of cats and a dog so a loose snake, while entertaining to them I'm sure, would probably be a Very Bad Thing.

Anyone know where I can purchase clips and/or other lid-securing devices?

Thanks!
Kel

In addition to what the others said, you might look into bed-a-beast. It's a nice substrate your corn can dig under if it likes, easy to spot clean, looks natural and you can feed on it. Only down side is it is a bit of a pain to prepare. Carpet looks nice (I use it with my Ball Python), but as much as corns go to the bathroom I'd think it would just be a pain. you have to have 2 pieces on hand so that you can put a clean one in right away while the dirty one is cleaned for the next time. That's how you keep the carpet from causing problems with mold, etc.

Can't wait to see pics of your new friend and it's home.
-----
Check Out My Albums

1.0 Ball Python "Aragorn"
1.0 Kenyan Sand Boa "Gimli"
1.0 Saharan Sand Boa "Frodo"
0.1 Rough-Scale Sand Boa "Arwen"
0.1 California Kingsnake "Gentoo"
1.0 Mexican Black Kingsnake "Indigo"
1.0 Snow Corn snake "Chile"

0.1 Australian Cattle Dog/Pointer
"Kira"

Draybar, you know who I am I'm getting my baby from YOU! Can you tell I'm excited?

And thanks so much, to everyone. I really appreciate the help and insight.

I did see the bedding (it comes in brown bricks, right?) but wasn't sure how safe it'd be, now that I know it is safe I might look into it because, truthfully, the carpet does seem like it'll be a pain to keep clean.

Thanks again!
Kel

yep it's the brick looking stuff.
-----
Check Out My Albums

1.0 Ball Python "Aragorn"
1.0 Kenyan Sand Boa "Gimli"
1.0 Saharan Sand Boa "Frodo"
0.1 Rough-Scale Sand Boa "Arwen"
0.1 California Kingsnake "Gentoo"
1.0 Mexican Black Kingsnake "Indigo"
1.0 Snow Corn snake "Chile"

0.1 Australian Cattle Dog/Pointer
"Kira"

First, congrats on the new corn! *you're gonna love it if it's coming from draybar...just got mine today!* As for the ten gallon tank, it's gonna last a lot longer than a couple of months IMO. My pair of normal corns are two years old and probably 30 inches long (maybe a bit less) and either would still fit comfortably in a ten gallon tank though I'm currently keeping them in large tubs. I'll second the comments on the reptile carpet as well. While I agree that it looks great (I used it early on), it's a real pain to keep clean even with two to change out with each other and they hold odor no matter how well you clean them.

For my new hatchling Creamsicle I got today, I'm using a plastic 'Critter Keeper' cage with paper towels, a small hide and small water bowl. The new addition is going into a room that stays around 80-85F, so I'm not adding supplemental heat at this point. I use cotton pillow cases for most of the smaller snakes and cotton sheets for the large guys. Solids shake into the commode or trash and the sheets are dropped into the washer with detergent & bleach in hot water. I can vouch that it is convenient and easy as I own 42 snakes currently and cleaning ALL the cages takes roughly 3-4 hours (including the time that I handle certain ones because I can't take them out without cuddle time *g* ). The hatchling Creamsicle and two of my juvenile Candoia are kept on paper towels (the Candoia are in shoebox size Sterlite tubs & the Creamsicle in the Critter Keeper). Of course, newspaper is an old standby as are aspen shavings - both of which I've used in the past. In fact, most new additions are kept on newspaper while they're treated for mites as a preventative measure. I know a lot of people also use Care Fresh and the ground coconut husks as well as the bricks of stuff mentioned in another post.

I also have to agree with the recommendation for clips for the screen lid. You would be amazed at how clever snakes are at escaping...an event best enjoyed second-hand. If you can't find any clips for the lids in your area, drop me an email and I'd be glad to pick up a set for you from my area.

Best of luck with your new addition. My only word of caution...they are addictive!

Raven

Thanks, Raven! I will drop you an email because I can't find clips ANYWHERE around here.

And I can only imagine how addictive this is gonna get. I just bought a 65gal repti-cage, the nylon one, because I already want more herps. Gah!

Kel

And I can only imagine how addictive this is gonna get. I just bought a 65gal repti-cage, the nylon one, because I already want more herps. Gah!

You can never have enough!

Get those lid clips ASAP! In the meantime you might want to place a few heavy books on top of the lid (dont block off all the air though).

I bought my first snake last August and now (10 months later) I've gotten 6 more!
-----
Check Out My Albums

1.0 Ball Python "Aragorn"
1.0 Kenyan Sand Boa "Gimli"
1.0 Saharan Sand Boa "Frodo"
0.1 Rough-Scale Sand Boa "Arwen"
0.1 California Kingsnake "Gentoo"
1.0 Mexican Black Kingsnake "Indigo"
1.0 Snow Corn snake "Chile"

0.1 Australian Cattle Dog/Pointer
"Kira"

I rescued my first snake out of my girlfriend's pool last summer. I now have 12 and counting... oh and 20 new corn eggs