Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Firstly hello to everyone already on the forums, first time posting and owning a snake!!

This is intended for a young cali kingsnake until his custom viv is finished.

My current setup is a Exo-Terra 18" x 18" x 18", with same make compact light canopy. the bulbs in it are exo-terra repti-glo 26w bulbs.

the left of the tank is 5.0 uvb and the right is 2.0uvb

i have aspen substrate and a "small" exo-terra desert heat mat along with water, hideouts and piece of wood to climb around

the mat is on the right under the 2.0 lamp as instructed by the guy at our pet shop.

The temp of the viv is only 27*c with the lights on and drops to 20-21*c with the lights off...the figures vary on the internet but this is below all the recommended temperatures for the hot side and cool side, i'm also aware that leaving the light on will stress a snake out and is thus not possible.

what recommendations do you have for providing a decent temp for daytime and nighttime?

thanks in advance!

Sounds like you pretty much know what you're doing. If I can just suggest the best method I found for obtaining good useful information pertaining to the snake keeping hobby, was through the few decent books out there on Kingsnakes. You get the expertise on all aspects from the authors with many years experience. Also, as a suggestion take a look at the Applegate Reptiles website (listed on Kingsnake.com) and go to articles archive to read a new article there on kingsnake care. It's very good in my opinion. The forums here are very helpful also, but I've found the books and the one on California Kingsnakes to be the most reputable as a reference. Best of luck with your new Cal King - they're fantastic snakes!
Jim