Im thinking about getting a rubbermaid container for my corn snake, how can i SAFELY heat it? Thanks everyone!
The first thing you'll want to do is cut a big whole in the lid and hot glue or epoxy some screen in the whole. Then you can just use a heat lamp a few inches from the screen. Another option is getting a UTH and putting it one a piece of plexi glass under the substrate. Or you can do as many breeders do and use heat tape around the bottom.
How big does the hole need to be, maybe 6 inches in diameter for a 10in. x 12in. container? what do you mean by using heat tape under it too?
I would make the whole with screen about the size of the whole top with an inch or so on each edge. The heat tape is an adhesive tape that you can stick on the bottom of an enclosure and plug in to an outlet and it wokrs like a UTH. Most online reptile stores carry it.
No heat pad is going to melt a rubbermaid/sterilite/iris tub. There's really no need to cut a hole in the lid, as that will just decrease the humidity even more. I heat my Iris tub with two heating pads, and have had no problems whatsoever. Never put any sort of heater inside the cage, it just poses a health hazard for the snake. The snake could spill water, heating pad could get wet, and snake could get shocked. For such a small container, a human heating pad will work great. Set the pad on low, and dim it down with a dimmer if you need to, set the container on top of the heating pad, with about half of the container on the pad and half off of the pad(to create a heat gradient). Be sure to drill some holes in the sides of the tub so air can flow through. Drill about 5-10 on the long sides and no more than 5 on the shorter sides. Put the lid on and check your humidity. If the humidity is too high drill some more holes. If it is too low, cover up some of the holes, or get a bigger water dish. Keeping temps and humidity in plastic tubs is much easier than in glass tanks. Make sure the temps are leveled out and stable before transferring the snake to the tub. After the snake gets used to it, you'll probably notice that he is calmer, eats better, and just seems happier. Tubs provide snakes with alot of security.
No it is not. THIS is heat tape/Flexwatt: http://www.mgreptiles.com/flexwatt.html Flexwatt REQUIRES a dimmer or thermostat to control the heat, because otherwise the temperatures can reach the 130's easy. It does not stick to the tub. Heating pads should not be stuck to the tub because 1) you want to use the heat pad again and 2) there needs to be air flow between the tub and the heat pad so that heat doesn't build up. Even the heat pads that pet stores sell need to be on a dimmer since they can reach very high temperatures as well(but they cost alot and really don't suit a purpose, LoL-except for the Cobra or Kane mats). Don't replace the entire lid with screen. Keeping a snake in a tub is supposed to do away with the screen lid and humidity-loss issues. Replacing the lid with screen just reverts the cage to a glass tank with a screen lid. Plus, you want to keep heat in, and since heat rises, the tub with the whole top replaced with screen isn't going to hold heat for anything. Keep the lid intact, drill/solder holes in sides of tub(NOT THE LID), put a human heat pad under half of the tub, put in bedding, hides, water bowl, digital thermometer/hygrometer, etc. Let the temperatures stabilize, and add snake. That's about all there is to setting up a tub. I have pictures of mine if anyone is interested in seeing.
I'd love to see the pics because I have been looking into getting my corn a new enclosure that wouldn't cost too much.
Try Target, they have awesome prices on their tubs. Walmart is good too, but sometimes they don't have a good selection of them. Here are a couple of pics of my tub. It's one of those X-Mas boxes with a green lid and red lid clamps. It's kind of festive, LoL. I saw some great tubs, about 39"x15x9, same green lid and red clamps, at Big Lots, so you may want to try there also. First pic is when I used newspaper as bedding(I am housing a ball python): Now here's a few pics of the current set up, with cypress mulch: I bought the cypress mulch at Home Depot, took out what I needed, baked it at 300 degrees in the oven until it was dry, lined the tub with about 4 sheets of newspaper, and then put the mulch in. Double-milled cypress is much more finely shredded than what I got(I picked the wrong stuff, LoL), but it is much softer, and better for the enclosures. This tub is currently housing a 10-month old female ball python that is 35" long and 770g. Temps are stable at 94-95 on the warm side, and 83-85 on the cool, with a humidity of 50-65% depending on how full the water bowl is Here's a few pictures of Amani: Amani going "Pffft! Neener Neener!" LoL
thanks a lot. i think that the human heater under it sounds good, this all seems to be fitting together quite nicely and shouldnt cost me much, like those crazily exepensive aquarium snake homes.
Hmm, that is a pretty good looking enclosure. Maybe I can talk mom into letting me use rubbermaids instead of spending so much on glass tanks.
Oh, Snake n' Shake, Try Target for Dunlop heating pads, and make sure it DOESN'T have auto shut off. You don't want the heat pad to shut off after an hour, the poor animal would freeze. They should run you about $10 or so, and are safe to use from what I've seen. I've had my two heat pads in use continuously since November. Walmart will probably be your best friend. Do you already have a good digital thermometer? If not, WalMart carries Acu-Rite digital thermometers by themselves for $7.99, and they measure two temps(cool and warm side). Acu-Rite also has a Digital Thermometer/Hygrometer unit for $15. It measures two temps(warm and cool side) plus it measures the relative humidity in the enclosure. I have two of the combo units, and one of the temp units, and they all work wonderfully. The analog gauges are nothing but decorations, and serve no purpose. If you need help on how to place the digital unit and where to place the probe, let us know. We'll give you all the help we can I know what you mean, aquariums cost so much, even the ones "made" for herps. Aquariums are for fish... Glass doesn't hold heat well, and with snakes and other animals, they are more likely to get burned rather than warm themselves up. Plus, the screen lids don't hold in ANY humidity unless they are modified to suit the humidity requirements of the specific animal. Too much work for me, LoL Glad that gave you some inspirations, Jhoss. If your mom has any objections to it, maybe telling her that it is much better for the snake, easier to hold temperatures/humidity, the snake won't escape as easily(if at all), and it is less expensive. She might like the "less expensive" part I know I sure do.
SatanicIntention, do you haev a pic of the bottom of your rubbermaid, so i could maybe see how it looks with the UTH and all. thanks!
http://www.mgreptiles.com/combo.html That will give you an idea of what to expect cost wise.. you already have the tub(i think u said that..lol) so you really only need the flexwatt, thermometers and a control.. I woudl not use any type of heat lamp in a tub as they are dangerous that way...
What about a zoomed heating pad? could i just get one of those and stick it under my tub? i want to keep this as cheap as possible. :arrow:
Actuallu flexwatt will be alot cheaper then zoomed anything..lol.. Also I dont like the Zm heathers as they develop hot spot from my experience.. Take a look at the flexwatt page on my site and then compare it to a ZM heater. If you do deceived to use a ZM I woudl not use the peel off backing, I would use some foil tape and use that...
Hey Justcage, wow ur brilliant, the johnson controls idea, thats really smart. I know where a couple of those exact controls are just kicking around (what luck!), I'm definatly gonna give that a try for my BP's enclosure.
