Keeping corn snake in a rubbermaid tub?

That's really the way to go with one corn snake, especially with your first one. I'm glad to hear you are doing research, and I would be happy to help with the set-up if you have any questions about that

 

lol still need to convince my mom shes pretty convinced that there will be no snakes in the house but i will change her mind

 

A rack system or keeping snakes in sterlite tubs is not for advanced keepers only. It's really starting to aggrivate me that everything I do that isn't in a book is construed as 'something radical and not for novices'.

Both Kathy and Don just said ambient air heating is fine. Is it optimal to let a snake thermoregulate, sure. But that doesn't mean that not doing so is radical or should only be done by experienced keepers.

When I got my VERY first TWO cornsnakes, I had them in 10 gallon tanks with NO UTH. I wasn't an advanced keeper, I was a novice. The snakes did just fine without any supplemental heat.

 

i'm hopeing this wont get get me flamed to a crisp but novice keepers can keep their snakes in sterilite or rubbermaid tubs....i've done research and all that it implys and keep my hatchling BP in a 90qt(about 22.5 gallons) sterilite tub a little big but i put extra hides in there for her...but also i use a UTH and have two hides on each side, i'm partially new to snakes(had a rat snake a whille back) so i'm kinda picky about what i get

*puts on flame retardent suit* now you three need to stop going at each other every time you see and post where the other one posts...Calas has different methods and true some probably aren't for novice keepers but quit hammering him about it. It works for him so thats great, let him give the advice he has instead of jumping him everytime he metions something that not "tried and true"

going before i get crisped.....




Dreamer

 

hey ok dreaming of dragons do u have the UTH rite on the floor or is it in the substrate because im afraid it would melt the tub. does it?

 

That would be my only concern with a rubbermaid bin... other than that, I don't see why any keeper couldn't use it. I think that thermoregulation should be necessary for juvenile snakes, however. That was the point I was trying to make. I've always perfered aquariums, but that's just me... to each their own.

Please don't take what I was saying the wrong way, I just don't want inexperienced keepers keeping snakes in a more "advanced" fashion. It has more possibilites for failure, and ultimately that will come down on the snake, not the keeper. That could include larger or more frequent feedings, no thermal gradients in the enclosure, etc... That's just my opinion. And being a member of this forum I'm entitled to that opinion and entitled to post that here. Just like CalasCorns and Clementine_3 are as well. Not everybody's got the same opinion.

So, bascially... since pigger93 doesn't even have a corn snake yet, and this is their first snake, I think "the tried and true" methods would be the best for the snake as well as the keeper, it would probably make it easier on everyone.

 

Ooops... forgot something...

When you're setting up the enclosure (be it tub or aquarium) here's my suggestion:
For my set-up, I have my snake in a 20 gallon long tank, which is on top of a tank stand that has an open area underneath where the tank sits. I have a 30 gallon sized Zoo Med brand UTH on the bottom of the tank. You generally want a bit of air between where the bottom of the tank (or tub) is and the floor it rests on. That's important for circulation. Then, inside his tank I have reptile carpet as the substrate. The UTH is controlled with an Alife 1000 Thermostat (and analog on/off type) and I measure that temp on the warm side with a digital thermometer with a probe.

Depending on where you go to buy these things, the cost will vary. The UTH will probably cost about $20, the thermostat is about $30, and the thermometer is about $10. If your parents will let you, I'd suggest going to www.reptilesupply.com or www.lllreptile.com, you can find supplies cheaper at those sites than you would in say your local Petco or Petsmart.

 

Eirecorcaigh- sorry didn't mean to sound rude or mean in anyway but your right some of Calas tactics are not for beginer snake keepers and ones who don't even have their snake yet....everyone is indeed intitled to his or her own opinion...not all people are meant to agree on every thing..if everyone did it'd probably be a very boring world.....i hope you'll forgive my words i meant nothing harmful by them


pigger- i stuck my UTH on the outside bottom of my tub...my uth only gets to a 113F and is controlled down to 88-93F(for my BP not a corn) with a thermostat that Eirecorcaigh posted about....now you can go with a tub or tank which ever you like...i chose the tub cause it was cheaper and allowed me to my BP and not having to pay 40+ dollars at my local petco for a 20 gallon Long

 

And this is exactly my point.

Most, if not all UTH's produce way too much heat. In fact, they produce so much that they could very easily fry a hatchling very quickly. A layer of paper towels, newspaper, reptile carpet, etc isn't going to stop that. A snake can still bury down to the bottom and burn itself. This is why hot rocks are not suggested.

The critter keepers are awesome tanks. They have a sliding lid and escapes are impossible, provided the lid is actually closed.

We can sit here and debate how to heat the tank all day. Hell, you can use a red light if you wanted to. UTH's are easier, but they need to be controlled with either a thermostat or rheostat.

If you live in a warm state, that UTH will have to be turned off probably half the year. I've had corns for 3 years now, and in the summer additional heat would be too much for the snake. If you live up north, that's a different story.

Imo, sterilites are way better than glass cages. Screen tops let heat and moisture escape. If you use a light, the air is way too dry. Sometimes that's even the case without using a light, it just all depends.

Basically, you have to see what works for YOU. Start off the tried and true way, and if you think you have a better idea, try it. If something isn't working for you, switch it around. Do not be afraid to try new things once you know your snake and feel comfortable doing so. Each snake is different, temps of 83 and once a week feeding DO NOT work for ALL snakes.

 

I have a critter keeper, they are great! You can even put a lock on there for added security. If you don't have a one of those latch locking lids on a tank, you're going to have to weigh it down. The 10 gallon tank I had my corn in originally wasn't a tank like the aforementioned, so I used 5lb changeable dumbells weights on both sides. He wasn't getting out of there!

 

i live in canada so hot summers and cold winters, but the cage would be in my basement so the UTH would be on anyday every day, also i forget if some1 answered this but do u leave the heatpad on all night? thanx

 

Yes, if you have a UTH you leave it on all the time.

 

ok well if my mom lets me im def getting corn snake

 

just 1 thing i got a corn my 4th and she was in a plastic box she is 4 years old she mated and layed not 1 but 2 sets of eggs with no UTH. summes is hear now in England and the temps to high now anyway so the rest of my UTHs are turned of till it gets cold. All i am saying is they can work just as well as all glass tanks can.

 

lol im not sure which ill get :roll: :?

 

Yeah I live in Ontario, and it gets VERY cold here. And my tank is in the basement (my room), and it's always quite cool down there, so the UTH is very much needed, as well as an infrared bulb. It's kind of difficult to keep the temp right without all this.

 

RE: Re: RE: Re: RE: Re: Keeping corn snake in a rubbermaid t

I was going to say the same thing about belly heat.. both of the corns we have do NOT hit the heated area after they've been fed.. on the contrary, both get to the cooler areas.

one curious question about those tubs.. hwo do they get fresh air?

 

RE: Re: RE: Re: RE: Re: Keeping corn snake in a rubbermaid t

Holes are drilled into either the top or sides.

Mine usually goes into his hot hide after every meal, though occassionally he goes into his cool hide. I can't figure out why. Belly heat is beneficial, but I guess it's not always really needed. Not for my corn anyway.

 

RE: Re: RE: Re: RE: Re: Keeping corn snake in a rubbermaid t

No one has mentioned the biggest plus of plastic over glass (at least in my opinion). Plastic is easier to clean than a glass tank! If you use flexwatt and plastic built into a shelf, you can wash the container in the sink or the tub. Try doing that with a 10g tank that has a UTH stuck on the bottom. You'll spend your time fighting to keep the UTH dry and trying not to drop or bump the glass tank too hard. With plastic this problem is eliminated as 1) adhesive UTH should not be glued to the plastic, 2) plastic should not crack or break with a minor fall or hard impact (at least none of mine ever have).

All of my animals are heated using flexwatt on either a thermostat (leos) or dimmer switch (corns). The corns are on the dimmer as they don't require as high or precise temps.

 

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o man my mom says i cant get it *starts to cry* she says she doesnt want a snake in the house* starts crying louder* . but thank you all anyways for these oppinions. hopefully it will help other people out.