tank setup discussion split from petco employee thread

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Originally Posted by bearhart

My big gripes about overblown info:
1) live vs F/T - most people blow this way out of proportion.

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I tend to agree - feed what it will eat

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Originally Posted by bearhart

2) feed in/out of tank

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Actually there can be good reasons for this one - but one of mine won't eat in her tank so it varies by snake.

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Originally Posted by bearhart

3) handling rules.

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There are very good reasons for this one - it also varies by snake but if your snake stops eating stop handling to see if it helps.


dr del

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Originally Posted by bearhart

I don't have to wear an aluminum foil hat too do I gooseman? :D

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that all depends... do you believe in alien life forms? b/c I hear tin foil is actually better for that. lol

I soiled myself the first time he burrowed to the glass. But he's been fine and after some testing I found could stick and hold my hands on the glass. What I do notice is that if he wears the bedding down too thin or bottoms out he has to high-tail it to the cool side regularly. But, a 1/4 inch is just about perfect for him. I'm thinking of switching to a cloth base (like a hankie) for the hot-spot so he can't ever hit glass.

I'm using fir/sphagnum substrate.

I feed out of tank - hah! gotcha!

Handling guidelines are way too conservative IMO. Or, at least, "tuning in" to your snake is rarely talked about. More than anything, I hate the "snakes are like robots and it doesn't matter what you do, you can't change them" bit.

I handle my gal so much I honestly think she's able to recognize me. When I open her tank she'll partly come out of her hide and just look at me as if to say "so um, you gonna take me out?" When I moved back home for the summer and put her in my room which I never go into she almost seems lonely in her demeanor, because back in college she would watch me all the time. In fact she's on my shoulder right now makin it quite difficult for me to use the touchpad on my laptop. lol.

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Originally Posted by bearhart

IN my case, I have an always-on UTH. I can control the temp of the warm side by controlling the thickness of the substrate. After I get it where he starts cycling between warm and cool side then I don't have to worry about it too much because the house temp only changes a few degrees ever.

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So what happens if the snake decides to vary the thickness of the substrate, as mine often does during its nocturnal wanderings (I use Bed-A-Beast, BTW)? It sounds like you're risking baked snake. :colbert: Get a t-stat, pronto. I have a proportional on one side and a rheo on the other, and I wouldn't go with anything less.

dang that did it I had to take my ball out! :O

yea Ill have to get a t-stat. But do I only control one item with it?

http://www.slamsoftware.com/Snakey/LochNess2.jpg

:carrot:

Hi,

Yes you can only control one heatsource per thermostat.....

Unless either;

1. You have two identicle heating devices ( ie 2 same size/watt uth's or such).
2. You buy a dual channel thermostat.

dr del

sweet so Ill just hook it to the UTH and control the warm side belly temp