first snake

[Ragnar]

Shera, thanks for all the advice. so far i've been more or less mixing the people's recommendations and looking around the forum for cool stuff in between your guys' posts. ill have to add pictures once the setup is completed for more words of wisdom on what i did right and what i could improve on. thanks alot

[Ragnar]

Neal, thanks for the input, but is a 55 Gal still manageable? would it be too big even if i were to clutter it with lots of stuff. i don't mind the extra cleaning that comes with it since i have plenty of time on my hands and have no problem to get it all done?

[Shera]

so from what i understand i would want to get a CHE for the hot side and run it 24/7 (would i need a thermostat/rheostat to run with it?). and some flexwatt or another UTH for the cool side. would it be a problem if it's heating the hot side from the top and the cool side from the bottom? does the tank need a light as well or will the natural day/night cycle be sufficient for a snake? as you can see i'm really trying to get my ducks in a row before i actually own a snake. And i would need to cover a good portion of the screen with something to keep the humidity in, right? and it makes sense to me to have the hot side uncovered for the heat from the CHE to transmit heat properly.

No you want the UTH for the warm side, and the CHE would just provide a boost to the ambient air temp, especially if your house is at 70F. I don't use a CHE, I use a blue night light bulb. you can get a dimmer for the bulb (at home hardware or where ever) or you can use a thermostat, it's up to you. For the UTH it's a good idea to use a thermostat instead of a dimmer, because it can be dangerous if it gets too hot. If you look up Hydrofarm thermostat on amazon you can see it, it's a seedling mat thermostat that was recommended to me here. When you place the UTH (which should cover roughly a quarter to a 3rd of the tanks bottom) on the bottom of the tank (you put it on the outside of the tank), you can sandwich you thermostat probe between the glass and UTH. This won't read the exact temperature that the snake will experience on the warm side, which is why you also want to use a thermometer, or you can buy a temp gun, and then you adjust accordingly (thermostat might be set to 92F, but the warm side is actually 90F, kinda thing, since it's on the other side of the glass. If there is a window in the room, then you don't need to provide any artificial light, but it's a good idea to keep the lights off at night for the most part. If anything didn't make sense, just ask and I will clarify.

[Shera]

Since most others have touched on pretty much everything, a 55 gal is way too big, I wouldn't even house a big adult in that.

Welcome to the forums on the other hand.

I was worried about this too. What is the foot print of the tank (length and width) 36"x18" is fine for a full grown adult, but I have a 300g snake (so pretty small) in a 31"x19" and she's fine in there (eats great, and is growing rapidly), but I cluttered it up for her. The fear is getting a hatchling that is used to a shoes box sided bin, and plopping it into a huge enclosure and then it's scared and won't eat for you. Nothing is more nerve wracking than having a baby who won't eat.

[MootWorm]

A 55 is perfectly fine. I keep mine in one, he eats, poops and sheds regularly. It's just a bit more of a struggle to maintain. And cleaning is NOT fun lol. Just make sure you have plenty of cover


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[Shera]

See there you go, I know enclosure size is one of those things that people have differing views on, but if MootWorm can do it, it shouldn't be a problem.

Just a tip when setting up, don't use tape inside the enclosure, because they can get themselves stuck to it. If you need to stick something, use hot glue.

[Ragnar]

wow, sure am glad i joined this forum, the help i'm getting is tremendous. but yes, the footprint of the tank is 36"x18". so far from all the advice i have received i have put together this much

CHE on the hot side
UTH on the hot side
thermostat on the UTH
cover 25%-33% with UTH
probe between UTH and tank
cover most of screen with tinfoil or something to keep the humidity up
provide lots of stuff for the snake in the tank and two identical hides on each side
get a thermometer gun
artificial light is not necessary

am i on the right track so far?

[MootWorm]

Sounds like you're on the right track! Just remember, you'll have to tweak things as you, just find what works best for you. Good luck, and post tons of pics of your baby when you get him/her!!


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[NYHC4LIFE8899]

I have mine in a 40 gallon high. 2 hides and a few fake plants and very lrg water dish...he's always exploring and slithering around.. I am going to add some more fake plants this weekend to make it more cluttered

[ROACH]

Since most others have touched on pretty much everything, a 55 gal is way too big, I wouldn't even house a big adult in that.

Welcome to the forums on the other hand.

This was my thought also.