Bulbs and cleaning

[TheBoogieDown]

Hey again, folks. I recently cleaned my snakes terrarium (he was living on top of newspaper and I wanted to get him some aspen bedding, so I figured I'd just scrub everything out.) Anyways, I was looking for some cleaning/sanitizing products at PetSmart, and I didn't find any of the ones I saw recommended on the interwebs. So I purchased a product called "Fluker's Super Scrub." It seemed to clean everything very well (plus it came with a scrub brush lid). I was wondering if anyone knew of any products that work better, or if this one is satisfactory for cleaning and sanitizing my snakes terrarium.

Also, I talked myself into getting a "night heat lamp". Everything I have read on this bulb (made by Exo Terra) says it's great for corn snakes at night to regulate the day/night schedule they need to be on because it simulates moon light for them. The problem I'm most worried about is that my room (even with AC) has his terrarium around 80 degrees at all times, and this light puts it to about 85. My first question is: Was this a smart buy, or did I sucker myself into something I don't really need? Secondly: Is that type of heat bad for him? I do change his water bowl every 8-10 hours to keep him with cool water, but he just keeps himself burrowed. If this heat is bad, how can I keep his terrarium cool?

Sorry for all these random, probably-shoulda-been-asked-before-acquiring-the-snake questions.

[Gungirl]

You don't need the night heat for a corn.. he will be fine at room temp. My corn has no heat source and has been doing great at room temps for 2 yrs.

As for cleaning.. I use vinegar and water or steam.. nothing else.

[Lankyrob]

I give my corns a hot end of 86f and cool end of 70-75f at all times night and day and they seem to be doing well :)

I am not sure if you mean the WHOLE of the enclosure is 80f with no gradient??

[shaunyboy]

i use newspaper as substrate,as its easy to spot clean

i only give my tanks a proper clean every 6 to 8 months

i use an anti viral and an anti bacterial soulution (made by zoo med )

i feel keeping snakes in TOO sterile conditions,can be detremental to their immune systems,too sterile = nothing for their system to fight (just my way of thinking)

cheers shaun

[Jlassiter]

Good answer Lankyrob!

Giving a captive choices is the only way to go....IMHO

[Jlassiter]

i use newspaper as substrate,as its easy to spot clean

i only give my tanks a proper clean every 6 to 8 months

i use an anti viral and an anti bacterial soulution (made by zoo med )

i feel keeping snakes in TOO sterile conditions,can be detremental to their immune systems,too sterile = nothing for their system to fight (just my way of thinking)

cheers shaun


That is interesting you say that.....
Many "old school" keepers used to think and still think like that......

[TheBoogieDown]

I give my corns a hot end of 86f and cool end of 70-75f at all times night and day and they seem to be doing well :)

I am not sure if you mean the WHOLE of the enclosure is 80f with no gradient??

No no, the heat pad end is the 80's side, the other end (which honestly, isn't that big, I really need to upgrade the tank) is generally 75. But, as a first time owner, I am always leery on temperatures and such. I just never see him since I put that aspen bedding in haha. He loves it, but is always burrowed in.

[TheBoogieDown]

And just to show you guys, this is his terrarium (for now). I bought him as an entire set (everything shown here, save for the spray bottle and bedding) came with him. I have the hygrometer, a thermometer (and I ever have one of those point and click digital reader majiggers... I'm horrible with device names haha). Any feedback from you guys would be super.

[Donnie]

Another hide would be good in there, one for the hot end and one for the cool end so he can feel secure whilst regulating his temperature.

[Lankyrob]

Another hide would be good in there, one for the hot end and one for the cool end so he can feel secure whilst regulating his temperature.

.This!! And being burrowed is totally normal, i dont see one of my corns apart from feeding day :)

[TheBoogieDown]

Rob: do you have to dig them out on feeding day?

Also I took you advice and got him another hide, it's a woodland one because, well, the rock ones were WAY to big to fit in there. Here's a new picture.

[Lankyrob]

Rob: do you have to dig them out on feeding day?

Also I took you advice and got him another hide, it's a woodland one because, well, the rock ones were WAY to big to fit in there. Here's a new picture.

Nope, once they smell food they come out ready to eat :)

[bcoop1234]

I use F10 for cleaning.

[snake man12]

For being colubrids corns really have a good feeding response.

When I had my corn it hit like my boa!

[Jlassiter]

Try Florida or any getula for that matter......They come out of their enclosures chasing you for food sometimes....and hit hard.......Makes a corn look like a lightweight.....LOL

[shaunyboy]

That is interesting you say that.....
Many "old school" keepers used to think and still think like that......

i think if a snakes kept in a sterile enviroment,such as scrubbing a tank clean every 7 days (as i've read some keepers saying they do)

then the snakes immune system will have nothing to fight off....

so when their immune system needs to fight,say a respiritory infection brought on by a heat malfunction,then the sterile kept snakes immune system,will not have the strength/ability to fight said infection,as well as a snake who's been exposed to a tank,thats not been cleaned out properly for 8 months at a time

as said thats just my take on it

but if you think about.....

if you kept a new born human baby in a sterile bubble,then realesed the baby when it was 18 years old,it would have trouble fighting off common illnesses

like remote tribes being killed,by diseases that we have been beating easily for generations

cheers shaun

[Aaron_S]

That is interesting you say that.....
Many "old school" keepers used to think and still think like that......

Because it's true...

I do about the same thing except I don't do it due to immune systems I do it because if my collection is clean and healthy I don't really need to sanitize anything out of the bins. Doesn't mean I keep dirty bins, all poop and urates wiped out. Fresh bedding in.

When I do use something I use a simple vinegar/water solution.

[Jlassiter]

Because it's true...

I do about the same thing except I don't do it due to immune systems I do it because if my collection is clean and healthy I don't really need to sanitize anything out of the bins. Doesn't mean I keep dirty bins, all poop and urates wiped out. Fresh bedding in.

When I do use something I use a simple vinegar/water solution.


Me too!......

[TheBoogieDown]

Nope, once they smell food they come out ready to eat :)

What are your guys opinions on feeding in the terrarium compared to feeding out of the terrarium. People I've seen online seem to be militant about feeding out of their normal habitat.

[Jlassiter]

There is NO REASON whatsoever to feed outside of their enclosure......

That's how I feel....

[TheBoogieDown]

That's what I always thought. But my other question is this: my snake is almost a year old, and the person I bought him from was still feeding him pinkies... Shouldn't I be upgrading him to fuzzies? ALSO: I'm pretty excited (and nervous) because it seems he's about to shed. He came out of being burrowed with cloudy looking eyes, and (he was on his climbing vine) and he had kind of an iridescent sheen to him. Although I'm not sure if that last part is a sign of shedding or me not noticing it on him when I first got him haha. But I'm looking forward to HOPEFULLY getting that spot off his tail soon.

[Jlassiter]

His eyes will clear up then he will shed.

I'd offer him prey items that are slightly larger than the snake's girth.

[Lankyrob]

My corns all get fed in their vivarium and i feed prey that is roughly double their girth every 7 days for first year and then on a 14/21 day rolling schedule. :)

[Kettennatter]

You don't need the night heat for a corn.. he will be fine at room temp. My corn has no heat source and has been doing great at room temps for 2 yrs...[

The same here, at least during the summer. My house is simply too hot. I use low-wattage UTHs during the winter. The corns seem to be doing fine.

[Toronto1977]

Try Florida or any getula for that matter......They come out of their enclosures chasing you for food sometimes....and hit hard.......Makes a corn look like a lightweight.....LOL

I totally agree with you here John. Last week when feeding my Brooks (f/t) it bit-down and squeezed so hard, that it tore a flap of skin right off the rat! Crazy little things lol.

[infernalis]

You don't need the night heat for a corn.. he will be fine at room temp. My corn has no heat source and has been doing great at room temps for 2 yrs.

As for cleaning.. I use vinegar and water or steam.. nothing else.

I was about to say the same thing.

My corn snake is six years old, raised it from a $29.99 PETCO baby and never used any heat at all.

I rinse out dirty glass cages in my bathtub and use vinigar windex to clean the glass.

I never sterilize, bake, boil or freeze anything.

People who throw away mice because "I forgot it on the counter for 6 hours while I was thawing it" confuse me.

Snakes and lizards COMMONLY will consume carcasses found laying on the ground outside several days dead (rotting carrion) and not get sick from it.

[Lankyrob]

I was about to say the same thing.

My corn snake is six years old, raised it from a $29.99 PETCO baby and never used any heat at all.

I rinse out dirty glass cages in my bathtub and use vinigar windex to clean the glass.

I never sterilize, bake, boil or freeze anything.

People who throw away mice because "I forgot it on the counter for 6 hours while I was thawing it" confuse me.

Snakes and lizards COMMONLY will consume carcasses found laying on the ground outside several days dead (rotting carrion) and not get sick from it.

I thaw mine overnight so they are "out" for at least 9 hours before feeding them off!! :)

[shaunyboy]

There is NO REASON whatsoever to feed outside of their enclosure......

That's how I feel....

^^^^^
this

cheers shaun