Going Shopping Tomorrow For Snake, What Should I Get?

[Maratila]

I'm going shopping tomorrow for my future corn snake. I plan on getting a big enclosure (about 4 feet in length), and everything else I might need! I already have three books on corn snakes, so I feel pretty comfortable, but I'm so confused because there are so many different opinions! Ha ha! Anyways, I feel that I will figure it out if I continue to read.

However, I want to make sure my shopping list is correct, and I want to ask your advice about what I should exactly get.

This is what I currently have:
Aspen Bedding
Coco Fiber Bedding (Which one? Coco Fiber or Aspen?)
One Fake Plant
One Small Hiding Log
A Bunch of Treated Backyard Branches (I spent like two hours making them safe).

What I'm Planning To Get:
More Fake Plants and Enclosure Decorations
Food (Pinkies, rats, etc... It depends on the age of the snake that I'm getting. Still haven't figured it out. I also am going to get some crickets, but that is for another pet :) )
Calcium/Vitamin D3 Supplements
Food for the Crickets (What do you guys recommend? I really want them to be filled with nutrition, but I HATE that cricket gel stuff! I not only got crickets, but I also got a ton of maggots :wacky: )
Some form of heat (I'm thinking a regular heat light, but I'm not sure of what watt to use yet. Also, I think I'm going to get a heat pad for under the tank).
A Tank about 4 feet long
A water bowl

That is all I can think of at the moment, but please feel free to give advice!
Thanks!

[infernalis]

I am more about the simple approach, once a corn snake gets adult size, they tend to knock over all that fancy stuff in the cage.

If you are getting a baby, then by all means go crazy, the more "clutter" the better, it makes the baby feel secure.

[DeesBalls]

i agree with infernalis... when they are babies, decor it up! my older corn tears up everything.. so hes got a dish, and tree... no hides, he burrows all the time and doesnt use them.. but for a babie i would suggest getting them.

i prefer aspen, i use that for all my snakes and it works great!!

[Lankyrob]

Definitely need a minimum of TWO hides one for warm end one for cold. As for heating i use non light emitting heat bulbs so that they can stay on 24/7 without disturbing anyone.

[MoreliAddict]

i prefer aspen, i use that for all my snakes and it works great!!
i use aspen too, it'll work really well with a corn snake.

[Gungirl]

I think you have a great list going but here are my thoughts- I prefer Aspen for my corn, also think that an under the tank heater would be a much better option. Corns don't need much added heat just a little. No matter what you use for a heat source get a thermostat for it. Never use any heat source without a thermostat.

I also want to inform you of is that if you are getting a baby Corn be warned that in a 4ft long viv with all that decor and stuff you will have a really hard time locating your snake when it decides its time to hide. I on several occasions thought I lost my baby corn in his first viv. Be sure to secure the lid/door very well also. They are such little worms and they can/will get out of the smallest places.

[DeesBalls]

Definitely need a minimum of TWO hides one for warm end one for cold. As for heating i use non light emitting heat bulbs so that they can stay on 24/7 without disturbing anyone.

yes, i agree here deffinitaly need hides as babies... i was just saying that mine burrows and never uses them...

but for babies, deffinatly need hides.

[alessia55]

You could get a colubrid (rat snake, corn snake, king snake, etc) or a ball python, and they'd be happy in there. You should add a second hide to your list, since most snakes will like and use one hide at each end of the enclosure for when they thermoregulate.

[Dakota314]

I would go with a under tank heat pad with a thermostat. They can get upwards of 130 degrees without a thermostat, so be sure to have one.
I prefer aspen, because it looks nice and is easy to see their poo when they go.
Are you talking about calcium for the corn snake, or for your other pet who eats crickets? Corns don't need any supplements, and will do fine without them.
I gutload my crickets with potatoes, apples, bananas, carrots, and that gel stuff.
Just a side note, corn snakes are the best and you will LOVE yours. :)

[theapexgerman]

More stuff in the cage as a babies is a lot better and I would use repti bark I use to use aspen but I use repti bark now

[Maratila]

Thanks everyone! I now have my first corn snake, and he/she (I'm giving him/her a day to calm down before sexing him/her) is about two feet long with regular coloring. It is almost a year old. Actually, I'm not sure about the color. It is kind of different in that like the first part of the snake is the regular orange patterning but then around early middle it turns to like a darker color in that the spots are bright, however the orange isn't really orange but grayish. It doesn't look like sickness, but just normal for it.

He/She seems the picture of health and passed my examination. Eating really well and normal behavior. However, it still thinks I'm trying to eat it, ha ha.

Thanks again!!! :D