My Vivarium Setup - Page 2

drewlowe · 07-28-03, 10:25 AM

You said your snake was near a year old. If your corn is indeed a year old he should be taking larger prey than 1 pinky mouse.

BTW that is one nice setup.

Chris_Flowers · 07-28-03, 10:34 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by drewlowe
You said your snake was near a year old. If your corn is indeed a year old he should be taking larger prey than 1 pinky mouse.

Grr! The guy in the reptile shop said just one a week

When I asked how old he is, the guy said almost a year. About a year old in August. Its (I still haven't a name yet!) is about 12-13" long I suppose - I've not measured properly.

So what should it be, larger prey or 2x Pinky's a week?

Quote:

BTW that is one nice setup.

Thanks

drewlowe · 07-28-03, 10:40 AM

the size of the prey shouldn't be bigger than 1 1/2 times the biggest girth on the snake. at a year old i was feeding my corns either fuzzys or hoppers. 1 or 2 a week.

don't belive petshops they at times usually have no clue what they are saying. but keep doing research and asking questions.

Chris_Flowers · 07-28-03, 10:47 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by drewlowe
the size of the prey shouldn't be bigger than 1 1/2 times the biggest girth on the snake. at a year old i was feeding my corns either fuzzys or hoppers. 1 or 2 a week.

Hmm, well 1 1/2 times the snakes biggest girth (excluding head) would probably be about the right size of the pinky I guess. I'll leave it this week and maybe next week I'll assess the situation. As soon as I've left him a few days to digest I'll try get some pictures so you guys can see the size of it.

Quote:

don't belive petshops they at times usually have no clue what they are saying. but keep doing research and asking questions.

I would normally agree with you, and I'm not actually disagreeing with you either! The trouble is, there aren't many reptile only pet shops around. If it had been a standard pet shop selling everything from rodents, birds to lizards then yeah. But its a family run business, specialising in reptiles. Theres only about 3 members of staff in the shop - so it all seemed pretty good.

Quote:

but keep doing research and asking questions.

Ha! Try and stop me

lordkovacs · 07-28-03, 11:14 AM

hey... my corns were on hoppers at one year for sure... but don't just suddenly go from a pink to a hopper. buy a couple fuzzies and try that. at a year even a fuzzy seems small... anyway, feed a fuzzy the first feeding. if that's okay, try a second fuzzy the next feeding. if that's okay, try a hopper. there should be a little lump in his stomach after feeding. if you can, post a pic here and then we can acess the size... just put a penny or something about half way down his body so we can get an idea of its size.
cheers,
MIKE

vanderkm · 07-28-03, 01:35 PM

A yearling corn might still be feeding on pinkies, as it has been my experience that stores often keep baby snakes on a feeding plan of a pinky a week to keep them small (cheaper to feed and house and more appealing to people who buy them than a bigger snake). I have seen several yearlings that were no larger than hatchlings when kept on this type of feeding program but they definately catch up to the size they should be when they are offered more food - just make sure you don't overload them all at once.

Young corns can be fed as often as every 5 days, and the meal should produce a bit of a bulge in the stomach. If it takes 2 pinkies to make a bulge, I would offer a couple pinks per meal for 3-4 feedings or until the next shed and then move it up to fuzzies that are big enough to make a bulge. Once you are familiar with the snake you will notice when they seem ready to take a second prey, and you can move them up to two fuzzies for a couple meals before they are ready to take hoppers. I am assuming you are feeding thawed and warmed up rodents - if you are feeding live - I suggest you switch to frozen/thawed now, while the snake has a good appetite - makes the switch easier.

It may take this guy a while to catch up but I don't think their growth is stunted - we had a cal king that was over 5 feet at maturity that was only 14 inches long and as thick as a pencil when we got her at 1 year of age.

Nice vivarium - your cornsnake will be very contented there,

mary v.

Chris_Flowers · 07-29-03, 01:38 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by vanderkm
A yearling corn might still be feeding on pinkies, as it has been my experience that stores often keep baby snakes on a feeding plan of a pinky a week to keep them small (cheaper to feed and house and more appealing to people who buy them than a bigger snake). I have seen several yearlings that were no larger than hatchlings when kept on this type of feeding program but they definately catch up to the size they should be when they are offered more food - just make sure you don't overload them all at once.

I think this may be the case. The guy in the store who advised me to feed a pinky a week said thats what they've all been eating to date.

I guess the tricky bit is trying not to overload them and knowing how much your snake can eat!?

Quote:

Young corns can be fed as often as every 5 days, and the meal should produce a bit of a bulge in the stomach. If it takes 2 pinkies to make a bulge, I would offer a couple pinks per meal for 3-4 feedings or until the next shed and then move it up to fuzzies that are big enough to make a bulge. Once you are familiar with the snake you will notice when they seem ready to take a second prey, and you can move them up to two fuzzies for a couple meals before they are ready to take hoppers. I am assuming you are feeding thawed and warmed up rodents - if you are feeding live - I suggest you switch to frozen/thawed now, while the snake has a good appetite - makes the switch easier.

Well it made a slight bulge in his stomach - but not too much. At first I wasn't even sure there was one! It was only when I changed his water bowl (something I've never seen him use for other then sleeping under!) that I noticed the small bulge.

Yes, I feeding frozen pinkys that have been thawed for the best part of the day.

Quote:

It may take this guy a while to catch up but I don't think their growth is stunted - we had a cal king that was over 5 feet at maturity that was only 14 inches long and as thick as a pencil when we got her at 1 year of age.

Nice vivarium - your cornsnake will be very contented there,

I hope he does catch up. Mine is about 12" long I suppose (although I've not measured) and as you say, about as thick as a pencil.

Thanks for the help

spyderman · 07-29-03, 06:31 AM

I have roughly the same setup with that substrate in my Viv' (Well, my snakes Viv) I just put a large plate in his viv with his meal on. I put the plate in the same place every time & I have no trouble at all. Ekans (My Bull snake) Knows exactly where & when his dinner will be served

Nice viv btw.

spyderman · 07-29-03, 06:41 AM

"Its (I still haven't a name yet!)"

I already have a Bull snake called Ekans. I'm getting a corn for the kids later today. I want to call it "Cob" (As in Corn on the...) But the kids don't think much of that for some reason. BTW would love to see pics of "It" too.

Chris_Flowers · 07-29-03, 12:34 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by spyderman
"Its (I still haven't a name yet!)"

I already have a Bull snake called Ekans. I'm getting a corn for the kids later today. I want to call it "Cob" (As in Corn on the...) But the kids don't think much of that for some reason. BTW would love to see pics of "It" too.

The name that's in the lead so far is 'Angwi', though not sure if its pronounced 'Ang-wee' or 'Ang-why' or 'Ang-ry'! Its the Elvish/Elven (as in Tolkien Elve) translation for the English word 'snake'

KingJaff · 08-01-03, 04:10 PM

cool name, keep it,
As I said in another thread you posted, IMO your snake should be on at least 3 pinkes a week, and get him on fuzzies as soon as posible
V nice viv btw, my only cocern is it maybe to big fo a hatchling sized snake, (does he seem very shy, you said he hides under the water bowl)? Normally snakes only do this to cool down or hide, if so he should be in a smaller tank for a while, as small snakes can get stressed in a large viv.
Also U should be carful of the substrate sticking to the food (espeicailly if you defrost it it warm water, the quickist way by far ) but my snake is waay waay bigger then yours (kingsnake

) and he once ate a chunk of wood chip like yours but guess what.. He pooed it out!!! I was so impressed and pleased

Also my advice as far as your (already addiquit and cool) viv goes... get loads more branches in there make a mini epping forest, as i know corns love to climb

In my vi i've got this branch thats widged in from bottem left to top right, and lots of other bits proped up from there

your snake will be like

steen · 08-01-03, 06:41 PM

HAHA....my parents suggested "Cob" for my snake too....sorry to say, but I think I'm with your kids on this one!

(although the name might fit your corn better than mine!)

Kristine

reptiledude21 · 08-01-03, 11:07 PM

when i feed mine i just put the pinky on a plastic dish in the cage so it doesnt impact any of my bedding....its worked so far..

Chris_Flowers · 08-02-03, 10:50 AM

I've changed to astro turf now. Looks weird in the viv! Kinda makes it look like a snake playroom more then say natural looking that the woodchip gave

Still, means I can feed him in the viv now. Its feeding time again tomorrow where I'll be giving him two 'frozen' mice

Mind you, he'll be in a box to feed again if he doesn't come out of his hide and eat - which I'm predicting will happen, he is very shy which could be down to the size of the viv.

We'll see.

lordkovacs · 08-02-03, 10:55 AM

sweet man.. how much were the plastic vents, and where did you buy them? home depot maybe?