Reptiles Magazine Community / Reptile Forums / Beginner Herpers Discussion

Under Tank Heater Qs

OneDaySale — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 19:41:03 GMT

Setting up Ares's tank now (we stopped by the store to see him; he's AWESOME!) - lugged the 20 gallon long tank home last night, and got one shipment of stuff today.

The UTH - instructions warn against using it under the tank if placing the tank on a closed top surface. The instructions also say to use a thick substrate so the snake doesn't get burned through the glass.

We were going to place the tank on a dresser (cheap IKEA one, so if it discolors, I'm fine with that). Are the manufacturers just covering their own rear with legal disclaimers (many fish tank heaters say not to submerge them, when everyone knows they are fine to be submerged)? Does anyone else have their UTH set up on a closed top stand?

Also, we were going to use bird paper for the first month until we were sure Ares was 100% healthy, so now I'm worried he's going to get burnt. Should I apply the UTH on a side panel as the instructions recommend?

Any suggestions/comments welcomed - thanks!

Considering a Jungle Carpet Python

AZ_Equine — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 15:54:12 GMT

I have had my Ball Python for 8 months now and have learned a lot. He was a rescued unwanted pet that was given to me from a local teacher. He was very underweight and dehydrated when I got him. He now is up to his ideal weight now and I feel ready for a second snake pet.

I have been researching JCP's and might purchase one in a couple weeks off of Craig's list if they still have it when I am able to make the drive to get it.

Anyway I have been told they can be unpredictable even after they have been tamed. So I would like to hear present and past owners experiences with JCP's - Pros and cons before I make a commitment to one. (or not)

http://images.craigslist.org/5Lb5X15M83Ka3I93M1c232c44b36a793e1447.jpg

Questions before buying a king snake

OneDaySale — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 09:32:12 GMT

Hello,

My son and I have experience with animal husbandry (a few months ago, we had to put our beloved 15 year-old puppy to sleep; we've maintained a 125 gallon freshwater planted tank and a number of freshwater community tanks and a saltwater fish-only tank). We considered leopard geckos, frilled dragons, and several types of snakes, but I think we've agreed on getting a king snake. We've done a fair amount of reading (here and on other sites, as well as some books/magazines); we have some questions to make sure we do it "right." Thanks for any/all answers!

1) What age snake should we purchase, baby or juvenile? (I'm interpreting baby to mean 0-6 mos and juvenile to mean 6 mos - 2 years)
2) Should we use an under tank heater pad or just lamps? I've seen both suggested and both cautioned against. I'm leaning toward an under tank heater pad that would be placed under half the tank only.
3) Am I better off sourcing the habitat items separately, or should I get one of the kits? (From aquaria, I've seen that the kits include lower quality items, some of which are useless/harmful - is that true here as well)?
4) I'm planning on starting with a 20 gallon tank, but have some choices on dimensions. On another site, I read that king snakes like to climb; on the care sheet on this site, it says that they mainly stay on the ground. Should I get a flatter 20 gallon tank or a taller 20 gallon tank?
5) What's the target humidity for a king snake?
6) Best substrate? My son wants to use bark to allow the snake to burrow; I've read about using the indoor/outdoor carpeting for its simplicity.
7) Live plants - are they more trouble than they are worth? What types are good with king snakes?
8) Expected Shopping list - put together from what I've read; please advise if any of these items are extraneous:
A) 20 gallon tank
B) Locking lid
C) 2 reptile habitat thermometers
D) 1 hygrometer
E) 1 under tank heating pad or heat lamp
F) substrate, either reptibark or indoor/outdoor carpeting
G) Shallow water dish that won't tip over easily
H) Feeding tongs
I) Spray bottle for misting
J) Decor: a hide or two and a branch, possibly live plants?
K) a rubbermaid bin to use as a feeding enclosure
L) frozen pinkies

Sorry this is so long... I've always found it better to ask questions of people with experience and without a monetary objective. Again, thanks for any/all replies!

Asian water monitor behavior question

jaguara — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 11:55:35 GMT

My 1 year old asian water monitor that I just got from a reliable breeder is being kept in a 50 gal clear plastic container. I filled the bottom with eco earth and newspaper shreddings and put half of a box in there as well as a 10 gal metal cage top (the "chicken wire" topping) where i set the large heat pad ontop of. He burrows underneath the cage top and sleeps there and stays there. I have 12 hrs of lighting on him and 12 hours of dark. I also have a bin that acts as a swimming pool. Sometimes I'll find him chillin in there early in the morning. Once a week I put him in the bath tub and sometimes he likes it and sometimes he doesn't. I give him turkey on a plate and set it in the corner of the tub and last night he ate half of what I gave him. Daytime temps are 88-90 with a 99 basking spot with the lowest gradient being 80. I give him uvb with an area for shade- I've read it's not necessary, but they get it in the wild so I'm providing it. Nighttime temps are 75-80, humidity levels stay constant at 90%. He is in the bathroom where there is little to no activity- the cats cannot go in the bathroom because the doors are always shut and it is very quiet. Last week he ate a small thawed rat and regurgitated it in the tub when he was swimming. He had eaten 2 hunks of salmon each day before the rat. He ate one slice of turkey about 4 days ago and half of the plate that I mentioned earlier. Is he just finnicky until he gets used to me? Or is it the tub or what? I've had him a week and a half so far.

This tub he is in is temporary- I'm currently building (and almost complete) with a large wooden enclosure with a pool area a climbing area and a basking area.

No mean hearted replies please- that's what drove me away from other reptile forums

Your biggest newbie mistake?

OneDaySale — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 04:48:58 GMT

This question is always so informative for newbies... for those with experience, what was your biggest newbie mistake? Thanks for sharing!

water

arti — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 07:37:45 GMT

Right now I am using bottled spring water...but was wondering if there was something cheaper out there or a better alternative.

thanks!

Lighting.... is dicloric bad?

roseritson — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 22:51:34 GMT

Hi, I was wondering if any one new if dicloric lighting in a tank was a bad thing?

Can it be harmful to the reptiles?

Overhandling

OneDaySale — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 20:21:02 GMT

The vet cautioned against overhandling Ares and mentioned that 30-60 minutes a day would be fine. A basic care book said not to handle snakes more than 20 minutes per day. Thus far, we've handled Ares (California kingsnake) about 30 minutes per day (once he was done digesting); we've kept things calm, and he's been great.

I've also read posts where ppl were talking about breeders who don't handle the snakes daily - and that was bad.

What are the dangers of overhandling? Assuming it varies by species, what would be overhandling a California kingsnake?

Thanks!

Brand vs quality/value/reliability

OneDaySale — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 09:29:34 GMT

When I started getting fish stuff a decade ago, I had no clue about the quality of different brands. Over time and with some costly mistakes, I learned which brands were good values and which were just cheap junk that I was going to have to replace sooner rather than later. Starting in this hobby, I'd like to learn from other people's mistakes... In doing my research for necessary items for our new kingsnake, I've seen three brand names show up over and over again: Exo Terra, Zoo Med, and Zilla

I tend to be a value shopper, where I'll pay more if something is worth the added dollars. With that in mind, how would you rate those brands in terms of most value to least value? Are there other brands you'd recommend or avoid altogether?

Thanks!

adoption checklist

paleowedigit — Wed, 31 Aug 2011 08:58:42 GMT

So my roommate informed me that he (read we) might be getting a snake, a ball python to be exact. I started asking him questions about it, and it became quite apparent that the only things he knows about snakes are: they like to be warm, they eat mice, and they have teeth. We would be getting this snake from a friend of his who is moving. I thought it would be a good idea to compile a fairly extensive list of questions to ask just to make sure he knows exactly what he's getting into.
Adoption checklist:
gender?
size?
age?
origin of purchase?
any notes from the original seller?
captive or wild born?
documentation of above?
general temperament?
has it ever bitten?
current enclosure size?
enclosure heating mechanism (under tank or light)?
lighting cycle?
temperature gradient the snake is used to?
current vet?
last visit to the vet?
has it ever been ill?
has it ever had mites?
has it ever been diagnosed with IBD?
current food and size?
development of food color preference?
has it ever gone an extended period of time without eating?
what got it to eat again?
feeding frequency?
So if anyone has anything else to add to the list, I would greatly appreciate it.
Thanks

Spare tanks

ballpythonl0ver — Sun, 23 Oct 2011 19:07:59 GMT

I have 3 spare cages a 50, 20, and 10 gallon long tanks I'm looking for beginner to medium reptiles or snakes but I don't have time to mist frogs and toads
Oh... And it has to be no bigger than a beardie

Aggressive new iguana, help?

kelvin-tastic — Sun, 28 Aug 2011 20:37:19 GMT

Hi, for christmas last year I recieved an iguana from a friend of my parents. He was said to be a year old and was also not taken care of much, never petted nor held and fed nothing but celery. I took him in, not knowing how to handle or care of igs. Hes older now, around two, and very aggressive with me. He will claw and scratch at the top of the cage, and will dig constantly. I think he may need a new cage. He digs constantly as well, and when I place my hand into the cage to remove his poop or to put in food he becomes very tense and lifts his head and watches me. I hope my lighting for him is OK, I keep a purple heat lamp on and a day one on as well. I change his water everyday and change his bedding often as well. I have petted him before and he closed his eyes and let me, but after reading more about it I think he just closed them due to my hands being so close. I've read so much about taking care of them and so many different things have come up about how to handle agressive igs, so im not sure how to do it. Once again, im busy often with school and personal things, but im trying to figure out how to properly take care of Kelvin. Please, if you have any advice, I'd really appreaciate it.

Kendra.

Just got a baby Banded Uromastyx and have some questions

A_uro_newb — Sun, 27 Nov 2011 07:12:54 GMT

We got a baby banded uromastyx at a reptile store a few weeks ago and was told he was about 4 months old. He is now shedding - how often will this occur? I assume it's a sign he is growing and thriving, so that's a good thing. Right? He seems to sleep a lot, but since he is a baby I guess that is normal? How much should he be sleeping? Also, he likes to sleep standing up in the corner of his tank. I can't imagine it's good for him. Should I let him? Or should I carefully lay him down?

Regarding diet, I've read lots and been told differing things from the reptile store. Do I need to give him any source of protein - like meal worms, etc? Also, since he is a baby, should I not give him lentils? Or can I ground them up? He mainly has a diet of romaine lettuce, cucumbers and brussel sprouts.

I'm sure we've got more questions, but that's it for now...

Shedding

arti — Thu, 24 Nov 2011 05:55:53 GMT

Hi there, I just got my ball pythons not even a week ago, and one is shedding. I heard that it is supposed to be all one piece, but instead it is flaking off in large pieces.

The humidity has been around 40 to 60.
and the temps have been around 90 on the hot side and 80 on the cool side.

Low profile Heat/Light for Leo's

AzaleaMist — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 15:43:32 GMT

Hi, I am fairly new to Herps. We bought our Beardie and the Leo's a week apart and have had them going on two and three weeks I believe. In fact when I originally found the Geckos first but decided to buy the Bearded Dragon then later contacted the owner of the Geckos to see if he still had them. I have been reading all I can and making changes to their care etc. The dragon seems to be in good shape and I am happy with our purchase. The leo's I discovered were not being cared for very well but I have seem major improvement with one of them and and some improvement with the other.

I have them in a 15 gallon at the moment. (they came in a 10 gallon, without a heating pad, only a uva/b light?? and on sand) I will upgrade them to a 20 gallon soon. I put them on a under tank heating pad a soon as I got them home and changed the light to a red one that came with the dragon I was not using. I put the light on the opposite side of the heating pad because the directions said you cannot use both on the same side? (exoterra) I also made them a humid house and the girls spend a lot of time in there.

My question is ..... what kind of low profile heat/light can I switch to that is not taller than 2.5 inches? Can I put something in an aquarium fixture? I moved them today along with two gerbil enclosures to a shelf unit and there is not a lot of room for lighting. Please advise. Thank you for any help. I have a five gallon light fluorescent light fixture available that fits if this is an option.

Need of help

Dstock — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 17:47:53 GMT

I am a beginner and in need of assistance, I want to buy are pair of green anoles but was wondering what light do i use I bought this aquarium setup a while back and was wondering if I could use that? And are there any tips for starters.

Free Amphibian Beginners care webinar for Frog Owners

GreenJungle — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 16:22:23 GMT

Being a Teaching Zoo, our philosophy is pretty simple:
spread our knowledge
Many of us spent plenty of hours reading books, looking online, and searching throug magazines for caresheets on our pets. Sometimes we hit on nuggets of gold, but it seemed as the internet grew, there was more and more broken links, outdated care sheets, and sometimes just plain wrong information.
Our teaching zoo is ran by a highly regarded reptile and exotic veterinarian. In fact, many of the early import animals which are commonplace now were first seen by Dr. Wilson DVM.
The teaching zoo staff is happy to have this program finally underway, as we have felt there are big needs in the education of captive reptile and amphibian owners.
This FREE WEBINAR is the first in a series of webinars which will be focusing on the captive care, needs, and discussion of better standards of practice in keeping herps.
So please join us by registering for this event. Act soon, as we are limiting enrollment to the first 100 individuals.
http://www.eventbrite.com/event/2473201412
November 18th at 8pm, follow the link above for more info and to register for this FREE event

Resuce Iguana

JBailey — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 17:35:34 GMT

Evening all. I'm hoping for some pointers. New, but rescued a green female iguana. Been with us for 1 1/2 weeks. She's about 2 1/2 feet long, but her tail has obviously been damaged and has started growing back. We bought an inside 4x4x2 habitat, and have a day light, and night light, as well as a heater that kicks on after 70 degrees. She eats regularly once a day, poops okay, and sleeps constantly. She only becomes alert when her habitat is placed in the direct sunlight, which is almost daily (considering weather). She doesn't climb, even though I saw her try once. She gets to soak in a warm tub every other day.

She's sweet, and obviously been trained around humans. We let her walk around the house, but she seems to like to 'hide.'

I guess my question is; is she normal for a rescue? I wish I had someone who would look at her and tell me if she is okay 'without' finding a real vet. Money for me is tight as I am unemployed, but she's being fed well. Just need some real people advice. One day she will have a real vet, but we're in the beginning stages, so I am concentrating on her well-being.

I went to the local serpentarium, and they helped me figure out that she is a female.

Guess I really want someone who knows iguanas to talk to.

Thanks in advance.

Joan

How can I tell if my crested gecko is eating?

lightsong — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 05:52:22 GMT

I just got my first crested gecko a few days ago, and I am feeding him repashy crested gecko diet - banana flavor. I put new food in every other day as the directions suggest not to leave in longer than 36hrs. I cannot tell though if he is eating it. I have given him dusted crickets every couple of days just to be sure he is eating. Can anyone give me any suggestions as to how you can tell if CGD is being eaten.

what should i get?

ballpythonl0ver — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 17:04:26 GMT

[font=Comic Sans MS]what is a cheap but nice ball python (not a pastel) for under 200$
thank you in advance[size=5][/size][/font]

Desert Herp

Papoom01 — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 11:38:28 GMT

Can you help me find at least 10 easy to care for herps that live in the desert?

spare cage

crestedgecko133 — Thu, 01 Sep 2011 14:56:05 GMT

Hi guys I am kinda new to reptilechannel. I have a baby green iguana and i have a spare cage that is 12x12x12. Its one of those cages with a door that is on the front. anyway, i was wondering what could fit in it and live a happy life.

Colorado herping

greenblaze32 — Sun, 25 Sep 2011 15:47:40 GMT

Hello my name is Brenna and im 14 and an advid herper i was wondering if anyone either from colorado or someone who has been here has any good herping spots it can be any where and any type of herping, i just need some cool spots i can go

Whats Dangerous

Critter Lover — Wed, 31 Aug 2011 19:45:11 GMT

Long story short leaving for basic training for the Army on Sept 6th. I was wondering who knows what critters out there are venomous and poisonous in South Carolina and Georgia. I just want to know what to look for, so I know and can get along with them.

Breeding Red-Ear Sliders

Salasb — Tue, 30 Aug 2011 22:31:28 GMT

My wife and I have two healthy female red-ear sliders, and a recent trip to the vet involved the doc telling us that the turtles would have to mate or else they would have very serious health issues. Now I have two problems with this, one, I know nothing about breeding and hatching red-ear sliders, and two, who in the world would want to buy them from a private breeder. Any suggestions???

Leopard gecko/hermit crab cage

iaobie — Tue, 23 Aug 2011 20:23:59 GMT

I am new to the herp community. I'm looking to purchase a leopard gecko for my son who is 7. We have a 20G aquarium (30x12). This tank is more than adequate in size for one gecko. We were wondering if we put in a tank divider with the larger area being for the gecko, would there be any problems with a gecko living in one side and a hermit crab in the other? If not I was considering either a plexi glass divider or perhaps a piece of mesh screen that the crabs could use for climbing as well.

Uvb lighting

Angie16 — Mon, 22 Aug 2011 11:50:19 GMT

Hi
I have a bearded dragon but im having a little conflict deciding what bulbs to get for him. So far I have a 100 watt uva basking bulb but not sure what to get for the uvb bulb.
Can someone offer advise

Russian Torts?

bsleopardgeckos — Sun, 14 Aug 2011 13:56:14 GMT

Hey guys, I'm new to chenolions (but not reptiles in general) and was wondering if any of you have tips for a newbie. As far as an enclosure, shouod I convert a bookcase into a tort table (tip from FaunaClassifieds) or buy a tortoise house from Zoo Med. In REPTILES, it recommends an enclosure just bigger than thw tort house. I will have an outdoor setup, too. For food, I wish to mix wild, pesticide free plants like dandelion with a store bought salad mix that is organic. I will use that mix two or three times a week. Every day without the mix, I will offer either wild or store bought plants, alternating between plants types daily. Some people say that fruits are too sugary for Russians, so should I offer them as treats or not at all? I will also supplement the diet with prickly pear pads and different kinds of flowers. As far as a bulb for basking, should I use the PowerSun UV from Zoo Med, which provides heat, UVA, and UVB all in one bulb. Many people recommend it, and yes, I know that no bulb beats natural sunlight. For nail trimming, I should probably offer a rock, right? I thank all who help, as it will be greatly appriated! I've already posted this on the tort forums, too. You can respond on either one.

is it safe?

softwire — Tue, 28 Jun 2011 13:59:37 GMT

Im not new 2 the world of herps. But i am new crested geckos. i want to build a terrium (or whatever u call screen tanks) at my cottage for my crested gecko and i have a blueprint(layout on paper). The thing is i need ~~wood~~ safe materials to build it, the ~~materials~~ need 2 be last a long time(at least 15 - 20 yrs). ~~The main thing is NO Stain Or Other chemicals~~. ~~I know 2 kinds of woods that will do the job they r ceder and pine.~~ ~~Which is safe or r they both? If not what is safe but still does the job without having to use stain and/or other chemichals?~~

~~Need 2 know by the end of thersday. my time zone is eastern standered time (Ontario, Canada).~~

what other materials can i use 2 replace wood but lets me keep my plans.i would like 2 no all the material before i build. r there other matrials that i can use to build it that work with screen. i will post my plans as soon as i can.

i still still want 2 use wood so what types can i use and is there a way 2 pervent mold and stuff while it is safe for my crested gecko

can someone conferm what evassss posted on my othere post which i won't use. heres the link http://board.reptilechannel.com/Topic138162-4-1.aspx?Update=1

All Help wellcomed

points?

NatalieBreanne — Sat, 13 Aug 2011 14:55:20 GMT

how do i get to the page where it tells me how many points i have?

what is best beginner snake?

IWannaSnake — Thu, 16 Feb 2006 13:25:48 GMT

I was wondering what is the best starter snake that dosn't take up to much room, is not to expensive, non-aggresive and isn't very big. sss][liz][frog]

Do'h! Eat My Shorts! Aye Carumba!

UVB Lighting options?

Cyb3rw0lf — Tue, 28 Jun 2011 09:44:15 GMT

Hi,

I'm currently running into a bit of an issue for the UVB lighting in my Tropical Girdled Lizard's terrarium, right now I have a 24in 5.0 UVB Fluorescent bulb up top. I've learned through a bit more research that this herp calls for a 10.0 bulb but unfortunately I cant get a fluorescent of that particular size here. The local pet shop actually refuses to order one because they don't think I will come back for it ($45) however, one local store does carry the screw in type compact fluorescent 10.0 bulbs in 13W and 26W, if I were to get another dome lamp could I just replace the 24in fixture with it? I was reading that the screw in type bulbs don't put out any UVB but for some reason that just doesn't sound right to me. Also, if I can do this safely for my herp should I get a 13W or 26W? My tank is a 30wx12dx18h

Thanks in advance!

Shipping Herps

Critter Lover — Mon, 25 Jul 2011 21:38:10 GMT

Want to ship a Leo ... to me is http://www.shipyourreptiles.com/ reliable ? If so, If not some one please let me know ... ASAP .... Trying to get the Leo shipped in August and want everything set up. Please help

profile

NatalieBreanne — Sat, 16 Jul 2011 12:46:51 GMT

ok this isnt about snakes or beginners but i am actually kinda new and it wont let me edit my profile..i want to put up a pic of my snakkkeee

snake habbitat

NatalieBreanne — Sun, 10 Jul 2011 19:44:27 GMT

what is best to put in a snake's tank? should i use some kind of sand bedding? reptile carpet? hay? what to use? i have a corn snake btw

WTB corn snake

NatalieBreanne — Sun, 10 Jul 2011 19:35:04 GMT

HEY. does anyone know where i can puchase a cheap, young cornsnake in the illinois area?

Insects

Critter Lover — Sun, 10 Jul 2011 19:34:36 GMT

What insects are safe for Uro's ?

new owner

NatalieBreanne — Sun, 10 Jul 2011 19:22:23 GMT

Hello, im getting a snake here soon...there is only one problem. I HAVE NEVER HAD A SNAKE BEFORE! so i have no idea what to do. its a corn snake. so here are my questions.

what kind of bedding needs to go in the bottom on tank?

how often does it need fed?

how often should i take it out and handle it?

if its a baby how long before it gets teeth?

if there is anything else i need to know that i didnt ask please inform me so i dont make a mistake. i want to raise my snake right! thanks!

Beardie habitat

DizzyHali — Wed, 29 Jun 2011 10:15:32 GMT

My Bearded Dragon, Dizzy, lives in a habitat that suits him well. But almost a year ago, he hurt his tail. he got stitches and was on Antibiotics. He soon got an infection in his tail from the sand in his habitat. Is there a type of sand that is preferred for beardies?

Keeping kingsnakes

Cal kingsnake — Sun, 03 Jul 2011 00:45:01 GMT

Hi my family and I want to get a kingsnake. What is a good first setup for keeping kingsnakes? What size terrarium for keeping a snake that will get up to 6feet. Also a list of all the equipment that I'm going to need for my setup?

Ok I know need a under tank heater. But will I need some kind of lighting like uv? The place where I have the tank for the snake has a window near by and when sun comes in it hits the tank alittle will I still need some kind of lighting?