Hi

I have a Royal Python and two Corn Snakes.

I haven't had them long and at the moment the python is is one tank and the corn snakes share (they seem happy with this so far and hopefully it will stay this way!)
The tanks they are currently in are just the plastic starter kits and they are heated with a heatmat under one half of each tank.

One of the corns has had problems shedding and now the python has had the same problems. I think that some of this is due to the temperature in their tanks.

Anyway.....I am about to build vivs for them 36" x 24" x 24" or 36" x 24" x 18" and I can't make my mind up about heating.

I had a corn snake a few years ago and I used a ceramic heater with a pulse proportional thermostat and this seemed to work fine.

The snake always ate well, always shed well etc and the viv had a constant gradient.

Some people say ceramics are the best but are expensive and not necessary, others say they would always go with ceramic. Some say a heat mat and a light bulb works fine but I just don't feel like I would be controlling the temperature as well as I could if I used that method.

The house I live in is pretty cold too which is probably why I am still swaying towards ceramics.

This post is starting to look as confused as my mind - slightly worrying!

Oh, and also, some people say snakes prefer to bask under light to warm up, and others say they like to lay on top of heat and heat up through their ventral scales.

Please can someone give me some advice before I go insane!!!

Thanks
Sarah

Have a dig through some older snake threads, as I think you're not the first to have this dilemma ;)

I think the majority of our snakey members are using heat lamps, but I couldn't swear to it :(

It shouldn't be too long before one of them comes along though :)

Hi I may be able to help if your corns are small the plastic viv should be fine with the heatmat under one half as that gives the snakes chance to pick their own gradient temp. If they are small I would suggest putting a damp box in there to help shedding I use a tuppaware box with a hole in the side and then put damp kitchen towel in there I prefer to put this in the warm area as that then gives a warm damp area perfect for shedding.

With my royal I use a full wood viv with a pastel red 60watt bulb with a guard and I connect this with a habistat dimmer stat this keeps the viv at a constant temperature. Royals are notorious for laying on a heatmat and effectively cooking themselves as they tend to be un responsive to heat from the ground

my royal (http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l16/geo666uk/archive/DSC00124.jpg) set up needs a paint job

i would always use a stat even with a heat mat,i have a few stats ceramics and guards for sale also vivs if you are intrested

Hi everyone

Thank you for your responses.

I am definitley using a thermostat no matter what actual method of heating I finally decide to use.

Still tempted towards ceramic just because it will put my mind at rest!

Why do we have pets? Is is for pleaseure or just so we have one more thing to worry about all day??

Cheers
Sarah