Reptile Forum, Reptile Classifieds - CaptiveBred

[martin day]

can a royal be kept in a glass tank the tank in mind is 32inch by 12 by 15
(LWH) im going to make a differnt lid for it that will have good ventalation
shall i use a heat mat or spot bulb for heating ?im wanting to keep a baby or yearling in there
thanx

[mike h]

hi
It really needs to be escape proof. royals are fantastic at escaping.
safest way for heating is a heatmat with a thermostat.
cover about one third of the floor area.
Make sure some good hides.
Over the heatmat area test the floor temp with a quality thermostat(probe) make sure surface temp of floor on hot side only is between 86 and 90 degrees.
the thermostat probe needs to be secured so it can not be moved.
the tank is much too big for a hatchling and probably too big for a yearling.
a hatchling needs approx 12 inched by 5 inches by 3 inches high or a little bigger. as theyt grow move them to bigger enclosures. a big adult is fine in a 33 by 18 by 7 inch high box.
hope helps
mike
PS if you have not had a snake before make sure you buy a royal that is pounding defrost food and used to handling.
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[martin day]

where do i put the heatmat inside or under the tank bottom do they need uv lights

[Ailurus]

i do not think they need UV lights but it helps you to see them. And gives them day and night hours
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Tom

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[martin day]

what about the heat mat or is it best to go with a spot bulb?

[mike h]

heatmat under the tank. covering about a third.
Some Pet shops will try to sell you everything. including the kitchen sink.
Royals dont generally come out in the day so a light is a waste of time(my opinion)

mike
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[snakelily]

Hi, Martin, I am new here too. Just checked out this forum, and your post caught my eye since I just got a royal and am keeping her in a glass tank.

First of all, before you get one of those royals you should really equip yourself with a Ball Python Manual, like the one by Philip de Vosjoli, but there are others, and follow what they say.

You probably will need a lot more than just one heat mat. I have right now 2 heat mats as well as an overhead bulb to keep the temp. steady at about 93 degrees on the hot side for basking, and 80 degrees on the cool side. This is what they require, with a humidity of 70 - 80 % (which can easily achieved with one large water bowl). Get 2 thermometers, one for each end, and some kind of indicator that shows the humidity. Often you can get a thermometer and a humidity thing in the same pack. This is extremely important for many reasons, all of which the manuals explain.

Hides should be available in each temperature zone so the snake can choose. They are very secretive and need to feel secure.

Which leads me to the size tank you mention. I don't see any reason why a hatchling can't be in a large tank as long as it has enough hiding places. In the wild, hatchlings also have, well, the whole wild. As long as you provide TIGHT hides so that the snake really has to squeeze in there and feel the sides against the body , it will feel safe, and yet, it will have the space and stimulation to explore in the night time when it is ready to do so. I really don't see why you can't have a large tank and let the snake grow into it. I feel this is sort of the ideal scenario.

As far as overhead light, not only do you need it for basking heat, but also to establish a firm circadian rhythm. I noticed with all my snakes that with an overhead light on a timer, their days/nights are more regulated, which by the way comes in very handy at feeding times. When you are standing there with that thawed mouse in your hand you want the snake to be awake and ready and not wonder what the heck is going on, why isn't it out when it was out yesterday at this time... With an overhead light that simulates night and day at specific hours they emerge from their hiding places at around the same time, and they disappear again in the early morning. This is what they experience in nature.

Also, they need at least 9 or 10 hours of darkness. If you want to see them in the dark, put an infrared light into your aluminum casing where you have your uv light in during the day, and you can see it, but it can't see you bec. their eyes do not see the infrared. Also, the infrared overhead will help keep the temperature up should it be needed.

Be careful when you buy the light bulb for the day time, it should have what they call a "tight beam," so that the heat is concentrated on one spot only and not heat up the entire ambient temperature in the viv in which case of course you won't have that temperature gradient anymore that is so necessary.

Sorry if I sound like a manual myself. Just thought I'd help.

Good luck!

[boooger]

Hi Snakelily

Just want to add to your hatchling in a large viv idea.

Im pretty much on the same level there, I have two young normal females living in a huge viv ( 6ft x2.5ft x2.5ft ) and they feed and shed and everything is great.

But

I have an albino royal that would not eat untill through three or four moves got him into a cadbury box thats no bigger than a dvd case.

Royals dont really need much of an excuse to give you hassle over feeding. So my advice to someone starting out with royals would be to keep the size of your viv ( whatever you use ) to a realistic proportion to the snake.
you might have to buy a cpl of vivs through its life but its better than your royal starving itself. My albino went almost 8 months!!
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[stephenbloomfield]

I thought Id stick my oar in too. Viv size is often important in terms of feeding but not in every case.

When making the lid i would advise against too much ventilation. Royals need a fair degree of humidity if they are to shed and eat well. They also get ill if they have a basking spot provided by a heat mat and the ambient temp is low. (They dont want to be breathing in cold air.) Using a combination of mats and bulbs is a good idea as it will ensure the ambient tems are good as well as providing a basking site.

I spray my royals each morning to provide humidity. The vivs generally dry to about 50% relative humidity over a 24hr cycle.

Hope this makes sence.

Stephen

[snakelily]

Thanks Boooger for your comment, and I am taking it to heart! I am just a newbie trying to learn but also use common sense. (Which doesn't mean royals have common sense, lol)

It's interesting how different they are within the same species, and you only find that out from other people's experience which is why forums are so great.

Wow, 6 royals! That certainly does make you an expert... (They must keep you busy, busy, busy. I only have 3 snakes total, and I spent a lot of time last night trying to feed 2 of them, and neither of them did. ) It's a misconception that snakes don't need a lot of attention... I feel I am constantly cleaning tanks, feeding, buying stuff for them, and worrying... I can't imagine having a lot of them.

How long should I give her to settle in? She was fed this past Monday, right after which I took her home. I will offer food next Monday since she is on a once a week schedule (I'll use the same box she came in which she also ate her last meal in), but if she doesn't eat, how long should I wait until I try to feed her again? I heard snakes, or at least corns, can "learn not to feed" and one should't try in very short intervals? Does this apply to royals too?

Btw, the tank she is in now is 30X12, and she is about 3 months old.

Stephen, I have 70% in there, with a large water bowl. But I think humidity in this house is also high (this being Florida), so that helps.
But for shedding I think I might still mist. I do for my corn snake and it really works.