# Here's a step-by-step guide on how to make a simple set up for your little corn snake



## Freakinfreak (May 13, 2009)

So, exactly what the title says is what I will be trying to explain through this post.
To create a simple but effective home for your corn snake or other snakes of similar needs you will need the following:

This is a *R*eally *U*seful *B*ox known as a 'RUB' on this forum.
Here are 2 different sizes. You can find loads of sizes in Staples or any good stationary shop, you don’t need the well known Really Useful Box brand but make sure the lid is secure and has no way of being pushed up by your snake if you don’t use them. I am using 3litre RUB's for my 1 month and 2 month old corn snakes at the moment but that size isn’t shown below because I don’t want to disturb them. Starting off with a 3 litre is fine for my hatchlings because they’re both slightly skittish but it is down to personal preference.



The bigger one is a 9 litre.

You will also need:
Kitchen roll or newspaper, I use kitchen roll so I can see the poop better and it's easier to change because the moisture gets absorbed instead of the newspaper getting stuck to the bottom.

Squared paper - used to get accurate spacing for your air holes.

A biro pen - used to mark out the holes.

Toilet roll or a box of tissues - used so you don't make holes in a table!

A pin or safety pin - to make holes in the paper.

Permanent marker pen - to mark on the RUB where to put the holes.

Screw driver or drill - to make holes in the RUB.

Candle or tea light - to heat up the screwdriver if you use one.

Scissors/ scalpel/ Stanley knife - to cut card/plastic, etc.

Ok, so basically i'm going to list in order what i personally do, everyone is different so no critisism please unless it's constructive! 

Use the biro to mark small dots on the squared paper, equally spaced out or whatever you wish to do.


Try to not put them really close incase you split the plastic in the following steps.

Then get your pin and push it through each pen mark like this:


Make sure you went all the way through like this:


Then, getting your RUB or other tub, stick the peice of paper in place where you'd like the holes and using a permanent pen, go over the holes like this:


You'll be able to see the dots, you might want to go over them so you can see them better though. This is my example:


Do the same for each narrow end, on one end put the holes near the top, at the other end put them nearer the bottom so you can create air flow and it's easier to keep the temps level i find.

Next, if you have a drill then fantasic, find a small drill bit and drill where the dots are on your RUB or other box.

If you don't have a drill, fear not! I have a solution.
Now, if you have a soldering iron in your possession, do the same as you would with the drill but with the soldering iron.
If you don't have one of these either then i have yet _another _solution :no1:


Get a screwdriver, preferably one that doesn't have plastic binding around it.
Ok, got one? Right, now, off you pop to find a candle, or you can use a gas ring.. aslong as there is fire basically! But lighters will get right up your bum.. i mean, nerves because you'll have to keep it alight constantly.. and you need 2 hands to do what i'm about to say so either find your OH and make them stand there with the lighter and tell them not to move under threat of death, or, find a candle. Your choice!

Ok, now you need to hold the screwdriver over the flame for a good 10-20 seconds, basically you want it to be burning hot.

When your screwdriver is hot, push the hot end of the screwdriver (the metal bit) into where you marked the dots, repeat for each dot.
You might need to file it down with a nail file or sand paper or just pick it off. It does come off, if there's a blob of solid burnt plastic then just scrape it off with a butter knife, it worked for me!

Great, now you have your air holes and now it's time for you to wonder where on earth do you put your probe?
And if you are lovely and good you will have a thermostat, if you are horrible and bad and troll-like, you wont have a thermostat.

Most thermostats have big, huge, chunky, meaty... yeah... big probes which have thick wires. If you are a very dirty person who inclines this is being rude, good on ya, it seemed rude to me too :whistling2:


You basically have a little bit of a problem, you have a big probe from the thermostat and you should also have another probe which is from a digital thermometer (if you're using a dial, stick on one then compromise by making the hole for the probe a bit smaller so it fits snugly.. snugley...sp?)

Using one of the 3 methods of making air holes (drill, soldering iron, 
screwdriver) then do the same but just make a bigger hole on the end where your air holes are nearer the bottom. 

Having the probe hole on the side where the holes are nearer the bottom means that the heatmat has to be on the same side and as heat rises it will be pushed to the opposite side of the RUB or tub, creating air flow. Which is good. Or so i'm told.

Ok, so now you should have something that looks like this, maybe a little neater or a bit scruffy but it will do the same job.


As i'm using one heatmat for 2 RUBs my probe isn't going through the bigger holes so in this picture you'll only see the thermometer probe.
As you can see the probe is on the end with the heat mat and i've used white tack/blu-tack which is non-toxic so safe to use. But if you do use it, make sure it's a big blob that will keep it firmly in place like this:


These are my RUBs for my 2 month old and 1 month old corn hatchlings. They both have halved toilet tubes and random plastic pots with holes but into them.
In the smaller RUB there is a red box with a hole in the top, this is plastic and great because it can have moss or damp kitchen towel in to assist with shedding and it's also nice and dark.




Well, hope you enjoyed doing this, it was a long read for you i bet!
Any questions, just ask and i will try to answer as best as possible.
It's not hard, i promise! I'm 15 and did it all :whistling2: Well, Dad had to hold the RUB so it didn't go spinning off into oblivion from the power of the drill lol!


In the last picture there is a chopstick going across the RUB wedged in and held in place with blu-tack, it's good for them to hang off and my little corn loves it lol!


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## Freakinfreak (May 13, 2009)

Just thought i'd bump this up tonight if anyone needed help.


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## 1ntense (Jun 11, 2009)

nice guide mate.

any tips on what to put in the rubs?


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## Freakinfreak (May 13, 2009)

Anything dark.
For instance, i have toilet tubes cut in half, small, opaque, plastic bowls with a hole cut out, no sharp edges.
I have small plastic tubs which are dark and i just cut a hole in the lid, anything really.
I prefer using plastic because you can clean it easily and i found that if i use cardboard hides and things then they end up smelling quite a lot.

Make sure anything you use isn't sharp and isn't small enough for them to eat, they probably wouldn't but just incase.

Hope i helped : victory:


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## Guest (Sep 9, 2009)

Nice step by step guide


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## Freakinfreak (May 13, 2009)

Thanks, dad wondered what i was doing with his screwdrivers :whistling2:
They're a bit burnt now :lol2:


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## 1ntense (Jun 11, 2009)

you did mate. thanks


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## oakelm (Jan 14, 2009)

Or instead of a 9L rub for a hatchling use a braplast flip top tub, a snap shut sandwich box or even a medium flat faurnarium that has the same area as a 9L rub but without the risk of escape, people think they cant get out of a 9L but trust me a hatchling corn can. But otherwise good guide.


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## Freakinfreak (May 13, 2009)

Bump up for some peeeeeoples :no1:


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## lambengland (Oct 6, 2009)

for my young corn i have used the ASDA sandwich tub with the clips on each edge of the lid.... i's ideal...


i also use the chopstick type thing in my corns tub, he doesnt use it tho i dont think...


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## Freakinfreak (May 13, 2009)

Yup, good idea too!

As i said, any secure lidded plastic tub or box will be ideal : victory: make sure they can't push the lid up though!!


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## Gomjaba (May 25, 2009)

If you have nosy snakes like myself then bluetag doesn't help.. I can weigh down the probe using a very heavy waterbowl and hide and they still manage to kick it out. 

You can easily attach the prob with a cable tie. Drill / burn / poke two small holes left and right of the probe and feed a cable tie through, closing it on the outside so no rough edges are inside of the rub (pressing the probe against the rub wall) .. 

Here is what I mean using high professional MSPAINT techniques


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## haunted-havoc (Aug 6, 2009)

you can also get different colour rubs. if you get a solid colour one with a clear lid, it helps them feel more secure as they cant seen out of the sides

this method is pretty much the same for most animals that dont need high humidity (eg leos, beardies, king snakes etc) just varies on the size of the animal for the box


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## Freakinfreak (May 13, 2009)

You can also, if you cannot or dont want a solid colour sided one you can put black paper/card around the sides and that way you could put it on all except one side which will allow you to look in properly : victory:

I've found that my snakes dont seem bothered about the clear RUBs as they eat and shed fine in them  I suppose it can be down to personal preference or the individual snake


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## Tommy123 (Sep 19, 2008)

Really good guide :2thumb:


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## Freakinfreak (May 13, 2009)

Thankies


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## Freakinfreak (May 13, 2009)

Up, incase anyone's looking for help : victory:


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## samurai (Sep 9, 2009)

How old would a corn need to be to move upto a bigger rub than the 9ltr please?


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## Freakinfreak (May 13, 2009)

samurai said:


> How old would a corn need to be to move upto a bigger rub than the 9ltr please?


I personally move them up bigger when they are a bit less than 2x longer than the long side : victory:


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## samurai (Sep 9, 2009)

thanks, wot sort of age would that be, or does it vary quite a bit :2thumb:


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## Freakinfreak (May 13, 2009)

samurai said:


> thanks, wot sort of age would that be, or does it vary quite a bit :2thumb:


Depends on that personal snake 
Some people make sure that their snakes have enough room to lie out flat but then again most snakes spend all their time curled up so i think they should have atleast enough room for half of their body to be able to be straight if they want it to be :2thumb:


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## cbarnes1987 (Feb 2, 2010)

just thought id add a tip if anyones interested...
i used a hot screwdriver to begin with, good but a soldering iron is a lot faster, good guide though OP :2thumb:


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## Freakinfreak (May 13, 2009)

cbarnes1987 said:


> just thought id add a tip if anyones interested...
> i used a hot screwdriver to begin with, good but a soldering iron is a lot faster, good guide though OP :2thumb:


Yeah, i added that too!
But as dad didn't let me near the drill after an accident :whistling2: i had to use the screw driver as i don't have a soldering iron!!

May i ask where you got yours from and how much it was? :hmm:


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