When planning to purchase your vivarium you must take into account heat, ventilation, light and the ability to clean the enclosure easily. Your vivarium should open fronted sliding glass doors this makes it a lot easer to get to your snake and to clean your vivarium oh by the way your vivarium must be escape proof! :O)

  Heating.
Heating your vivarium is essential . This you will need to research before choosing your corn snake and building your vivarium. When placing your heater you must allow for a thermal gradient this means that the heat must vary from one end to the other or from top to bottom. Choosing a heater powerful enough to warm the air temperature inside your vivarium is very important I recommend that when purchasing you heater from your supplier you take the dimensions along with you so your supplier can advise you of the correct heater. When using the more powerful heaters such as ceramic trough heaters it is advised that you use a relative guard and leave enough space between the heater and the roof of the viv that scorching dose not take place. Never use an unguarded heater if you cannot buy one from your suppler then one can be made easily from metal mesh making sure not to leave any sharp edges.

 Ventilation.
   Ventilation is very important it is essential that you have at least two to allow the air inside to circulate. Allow the air to move about as the air warms up with the from the heat source. The air will rise drawing fresh air from the bottom vent and escaping through the top vent (never fix the bottom vent next to the floor this will chill you reptile and can cause health problems)

 Lighting.
Artificial lighting in a Corn snake vivarium is not necessary as long as the animals are not kept in the dark all the time. The front or top of the viv needs to be made out of a transparent material such as glass or Perspex this enables some natural sun light to brighten the cage. But be aware to never place a vivarium in direct sunlight because this can cause the interior to over heat. Most Lizards how ever do need specialized lighting which emits vitamins that the animal absorbs through the skin when basking. You should follow manufacturers installation instructions but most say you must fix the light 6 inches above the basking spot. If you chose to use a normal household light bulb then use a guard and a thermostat light bulbs are capable of producing a great amount of heat and should be treated as a heater. Some breeders use lighting in the process of wintering (reducing day light hours in winter).

 Humidity.
  Humidity varies from animal to animal but the need for the correct humidity is very important too much or too little can make the snake ill. Disorders like respiratory infection, scale rot and shedding problems are common for some reptiles with incorrect humid environments. For some animals humidity requirements can just be a margarine tub with some damp Sphagnum moss others can be more labor intensive and need misting several times a day so check before designing a vivarium. A reptile that needs high humidity should not have a vivarium made of wood, Contiboard or melamine this will rot or swell when moist. Glass, Perspex or fiber glass will cope with the humid atmosphere very well but will need regular cleaning of the sides and ceiling to stop bacteria building up and forming mould. There are some very good designs that can be used. This design is very good to help keep high humid conditions. Make sure the electrical connections are waterproof.

Size.
The size of your vivarium depends on what reptile your keeping in it. Lizards can be very active and will need a good deal of room. On the other hand some snakes are less active and feel more comfortable in a less spacious vivarium. Another factor is whether your pet reptile is arboreal or terrestrial. An arboreal reptile would prefer a taller vivarium and a terrestrial animal would prefer more ground space. A rule of thumb I have always used for snakes is if the snake nose is in the back corner of the vivarium the tail should not touch the opposite corner if the snake is lead along the back wall and along one side. Hatchlings can be housed in hatchling tubs these can be purchased from any good suppliers.