HELP!!!! Just switched substrate.

[Abracadaver]

I was using Aspen but decided to give Eco Earth a go. I thought it was dry enough until I put it in my BP's 50gal tank.
I have only one side ventilated due to the humidity level staying around 60 now it's hitting 80-90. Is there a way to get it to dry out more without having to remove it all from the tank? (i'm already in the process of drilling holes into the unventilated side hoping to alleviate some of it.

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He's shedding at the moment and I don't want him to get scale rot.

[Mr. Misha]

It will dry out eventually. I wouldn't worry about it too much. What kind of enclosure is it that you're drilling holes in it?

[frostysBP]

It will dry out on its own. They dont get scale rot overnight it takes weeks of unsanitary environment for scale rot. If he in shed it going to come out perfect

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[Abracadaver]

I have sanded wood with built on hinges and locks, one side is unventilated. His heated side is ventilated with chicken wire around his heat lamp. I know it sounds ghetto bit it actually looks nice and it kept the humidity at a perfect percentage.

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I may go back to aspen after this.

[Abracadaver]

Oh I forgot to say that it is a 50 gallon glass tank, just the top is wood instead of screen.

[Abracadaver]

Should I be worried about respiratory infections though? He's about 4 years old, Iv'e just never changed his substrate before, this is a first time issue.

[Kaia.M22]

I understand how you feel, I've tried Eco earth a couple time with some of my critters and just never have a good time with it. It holds moisture really well (maybe a little too well), but it stinks and it gets moldy really fast. I would definetly switch back to aspen or if you need something to hold moisture better then I would go for cypress mulch. It doesn't smell, it looks nice, it helps humidity a lot, and is just great overall. A warning though for cypress: if you see any small black bugs with a pointed tail in the mulch, don't worry, they are called springtails and are commonly found in cypress. They won't harm your snake, and may in fact help it because they feed on bacteria in the tank. If you don't keep your snake in the Eco earth for too long it will be fine, just sqeeze some moisture out of it if it looks like there's too much. And watch for mold and growth on the Eco earth, maybe stir it up every so often too. Oh one thing I forgot to mention: make sure you switch out the water a lot because Eco earth gets in there really easily.

[Abracadaver]

Yeah, I think I will most definitely be switching back.
As for the water, I noticed that an hour after it being in there my BP had already pulled a bit in. -_-