substrate and heating Question

Currently using flexwatt heat tape and news papers for my snakes.
Though i want to switch.
I want to make a little more natural looking enclosure for them.
I would really like to use coconut husk. my concern is that the coconut is a little far off the ground that the snake wont be able to get good belly heat without moving the coconut away with it's body.
So, i was thinking of switching to 75watt red bulbs. maybe even the moonbulbs since they give off less light. maybe something stronger since the cage flooring is 3ft long 2ft deep and 12" high

any suggestions? I was thinking eco earth but that is a little to loose for my liking..

Good foresight with thick substrate decreasing UTH effectiveness. I put a light layer of substrate in the warm side hide (not even enough to barely cover half the surface area) just to give a bit of absorbency. You can pile up the substrate everywhere else since most of the time is spent in the hide. I also use a lamp to maintain ambient temperature. I use aspen and coco-choir mixed. The aspen can be dusty though. Cypress is great at retaining moisture if you plan on using a lamp, but there are usually large sharp pieces. I know many people use this with no negative effects but I tried it and didn't really like how sharp it got once it dried out.

I use Eco Earth substrate and place aprox 1/2 or so of substrate in my tanks this gives me just enuff to cover my thermometer probes in the hot hide I set my T-stat to 96 degrees this gives me 94-95 in the hide very stable temps plus isnt to hot should the snake push all the substrate out of the hide. I am using 11in flexwatt witout issues. Hope this helps:P

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Originally Posted by RestlessRobie

I use Eco Earth substrate and place aprox 1/2 or so of substrate in my tanks this gives me just enuff to cover my thermometer probes in the hot hide I set my T-stat to 96 degrees this gives me 94-95 in the hide very stable temps plus isnt to hot should the snake push all the substrate out of the hide. I am using 11in flexwatt witout issues. Hope this helps:P

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I like eco earth when it is wet down and packed tightly to the flooring. Though i am thinking, it is hard to clean right? When you do a complete change? It gets in the corners and is hard to get off no?
My enclosures are made of wood with tile flooring so that is where i am concerned with the cracks lol.

I often place the hot hide down with no substrate and then add substrate to the enclosure banking more up on the cool end and dropping some around the hot side.

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Originally Posted by gardenfiend138

Good foresight with thick substrate decreasing UTH effectiveness. I put a light layer of substrate in the warm side hide (not even enough to barely cover half the surface area) just to give a bit of absorbency. You can pile up the substrate everywhere else since most of the time is spent in the hide. I also use a lamp to maintain ambient temperature. I use aspen and coco-choir mixed. The aspen can be dusty though. Cypress is great at retaining moisture if you plan on using a lamp, but there are usually large sharp pieces. I know many people use this with no negative effects but I tried it and didn't really like how sharp it got once it dried out.

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Thanks lol.
I am not a fan of cypress. I think i am "racist" since i like squares in steady of lines :rofl:
My room is quite warm and never goes below 75. plus their enclosure stays warm due to it being not glass. so they are good at 80.
So if i did get a moonlight bulb it will be in those domes to make a hot spot. Just kinda weird thinking to switch to a bulb since i would have to put it in the enclosure.

good idea, less in the hide more around it. I do not know why i did not think of this.


I guess i could buy both eco earth and coconut and see which one i find works best for me. :]

Straight Coco husk is like dirt and will stick to the snake, get in its vent and be an all around pain. I would suggest mixing it with either aspen or cypress. I prefer cypress because it holds humidity SOOOOO much better. If you get triple shredded then the sharp peices are held to a minimum.

I actually use coconut husk and I have no problems at all. I like it because it's not dusty, it holds humidity well, and it has absolutely no smell, and it never gets stuck on my snake anywhere and I check her vent every time I have her out, as you always should. I also have my terrarium in my living room, so I have a naturalistic set up for aesthetic appeal and coconut husk is really pretty. It works for me. Your snake could care less if its home is naturalistic or economical as long as it has water, right temps, and secure places to hide.

Really, the type of substrate that works for you depends entirely on what your tank is made of, what kind of heat sources you use, and what you like the look of. As long as the temps are right (and it's not cedar) you are just fine.

Oh also, your tank sound about the same size as mine and I use a 150 watt red bulb in addition to a UTH. My tank is fiberglass all around with a front sliding glass panel. I found that to maintain humidity with the red bulb, I had to get a very large water dish and place it directly under the bulb. Works great, looks great. I just bought the large reptile water dish at Petco for around $22. Yeah, I could have done way better shopping elsewhere, but it does the job and it's extremely heavy so the snake can't tip it over, which is really important with a large dish.