Why you like/dislike your substrate

I have been using paper towel as my substrate in my closed melamine rack. 41 qt tubs.

I switched when we had mites and stick with it. Now I have had my snakes all make some nice big messes the last few days. I don't mind the poop but the urine almost soaks the whole tub floor! It isn't really a big deal because cleanup is easy but I miss aspen for the absorbency.

For me these are the pros and cons

PROS

Paper towel:
•affordable (only 6 tubs)
•easy and fast to clean and I can spot urine, mites etc.
•the warm spot is easy for the snake to lay on without pushing substrate around too much
•doesn't cause dust and bits of shavings around the living room

Compressed Aspen shavings (used for bunnies):
•pretty affordable (way cheaper than reptile aspen)
•easy to spot clean
•absorbs urine! This is nice cause I just grab a bunch from around the area and quickly clean the floor below
•I like the smell
•I feel like the snakes like it better but I think this is just pet conditioning from pet stores
•looks nicer (not a real concern)

CONS

Paper Towel:
•urine soaks the whole floor (I work 12 hr shifts and that is a long time for them to be sitting in pee
•doesn't for tub I have to use two strips. No real big deal but still a con
•can't spot clean because I find the messes are always a little bigger or smeared more so I do a full clean
•doesn't hold humidity very well

Aspen
•a little dusty and easy for shavings to get on the floor
•a little more of a pain to put in tubs
•A touch more expensive than paper towel
•more waste when cleaning tubs
•makes my monthly clean a little longer

These are just some points that I have been thinking about. I may make the switch back to aspen.

My biggest turn off is the urine soaking the whole tub. I just hate the idea of the snake sitting in its own pee for potentially 12 hours.

I would love to hear why you like your substrate.


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Right now I am using paper towels for the bedding. Previously I was using aspen. I do agree with your pros and cons on the situation but I still think the paper towels beat out the aspen for the price and how easy it is for the clean up.

I'm using Aspen right now.

Pros:
Easy
Cheap
Looks nice and clean
The snakes will move it around and make little burrows. In the back of a rack, they can push all the Aspen up and kinda make their own hide. They seem to enjoy that.

Cons:
Aspen gets everywhere. (But easy to sweep up)
Molds very easy if it gets wet.

I'd agree with everything you said Whisper. The only thing I would change is that my tubs dont have humdity issues. The water bowls spill enough water when sliding the rack in that the humidity stays good with paper towels and the tubs are FB70s with no holes. However, i still do not have an issue with humidity in my V18 60 slot rack and all but one are on paper towels.

I think the biggest pro for paper towels is the time it takes to clean. I lucked out and found some paper towels from BJs (a bulk store on the east coast) that fit the FB 70s nicely.

I'm sure its not that big of a problem but I also prefer the paper towels due to their almost 100% inability to be injested or pulled into the cloaca.

I use newspaper during the summer (I can get yesterday's leftover papers free from the grocery store manager), and cypress during the winter to help with humidity since the house really dries out. Newspaper is easy - out with the old, in with the new. I do like the cypress for the younger snakes as they burrow into it and it's pretty absorbent, but it's $$$$$.

My humidity is almost good with paper towels and spilling the water bowls is what keeps it decent. Just have to spray during sheds. I have 10 holes in my tubs though for good air flow and I probably only needed 6-8. With aspen it seems to have just the right amount of humidity. I think I may try it this week again. It does get everywhere though.

When I had a cage I used cypress and it was awesome because it kept humidity even though I had a CHE as the heat source. It smells great too.

It's great to hear why others choose the substrates. Keep it comin!


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Well, I made the switch back to aspen. I must say I forgot how nice it was to spot clean. At least when they pee they aren't sitting in it because it is container and absorbed by the aspen. I do a full clean and disinfect every 3-4 weeks so the tubs never get gross. Also poops are easier to pick up. Seems to keep the smell down too. So I am much happier with the aspen. Especially because I am gone for so long on 12 hour shift work.

Sometimes the small things make a big difference. Substrate really isn't a big decision but it can have a big impact on how enjoyable it is to care for these awesome creatures.


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I've been back and forth with aspen and newspaper through the years. I always end up going back to aspen because I think the snakes feel more secure with something to burrow in. it is definitely easier to clean. and i think it keeps the "snake poo" smell down more. then I get tired of vacuuming up aspen...and go back to newspaper lol. I tried paper towels too but it gets expensive since I go through a lot.

I have gone back and forth between aspen and paper towels too. I finally switched back to aspen for the reasons previously listed but also my snakes would get the paper towels all bunched up on one end of the tub and would always poop off the paper towel. I do vacuum more with the aspen but with German shepherds in the house I vacuum all the time anyway.

I use Sani-chips, which are aspen, but not dusty.

Cons: I can't use them in the breeding tubs, because there's some risk of the chips getting lodged in the male's vent and causing Big Problems. So I'm back to newsprint for those, and it gets gross in there fast.

They're a bit expensive, and no one around here carries them. So I have to order from LLL Reptile, which makes them EVEN MORE expensive.