Best substrate?

I know I'm going to get 100 different answers. I'm currently using coconut shred, I want to change it. I love how it holds humidity, I hate how it sticks to prey. I don't want to use paper towels or news paper, only because I do want a good aesthetic, but I will use them if I get a high rating. What is your favorite substrate? I'd prefer something that holds humidity well and doesn't have a nasty smell. We have been having some damn dry weather in California lately.

I use a mix of fine coco as bottom layer and coarse coco as top layer but i lay down a papertowel or 2 inside in the "food zone" where i put the rat to keep small stuff off of it, other than that ive used cyprus mulch and aspen bedding and neither hold humidity anywhere near coco for me

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Originally Posted by MontyAndMelissa

I know I'm going to get 100 different answers. I'm currently using coconut shred, I want to change it. I love how it holds humidity, I hate how it sticks to prey. I don't want to use paper towels or news paper, only because I do want a good aesthetic, but I will use them if I get a high rating. What is your favorite substrate? I'd prefer something that holds humidity well and doesn't have a nasty smell. We have been having some damn dry weather in California lately.

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If you're happy with it, don't change it. A little substrate being ingested is not going to hurt your snake.

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Originally Posted by 200xth

If you're happy with it, don't change it. A little substrate being ingested is not going to hurt your snake.

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Well, it's also messy as hell. I guess we can stick with it. She seems to have healthier shed with it.

I am a fan of a good ol fashon dirt mix in my cages.

Paper towel, newspaper, shredded Aspen or Sani chips are the only things we use at our place for snakes.

Why not try the coarser coco chunks? Same advantages but I don't have any trouble with mess or it getting stuck to things. I like it a lot.

I'm switching over to a bioactive peat/soil/coir mix in a couple of months, which I'm really excited about. Can't vouch for it yet personally, of course, but I think it should work out great.

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Originally Posted by Snake Judy

Why not try the coarser coco chunks? Same advantages but I don't have any trouble with mess or it getting stuck to things. I like it a lot.

I'm switching over to a bioactive peat/soil/coir mix in a couple of months, which I'm really excited about. Can't vouch for it yet personally, of course, but I think it should work out great.

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I use a screened topsoil, sand, peat mix with leaf litter and some dried spag moss across the top for ground cover and love it!

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Originally Posted by jclaiborne

I use a screened topsoil, sand, peat mix with leaf litter and some dried spag moss across the top for ground cover and love it!

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Cool! Sounds like we're on the same trajectory. How's it for humidity? Do you use springtails or anything? My new enclosure is gonna have about 5" of substrate and a drainage layer. Also planning to try adding in a few (sturdy) plants and see how they fare.

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Originally Posted by Snake Judy

Cool! Sounds like we're on the same trajectory. How's it for humidity? Do you use springtails or anything? My new enclosure is gonna have about 5" of substrate and a drainage layer. Also planning to try adding in a few (sturdy) plants and see how they fare.

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Depending on the ratio of the mix you do it can hold humidity really well or you can create a dry environment depending on what you are keeping. I don't use a drainage layer myself. If you are using a heat mat for your snake then don't do 5 inches over that as the heat won't make it through. I had to thin it out in my snake cage over the heat section...for my lizards they use bulbs so depth isn't an issue. I use springtails with my lizards but haven't decided if I wanted to make that jump or not with the snake. The plants will need some form of light to grow well.