Substrate question

I was wondering if it was OK or a good idea to lay down paper towels underneath my aspen substrate? It's a glass tank and will have a UTH.

I was thinking it might help for cleanup purposes and also to protect the snake a bit if he happens to get below the substrate to the glass.

Just wondering - I'm in the process of doing the inside of my tank. Thanks in advance.

I don't see how this would be a problem. Just remember to never use tape in a snakes cage.

I wasn't going to tape it down or anything. I was just going to lay it down and once I put the substrate down, I was just assuming it would all hold in place. I might try it and rub my hand across it to see if the whole thing shifts or not. If it doesn't I think I'll go ahead and do it. If it all seems to slide with my hand movement, I'll have to assume it would shift a lot with the snakes movement.

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Originally Posted by Johnny Hive X

I wasn't going to tape it down or anything. I was just going to lay it down and once I put the substrate down, I was just assuming it would all hold in place. I might try it and rub my hand across it to see if the whole thing shifts or not. If it doesn't I think I'll go ahead and do it. If it all seems to slide with my hand movement, I'll have to assume it would shift a lot with the snakes movement.

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I know it was just a friendly reminder. I used paper towels under my substrate and I never had any problems. I only use paper towels anymore.

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Originally Posted by RoyalGuardian

I know it was just a friendly reminder. I used paper towels under my substrate and I never had any problems. I only use paper towels anymore.

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I wasn't being a jerk :P

I would rather people point out those things just in case instead of avoiding them and something bad happening. Like me having to peel tape off a snake :(

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Originally Posted by Johnny Hive X

I wasn't being a jerk :P

I would rather people point out those things just in case instead of avoiding them and something bad happening. Like me having to peel tape off a snake :(

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I know:P same here!

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Originally Posted by Johnny Hive X

I wasn't going to tape it down or anything. I was just going to lay it down and once I put the substrate down, I was just assuming it would all hold in place. I might try it and rub my hand across it to see if the whole thing shifts or not. If it doesn't I think I'll go ahead and do it. If it all seems to slide with my hand movement, I'll have to assume it would shift a lot with the snakes movement.

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It's okay if the snake moves everything around-- in fact, count on it!! With or without the paper towels, the tank will need to be emptied and cleaned. Snakes pee a lot and so unless you will be using gobs of paper towels, I'm not sure it's going to help a lot.

I had three cages and four tubs to clean this morning-- snakes pee A LOT!!!! :P

As gross as it sounds, I'd love to see pictures of snake waste - poop, pee, urates... just so I can know what to look for.

I have aspen substrate - will I be able to tell easily when there is snake waste to clean up?

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Originally Posted by Johnny Hive X

As gross as it sounds, I'd love to see pictures of snake waste - poop, pee, urates... just so I can know what to look for.

I have aspen substrate - will I be able to tell easily when there is snake waste to clean up?

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I'm currently using Aspen and I think it's the easiest thing to clean. Poop looks like normal poop. Urates come out with pee. Although you won't see the pee, you'll feel it around the general area of the Urate, and this is the stuff you should get rid of when spot cleaning. Urates look like small pieces of hard gum or popcorn. They can range in colour from yellow to white.

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Originally Posted by Johnny Hive X

As gross as it sounds, I'd love to see pictures of snake waste - poop, pee, urates...

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Oh yuck- you're gross!!!! :D

Pee looks like Lake Yellow Pee, except on aspen it will hide and go down to the bottom of the cage and...bleck!

Poo looks like poo. When the snake gets older you'll swear some little foo-foo dog got into your cage and poo'd :P

Urates can be white, yellow, greenish and are squishy when they first come out and then turn hard and brittle after being allowed to sit for a while. When balls are young, the urates are just wee little things. When the snake is older, they look like segments of a tootsie roll :weirdface

Charming conversation, huh?!?!?! :)