Re: Carpet As Substrate??
One thing I learned is Simplicity simplicity simplicity as substrate use paper towel or newspaper the easier it's for you to take care of houseboundry the happier the animal.
Re: Carpet As Substrate??
Quote:
Originally Posted by
ballpythonsrock2
If you use this method instead of (paper towel or newspaper <----- which would be a lot better I think) I would wash it with bleach in your wash which hopefully you know to do. And then make sure it is rinsed real well to get the bleach out. I personally wouldn't do this. I like aspen, I change the aspen at the end of the month and clean and disinfect the tub ( and spot clean) it is not that expensive, I get a small block of it at Walmart in the pet dept. for three something. The towel would be better than reptile carpet at least if washed right. But still your snake is laying on pee on a towel. Where as the aspen soaks up the pee. When I used paper towel I would tear apart the sections and place it around everywhere, and that way I could pull up the sections that got soiled and put some new sections down. I like "choose a size" paper towels, still use them for our house needs. Then once a month I would still replace all the paper towel and clean the tank or tub. Instead of a wash cloth on the hide I lay Spanish or sphagnum moss on top of the hide and let it few strands hang over the opening of the hide a bit. I mist this real good when I need to mist my tub, and for some reason my snake never bothers or pushes off the moss. I also like fake plants, I mist them too and the tub inside lids.
Aspen was a humidity killer for me. The towel was supposed to be a temporary thing, but I have been happy with it. I foster kittens from as young as two days old. My adult snake is far less gross than dealing with kitten laundry. I also have yet to see any pee be "wet". He also tends to stay far away from it when he pees or poops, so never lays in it, even with other substrate. I can easily change the towel. And yes, I use bleach with an extra rinse. I can't stand my towels smelling like a swimming pool.
Re: Carpet As Substrate??
Quote:
Originally Posted by
melcvt00
I am currently a month into using a bath towel in my 40gal glass tank. I was using cypress mulch.
So far, I have been happy. Makes it really easy to clean the tank frequently without lots of cost. I have also been putting a wet, folded washcloth on the hide under the CHE to bump up the humidity. Truthfully, the humidity has been holding better with this than using the mulch and misting at least once daily. Cheaper, too, because then I just throw the towel and rag in the wash once a week and rotate in a new set.
Snakes can and have eaten bath towels, having one in your enclosure is a serious health hazard. Even if the snake can't physically swallow it, it can still try, and honestly it would be safer if the snake was actually able to swallow it. If they can't get it all the way down they can get their teeth stuck and suffocate. And no, it does not have to smell like prey for them to try to eat it, I've seen where another keeper had their blood python out and a freshly used bath towel laying out and the python tried to eat it.
