ReptiChip vs. Reptile Prime Size Comparison

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Originally Posted by SDA

Just wasting money on large constrictors. They release Noah level floods of liquid and it would just make you work extra hard. Plus they are so heavy bodied they would just push the stuff around into a pile anyway. I say just stick with paper.

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I agree completely! My Bloods and Short Tails flood their tubs with urine 2 - 3 times per week sometimes. This stuff seems like it would be great for people with only a pet Ball Python or two, but it would be astronomically expensive for people with many snakes/enclosures. Especially having to pay shipping on every bag... Nope!

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Originally Posted by Aedryan Methyus

I agree completely! My Bloods and Short Tails flood their tubs with urine 2 - 3 times per week sometimes. This stuff seems like it would be great for people with only a pet Ball Python or two, but it would be astronomically expensive for people with many snakes/enclosures. Especially having to pay shipping on every bag... Nope!

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Disagree ;)

I have 6 snakes, one in a Display cage. I go through that stuff extremely slowly because it cleans easy.
Performs well in all aforementioned aspects.

Would also be awesome for arboreal species or Carpets.

The only ones I am not sure about are big snakes that literally flood their cages and are very messy, such as Retics.

Sure, if someone has hundreds of snakes, or even 20 or more, price becomes an issue.

Anyone curious, just try it. If they will begin to discount multiple purchases or start combined shipping the price is a lot more reasonable given how economic it has proven to be so far.

And I'm very, very particular when it comes to cleaning ...

Its great that we have so many options, there has got to be something out there for everyone and their situation, preferences and needs ;)

Yeah I dont think it would work well for Caesar as basically does unleash the tsunami lol. More wondering how it will work for the juvenile boas. I'm more just kicking around the idea as i do like to try new substrates but not sure i can really swallow a $200+ pill for substrate every couple months when aspen has been working fie for 5+ years and is so cheap.

Sure i see people saying you can go months without changing it but I'm rather OCD about keeping my pets clean. Not so bad as to do hospital sterilization but i also dont like letting substrate go for more than 2-3 months as no matter how clean you think it is, the snake has crawled through it own poop or piss and will track bits of it around which are too small for you to see but are still there nevertheless.

Like i said, i tried to email them but it isnt working so I am going to call tomorrow to just see if they offer any kind of discount for 10+ bags. Because honestly, charging the same shipping for each bag when you order 10+ is just ridiculous. I mean companies like ReptiChips just charges a flat $20 shipping no matter if you order 1 or 100. So obviously it's possible.

And Zina, i dont have Amazon Prime so that deal wouldnt work for me. And like you said, I'm just going to try the bag i ordered and go from there but i do want to see my options if i do like it. I'm the kind of person who is usually all in on something i like, be it bad or good lol.

Also might just be me but when i looked at the FB page, its weird how they dont have any form of contact and only show pics of reptiles from other people. They dont talk about their product or anything. Just makes me wonder a little as i like to know the technical and specifics of a product i am buying. And i want easy and multiple ways of contacting them. Sketchy contact and no product details or anything makes me think 'fly by night' deals.

But anyways, like i said, I ordered a bag so we'll see how it works for Pat and possibly I might try it on Gina and see how she likes as she is a rather picky diva lol. She didnt like Reptichips for the longest time and would avoid it like hot lava, climbing from hide to water bowl to hide and up on the shelf to avoid it lol. Then she finally came around and liked it.

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Originally Posted by Aedryan Methyus

I agree completely! My Bloods and Short Tails flood their tubs with urine 2 - 3 times per week sometimes. This stuff seems like it would be great for people with only a pet Ball Python or two, but it would be astronomically expensive for people with many snakes/enclosures. Especially having to pay shipping on every bag... Nope!

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At first glance without using the stuff, i kind of agree with you just from the cost perspective. If you had a couple BPs in a little rack, stuff probably is awesome. Have 6 4x2 cages and 3 6x3 cages with large constrictors that piss 6 inch craters of liquid, not so awesome. Granted though the boas only piss about once every 2-4 weeks but Caesar pisses like the end of the world is coming. He just lets it fly wherever he is haha.

And yeah, that shipping per bag is a killer. When i just plugged in all the numbers into their website just to get an idea of the cost, shipping was going to run me $49.90 for 10 bags. That is more expensive than shipping an AP T8 cage and almost as much as a T10 lol. For 10 bags of substrates....

But like i said, i will give the benefit of the doubt and hold judgement until i actually get my bag and use it and talk to them about any form of 'deals' for ordering in bulk. Who knows, maybe I'll love the stuff and it will be the second coming in substrate form lol. I really want to know how the stuff works for Ziggy as he has big snakes.

Sauzo, for pat when you get your forever cage, dog pads that are unscented are amazing! I use a 2x2 for ganja and it so simple for cleanup and doesn't mess up humidity at all

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Originally Posted by SDA

Sauzo, for pat when you get your forever cage, dog pads that are unscented are amazing! I use a 2x2 for ganja and it so simple for cleanup and doesn't mess up humidity at all

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Yeah i like a more real looking substrate. I have been thinking of going bio on Pat PVC. Pat loved the Reptichips and was digging in it the first few days. I dont think he ever saw the stuff before lol. It was like i had a little yellow boa for a few days. He doesnt really dig in it any more but he does sit on it a lot at night along with playing scuba steve in his big water bowl on the floor lol. Guess a few people i talked to said males do that a lot where as females usually just maybe move from one perch to another or get a drink.

Sauzo,

for what its worth, that deal on Amazon is for anyone, you do not have to be "prime" on Amazon.

Shipping is free over $25 and you still get the 30% off on more then one item.

The only difference is it may take a couple days longer to get to you, since its not 2 day shipping.

Would still be $29.40 for 2 bags with free shipping and $14.70 for each additional bag, also shipped free.

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Originally Posted by zina10

Sauzo,

for what its worth, that deal on Amazon is for anyone, you do not have to be "prime" on Amazon.

Shipping is free over $25 and you still get the 30% off on more then one item.

The only difference is it may take a couple days longer to get to you, since its not 2 day shipping.

Would still be $29.40 for 2 bags with free shipping and $14.70 for each additional bag, also shipped free.

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Oh, well heck, if i like the stuff, maybe I'll use that deal if they dont offer any kind of bulk deal.

The way I see it in a nutshell. Coco fiber such as eco earth or reptile prime is great for bedding, humidity and waste absorption, but it is costly, and for keepers with multiple snakes, paper substrate will always be the most economic and simple solution.

Totally agree with you Godzilla. I like the functionality and the aesthetics of the coco fiber substrate but paper would definitely be less expensive. I have 8 medium to large sized snakes with one baby giant growing and the reptile prime stuff seems like a good fit for my collection.

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Originally Posted by Godzilla78

The way I see it in a nutshell. Coco fiber such as eco earth or reptile prime is great for bedding, humidity and waste absorption, but it is costly, and for keepers with multiple snakes, paper substrate will always be the most economic and simple solution.

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Curiosity... are you using paper towels? or deli or newspaper rolls?

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Originally Posted by Godzilla78

The way I see it in a nutshell. Coco fiber such as eco earth or reptile prime is great for bedding, humidity and waste absorption, but it is costly, and for keepers with multiple snakes, paper substrate will always be the most economic and simple solution.

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I refuse to use paper. It provides next to no grip and whether it is BS or not, i have heard in boas, it can cause pancaking where after years of being on nothing but a slippery gripless floor, they flatten themselves to try and create the most contact area they can. After years, their body kind of gets set to being like that instead of the nice tall bread shape.

But anyways, I dont mind spending on good substrate. I was spending like $100 every 2 months on substrate for my snakes when i was buying the 24 qt bags of Zoo Med aspen. The kicker for me is the Reptile Prime would be $210 every couple months lol.

And coco fiber isnt costly really. Look at Eco Earth, Reptichips, Pro Coco and other stuff. It is the exact same stuff as Reptile Prime but a fraction of the cost and more than a fraction of the shipping. I cant really comment on the Reptile Prime as i havent gotten my bag yet but just looking at the speel and listening to Brian talk about it, it almost sounds like he is just trying to milk it for cash. But anyways, enough of my 'thoughts' on it.

ReptiChips has worked fine for my snakes and so has aspen which i will probably just stick to but like i said, i do like to try different substrates so i can get an idea of all the stuff. That is mostly what i am trying to get to although i did kind of get side tracked with his the lack of easily available contacting and the crazy shipping price method which i still cant wrap my head around lol.

And Eco Earth sucks. The stuff is either too wet or too dry which makes it dusty. Also if you let it dry out, it acts like cypress and doesnt want to reabsorb water very readily. And with it being like coffee grounds, it gets in the pits and mouth of snakes burrowing. That's why i hate the stuff. Now the only down side to ReptiChips is it is a little on the big side to me which allows my big boas to bury their pisses as they push their tail under the stuff to piss. Also being how big the pieces are, it allows liquid to kind of drain to the floor. Aspen is the happy median to it as it packs down enough to catch liquids, doesnt get stuck in pits or mouths unless eaten of course and doesnt stay wet so wont build up bacteria or cause skin issues for the snake from sitting on wet/damp substrate 24/7. The Reptile Prime seems to be a nice median between the coco stuff.

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Originally Posted by Charles8088

Curiosity... are you using paper towels? or deli or newspaper rolls?

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If you are looking for a paper substrate, my advice is https://www.uline.com/Product/Detail...Flute-24-x-250

I know a bunch of boa breeders who use the stuff and say its good. You just put the corrugated/riffled side up so the boas can still get grip and the piss settles in the bottom of the riffles so the snake isnt sitting in the piss.

And the part i liked the best is the snake doesnt get substrate in its mouth. I use cardboard to feed all my snakes on but they love to drag their food around :(

Just want to point out, I definitely did not buy Reptile Prime because of Brian. While I have no real opinion on him in one way or another, the way he promotes some things is a little over the top for my taste.

I liked the stuff back when it was Herptopia. Price has always been the same, since then. Brian getting involved didn't change the price, yet.

However, the deal on Amazon makes it the cheapest I've ever seen so far.

I can only hope that Brian taking over the whole thing isn't going to back fire in some way and make the product either worse or more expensive.

Btw. I would dearly love to find a "no name" product that is like that stuff, but I have found nothing like it, and I have tried hard !!! Even if you took ReptiChip and pushed it through a shredder to make the chunks a bit smaller, it would still not be the same. I can only hope that this stuff stays available, that Brian doesn't change it or mess it up and that the prices don't go up. Its just so much better then anything else I've used.

If anyone finds it under a "no name" brand , please share :)

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Originally Posted by zina10

Just want to point out, I definitely did not buy Reptile Prime because of Brian. While I have no real opinion on him in one way or another, the way he promotes some things is a little over the top for my taste.

I liked the stuff back when it was Herptopia. Price has always been the same, since then. Brian getting involved didn't change the price, yet.

However, the deal on Amazon makes it the cheapest I've ever seen so far.

I can only hope that Brian taking over the whole thing isn't going to back fire in some way and make the product either worse or more expensive.

Btw. I would dearly love to find a "no name" product that is like that stuff, but I have found nothing like it, and I have tried hard !!! Even if you took ReptiChip and pushed it through a shredder to make the chunks a bit smaller, it would still not be the same. I can only hope that this stuff stays available, that Brian doesn't change it or mess it up and that the prices don't go up. Its just so much better then anything else I've used.

If anyone finds it under a "no name" brand , please share :)

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What i meant to say lol. I too feel Brian is 'overhyping' it to sell it since he actually has stakes in it.

And i cant comment on the product itself as i have not tried it yet but it does sound good and from the pics i have seen, it looks pretty good but like i said and not sure if i said it clearly, I am not sure if the stuff will be worth the price difference vs something like ReptiChips. I mean for comparison, $200 would get me 10 blocks which each block is WAY more than 24 qts. I could probably do all my cages 3 times with that much. By comparison, $200 gets me 10 bags of the Rpetile Prime which would do all my cages once.

And i just looked and freakin Reptichips is out of stock lol. I cant even order a few blocks for Caesar. Time to start swearing lol.

I'm probably ranting but how you put it is how i feel Zina. I probably didnt word it right and sounded like a jerk haha.

Nah, you don't sound like a jerk, LOL !!!

I was very frustrated with the price as well. I don't mind paying for something that works well (I'm OCD and it makes my life so much easier..) but I do expect something like combined shipping etc.

I completely agree that financially it ONLY makes sense if one doesn't have a large number of animals or a bunch of retics, LOL.

That's why I like to point out the good aspects of it. Because to some, the positives may outweigh the negatives, it helps people make up their mind.

To me, personally, the positive aspects outweigh the price, esp. since I only have 6 animals right now. But even if I added 6 more, I would probably stick with it. I always like to get everything "perfect". Whether that is at the barn with the horse, or at home with the animals or around the house or yard. It drives me crazy when there are things that make life harder or make it take longer to get something done.

But if someone has 50 animals, they may rather deal with the smelly paper, then the price of having something cut down on the smell. To me, having my snakes one room over from where I sleep, having no more yucky smell is very important to me.

Its all about weighing pro's and con's and one's own priorities. I used Aspen for 7 years !!!! And was reasonably happy with it. But now I would rather not go back to it. I went through a lot more and some bags were unbelievably dusty. Paper is completely out of the question for me, but it may be perfect for others.

I think the best part about threads like this is that people that are on the fence or want to try new stuff can get some ideas about a product and it can help with the decision whether to give it a try or not.

So while we may not all agree, we are probably all very helpful to someone out there ;)

edited to say: I know you get a special deal on ReptiChip, but if you need just a block to tie you over, they do sell it on Amazon. Even without prime, but its $25.95 / free shipping. Not sure what you paid. Its in stock, too.

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Originally Posted by zina10

edited to say: I know you get a special deal on ReptiChip, but if you need just a block to tie you over, they do sell it on Amazon. Even without prime, but its $25.95 / free shipping. Not sure what you paid. Its in stock, too.

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Nice. Might have to do that. I sent Reptichip an email asking when they might get it back in stock. Also priced 10 bags of Zoo Med Cypress as i think it is time for a change for everyone lol. I like changing up the substrate type every 4-5 changes as it gives me something new to look at it. And for the most part, the snakes seem to get some form of enrichment from it as they investigate it, dig in it and overall look fairly curious. Then after a few weeks, they are no longer excited and sit there again wondering when dinner is coming haha.

And the price is almost the same as Reptile Prime but with free shipping which means 10 24 qt bags would run me $135.

And dont get a retic if you want everything perfect haha. They are the masters at ruining what you made perfect in record time. I used to try and get Caesars cage all nice and pretty. Then within a day, he would have it wrecked haha. Now i dont usually even bother fixing his stuff. i just push him aside when i have to clean a poop or piss and he is sitting on it. We have our shoving matches if its the day as he wants to sleep and i want clean the giant turd he is sleeping on or next to lol.

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Originally Posted by Sauzo

Nice. Might have to do that. I sent Reptichip an email asking when they might get it back in stock. Also priced 10 bags of Zoo Med Cypress as i think it is time for a change for everyone lol. I like changing up the substrate type every 4-5 changes as it gives me something new to look at it. And for the most part, the snakes seem to get some form of enrichment from it as they investigate it, dig in it and overall look fairly curious. Then after a few weeks, they are no longer excited and sit there again wondering when dinner is coming haha.

And the price is almost the same as Reptile Prime but with free shipping which means 10 24 qt bags would run me $135.

And dont get a retic if you want everything perfect haha. They are the masters at ruining what you made perfect in record time. I used to try and get Caesars cage all nice and pretty. Then within a day, he would have it wrecked haha. Now i dont usually even bother fixing his stuff. i just push him aside when i have to clean a poop or piss and he is sitting on it. We have our shoving matches if its the day as he wants to sleep and i want clean the giant turd he is sleeping on or next to lol.

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I do appreciate a nice and perfect cage, but even Ball Pythons like to wreck everything! LOL

What I mean is that I'm a stickler in making things easier and more practical. I have nice latches at the barn that close the gate behind me if I simply nudge it closed. I have a ton of shelves and hooks to keep things organized. Whenever I have to take care of my friends horse her setup drives me crazy. It takes me way longer simply because she uses chains with hooks and snaps and nothing is real practical. It makes doing those chores take so much longer.

At home, I enjoy that cleaning the cages is now so quick and effortless. I can keep it spotless and smelling fresh quickly and without going through a lot of substrate. Before I used to drag a garbage lined waste basket with me while cleaning cages, filling it with soiled, stinky or wet aspen. (lets not talk about smell, ew)

I like things that make work and chores easier and more time efficient.

Geez, I'm having the hardest time explaining myself, perhaps if I typed it out in German it may come across better, haha.

I used to have these display cages with plants and decorations. As the Ball Pythons got bigger, they just completely re-arranged everything as soon as they would get hungry and started roaming. I would get up and the cage would look like a natural disaster passed through.

All plants flat as pancakes and even ripped. Hides in different places then they used to be. Decorations moved or pushed over. Water dumped. Mission accomplished..:rolleyes:

With my large male I keep it pretty, but simple. He only has 3 things. A large hide that looks natural and nice, but is actually a plastic planter. With a nice rock on top that he likes to put his head on. A big corner shelf, removable (built it) that has one plant hot glued to it. He likes to flatten that plant of course. And a naturalistic looking water bowl. So while his cage looks pretty cool, its easy to clean. You only have to remove those 3 things (and the snake) and then put it back. Plus he can't do much re-arranging, as much as he tries. :)

I just disagree with everything Sauzo days. Lol. To each his own.
Aspen sucks

I use 36” rolls of brown builders paper. No more ink covered newspaper.

Well thanks to all these glowing reviews and pushy sales tactics (haha I kid) - I went ahead and bought 2 bags on amazon since that was a fairly decent deal.
I'm going to give it a try in some of my ATB cages. They are small cages, ATBs usually eat off their perches and they have multiple small urates/fecals so I think this might work well for them. Planning to keep everyone else on paper and single face corrugated (my king and corns have been and will stay on aspen for now). Will update after using for a bit and see how it goes.

Pains me to buy anything to do with BHB :P

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Originally Posted by AbsoluteApril

Pains me to buy anything to do with BHB :P

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LOL !!!

What I don't understand is why he had to put his face on the bags. I'd much rather see a cool reptile picture.

I only hope that it won't go downhill now, either in quality, customer service or price. (well, price going up) If price and quality stays the same, I can't see myself changing to anything else.

I do still hope that eventually someone will come out with the same thing or similar, so we get more purchasing options...

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Originally Posted by zina10

What I don't understand is why he had to put his face on the bags. I'd much rather see a cool reptile picture.

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I don't know the whole story how he got stake in the company. But, I'd be willing to bet that the company probably contacted him for his high number of channel subscribers and views, and figured the endorsement of his face would help sales.

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Originally Posted by Charles8088

I don't know the whole story how he got stake in the company. But, I'd be willing to bet that the company probably contacted him for his high number of channel subscribers and views, and figured the endorsement of his face would help sales.

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He did endorse Herptopia, at least in his videos. Praised it.

But then he bought it from what I understand. That's when the name changed, and the advertising. There were supposed to be all kinds of "cool" changes, like different sized bags, different shipping, etc. None of that has happened, other the new name and his mug on the bag.

The web page and facebook also seems kind of lagging, to me.

I just hope he won't tank it in some way or another... :(

Ok so a little update. I am so confused over this place. So i called the number listed as their contact number on the Reptile Prime website. It was the number for Cat Spot Litter company. I talked to the gal and she said the man that could tell me if they could give a wholesale or bulk deal for buying 10+ bags at a time was out and she would get back to me.

Now if i click on the Midland Organics and Mois links from the 'where to buy' tab, i dont find the stuff anywhere on their websites. If i click the Cat Spot litter company, i do find the stuff but it is rebagged as 'Cat Spot' litter. It offers two types of pricing, a recurring purchase where it is $15 a bag with free shipping or a zero commitment deal where it is $18 a bag with free shipping. Either of these is better than from the Reptile Prime site and seems to be the same stuff looking at it on their site.

So it looks like Midland Organics makes the stuff but they dont sell it on their website and there is no way to contact them unless you call them directly which would seem to get the same response i got from calling the number listed on Reptile Prime contact....which took me to a Cat Litter Company lol.

So it looks like the recurring subscription of once a month for anywhere from 1 bag to 4+ bags is the way to go if you are looking to save other than the Amazon deal which from what it sounds like is just a limited time deal. Lol if i like the stuff, i will probably just order it from the Cat Spot litter company. The bag is different but the stuff is the exact same speel. Or their zero commitment deal which is $18 a bag and free shipping which brings me to $180 for 10 bags which is about $30 cheaper than from Reptile Primes actual site. Makes no sense.....

The stuff for the cats is finer, more like Eco Earth, tad less fine, and very messy..

edited to say, the company did start out with making Cat litter, I remember that from an old video back when it was Herptopia. They then made a slightly different version for reptiles.

Man, I sure hope this is not going to take a nose dive, I REALLY like this substrate.

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Originally Posted by zina10

The stuff for the cats is finer, more like Eco Earth, tad less fine, and very messy..

edited to say, the company did start out with making Cat litter, I remember that from an old video back when it was Herptopia. They then made a slightly different version for reptiles.

Man, I sure hope this is not going to take a nose dive, I REALLY like this substrate.

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It looks the same. Click on the Cat Spot site and go look at the pic of the stuff they posted. It looks exactly like the Reptile Prime. Kind of chunky but not like ReptiChips and not near like coffee grounds of Eco Earth.

Actually you might be right. I dont see any of the fibers in it like the Reptile Prime stuff has. But the pieces do look about the same size.

My biggest question mark though is why can i not find it anywhere else except the Reptile Prime site and even there, it links me to other sites which dont show it. So I'm kind of confused.

And not trying to be a downer. Just like to know where my stuff is coming from and all the info about it as i am rather picky of my reptile supplies :)

Was at a reptile show last month and actually saw some of the new fine substrate they are coming out with. Much smaller "grain" than the current stuff so if you want to have something fine for say bioactive or burrowers like rosy boas, see if they are now selling it. I really should have picked up a bag when I was there :(

All I know is Dante has never been more mellow since getting him on this stuff and I have not had one issue with him being dead so it is "so far so good".

Its finer then the reptile stuff. Still fluffy and soft, so lighter then Eco earth in a way.

Its probably the stuff that SDA saw at the show ?

Ok, I found the old video where Brian promotes Herptopia and makes a trip to the facility. If you can get through the annoying music and fast forward to the blabbering in the beginning, it does have some goof info on it..

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1-IM2Nr61sM

And here is the video where Brian talks about his involvement in the company. Explains some stuff.

Again, make use of fast forward through to much blabbering or annoying music, LOL

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vCgSmEQMms8&t=970s

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Originally Posted by zina10

Its finer then the reptile stuff. Still fluffy and soft, so lighter then Eco earth in a way.

Its probably the stuff that SDA saw at the show ?

Ok, I found the old video where Brian promotes Herptopia and makes a trip to the facility. If you can get through the annoying music and fast forward to the blabbering in the beginning, it does have some goof info on it..

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1-IM2Nr61sM

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Thats the same video from the Reptile Prime video. He just recycled it onto that site.

I was looking more for an actual office or contact info or anything like that. So if i had a problem with the product, who would i contact lol.

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Originally Posted by Sauzo

It looks the same. Click on the Cat Spot site and go look at the pic of the stuff they posted. It looks exactly like the Reptile Prime. Kind of chunky but not like ReptiChips and not near like coffee grounds of Eco Earth.

Actually you might be right. I dont see any of the fibers in it like the Reptile Prime stuff has. But the pieces do look about the same size.

My biggest question mark though is why can i not find it anywhere else except the Reptile Prime site and even there, it links me to other sites which don't show it. So I'm kind of confused.

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They make 4 commercial products. Cat litter, industrial coconut fiber for drought control/moisture retention in plants (we can't buy it direct), reptile prime, and reptile prime fines (not sold on the site yet but it is out there, see my previous post).

The cat litter and reptile prime are the same quantity and same stuff off the same assembly line just pushed through different sifters

I found this video on Youtube where some guy uses Reptile Prime to incubate his eggs:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PUHQ8WpG36Y

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Originally Posted by Sauzo

Thats the same video from the Reptile Prime video. He just recycled it onto that site.

I was looking more for an actual office or contact info or anything like that. So if i had a problem with the product, who would i contact lol.

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Call Brian? LOL !!!

Olympus reptiles did a video comparing the products. He is in no way tied to Brian and is actually kind of a grump about corporate stuff so I take his review pretty straight forward.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qsr-iq4fSoA

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Originally Posted by SDA

Olympus reptiles did a video comparing the products. He is in no way tied to Brian and is actually kind of a grump about corporate stuff so I take his review pretty straight forward.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qsr-iq4fSoA

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OMG, he explains it so much better then I ever could, LOL !!

That is exactly my point, it is SO much easier to deal with and it performs so much better then other coco products.

But again, everyone has different requirements and priorities. It is a great option to have, though.

I absolutely agree about ReptiChip being dusty and a pain in the rear. I had to soak it, let it expand and then had to dry it. Once dry, it was so dusty. Every time I scooped some out of the big tote, my arm was covered in a fine brown coating of dust and you could literally see it billowing into the air.

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Originally Posted by SDA

Olympus reptiles did a video comparing the products. He is in no way tied to Brian and is actually kind of a grump about corporate stuff so I take his review pretty straight forward.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qsr-iq4fSoA

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I just stumbled across that video last night, too. I watch most of his videos... This definitely wasn't exactly a very scientific test he conducted here (as far as dust), but I guess he did pretty much prove how much more absorbent Reptile Prime is than the other premium coconut bedding. I have no doubt that this stuff is probably amazing for absorbing urine and maintaining humidity. It's just a shame that it's so expensive. One thing i'm curious about, though, is, if you already have this stuff wetted down to maintain humidity, how would it be possible to find the urine?

Here for those of you like me who likes to see everything about everything... here is the stuff in Dante's enclosure. It has been about a month since I did a substrate change (this is a big image!)

https://i.imgur.com/YDJbCjP.jpg

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Originally Posted by Aedryan Methyus

I just stumbled across that video last night, too. I watch most of his videos... This definitely wasn't exactly a very scientific test he conducted here (as far as dust), but I guess he did pretty much prove how much more absorbent Reptile Prime is than the other premium coconut bedding. I have no doubt that this stuff is probably amazing for absorbing urine and maintaining humidity. It's just a shame that it's so expensive. One thing i'm curious about, though, is, if you already have this stuff wetted down to maintain humidity, how would it be possible to find the urine?

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When you mist it...you get it just slightly wet on top. When there is urine it's far more concentrated (as in amount of wetness in one spot) and leaves a dark/wet spot. The only time that wouldn't work is if you literally misted it until thoroughly sopping wet all over.


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So, I tried reptichip today for the first time, set up a bigger cage for Amora today and had the chance to get a brick when I bought her last week. So far, im liking it better than my old standby eco earth, it seems to hold moisture longer and doesn't stick to the snake. My brick wasn't dusty at all, and I used a screwdriver to flake away the amount I needed without soaking the whole brick. I may try reptile prime eventually if I can get it locally or at the Rexpo show in april. Seems the best way to judge these things is to try them out yourself.

Hah, just looked and found a fresh urine spot. This is from a 750 gr. Snake...with a quarter next to it to show how big the spot is. It stays contained in a small area. Next picture shows how I isolate that spot from the clean substrate and then I just scoop it out, wipe the bare spot down with a paper towel that I misted with f10 and push clean substrate back over the bare spot. 2 mins. Done. Now I just keep doggy poo bags by my cages because I don't have to dump huge loads of substrate with each cleaning...
Btw there are a few bigger chunks of ReptiChip still in there since I mixed the leftover I had with the Reptile Prime. But it is 90 percent reptile prime.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...6952c4ec94.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...43c6d24822.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...1f59627ab0.jpg



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Originally Posted by SDA

They make 4 commercial products. Cat litter, industrial coconut fiber for drought control/moisture retention in plants (we can't buy it direct), reptile prime, and reptile prime fines (not sold on the site yet but it is out there, see my previous post).

The cat litter and reptile prime are the same quantity and same stuff off the same assembly line just pushed through different sifters

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The thing is, there is no actual way to get a hold of the 'parent' company. According to Reptile Prime website, there is the email which didnt work.

Then there is the phone number which when i called was actually the Cat Spot litter company which has the litter bagged and ready for sale for cheaper than the reptile stuff and with free shipping. The Cat Spot is NOT affiliated with Brian at all, it is just a outlet for the cat product.

Then there is Mois company which is listed on the 'where to buy' as well. That is a lawn business which I'm assuming they use it for grass. Again nothing to do with the reptile stuff.

Then the last place listed is Midwest Organics which from the video looks like the manufacturing plant for the stuff. Problem is their website doesnt show it either.

Then there is FB which has no way to contact them and doesnt even have anything remotely to do with the product except the name. All the pics are of other peoples reptiles not even on the stuff lol.

So my question was how would I as the consumer get into contact with someone who matters if i had an issue or if my money was scammed or something like that? Not saying it would be but most companies have contact numbers and an actual parent company where you can call or write/email to with questions or problems.

I personally have never heard of this stuff except through you guys. On all the boa, retic and GTP FB pages I'm a member of recommend ReptiChips, cypress, aspen or paper.

I did order a bag of the stuff and i got confirmation that a product label has been out of Midwest Organics.

Now dont get me wrong. I am trying to down talk the stuff or project negativity on it. I am just curious why in this whole time, there was no clear channel for communication made between the consumer and the product.

I ended up just ordering a bunch of bags of Zoo Med Cypress to give everyone a change of pace including me lol.

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Originally Posted by zina10

Call Brian? LOL !!!

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I might one day but for now, i just ordered a couple boxes of Zoo Med Cypress lol.

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Originally Posted by SDA

Olympus reptiles did a video comparing the products. He is in no way tied to Brian and is actually kind of a grump about corporate stuff so I take his review pretty straight forward.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qsr-iq4fSoA

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I take all the videos with a grain of salt. Justin Kobylka loves ReptiChips and uses it on all his BPs at his breeding facility. And he is VERY well known for BPs and isnt tied to Brian. I personally just order a bag myself and try it and see how I like it vs what someone else tells me lol.

My biggest question mark though is in the post above i made so i'm not going to repeat it here lol.

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Originally Posted by Alter-Echo

So, I tried reptichip today for the first time, set up a bigger cage for Amora today and had the chance to get a brick when I bought her last week. So far, im liking it better than my old standby eco earth, it seems to hold moisture longer and doesn't stick to the snake. My brick wasn't dusty at all, and I used a screwdriver to flake away the amount I needed without soaking the whole brick. I may try reptile prime eventually if I can get it locally or at the Rexpo show in april. Seems the best way to judge these things is to try them out yourself.

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Reptichips is nice stuff. A lot of retic guys rave about it or paper. It's nice in that is fairly cheap and you can just throw it out every month or two. I just got tired of having to prep it every time i wanted to use it lol. I mean you could just get 2-3 66 qt Sterilites and just mix up 3 blocks and have it ready. But that is really my only gripe about it. And one other thing, being big pieces, it does allow liquid to seep down some and big snakes can hide pisses in it. But for the smaller snakes, it works fine.

The only substrate i found so far that can contain a Caesar Tsunami is aspen. Anything else just cant hold up lol. I ordered cypress so we will see how Caesar handles that.

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Originally Posted by zina10

Hah, just looked and found a fresh urine spot. This is from a 750 gr. Snake...with a quarter next to it to show how big the spot is. It stays contained in a small area. Next picture shows how I isolate that spot from the clean substrate and then I just scoop it out, wipe the bare spot down with a paper towel that I misted with f10 and push clean substrate back over the bare spot. 2 mins. Done. Now I just keep doggy poo bags by my cages because I don't have to dump huge loads of substrate with each cleaning...
Btw there are a few bigger chunks of ReptiChip still in there since I mixed the leftover I had with the Reptile Prime. But it is 90 percent reptile prime.

https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...6952c4ec94.jpghttps://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...43c6d24822.jpghttps://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...1f59627ab0.jpg



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You call that a pee!!?? Caesar drops those daily..usually 2-3 times haha. I'm going to take a picture of a 'real' pee and poop to show you what you are missing Zina!!! Rosey took a poop last night and to give you a visual idea, fold a paper towel in half. Now lay that paper towel on top of the poop lengthwise. Now add about 1/4 of a poop head sticking out from under the paper towel like playing a game of peekaboo. Now you have the size of a Rosey poop lol. Now for Caesar, imagine that size but add another half to it.....and bump it up from every 2-4 weeks to every week LOL.

Retics are not cheap to keep :( Np one told me that when i got Caesar lol. But he is such a character...love him.

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Originally Posted by zina10

https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...1f59627ab0.jpg

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Those doggy bags come on sale every so often... on the deal sites I check often. Just an FYI.

Finally something Sauzo and I can agree on! Zoomed Cypress is a great substrate product. I only switched to coconut husk and coconut fiber because I learned that Cypress is not environmentally sustainable.
But honestly, cypress worked great. If you like Cypress mulch, i would recommend coconut HUSK, (not fiber), it is virtually identical in my experience, but sustainable.
The coco husk i am using is COCO SOFT brand.

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Originally Posted by Godzilla78

Finally something Sauzo and I can agree on! Zoomed Cypress is a great substrate product. I only switched to coconut husk and coconut fiber because I learned that Cypress is not environmentally sustainable.
But honestly, cypress worked great. If you like Cypress mulch, i would recommend coconut HUSK, (not fiber), it is virtually identical in my experience, but sustainable.
The coco husk i am using is COCO SOFT brand.

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What the heck!!?? This agreement cant be!! I hate cypress!!! Lol.

Actually i havent tried the Zoo Med stuff so this will be a new experience for me and the 'kids'. I mostly just wanted something different. I still have 2 7 cu ft bales of aspen and half a bucket of Reptichips plus 1 bag of the Reptile Prime otw.

I need to find something that lays down flat like aspen but doesnt dry out as fast as aspen. The reptichips is great but like i said, it is bigger chunks so big snake liquid from a tsunami seeps down to the cage floor. From what i was told by people, the Zoo Med cypress lays flat like aspen does but is damp so it wont have all the voids or gaps that a chunkier substrate has.

And who cares about the sustainability!! I'll be long dead before cypress forests dry up and i bet the planet as a whole will be wiped out before then too. i mean we got that idiot Trump leading us and threatening North Korea with war when they finally figured out to make rockets and nuclear arms that can reach us. Either he is going to be backpedaling and looking like a blowhard kid if he doesnt commit to war if North Korea says 'kiss out behinds" or he is going to have to make good on his threats and take us to war which will probably end with the world going south quick.

And j/k about the sustainability. Figured I'd say it so Godzilla has something else to disagree with me on or heck maybe he loves Trump which in that case, we would have a lot to disagree on lol.