Substrate options?

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Originally Posted by ballpythonsrock2

I was sincerely wondering why so many places seem to lump pine in with cedar as things you don't want to use for substrate with snakes.
No one on here would recommend using cedar as the oils are toxic to snakes. But if you say it is ok to use pine are they wrong?, when they say you shouldn't use pine and why are they wrong, was just wondering and hoping you had the answer. please educate me, as I would like to know.

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Cedar is definitely toxic.

I don't really know how the "pine is bad" thing got started. However it got started, a lot of people blindly read it, and blindly repeated it to the point it became commonly accepted.

Someone else may be able to provide a better answer and more info for you.

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Originally Posted by Tsanford

Also the pine debate has been here many times. If you search, I remember an informative post by skiploader on pine.

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http://ball-pythons.net/forums/showt...e-Pine-Debate&

I have always used shredded aspen and have never had any issues, other than dust giving me allergies. As long as there is enough circulation in the tub & it's cleaned quick enough, I get no mold. Humidity is fine for me as well but then again I live in a humid city. I am currently using aspen sani-chips, which isn't as effective as the shredded aspen I think, but it has way less dust and looks nice lol.

Hey, has anyone tried alder bedding before? My dad suggested it. He says it's not too far off from aspen, and it grows here so it would be easy for us to get. I think it sounds interesting, but I'm not sure about it yet.

I really enjoy using Eco Earth: Coconut Fiber Substrate. It holds humidity well, allows for spot cleaning, and doesn't get moldy or smell weird. It's also visually appealing and my BP loves to burrow in it.

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Originally Posted by beeze

I really enjoy using Eco Earth: Coconut Fiber Substrate. It holds humidity well, allows for spot cleaning, and doesn't get moldy or smell weird. It's also visually appealing and my BP loves to burrow in it.

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I find Eco-Earth too expensive for the collection I have. Aspen is cheap