ReptiChip vs. Reptile Prime Size Comparison

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Originally Posted by zina10

Here it is. Its on page 2 of this thread. Back then Reptile Prime was still called Herptopia.

:)

https://ball-pythons.net/forums/show...itters+crumble

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Thank ya muchly! So from what I can see, the reptile prime is a bit more coarse and maybe more absorbent than the eco earth... interesting.

This question is a very subjective one. I personally hate any fine ground substrate for my snakes as i have had problems with it getting stuck on feeders, get packed down by large snakes and grow mold, being a pain in the butt to clean up when it gets stuck in door tracks or just having to clean the cage.

If you are using something like a glass tank(god knows why you would use one for a snake as a fish tank is for fish), then maybe Reptile Prime will work for you. Or if you have smaller snakes that dont pack the stuff down.

But like i said, for me, i had nothing but problems with fine ground substrate. Heck if you want something pleasing to look at, just use organic potting soil. To me all the coco husk stuff reminds of coffee grounds lol.

I personally use aspen and have for years and never had a problem. And yes, even with aspen, i can get my humidity to 90% without any misting if i really want too. Heck my boas are sitting at like 80% right now on it. And i have never had it mold and even had Luna jump in the water bowl and flood her cage and it didnt mold.

Bottom line is you are really the only one who can answer the question as they are your snakes, you know their quirks, you have to stare and clean the cages, you have to deal with any issues arising from either substrate. And let me tell you, having to prop open an 8 month old boas mouth with a Q-Tip and then hang its head downward while using a spray bottle to hose all the packed in coffee ground substrate out of her mouth is not fun.

The problem was fine substrate releases water really fast. I found that when i used stuff like Eco Earth, it was either too wet or too dry. The other problem was with hides. Inside the hide would build up so much condensation, it would be dripping wet in there. Well a small snake rubs its face on the hide from moving and its face gets wet. Then it gets said wet face on the substrate. The substrate sticks. The snake tries to wipe it off on the hide which gets more water which gets more substrate on it and it just goes from there.

And saying its not dusty, i dont buy it. Eco Earth had dust in it. You are talking about a fine ground substrate. If it dries, it will have dust if the snake burrows in it.

Anyways, like i said OP, try them both and see which you like better. Just be aware there are lots of different substrate. Coco husk in chunk and ground form, cypress mulch, orchid bark, organic potting soil, backyard dirt(dont laugh, i know guys who use it for their monitors as nothing in the dirt is going to hurt your reptile since mites are not native to the US), corrugated cardboard, paper towels etc.

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Originally Posted by SDA

The deal with reptile prime is it is not a compressed brick you have to moisten or damp substrate in a bag. It is sifted to lower dust and comes dry so you can put it straight in the enclosure.

And yes Zina I was not serious about ball pythons being prima donnas even though they totally are. Such big babies that need special care or they get all pouty!

I like not having to worry about the substrate for 3 months so that is why I use reptile prime and a PVC cage, so much less hassle.

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Oh but of course they are!! And we are their devoted slaves..haha.




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Just have to say that Reptile Prime is nothing like fine ground coffee or Eco Earth.

It's not all that fine at all. Nothing is 100 percent dust free, but in all reality, I found Aspen far more dusty (it even made me cough every time I had to scoop.some out) and ReptiChip also gets quite dusty when dry. Of all the ones I used the Reptile Prime is by far the least dusty, only beat by paper. And the most absorbent. It also does not pack down like Eco Earth. I don't have giant snakes, but my 3000 gr male doesn't pack it down. No mold ever in the year I used it, unlike with Aspen, eco earth and ReptiChip.

Honestly I couldn't care less what anyone decides to use. Just trying to help people that are trying to make up their mind by pointing out different aspects of different substrates I have used.

What anyone does with that info is on them. [emoji6]

One could always buy one bag and test it out...


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I dont know how anyone would like Aspen, I used it for months and everything else was better than that junk. Aspen for rats, but not snakes.


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Originally Posted by Godzilla78

I dont know how anyone would like Aspen, I used it for months and everything else was better than that junk. Aspen for rats, but not snakes.

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Depends on the snake. My rosy loves sani chips which is aspen. Had him on reptile prime and he just did not like it as much as aspen.

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Originally Posted by SDA

Depends on the snake. My rosy loves sani chips which is aspen. Had him on reptile prime and he just did not like it as much as aspen.

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I just found it to be a mess, and wasnt very good at humidity and odor. Stuck to the rug if I spilled any.


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I will say it again....reptile prime is NOT anything like eco earth except the color. It is not course like coffee grounds and it does not stick to my thawed out rats unless there was a leak in the bag and even then not really. I still am on my origional bag of Herptopia. This stuff is amazing.

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Originally Posted by Godzilla78

I dont know how anyone would like Aspen, I used it for months and everything else was better than that junk. Aspen for rats, but not snakes.


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Aspen has worked for me for years. It is absorbent, easy to see liquid on, cheap so i can throw it out every month and put new stuff in. It is dusty but i always just grab my pump mister and throw down a nice mist on top and it is fine. Have had my big BCI girl on it for 5+ years and she went from an 18 inch worm to now a 6.5 foot monster.

Baby boas LOVE it too. I've talked to a lot of breeders and a lot use it as like i said, it is cheap and readily available. Except the Zoo Med stuff which even online is still about $10 a 24 qt bag which for me, i need 10 bags to do all my snakes which was equaling to about $100 a month in just substrate alone. Then factor in the other about $120 in food and was going through almost $250 a month on my snakes lol. Not sure how much Reptile Prime is as like i said, i have never used but the Amercian Excelsior Aspen i fnally found again is about $5 for a 7 cu ft bale. ReptiChips is decent as it is about $20 a block and i can do 5 4x2 cages and 3 6x3 cages with about 4 blocks.

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Originally Posted by Sunnieskys

I will say it again....reptile prime is NOT anything like eco earth except the color. It is not course like coffee grounds and it does not stick to my thawed out rats unless there was a leak in the bag and even then not really. I still am on my origional bag of Herptopia. This stuff is amazing.

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Anything sticks to my FT rats but i also rinse them off under hot water and pat dry them with a paper towel. Just with aspen and Reptichips, i can pick off any pieces with tongs if the snakes drag their food off the cardboard which recently they have loved to.

I am curious though, i was just checking out the webpage and it doesnt show the size of the bags. For those who have bought it, what size bag is it? 24 qt? NM, i found it on Reptile Basics page. It is 24 QT size for $15.99 without shipping or $20.00 shipped from Reptile Basics. Yeah gonna skip that noise. Would cost me like $200 in just substrate a month for my snakes with it if i followed the recommended once every month changing they say on the bag. Or $100 a month if i went by their max recommendation of every 2 months.

Think I'll just stick to aspen and ReptiChips lol.