Aspen or turf?

So I am sort of new but have been reading for hours apon hours. I havent really seen any major differences in peoples choices of aspen Vs astroturf.

Is there any difference to the snake? If not, then I should decide whats best for me.

I think I like the color of aspen better.
Which is easier to clean ( I have 2 turfs so i can just swap it in, then clean on my own without worrying about the snake )
Does aspen get all over the place?

Opinions of which to use would be great!!

if you're going to choose an artificial substrate, you might very well consider paper towel over astroturf, cheap and plentiful and even easier to clean!

Turf and carpet are notorious for harboring bacteria. To properly clean them, you have to bleach them regularly. Just not worth it IMHO.

Aspen is by far preferable. I use a layer of aspen on a layer of newsprint and it's the best substrate of all...and I've tried carpet, paper towels, just newspaper, cypress, and bark. Nothing was as easy to clean, held humidity without molding, or looked as nice as aspen. :D

astroturf just isn't worth it in my opinion. When I first got started I got two of them thinking it would be real easy to swap them out and clean, but that got old REAL quick. So much easier just to pour the old aspen into the trash can, wipe the cage down, and put more in. Plus I think it looks better, too.

I have aspen in 1 tank and turf in 2 tanks. I love the turf better! You can see the poo easy and just pick it up and throw away. Once a month I take out the turf and put them both in the washer for pretreat with bleach. I put the water on low and let them soak for a couple hours, then let it process for 4 minutes. Spins most of the water out then I hang them up. They are completely dry and sterile by teh next day.

For me the aspen is messer. I have it for my corn snake. She likes it.

i use news paper it to me is easier to clean can see the poo and pee spots and it's cheap plus it's might be old new s but it gives them something to read:P

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Originally Posted by blb

I have aspen in 1 tank and turf in 2 tanks. I love the turf better! You can see the poo easy and just pick it up and throw away. Once a month I take out the turf and put them both in the washer for pretreat with bleach. I put the water on low and let them soak for a couple hours, then let it process for 4 minutes. Spins most of the water out then I hang them up. They are completely dry and sterile by teh next day.

For me the aspen is messer. I have it for my corn snake. She likes it.

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How do you clean the urine and the poo residue after scooping it?

Aspen is easy and fairly inexpensive and I used if for a while (I use Desert Snow now). When I do a full cage clean, I scoop out as much as I can then use a shop vac to get the rest.

Paper towels or blank news print is good when first getting the BP settled. It also makes it easier to check for any mites (they show up better) and other external items (bleeding etc) as well as clean up early (if needed - our new BP has 3 mice in him and we are waiting for the explosion).

We switched to Aspen, it has been packed down nicely by the home "owner" and has helped with a overdue shed.

Aspen is cheap, available and cleans up well IMHO.

so wait a minute aspen is better for a bp then newspaper i'm so confused i used aspen then someone said that news paper is better so i need to switch back i understand the shed thing though rough surface would help with the shed