What kind of substrate do you prefer?

I dont understand why there aren't more people using newspaper as substrate. It is a great way to save money and is easier when it comes to feeding time too. So leave a comment on what substrate you use for your balls and say why. thanks (:

Recently i switched from aspen to paper towels and newspaper , its working great. Its better when its comes to feeding and cleaning:d

paper towels

makes it easy to keep the tubs clean and smell free, no worries about substrate getting stuck in their mouth during feeding, no worries about substrate getting stuck in the unmentionables during breeding ;)

i like a mix of cypress mulch and sphnagnum moss,because it looks more natural,holds more moisture.i live in a super dry climate so every little thing helps.

i only have one snake for now so cost wise its nothing.

Im using newspaper right now but its making my aggrivated.
When the snake moves he just bunches the paper up on the sides and then theres nothing covering the floor, the water dish doesnt even help hold it down much.
then when the snake pees and poos it gets all over the place, Im not sure Ill stick with newspaper.
I used aspen before.

Newspaper. We have dozens of balls, carpets and corns, so its the most cost efficient.

For our amazon tree boas and indonesian tree boas we use coconut husk and sphagnum moss. Holds the humidity well and looks natural. Only have 1.1 of each, so its not too expensive.

i use aspen without a problem. I tried paper and towels and cypress but didnt like either one...Cypress caused too many gnats for some reason and paper would dry up too much and found it browned like it burnt just with the heat pad...also once its soiled you have to change it out where aspen you can do spot cleaning

I've used aspen for the longest time in my tubs, have had all nice sheds but didn't like how quickly it would mold. 'Specially around/under the water dish.

I use cypress for my Balls now, having a bit of a high-humidity issue but that's getting worked out.

Basically,
For those with display enclosures, its not exactly aesthetically appealing.
For those with a fair bit of cage furniture, its a pain to take everything out once or twice a week as spot cleaning is impossible, you have to replace a whole big sheet, which means taking everything out.
For those with crazy balls that just hate paper and shove it aside, or love it so much and always get under it, it could be a problem. All the mess the ball makes wouldn't be on the paper, it'll be on the enclosure floor, and pythons under a sheet of paper which has a water dish sitting on top.. They're just waiting to lift and spill it. Happened many times with me even though I have an amazingly heavy one.
For those with really bad humidity problems, it can't be misted and retain moisture/humidity at all.

These were pretty much all the problems I faced which forced me to switch to aspen. I agree newspaper's great, but sometimes can be a little of a hassle.

i havnt had a problem with mold in the aspen even near the water bowl but then again im in Texas where it hasnt rained in quite some time hehehe

I've used bark, paper, fir chips (in now), and aspen.
I only have 3 snakes so expense isn't a real issue. My favorite out of all of them that I've used is bark.
I can wash it with boiling water to sterilized it before I put it in, it holds moisture without being wet. And I've never had a problem with mold.

Paper towels. They are cheap, you dont have to worry about loose substrate getting in their mouth during feeding, and it makes cleaning so much easier and you always know when its dirty!

I use unprinted newspaper in my snake's tub. I love it! It is so easy to tell where he peed and defecated. It cleans up real quick and is quite cheap too. I was using cypress mulch but I could not tell where he peed and I didn't want him laying in his own waste.

i use repti-bark..i like the way it looks and i kinda like the smell of it...weird yes?

I use paper towels or unprinted newspaper for any young or new snakes so I can monitor what they "put out" and look for mites a lot easier. Then after they've been monitored to my satisfaction, I put them on coco husk because they air in my home (we have an old house with a rather out dated heating/cooling system) is EXTREMELY dry (like 25% to 30%) so I need all the humidity I can get with the substrate.

When I was using tank before i was using repti-bark because of humidity issues...
Just before I was switching to rack i posted similar Question with pool here on the forum LINK HERE and Heather Wong/LadyOhh pointed me to Sani-Chips.

Is an aspen type of bedding but not in shredded form but i form off small chips... is way less dusty than regular aspen is great for spot cleaning and hold humidity better in my opinion and of course looks better that newspaper...

I'm using it for over year now and I see only pros till now..

I highly recommend it for everybody who is not happy with newspaper and looking for something better that regular aspen :gj::gj::gj:

I'm partial to paper towels myself. Easy to keep everything sanitary for the snakes health

I use Aspen. I don't have a problem with it.

I used to use aspen, but when the cost was getting to me... I switched it up to paper towels/plain towels, and have been using that ever since. It makes it easy because since my tank doesn't have a lot of fancy decorations it's simple to take what he's got out and clean on the spot.

We're currently using newspaper because it's so cheap, but I honestly miss my cypress mulch. :(

I have used newspaper, paper towels and aspen.

Right now they`re on aspen and I wouldn`t have it any other way to be honest. Cleaning time can get pretty nasty when they`re on paper towel or newspaper, but spot cleaning with aspen is like, 1,2,3!

Blue scott paper towels

I use newspaper in my RBI rack with no issues...it's actually easier, cleaner, and cheaper. I use aspen in my one tank and my quarantine rack.

Newspaper - Best way to go with racks IMO. Like everyone is saying its cheaper, cleaner, and less time consuming.

Aspen is a great if you do not want paper as a bedding though.

I use Aspen Sani-Chips. I like it because I can spot clean it, plus it is cut up so small that if it is accidentally injested, it won't stick or cut their mouth and is easier to pass through their system.

Is there something wrong with cypress mulch from like, home depot? I looked at those sani-chips and its like $20 for 2.2 cubic feet after shipping (don't know where I'd buy it locally), whereas 2 cubic feet of cypress mulch is $2 at home depot.

i pay like 13 $ with shipping in national pet pharmacy for sanichips... and they actually (i believe is bug on page) charge You only 4.95 for shipping up to 47 cases :O:rofl::rofl::rofl:

EDIT:

Native Earth Aspen Sani Chips 2.2 Cubic Foot Bedding
2.2 cu ft (1006228101)
Shipping 992 lbs to zip 11222: $4.95 :O
Total: $418.08
You Saved: $432.40 today!

Un-printed newspaper :D:D

I used aspen when I had tank setups but when I got my RBI racks I switched to paper towels.

I use what BHB uses - Sani-Chips. Works great, lasts long with spot cleaning.

How deeply do you keep your sani-chips/aspen shavings?

I love the aspen bedding, I don't have any problems with it and moisture levels in the tanks and I like the very subtle scent it has and it makes it pretty easy to clean the tanks without a lot of hassles and it helps coat messes enough that the snakes don't get slimed with their own feces if it takes me till I get home from work to find a present for me :P although have been thinking about making the cooler side of the tank lined with some soft moss maybe around the water dish area to help with humidity and more natural look to the watering area.

I'm all about the cypress mulch over here. It's cheap, absorbent, and keeps the humidity up during the dry winters in Michigan. Saves time also as you can spot clean instead of cleaning the whole tub every time they go to the bathroom.

I've been using Aspen for a year and a half with no problems. I like it cause it does help hold the humidity and easy to spot clean.

I am using eco earth from zoo med, and I like it so far. It holds humidity pretty well. Easy to spot clean too.

unprinted paper,newspaper,paper towel but if i must i normally use cypress mulch but havent used the cypress in a long time.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Vypyrz

I use Aspen Sani-Chips. I like it because I can spot clean it, plus it is cut up so small that if it is accidentally injested, it won't stick or cut their mouth and is easier to pass through their system.

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I forgot to add that it vacuums up easily if you spill it. It doesn't stick in the carpet like shredded aspen does. If you decide to use the Sani-Chips, I suggest using a plastic cup or something like that to scoop it out of the bag.
I get mine from a vendor who sells it at our reptile shows.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Trogdorpheus

How deeply do you keep your sani-chips/aspen shavings?

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I usually keep my substrate layer somewhere between 1/2" to 1" thick.