Is paper towels easier than aspen substrate?

Frankly I didn't mind using aspen substrate when Snickers was younger but now she is well over 2 years old and is still growing rapidly.(2 months ago she weighed roughly 580 grams and now she weighs roughly 740 grams)

Snickers seems to still poop as often as she always did but she just poos larger amounts at once. Her urates are becoming more difficult to clean though. There is always the large ones that are easy to spot but there is also tiny ones that blend in with the aspen substrate that are difficult to spot.

Snickers has always had her entire tank cleaned once a month but the older/bigger she gets we sometimes find her tank to smell even after spot cleaning out the urates a few days after the big cleaning.

We already have to use paper towels in Snickers tank anyway when she eats(we cover her aspen substrate with paper towels before offering her F/T prey with a grabber because we don't want her to accidentally swallow substrate and become impacted)

Is paper towels easier?

I find paper towels easier. When a cage gets messed up just remove old towels, spray down with disenfectant, wipe up, and put new towels in. You have to clean the cage more often but it is simpler.

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Originally Posted by The Serpent Merchant

I find paper towels easier. When a cage gets messed up just remove old towels, spray down with disenfectant, wipe up, and put new towels in. You have to clean the cage more often but it is simpler.

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This ^ X2. Only takes a moment to scoop out dirty towels, spray down, wipe, and replace towels. Definately keeps things super clean for your snake, because there isn't a chance of anything left unseen/cleaned, plus tub is getting disenfected frequently.

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I use newpaper, which is really similar to papertowels, and i find it to be the easiest. Mainly for the reasons stated above^.

I use newspaper. I don't miss vacuuming up aspen every day lol

For babies, I use paper towels. When they get bigger, I use Kraft Bogus paper. However, if I had only a few snakes, I'd use newspaper. Cleaning is much easier with paper towels and news paper.

I use paper towels over newspaper because when they pee on newspaper the ink bleeds onto their belly sometimes.

Also, paper cuts! AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

im changing all my aspin and using bogus paper just ordered my roll it makes it easier for me paper towels and newspaper is much easier and less expensive

I'm a fan of using a paper as a substrate but the paper towel gets all crunched up with the bigger snakes. Newspaper is probably the way to go.

I've used newspaper, aspen and paper towels. I prefer newspaper for my adults and juvies and paper towels for the babes.

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Originally Posted by LGray23

I use newspaper. I don't miss vacuuming up aspen every day lol

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Exactly haha. I loved the sani chips i was using but they got EVERYWHERE.

Paper towels FTW... I tried cypress and aspen when I got my first bp, but it was a pain to keep clean and fresh. I switched to paper towels 4 years ago and never looked back. As one previous poster said, some of the bigger snakes will move and crumple the paper towels, but it doesn't bother them, so it doesn't bother me. They are all still checked and cleaned when needed, but paper towels make it soooo much quicker and easier.

Newspaper, cheap, free, easy. Rolls of paper towels get to be a big waste of money in the long run.

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Originally Posted by MrLang

I use paper towels over newspaper because when they pee on newspaper the ink bleeds onto their belly sometimes.

Also, paper cuts! AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

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Originally Posted by that_dc5

I'm a fan of using a paper as a substrate but the paper towel gets all crunched up with the bigger snakes. Newspaper is probably the way to go.

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Originally Posted by heathers*bps

I've used newspaper, aspen and paper towels. I prefer newspaper for my adults and juvies and paper towels for the babes.

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Good suggestions. I used aspen at first, but only for a few months.. When I found out that you can use paper towels, I tried it, and so far I've enjoyed it. As mentioned, the bigger snakes move the towels around too easily, so I have some of them on aspen. I have 2 males who enjoy tipping their water bowls.. It would soak the paper towel and I would have to change them DAILY... That was not fun.. I switched them to aspen, and I haven't experienced a bowl tip since :gj::D. I like that aspen helps take away some smell. I check on almost all my snakes daily. Especially the ones who I know like to tip their bowls, soak their towels, or soil fresh new paper towels... *cough*calico*cough* :rolleyes:.....

I will never go back to aspen. Too much of a hassle. Paper towels are so much easier. Once you switch you will realize this as well :P

Thanks everyone!:)

Going to experiment with both paper towels and newspaper once the bag of aspen substrate is gone!

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Originally Posted by MrLang

I use paper towels over newspaper because when they pee on newspaper the ink bleeds onto their belly sometimes.

Also, paper cuts! AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

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Do you mean YOU get paper cuts from using newspaper?:confusd:

Have you seen those rolls of paper towels that are in those automatic paper towel dispensers (usually in bathrooms)? If you can find those, they cost about half as much as regular paper towels (when you break it down per sheet or per foot). Something to think about in the long run.

As soon as I finish with my current bale of aspen.. I'm goin back to kraft paper... Thought I would try something diffrent and I'm not diggin it.