Best substrate for BPs

What is the best substrate to use for my bps? I am using Aspen shavings right now, but I have read in various places that it is better to use something simple like paper towels or newspaper. So, those of you who have been doing this for a while, what do you suggest?

Thanks,
LadyByrd

The best is the one that works for you.

I have use many different substrate over the years newspaper, cypress, aspen.

Now I use Cypress and aspen exclusively. Cypress is great to hold humidity especially during the winter months so this is what I use with my adults, and for all my hatchling I use aspen which provides added security by allowing BP to burrow in the substrate.

I would stay away from anything that is ground for bacteria to multiply quickly such as reptile carpet etc.

http://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/02/03/upe2u9yn.jpgI'm using a roll-out carpet-looking thing (sold for terrarium floors). It's very easy to keep clean, and my snakes don't seem to mind it. It also seems to help with shedding.

to keep humidity i recommend cyprus. it works really well. aspen is also good but if it gets wet it can mold. Newspaper and paper towels are cheap and work of. the only thing is that you cant spot clean like you can on a mulch. Best thing you can do is to try them and see which you like best.

I use paper towels but like said, use what works for you.

I use newspaper and aspen when they get bigger .. just got to find what works for u

We use paper towels for the hatching rack and aspen for the adult racks. Spot clean when ever there is crap in there. To keep humidity up in room we just use a whole house humidifier from sears. It gets the job done.

Whatever works for you is the best. I believe it depends on how warm your house is, humidity, what enclosure you're using and what heat source you are using.

Eco Earth: Has a nice look, contrasts well with my albino ball python. Helps keep humidity up. I use this with my heat lamp.
Cypress: Also has a nice look, contrasts well with my albino ball python. Helps keep humidity up better than Eco Earth (in my experience). Used with both UTH and lamp. When used in a tub with a uth it made the humidity skyrocket. In a terrarium it was ok since I used a heat lamp+uth.
Aspen: I used this when I kept my snake in a tub. It was great. I would check it every few days as it can mold when it gets wet. I also used this in my snake's terrarium. It was pretty easy to maintain. Had both a UTH and heat lamp. Humidity was a pain to keep up without compromising circulation.
Paper Towels: These are very convenient too if your snake is in a tub. I like to have a double layer. It was pretty convenient to have in a terrarium as well.

I'm switching my ball python to a BAS (bioactive substrate) and I don't like cleaning the cage often. I also like the natural look with live plants. I'm also really into landscaping the terrarium with rocks, branches etc and don't mind keeping track of the live plants. Then again I only have one snake, an albino that would look great in a dark soiled terrarium with green plants and dark decor. It's a weird hobby of mine to do vivariums so that is what's best for me. With my vivarium I'll be using a full spectrum light, UVB bulb (maybe), Night lamp and a CHI (if needed). Anyways it's a lot more work as my house gets cold during the winters. But yeah have fun choosing a substrate!

I use cypress and newspaper for my ball pythons and aspen for my kings. Recently went to my local newspaper and purchased an "end roll" for $2. An end roll is unprinted newspaper paper. The role I have has to equate to a couple hundred newspapers it was huge and readily available


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Thank you everyone. I am still experimenting because I am trying to keep humidity levels at optimum levels. The aspen helped, but it isn't perfect. I clean the cage weekly, so I guess I will try paper towels or newspaper next (since I have that on hand already) and if that doesn't work the way I want it to, I will try the cyprus. I like this, it's kind of fun trying to figure everything out.

Oh, and I had "freaked out" in my first post about my baby not shedding since I got her in late November, well, I panicked too soon! Cloudy blue eyes today, so I guess I am leaving her alone for the next week.

Thanks for all of the input on everything.

I love this stuff, but it works best if you don't need your substrate to be a humidity holder:

http://www.uline.com/BL_1952/Kraft-Paper-Sheets

:gj:

I'm very happy with using terrarium carpet or reptile carpet. Its very easy to clean and reusable. I have two carpets for each tank so I can replace it quickly when it gets soiled. I run it under luke warm water to remove the poop/pee and spray it with a disinfectant to kill any bacteria. It has worked for me for years. For humidity, I have a small bowl of wet terrarium moss in the corner of the hot side. As it warms up, the humidity is fine.

But as many of these good folks have said, it depends on your location, your general humidity, your tank's set up and such.. Good luck..

I use paper towels.

I use News Paper, but getting ready to switch to Aspen.

I use cypress in the winter as the air in my house gets very dry - under 10% humidity - between the heat pump and wood stove. So even with tubs I need something to help keep the humidity up. The rest of the year I use newspaper.

What is terrarium moss? I have never heard of it before. I assume I can probably get it at petsmart or another pet store?

I use microfiber towels, I have been using them for over 10 years and they work the best for me. My two bp's generally will favor going underneath them as opposed to their hides when they regulate. Easy cleanup and you can mist them for moisture.

We use paper towels/newspaper most of the year and then switch females to either Cypress or Coconut Husk shortly before they lay (only because they will be maternally incubating and we want to raise the humidity). There isn't really one "best substrate," you just have to find what works for you.

A word of caution about particulate substrates (cypress, aspen, sani chips, coconut husk, Eco earth, etc - anything with little pieces): if you pair your snakes for breeding on these, I would highly recommend popping your males when you separate them. Some males like to expose their hemipenes and drag them around the tub, and then get the little pieces stuck in their cloaca. We had a male end up with an infection because of it, and since then I have talked to a few others that have had the same issue. It doesn't seem to be terribly common, but it sucks when it happens and can be easily prevented by popping. Our male ended up needing two surgeries and is no longer able to breed.

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Originally Posted by LadyByrd

What is terrarium moss? I have never heard of it before. I assume I can probably get it at petsmart or another pet store?

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Sphagnum moss. Well here you can get it in pet shops or in florist shop. They use it for orchids and such.

I use cypress mulch and occasionally put damp sphagnum moss in the hides for extra humidity. I have a glass terrarium setup, so humidity is really important.

I think it all comes down to whether you're using a tank, tub or PVC setup and whether you need a humidity boost... and also whether aesthetics are important to you. So paper towels, newspaper and aspen are great in tubs and PVC where humidity isn't a huge concern, but cypress mulch and eco earth/coco husk are really useful in tanks where you need all the help you can get with humidity. It's also a matter of personal choice whether you'd rather throw everything out and clean quickly (newspaper/paper towels) or spot clean and change out substrate weekly/monthly.

tl;dr it's your personal choice, like everyone else said ;)