Cypress mulch or coconut husk?

Hey all,
I decided to switch my aspen bedding to a substrate that can retain more moisture. Been having a difficult time maintaining a consistent humidity level so I want to try new bedding. Does anybody recommend cypress mulch over coconut husk and vice versa? Also, what is the consistency of these beddings? I feed my BP inside the enclosure so I am wondering which consistency is safer; fine shavings or more thicker shavings.
Please, let me know your opinion.
Thanks!
Todd

Honestly I would like to say fine shavings because I have had an awful couple experiences inside the enclosure where my ball python took out the mouse and really big chunks of substrate, too. So Since then I have completely switched to paper towels, but in your case particularly, I would say go with the finer of options. That way if he consumes some he can pass it and he won't suffocate either. At least IMO.

Okay, looked more into it: If you can get some pretty good organic cypress mulch fine shavings, I would definitely go with that. If not organic, just some good looking- not pesticide infused mulch. A lot of companies put it in there anymore and won't display it obviously :( Not saying you aren't a careful consumer at all. Just that it's kind of crappy on the companies side.

Both work well try them out and see what one you like better. Personal I like cypress mulch


Sent from my iPhone

I have no experience with the Cypress.

But I can tell you that the Coconut is Fantastic!

No worries about getting substrate in their mouths at feeding because it turns into a Hard Pack once you pour water and mist it a few times.

And-- because it is a hard pack, cleaning up is a snap!!

I use coconut husk aswell.. Tho i dont keep it Misted/wet always, even when its not a hard pack it is very soft and fine... and works perfectly.

I use a ARS rack system so humidity isnt as easy as a enclosed rack, but have never had a bad shed.. When i notice one of em shedding i proceed to moisten the coco husk (as Reinz said to a hard/moist substrate) and mist every 3 days, once shed is complete i let it dry out till there next shed cycle.

This is because i feed FT rodents. And with them being dry the substrate doesn't stick to them. And spot cleaning is super easy, aswell its much more mold resistant them cyprus mulch IMO. super cheap aswell, every month or 2 i do a full clean and dump it all. (with babies tho i still leave them on paper till around 500+g)

X2 on the coco husk. Holds humidity very well, does not hold mold or bacteria, easy to spot clean!!

I use coco husk in my moist hide. But paper towels misted also work well for keeping the humidity up.

I like both and switch the royal and the boa between the 2. If you are worried about ingesting substrate, coco husk goes down just fine. These critters end up with mouthfuls of crap in the wild and do just fine. However when I use cypress, I lay news print down about an hour or so before feeding.

Feeding in a separate enclosure is truly a myth so no worries there unless it's something you enjoy, there is no NEED to do it.

As posted above try both, and or switch it up.

Here is the husk.
http://i772.photobucket.com/albums/y...a/DSC00755.jpg

Here is the mulch.

http://i772.photobucket.com/albums/y...a/DSC00344.jpg

And, here is the news paper solution on cypress.
http://i772.photobucket.com/albums/y...a/DSC00426.jpg

Of course when they decide to drag the prey into the water and everywhere but the news print, it doesn't really matter LOL!

Cypress for sure. I went the cocohusk route and hated it. It gets stuck to EVERYTHING. Water changes were a disater, and it was always in his water, even immediately after the new water was put in. Dovah stopped eating because his rats would end up with bedding on them while he constricted. It was also always in his heat pits. and it was impossible to find his poops because they were always covered in bedding.

Cypress looks way better imo and is far less messy. I've never had Dovah ingest any in the 8 months he's been on it.

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Originally Posted by Kat_Dog

Cypress for sure. I went the cocohusk route and hated it. It gets stuck to EVERYTHING. Water changes were a disater, and it was always in his water, even immediately after the new water was put in. Dovah stopped eating because his rats would end up with bedding on them while he constricted. It was also always in his heat pits. and it was impossible to find his poops because they were always covered in bedding.

Cypress looks way better imo and is far less messy. I've never had Dovah ingest any in the 8 months he's been on it.

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I would tend to agree that coco husk is a lot more messy due to the very fine properties of it. Personally I like the look of both and find urates and poop a bit easier to clean up from the husk, but the husk gets all over.

Best advice is to try both and pick what you like.

I'll go from one to the other as I enjoy them both.

Honestly though I liked cypress more for humidity.

I think some folks are really missing out how UN-messy Coconut really is.

The key is water, which is a huge bonus because it helps control humidity.
Or maybe one of the keys is the clay balls which goes underneath first to hold water.

When you use water and/or mist, you get a hard base like wet sand instead of dry messy sand.

And as as far changing the water bowl: if it is a decorative one that you have molded into the coconut husk, just take a qt of water and hold it 6 inches or so above and splash/rinse it in. So what if water overflows, that's the point!

Another huge bonus is No mold! Unlike Aspen.

I love my coconut husk. Keeps the humidity where it should be and easy to spot clean. I feed live so I do it outside the terrarium so I cant comment on the ingestion part.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using Tapatalk

I think they are mistaken coco shaving with coco husk. There is a type that comes in a block like freeze dried coffee. That is not what I use. The substrate I use is little chunks of coconut shells. It's not messy, dirty, and does not stick to everything. Everyone has their favorite and I love it!

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Originally Posted by Morris Reese

I think they are mistaken coco shaving with coco husk. There is a type that comes in a block like freeze dried coffee. That is not what I use. The substrate I use is little chunks of coconut shells. It's not messy, dirty, and does not stick to everything. Everyone has their favorite and I love it!

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I find it stinks, and you dont always get it all when it absorbs the urine, causing the cage to smell unless u dump every week.

Where do you guys get your coco husk? Are there places online you can order big bags of this stuff? My cage is 8ft long, and I am struggling with humidity a bit just using newspaper.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Zombree

Honestly I would like to say fine shavings because I have had an awful couple experiences inside the enclosure where my ball python took out the mouse and really big chunks of substrate, too. So Since then I have completely switched to paper towels, but in your case particularly, I would say go with the finer of options. That way if he consumes some he can pass it and he won't suffocate either. At least IMO.

Okay, looked more into it: If you can get some pretty good organic cypress mulch fine shavings, I would definitely go with that. If not organic, just some good looking- not pesticide infused mulch. A lot of companies put it in there anymore and won't display it obviously :( Not saying you aren't a careful consumer at all. Just that it's kind of crappy on the companies side.

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Shavings will pass also.

Can you explain why your experiences with your snake eating substrate were "awful"? Is there a perceived health problem?

To the OP - be careful with keeping the substrate moist. In the case of ball pythons, humidity is ambient. Having your snake lay on wet substrate is bad for many reasons. Worry less about keeping things moist and focus on raising the ambient humidity.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Borgy76

Where do you guys get your coco husk? Are there places online you can order big bags of this stuff? My cage is 8ft long, and I am struggling with humidity a bit just using newspaper.

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I was fortunate enough to find mine at Petsmart. It was 3 brick sized, uh bricks in a package. You shred pieces off of the bricks, they are highly compressed. I'm not sure if I even used one whole brick for a 36x18 cage going 2 inches deep, and deeper in the heated area.