What's the best substrate?

I'm looking for good ball python substrates, So far I've tried cypress mulch and josh's frogs coco husk, but they only last me 1-3 months and I have to buy another bag.
What are some substrates that last a while? I'd like something that would last a couple of months, Maybe something I'd only have to buy a few times a year.
My terrarium is 38x18x15 inches.


Thank you!

I've used ReptiChip, and all the other names that are technically ReptiChip but under a different name. The chunks are a little bigger. I've also use Reptile Prime, which I technically like but costs too much compared to ReptiChip.

If you don't mind aesthetics, just plain paper works good too. Cheap and easy to replace. But the ReptiChip is much better for humidity which you need for your ball.

In terms of how long to go before changing? Really depends. I spot clean when I see poop or urates. And, I do a full clean with complete substrate replaced once month (yes, sometimes due to time it'll be longer than a month). I don't do it, but I'm sure you can get away with a complete substrate replacement only a few times a year if youaintaim spot cleaning. Others may disagree.

If the substrate gets dirty enough, it WILL start smelling.

Thank you! I was looking into ReptiChip breeder blocks, But I am unsure of how long one block would last me.

I would say that "spot cleaning" only goes so far, as germs are left that you cannot see- & it becomes a health issue- not just about the odor.

As long as you're using disposable substrates, you'll always be buying more. There's an option if you'd rather spend money only once- but you'll be handwashing instead. Backless indoor-outdoor carpet lasts just about forever, can be cut to fit, & washed & disinfected almost endlessly. Best to have at least 2 so that one is always ready to replace the dirty one after a quick wipe down. It's not the best for holding humidity though- but you can use a humid hide instead, & mist now & then if needed also. It's available in many good colors, sold in large home improvement stores like Lowe's or Home Depot- usually sold by the foot from a 12' roll. Plan measurements ahead of time. When you wash it, you can also shake out most of the water & use immediately for more humidity. It also offers good traction that snakes like, AND if you're using UTH, heat rises easily up through it. ;) (Cuts easily with normal scissors too.)

My snakes have a mixture of coco husk, sphagnum moss and a topsoil + sand mix. They're also all bioactive with springtails and isopods who keep things clean, so I only need to periodically spotclean large poop chunks.

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Originally Posted by Bogertophis

I would say that "spot cleaning" only goes so far, as germs are left that you cannot see- & it becomes a health issue- not just about the odor.

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Oh of course! No matter what substrate I'm going to change it out every month and spot clean weekly.
When I said "Last a while" I meant something I could buy in bulk? Just something that comes with a lot of substrate.

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Originally Posted by Ruby

Oh of course! No matter what substrate I'm going to change it out every month and spot clean weekly.
When I said "Last a while" I meant something I could buy in bulk? Just something that comes with a lot of substrate.

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If you check various sources for similar products, you can probably find "bulk" sizes, & you can compare costs that way too, assuming you enjoy math. Generally speaking, bulk sizes do save you money, & I tend to shop that way too.

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Originally Posted by Bogertophis

If you check various sources for similar products, you can probably find "bulk" sizes, & you can compare costs that way too, assuming you enjoy math. Generally speaking, bulk sizes do save you money, & I tend to shop that way too.

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What do you guys think about this?

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...DKIKX0DER&th=1

It's made for gardening, But it doesn't have any chemicals and they flushed out any extra sodium.
I think I've only seen one person use this for reptile bedding (Benjamin's Exotics)

It looks very similar to Eco Earth.

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Originally Posted by Ruby

What do you guys think about this?

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...DKIKX0DER&th=1

It's made for gardening, But it doesn't have any chemicals and they flushed out any extra sodium.
I think I've only seen one person use this for reptile bedding (Benjamin's Exotics)

It looks very similar to Eco Earth.

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It's the same things as Eco Earth... just a different brand.

I've never used the coco fiber for my snakes, but people do use it. I honestly don't know what the risk level is, but people against using it will say it easier for impaction to occur. I guess the theory being that it sticks to the food prey when the snakes eats it. The larger chunks of ReptiChip are less likely for that to be swallowed. Again, never tried it, but it IS used.

I think it "looks" nicer the enclosure... looking like loose dirt. But also probably a little harder to clean.

Just my 2¢.

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Originally Posted by Charles8088

It's the same things as Eco Earth... just a different brand.

I've never used the coco fiber for my snakes, but people do use it. I honestly don't know what the risk level is, but people against using it will say it easier for impaction to occur. I guess the theory being that it sticks to the food prey when the snakes eats it. The larger chunks of ReptiChip are less likely for that to be swallowed. Again, never tried it, but it IS used.

I think it "looks" nicer the enclosure... looking like loose dirt. But also probably a little harder to clean.

Just my 2¢.

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Thank you, This was very helpful.

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Originally Posted by Charles8088

It's the same things as Eco Earth... just a different brand.

I've never used the coco fiber for my snakes, but people do use it. I honestly don't know what the risk level is, but people against using it will say it easier for impaction to occur. I guess the theory being that it sticks to the food prey when the snakes eats it. The larger chunks of ReptiChip are less likely for that to be swallowed. Again, never tried it, but it IS used.

I think it "looks" nicer the enclosure... looking like loose dirt. But also probably a little harder to clean.

Just my 2¢.

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Coco fiber is just too dusty for my tastes. Used it for a while and was getting fed up at how it coated everything in dust the second it'd get dry. Switched to coco husk (and eventually mixed in other elements for an overall more "natural" substrate) and it's so much better.

What is best really depends on your climate and tastes. I have really been a fan of CocoBlox by Freedom Breeder, but I buy it in super-bulk so it's not as expensive for me as it would be for someone with only an animal or two (5 full bricks is basically me doing a full change on all my snakes at once). The sizes of the chunks seems to work better for me than other products I've tried made from coco, and it seems to release moisture at just the right rate for my climate, where smaller chunks release it a bit faster and I get peaks and troughs of humidity. I'd say try a small amount of ReptiChip or similar once even if it's more expensive and see how it performs for you. If it sucks in your climate, it's not really "cheaper" if you aren't going to use it all. If you live somewhere pretty dry, ReptiChip is probably spot on. If you live somewhere already pretty humid, I'd go with something more synthetic or aspen chips unless you dislike the aesthetics of it. I'm right in the middle, where in the absence of heating elements the humidity is perfect for BPs, but the heating elements dry it out enough that I need that little extra boost.

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Originally Posted by nikkubus

What is best really depends on your climate and tastes. I have really been a fan of CocoBlox by Freedom Breeder, but I buy it in super-bulk so it's not as expensive for me as it would be for someone with only an animal or two (5 full bricks is basically me doing a full change on all my snakes at once). The sizes of the chunks seems to work better for me than other products I've tried made from coco, and it seems to release moisture at just the right rate for my climate, where smaller chunks release it a bit faster and I get peaks and troughs of humidity. I'd say try a small amount of ReptiChip or similar once even if it's more expensive and see how it performs for you. If it sucks in your climate, it's not really "cheaper" if you aren't going to use it all. If you live somewhere pretty dry, ReptiChip is probably spot on. If you live somewhere already pretty humid, I'd go with something more synthetic or aspen chips unless you dislike the aesthetics of it. I'm right in the middle, where in the absence of heating elements the humidity is perfect for BPs, but the heating elements dry it out enough that I need that little extra boost.

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I've used CocoBlox... great stuff. The last batch I also bought in bulk... I only have 4 snakes, but just store the stuff in the shed, no biggie.

With that said, I find it to be pretty much the same as ReptiChip, so I always go with which I can find for cheapest.

Nikkibus, how do you compare CocoBlox with ReptiChip? You use more of it, so maybe you notice a difference. For me they seem the same.

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Originally Posted by Charles8088

I've used CocoBlox... great stuff. The last batch I also bought in bulk... I only have 4 snakes, but just store the stuff in the shed, no biggie.

With that said, I find it to be pretty much the same as ReptiChip, so I always go with which I can find for cheapest.

Nikkibus, how do you compare CocoBlox with ReptiChip? You use more of it, so maybe you notice a difference. For me they seem the same.

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The difference isn't huge by any means, but I think on average, CocoBlox tends to have much less medium to small pieces somehow. I'm not sure the difference in the process they use to make it vs ReptiChip and others. It's admittedly been several years since I've bought a bag of ReptiChip though, so it's also possible it's changed over time too. Another possibility is that since I'm closer to FB, the bags get a lot less beat up in shipping and what I'm saying doesn't even apply to people on the opposite side of the country, I didn't even think of that till just now. As tightly as they are both packed, I don't think that's what it is though.

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Originally Posted by nikkubus

I think on average, CocoBlox tends to have much less medium to small pieces somehow.

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I haven't tried CocoBlox, But josh's frogs coco husk seems very similar. I dislike the large chip sizes, That's why I'm leaning towards something similar to Eco Earth.

Orchid bark

I’ve always used it though I only have bright coloured snakes which look great on dark brown bark chips ..


It looks great and natural plus it’s fabulous for adjusting / maintaining the humidity


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Originally Posted by Zincubus

Orchid bark

I’ve always used it though I only have bright coloured snakes which look great on dark brown bark chips ..


It looks great and natural plus it’s fabulous for adjusting / maintaining the humidity


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Oh that sounds great! Do you buy it online? If so, Could you send a link? :)

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Originally Posted by Ruby

Oh that sounds great! Do you buy it online? If so, Could you send a link? :)

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I don't have a link for orchid bark off-hand, but I like it too, for some things- like in humid hides. It comes in large chunks or small chips. I'm sure you can find it online- just search it- though I assume you're wanting a brand recommendation- I haven't bought any in quite a while.

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Originally Posted by Bogertophis

I would say that "spot cleaning" only goes so far, as germs are left that you cannot see- & it becomes a health issue- not just about the odor.

As long as you're using disposable substrates, you'll always be buying more. There's an option if you'd rather spend money only once- but you'll be handwashing instead. Backless indoor-outdoor carpet lasts just about forever, can be cut to fit, & washed & disinfected almost endlessly. Best to have at least 2 so that one is always ready to replace the dirty one after a quick wipe down. It's not the best for holding humidity though- but you can use a humid hide instead, & mist now & then if needed also. It's available in many good colors, sold in large home improvement stores like Lowe's or Home Depot- usually sold by the foot from a 12' roll. Plan measurements ahead of time. When you wash it, you can also shake out most of the water & use immediately for more humidity. It also offers good traction that snakes like, AND if you're using UTH, heat rises easily up through it. ;) (Cuts easily with normal scissors too.)

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Honestly, you just blew my mind!!

I always think repticasa coconut chips look cool in a tub or tank. If I’m always going to clean anyways, I’ll stick with newspaper. Easy for me to say when I only have one worm… for now:D

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Originally Posted by KingPythons

Honestly, you just blew my mind!!

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Why is that?

The backless indoor outdoor carpet. I didn’t know that was a thing. Sounds amazing! Do you currently use this??

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Originally Posted by KingPythons

The backless indoor outdoor carpet. I didn’t know that was a thing. Sounds amazing! Do you currently use this??

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Oh yes, for a few of my snakes, & I have used it for many years. It's not everyone's choice, just another option that works very well for some snakes. I like that it comes in nice colors (brown, tan, green) so it looks nice, & that it has plenty of texture (some is ribbed also) for snakes to have traction- it's also easy for them to shed against.

Not everyone will love handwashing it- it's somewhat stiff & you'll need to wash it in either your bathtub or a large laundry sink. Before I wash it, I go outside & use a small rock to scrape off the snake's feces into my flower garden ("fertilizer" :D ), then use liquid dish soap to scrub any dirty spots, & wash the whole thing (one rinse should do unless you used too much soap ;)). I often just let it drip dry over the sink (the water drips out very quickly) & reinstall when most of the water is out (a few shakes will hasten the dripping) since adding a little humidity is fine, & I use UTH anyway. (I do have extra carpets cut to fit if I'm in a hurry to clean their home & need to wash the carpet later, but I often just have that snake "out" for a while as I'm cleaning their home.)

You can also spot clean it pretty well between washes. Pick up any fecal matter, then spray with whatever usual product you use to wipe down enclosures (I'm a chlorhexidine user myself) & wipe/dry w/ paper towel.

Incidentally, you can even disinfect it (with a little bleach)- it won't discolor at all. You just don't want to use much bleach or you won't get the smell out, & there must never be any trace of bleach left- it's toxic to snakes. It would be better to use alternative products (F10 or chlorhex.) to disinfect it- but it's tough enough even for bleach, just fyi.

I would NOT use carpet for snakes that burrow a lot (kings, gopher/bull snakes) as they're likely to stay under it, but otherwise, it works well for many, such as my rat snakes. Ball pythons aren't big burrowers either, & the large boa I had for many years did great on carpet. You've heard of "carpet pythons", but she was a "carpet boa"-:rofl: For large snakes, it really saves on all that substrate mess too. ;)

Just another option...one that saves money & materials (constantly buying so much substrate) & also one that I prefer for some snakes. It's NOT going to hold a lot of humidity (at least not for long) so I'm not promising it's the best for ball pythons, but it could be workable when combined with a good humid hide.

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Originally Posted by Ruby

Oh that sounds great! Do you buy it online? If so, Could you send a link? :)

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Yeah I get it off eBay .. in bulk

About £25 for 70L


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Originally Posted by Zincubus

Yeah I get it off eBay .. in bulk

About £25 for 70L


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https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...ae90e15f76.jpg


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Originally Posted by Zincubus

https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...ae90e15f76.jpg


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Thanks so much!

Bottom line, the "best" substrate is the one that's available to you (in your area), is affordable, meets the needs of your pets, & that you prefer to work with. Everything has pros & cons, & some products are available under various brand names with minor differences.

On this forum, where BPs are the most popular pet being kept, substrates that hold humidity are the most commonly used, but (fyi) for anyone wanting other bedding choices (such as paper-based etc), I find that Chewy.com (& other online sources) offer many other excellent options. You'll miss them if you only look under "reptile" products- look under "small animal" bedding, etc. & be sure to read the description closely to make sure it's what you want.