Quick Ideas about substrate

I was wondering if anyone had any ideas on what to use for sustrate for my little ball python.

I was wondering if there is anything that is easy to maintian and also makes the excretions clearly visible.

Shredded aspen. It's a light color and thus is good for showing off the snake's color well, and won't hide poopie in a corner..XD It's also nice and soft and not chunky so if they end up with any in their mouth come feeding time it's okay, and it's easy to clean. It makes the enclosure look a lot more neat and tidy than newspaper does, as well...XDD And no ink on the snakies when they spill their water!

It's also pretty cheap. I got an enormous bag for $20 about 6-7 months ago and it's only a little under half full now after being used for 4 snakes and 2 rats, changing it out generously.

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Originally Posted by Elvyra's Keeper

I was wondering if anyone had any ideas on what to use for sustrate for my little ball python.

I was wondering if there is anything that is easy to maintian and also makes the excretions clearly visible.

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There are a lot of threads on this subject. I am struggling on whether we should change from Aspen mulch. Some use newspaper. I hope you get some good responses - so I can read them, too! Thanks for asking.

I use newspaper for mine. It's free, easy to clean, and super easy to see any 'presents'.

I'm currently using aspen, but I have a ploblem seeing the urine. (maybe I'm blind)

How often should you completely clean the tank?

I've used aspen, paper towels, now I'm using turf.....The aspen is the best looking, the paper towels are the cheapest, and the turf is obviously re-useable.

I clean the tank once a week

I am an Aspen man. I find it very easy to spot clean. We spot clean every week, and completely clean the tub, water bowl and fully replace the Aspen every 3 months.

Keon, I used to use turf for some of my corn snakes, however, I was made aware by a friend that because you reuse it, it has the potential over the long run to harbor germs and possibly parasites because it is so diffucult to thouroughly clean.

I use newspaper in my rack for my snakes. It is cheap (Read: Free for me), and easy to see any 'presents' that have been left for you. On thing I have seen discussed is that, with using substrate like aspen, it is possible to spot clean every week/several times a week and only completely change the aspen once every three or four weeks. With the newspaper, when they go, the newspaper has to to. Hope this helps.

I used to use aspen and completely clean once a month (you're going to have so much fun disinfecting that 55 gallon tank each month! :D)

Now I use newspaper and completely clean each time they defecate. When I used aspen, there was no way to get all the soiled aspen up, which really bothered me.

I'm thinking about using turf. Is it safe for the snake?

Astro-turf? Not really, it holds bacteria and mold and you'd have to disinfect it every time your snake defecates.

Hm.. I do like the idea of doing an entire tub cleaning less often than weekly. I'll have to consider using aspen for more than just my sand boas. Could save some time you know?

That along with the disposable water dishes I use, could really be efficient.

I first used cypress, then bark, then aspen which I liked a lot, and now i'm using paper towels. I love paper towels they are very absorbent.

well I planned on using two peieces and switching it out every time, and replacing them both after about a month. Would that be ok or should I just stick with the aspen?

Stick with Aspen...really. I used carpet until I found that it's not really that easy to clean and doesn't ever clean completely.

I use newspaper. Its fast, its easy, and although it isn't the most astetically appealing, I can't argue with free! :gj:

Then again all mine are in a rack, I used to use that reptile bark stuff. I had problems with aspen as I've always fed in their tank.

I'm thinking about maybe an Apen/ mulch or aspen/cypress mixture (to help with humdity.) any thoughts on that?

Turf is fine, aspen is fine. I just prefer the sanitary ease of newspaper myself. Its just not very pretty to look at. However, My snakes seem to prefer cleanliness over prettiness ;)

Oh and BTW, the turf is easy to clean if you run it through the washer ;)

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Originally Posted by Elvyra's Keeper

I'm thinking about using turf. Is it safe for the snake?

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Odds are they'll mess it right after you change that turf. I think it would drive me nuts worrying about it being nasty and possibly breeding bacteria.

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Originally Posted by Elvyra's Keeper

I'm thinking about maybe an Apen/ mulch or aspen/cypress mixture (to help with humdity.) any thoughts on that?

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We use an aspen/cypress mulch mix for the bigger boa. Because he's in a big glass tank humidity is an issue. Also as they get heavier they really smash down that softer aspen. A mix of aspen and double milled cypress is quite nice (not single milled cypress...stuff has nasty big splinters in it). I always bake the cypress a bit since it's so damp straight from the bag. Usually a 60/40 aspen to cypress mix.

I think the turf is so... Unappealing. The problems with germs, doesnt hold humidity, your snake cant burrow... Not for me.

We use newspaper and cyprus mulch for the rack, but for a display cage I LOVE the compressed coconut bark. I just commented to chris about that tonight. It's pleasing to the eye because its very natural looking, it holds humidity well, its naturally mold resisitant, you can tell when you need to mist it down, and one little brick fills up a whole bucket when expanded. It's easy to spot clean urates, and you can tell where the pee is too because it's darker. And something else, the poo gets covered with it and makes it easier to pick up. Also, if ingested, it should break down and not cause any problems like impaction. Coconut bark all the way!!

I just got some cypress and put it in the cage. The overall temp is at 84-85d, and on the bottom where she is one the warm side is at 91d, before I put down the cypress. I can't get the cypress to warm to above 87d. I'm afraid to raise the temp of the UTH because I know they like to burrow and I don't want her to lay on the glas and burn herself. What should I do?

Also, I have these two digital thermometers (which also read humidity) and when I put one on the glass, it reads about 85d with 54% humidity, but if I have one laying on the ground right under the other, the one on the ground reads 87d and 69%-72% humidity. What should I go by and if I get an acurite, will it read the bottom of the cage and not the side?

Tim-

Thanks for the good advice. I decided to ditch the turf after all. It looks good, but why take the chance. I'm back on paper towels and I think I'll stay with it as long as the humidity holds :)

Looking forward to tomorrow, I'll post up pics.

I would much rather use paper towels (easy clean-up) but I couldn't hold any humidty.

I am using coconut bark... I like it well enough but as soon as I get these tubs straightened out (gave up for now till after xmas) I am going to switch to paper towels I think. The coconut works good in the glass tanks and holds humidity but with four tanks running it can get expensive.

It has been a challenge so far with holding humidity using paper towels as substrate, but I do like the 'clean' look it offers.

I think that Aspen is the most commonly used substrate for good reason. But it's hard to argue against the price of yesterdays newspaper (especially if it is somebody elses newspaper).

i've used coconut, aspen, cypress, paper towels and newspaper.
coco bark=pretty good, just to much of a hassle to expand and dry before putting it in tank. you dont want it soaking wet.

aspen=good, but as stated that its hard to see the actual urates sometimes. *im blind as well i guess*

cypress= love it! smells good. easy to see "presents" and easy to clean. just gets expensive filling a big tank.

paper towels= pretty good. sanitary, easy to clean, cheap to a point and the white paper towels on a dark colored snake looks nice.

newspaper=as said is free, easy to clean, but not visually appealing. i used 2 layers of newspaper with paper towels on top just to soak up any extra "runs" off the urates.

i talked with some friends on astro turf and they said they agree about bacteria, but one friend suggested getting about 4 pieces of it all pre-cut for the tank. when snake Urates or poops, take it out. wash it with water hose and disinfect it. hang it outside to dry and after that just leave it somewhere where it can fully dry with no humidity. after you use the other 3 say every week that 1 has been sitting for 3 or 4 weeks not being used. rinse 1 last time then put some reptile relief or P-A-M and place in tank. he said it doesnt smell and you limit bacteria. i dont know. havent tried it. i plan on doing it this weekend so i guess ill see. just my 2 cents

I'm using cypress mulch, which I got this HUGE bag at walmart for $2.24. I think it's pretty inexpensive. My only problem is that it's really wet and I had to bake it at 350d for about 2-3 hours before it dried.

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Originally Posted by dsirkle

(especially if it is somebody elses newspaper).

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lmao

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Originally Posted by Elvyra's Keeper

I'm using cypress mulch, which I got this HUGE bag at walmart for $2.24. I think it's pretty inexpensive. My only problem is that it's really wet and I had to bake it at 350d for about 2-3 hours before it dried.

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Dang! we just went to walmart this weekend looking for cyprus mulch, and all they had was the blend. I guess we will have to continue our search...

I love using paper towels. As for humidity; I make my tubs hold humidity by taping up the air holes during shed times. When I used tanks, I sealed most of their screened lid with plastic wrap. I could have used sand as substrate, and still had humidity! (not that I would have...)