Reptile Litter?

[C.Marie]

Since getting our first snake (Yuri everything been pretty good he still has not really learned how to use a hide just a few minutes ago he had his tail on the hot hide is head on the cool hide and his belly in his water I got reptile litter because it was fine and soft so if he got a pinch in his mouth no problems, well I think it is sucking the moisture right out the tub, (40 quart) ten small holes, I spray it down (heavily) and mix by the time I am done a minute maybe it's bone dry spray more humidity goes up for short time but crash My daughter and myself spray tub five times a DAY! UTH is for heat temp at 88 to 90 hot spot cool side is around 80 we have a thermostat working, any help would be so appreciated ( do not be afraid to be blunt I got my big girl panties on and I know everyone here is only trying to help. Thank you so much sorry for rambling..


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[ElliotNess]

What type of bedding are you using? The industry has levied toward some brands of coconut bedding. I'm using (Hertopia/Reptile Prime) and I'm having a hard time keeping the humidity DOWN. 12 quart tub with 90 degree hotspot and it was 76% humidity. I drilled a good number of holes just to get into the 60's.

Look into a different substrate...

[C.Marie]

It's called Reptile Litter I was going to go with coconut husk but freaked after hearing it would get impacted in your snakes stomach so went with this instead ..


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[ElliotNess]

I'm not sure but I would venture to say a good majority of breeders and hobbyist are using some sort of coco product...

[C.Marie]

Eco Earth is what we have at our pet store but I just got him and he has yet to eat was going to try Tuesday would a full tub change be too stressful for him?


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[Oxylepy]

Bedding depends heavily on humidity tendancy.

Litter in general is used for absorbent materials, such as cat litter. It appears that the substrate you have chosen is of this type, it's absorbent aspen. Which means it will tend to dry things out.

This is the opposite of what you want for a ball python.

I sincerely doubt that a majority, or even a larger portion of breeders/hobbyists are using coconut bedding. It's great stuff, but you have to realize it's a humid material, causing an increase to humidity in enclosures. A lot of breeders/hobbyists use aspen or some form of newsprint.

Aspen and newsprint tend to be low humidity materials, not really absorbing it, but not increasing humidity levels. This is perfect if the room humidity plus the enclosure increase brings humidity where it needs to be.

Bedding depends heavily in your setup, but if your humidity goes too low, you want something like coconut husk, too high and you want something like aspen and/or more ventilation

[C.Marie]

Thank you both so much mine is low so coconut it is I just worry he is an active fella climbing all over borrowing in his substrate would hate for him to get some in his mouth his so tiny just 136 grams


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[Oxylepy]

Test your room humidity, if it's 50% or so, try aspen. Your humidity is going to be close to negative for room humidity with that litter. Aspen should be room + enclosure increase, which should be okay with a tub. Ecoearth can knock the humidity up 15% more than that, pushing you from 50 to 75-80 easily.

[C.Marie]

So trying to get it at 60% is going to be a little harder than I thought , for some reason I thought tub equals no worries everyone else seems to get it to sixty or higher, will do


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[Craiga 01453]

I use a mix of repti-bark and eco-earth. It's what has worked best for humidity control for me.
I wouldn't worry about a little substrate getting in your snakes mouth. They live in a mix of substrates in the wild and have survived thousands of years. Their digestive systems break down fur and bone, they can handle a little dirt or bark.