Fighting Mold

[BlueOrleans1290]

So, this is something I don't see talked about too often but something I've noticed is that with the snakes that require a VERY high amount of humidity their cages begin to grow mold. I was not even aware of this until the thought struck me because with high humidity and good Temps, well what mold wouldn't want to stick around! I've done some research for anyone else who may be struggling with this:

-Humidity is already hard to keep in (with a screen top glass enclosure) so when doing everything you can, you'll likely block off the top bit of ventilation which causes stagnant air. With there being no movement in the air it also helps the breeding ground for the mold!!
-The type of substrate matters too! There is a reason why many people are leaning towards EcoEarth and coco husk bedding. They are because many of the wood-type substrates collect mold like Pokémon! Hopefully soon I will be creating an experiment with high humidity and different types of substrate to see which one molds the fastest and the worst! Types of moss also really help to keep the humidity up without molding which is why I personally have used sphagnum moss, but im sure other people can chime in about their types of moss!
-Another way to battle the growth of mold is to change out your substrate frequently and not let too much water sit underneath it. It should be barely moist and not wet when you put it into the enclosure to help prevent the growth of mold.
-I've also heard of people using springtails and isopods to help prevent mold and eat it away in extremely humid enclosures. Springtails can be bought at SOME pet stores, but if you can't find them they're always for sale online. Setting up a bioactive enclosure is something I've been looking forward to doing, but someone who has will hopefully chime in!!
Please know that as I learn I'll probably come back and update this Thread, but I'm always looking for better ways to do things and always want to know if I'm doing something wrong. Cheers to good Temps and humidity! Even the mold loves it.

[Bogertophis]

You're quite correct that mold feels right at home with warmth & humidity. When I tried a few HDPE enclosures some years back here, also coco husk+ bedding, I had no trouble growing mold & keeping it happy. That was just one of the reasons I didn't like the plastic/acrylic/PVC type of "enclosures" & prefer glass tanks for the species I keep (but bear in mind I'm not keeping BPs either). Not sure what the solution is, but for me the solution was easy- I sold the enclosures, lol. I'm a glass tank sort of keeper, with ventilation all the way. I'm glad you're asking about this, as I've wondered if others had any mold problems & what they do about it.

[BlueOrleans1290]

So I actually have a glass enclosure that I had to move my BRB out of because I was too good at keeping mold happy in there. Saw it and that same day I moved him to a tub with sphagnum moss and Eco Earth so I'm hoping this solves it. With them needing extremely high humidity especially as neonates I can't have that sort of ventilation SO when I moved him I also got rid of any wood I had in there because that's mostly where the mold began to grow. The mold grows FAST. I'll definetly keep updates on how my mold journey is going and what I'm finding is working at keeping it at bay!! But, for now I'm just hoping that my snake will be happier in a smaller tub instead of glass enclosure while I deep clean it. I'll also try and get some silvertails and set up a bioactive enclosure that will definetly help keep the mold at bay.

[YungRasputin]

i could be misunderstanding things but i personally associate mold and mushrooms as signs of a thriving bioactive environment which is my personal goal tbh - i have seen mushrooms spring up in my female red tails enclosure as well as my Rockhampton coastal enclosures as well - i simply plucked them and haven’t really seen them since

an easy thing to add to substrate to stave off mold growth is sand tho

[BlueOrleans1290]

Well, the only thing about that is that while Mold is a type of fungi, it can cause a lot of health issues to both snake and handler. While some mushrooms do prove to be a good bioactive spot and I would probably not mind that either, I can't type the Mold and find out whether it is dangerous or not, so I'd rather get rid of it just in case! Breathing in Mold can also be destroying to someone's immune system and especially in times of covid I need all the good air I can get! I can go into all of that in bigger detail if you'd like, but the main idea is that while some fungi like mushrooms are probably safe, Mold that you cannot type is better safe than sorry.
-however if you have isopods who eat the mold, then I'm sure it would serve as a wonderful fuel to the little economy in the tank. But without them I'm not exactly sure how that would work. I've never thought of putting sand in. That's really interesting I need to look into that.

[YungRasputin]

Well, the only thing about that is that while Mold is a type of fungi, it can cause a lot of health issues to both snake and handler. While some mushrooms do prove to be a good bioactive spot and I would probably not mind that either, I can't type the Mold and find out whether it is dangerous or not, so I'd rather get rid of it just in case! Breathing in Mold can also be destroying to someone's immune system and especially in times of covid I need all the good air I can get! I can go into all of that in bigger detail if you'd like, but the main idea is that while some fungi like mushrooms are probably safe, Mold that you cannot type is better safe than sorry.
-however if you have isopods who eat the mold, then I'm sure it would serve as a wonderful fuel to the little economy in the tank. But without them I'm not exactly sure how that would work. I've never thought of putting sand in. That's really interesting I need to look into that.

the sand works by breaking up the substrate particles which prevents/greatly hinders mold growth - i use it a lot in my mixtures because i also use raw peat a lot for my jungle species - but to be clear, i would say that the mold should be removed for the reasons you cited but i was just meaning - i take it as a good sign that the terrarium has gone from a “box of dirt” to “actual living environment” much in the same way an aquarium goes from a “box of water” to “actual living environment” after it’s been cycled, builds up beneficial bacteria, etc

you’ll have to take this anecdotally but i once spoke to another keeper who actually studied mold, etc professionally and it was there opinion that in all actuality, most of the molds seen in the hobby are benign

[BlueOrleans1290]

That's actually really cool!! Sadly with my BRB being new to here and me fretting over if he's fragile because he came from a dumb pet store who didn't take care of him I'm anxious about everything under the sun. It is pretty cool that we can turn a box of dirt into a living box of dirt though!