Should i change the bark in my snake's tank?

[ch312]

Pricey? What kind of substrate are you using? A bag of aspen and 4 snakes will last me 6 months with full monthly cleanings and spot cleaning. $13

And unless you want urine baked bedding, than go ahead. Baking may kill bacteria, but probably not all of the other things in feces and urine.

its $30 something dollars for a large bag of reptile bark. i think it maybe even be over $40 after taxes...

notice how he was asking about changing BARK not ASPEN?

[missi182]

The cypress I use to use cost $19 a bag and 1 bag lasted 3 tank cleanings. I gave up on those kind of substrates anyway and use Scott Shop Towels, but it is true that substrates can be pricey if you don't have 10 stores competing for the best price.

[SatanicIntention]

Cypress: HOME DEPOT $2 for a 2cu ft bag.
Orchid Bark(same thing as ReptiBark crap): HOME DEPOT, $3-$4 for a BIG bag. Not as dusty either.
Aspen: Petsmart or Petco, 4.5cuft bag, $10-$12
Newspaper: *GASP* IT'S FREE!

The aspen Snake Bedding that is sold in pet stores, is the SAME STUFF you find in the rodent section. It's just labeled different and priced WAY higher. No reason to buy it..

[mr86mister]

The price of any type of bark around here is pricey. Even going to Home Depot or Lowe's, it's only a few dollars more at a Pet Store no matter if it's Petco, Petsmart, Pet Supplies Plus, Pet World, or Pet Land (yeah that's our local chain pet stores around here) lol.

[littleindiangirl]

We are lucky in that we can get triple milled cypress mulch for a very good price. I love the cypress mulch and I preach it to the end.

[ch312]

Cypress: HOME DEPOT $2 for a 2cu ft bag.
Orchid Bark(same thing as ReptiBark crap): HOME DEPOT, $3-$4 for a BIG bag. Not as dusty either.
Aspen: Petsmart or Petco, 4.5cuft bag, $10-$12
Newspaper: *GASP* IT'S FREE!

The aspen Snake Bedding that is sold in pet stores, is the SAME STUFF you find in the rodent section. It's just labeled different and priced WAY higher. No reason to buy it..

hmmm....ill have to checkout the home depot section. i figured that the reptile bark would be better because they may treat it to get rid of any bugs.

i use my aquarium as a display so bark is the only option to make it look half decent. newspaper is fine for tubs...

[SatanicIntention]

Your snake's enclosure is for ITS benefit, not yours(aquariums are for fish). If you can make it nice looking while the enclosure is appropriate for the snake, then that's fine. Ball Pythons aren't display snakes anyway, it's like having a tank with a pet water bowl or something.. Get a colubrid or a boa, they adapt better to display enclosures and aren't as secretive(generally speaking).

Try newspaper once.. Once you actually see how much urine they produce that is hidden under all that bark, you'll likely clean ALOT more. Cypress works pretty well, but isn't easy to spot clean IMHO. It can be a bit messy.

The stuff found at the pet store is going to be the worst priced, as well as being exposed to parasites such as mites that can transfer to your snake(or your rats/mice). The Orchid bark at HD is exactly the same thing as ReptiBark and about 1/3 of the price. It's nice small pieces and isn't dusty. I use it for my orchids though.

www.uline.com has some professional looking indented kraft paper that is absorbent. I use it for my boa(plus newspaper as she's MESSY) and the Balls every so often. Looks nice and works well.

[West Coast Jungle]

You know, I find you quite rude after reading this post, I wont lie.
I think you went about that answer the completely wrong way.

Agreed!
This site is to help people get info to help their animals, not to belittle those that are new. We all started somewhere and more than likely it was with some generic petstore misinformation.

This is a husbandry thread where people ask for info, not rude remarks.

[51-50 Python]

thanks for the feedback... i just got back from the petshop i got some new bark and a new water bowl... i took the old bark out n put the new stuff and it smells really fresh.. i also cleaned the inside of the tank so it looks really good now

[fishmommy]

Awesome!