Going coconuts!

[Gio]

The cage is clean and the new substrate is in. I started with aspen and like/liked it for a number of reasons It's cheap and easy to clean up. I did not like how dry the cage climate was, but moss was an easy solution. I have a ton of it and would use it again, however I don't like the look as much.

Cypress was excellent with humidity and looked great. It was a bit harder to detect liquid urates and a touch harder to clean, but I like it more than aspen all around.

Here is the coconut husk.



It smells and feels like the earth. So far the tank humidity is very good. Sniper has only been on it about 1/2 hour but seems OK with it.

Again, I'm one of the "Spoil them rotten" pet owners with only 1 other snake so this is all fine and good for me. Anybody that has a breeding collection would probably not opt for this and I totally understand.

I'll give a little eval on what I think of coconut husk for boas after I've had it for a while. So far I see some advantages with the very fine makeup of the stuff and I find it rather attractive.

The weekend is a day away. Be safe, be happy!

And just for fun a "Snake Utopia" shot. The sneaky fella is hiding out in the upper right corner.

[MootWorm]

Yet again I'm blown away by how awesome your enclosure is!!! Great job, I hope the coco works well for you.

[Shann]

As you know, I have a proline too, and all I use is coconut husk substrate. I've used it for years and it's easily my favorite. But I live in the desert where other substrates made keeping humidity up too difficult in glass enclosures (I like seeing my animals and creating really pretty enclosures) and I didn't like things like cypress mulch because I didn't like the feel of it (almost splintery). Now that I have a proline I could probably use other substrates without humidity being an issue, but I really like the look and feel of the coconut husk. The only issue I have had with it is that some batches of it have had little bugs in it when it's rehydrated. They aren't harmful to the snake at all, they feed on plant matter, but I don't like having them around. So now I store the substrate in the freezer, and then bake it in the oven before putting it in her cage and it's worked great, never had any bug issues since.

[Gio]

As you know, I have a proline too, and all I use is coconut husk substrate. I've used it for years and it's easily my favorite. But I live in the desert where other substrates made keeping humidity up too difficult in glass enclosures (I like seeing my animals and creating really pretty enclosures) and I didn't like things like cypress mulch because I didn't like the feel of it (almost splintery). Now that I have a proline I could probably use other substrates without humidity being an issue, but I really like the look and feel of the coconut husk. The only issue I have had with it is that some batches of it have had little bugs in it when it's rehydrated. They aren't harmful to the snake at all, they feed on plant matter, but I don't like having them around. So now I store the substrate in the freezer, and then bake it in the oven before putting it in her cage and it's worked great, never had any bug issues since.

Great info. I'll keep a lookout for critters.

I saw your cage on another forum and tried to post about your substrate and it never posted. I got lazy and gave up that day LOL!

I think I'll stick with this stuff for the same reasons you like it. The fine properties of it make eating hazards minimal. Nice and soft!

[NH93]

I LOVE the vines! Is that larger rod just siliconed in? (Is it difficult to clean?)

[Gio]

I LOVE the vines! Is that larger rod just siliconed in? (Is it difficult to clean?)

Hi, thanks the vines are just wrapped around a hollow bamboo pole. The other 2 are actual tree branches. The perch holders are drilled in and the branches are fit into them. They slip in and out easily and make a great resting spot for him outside of the cage when I clean.

I did a complete clean and disinfect today which involves a high power shop vac and obviously removal of all the gear.

I'd say NO,, not hard to clean. The most effort required is the removal of substrate and the actual wipe down.

I use a big dust pan to remove the sub, then vacuum out the remaining dust then the cleaning solutions are wiped on and off. Soaking and drying the decor is what it is.

I semi enjoy it so I don't find it to daunting a task. Normally I can go 2 or more months with spot cleaning and small replacement areas of substrate if I keep my daily checks up.

[Evenstar]

I love how you are experimenting with things to find what works best for you Gio! And then tell us all about it here!

I haven't tried coco husk myself yet. I did cypress for a long time, but it was too "woody" and coarse for my tastes. I went to paper which I'm extremely happy with, but it is a touch pricey for 21 snakes. I'm thinking of going to all aspen (which I use for my Dumerils who likes to burrow) but am somewhat concerned about humidity. The coco husk may be a better alternative.

How "dirty" is it though? Is it quite dusty when cleaning? Does it tend to stick to the snake at all? Curious to see how it does for you. Keep us posted.

[Gio]

I love how you are experimenting with things to find what works best for you Gio! And then tell us all about it here!

I haven't tried coco husk myself yet. I did cypress for a long time, but it was too "woody" and coarse for my tastes. I went to paper which I'm extremely happy with, but it is a touch pricey for 21 snakes. I'm thinking of going to all aspen (which I use for my Dumerils who likes to burrow) but am somewhat concerned about humidity. The coco husk may be a better alternative.

How "dirty" is it though? Is it quite dusty when cleaning? Does it tend to stick to the snake at all? Curious to see how it does for you. Keep us posted.

Hi there!

I think for your situation (21 and counting) aspen is a good bet. You will easily get your humidity up with some well placed balls of damp moss that you can spray and respray. It solved my aspen issues.

I fed Sniper tonight and he did everything wrong. Dragged the quail through his water, ate it sideways and got dirty LOL!

It looks great, and I'll give it a chance because even though he got it on his wet prey there is nothing sharp to worry about. It is great with humidity and there is not dust.

It has some soil like properties.

I think aspen might be a multiple snake owners best bet.

[Shann]

I use a radiant heat panel which dries it out on one side of the cage. At that point it does get a bit dusty and dry, but it isn't bad, and minimal misting can fix it if it bothers you. I didn't have that problem in cages using uths. It doesn't really stick to the animal at all (even when they bury themselves), but I find it messier in front opening cages. I only have one reptile right now, but every other reptile I've kept had a top opening cage. They sometimes "grab on to it" and it kind of goes everywhere but for the top opening cages you can just brush it off and it doesn't stick to you or them and falls back into the cage. In front opening cages it's a little harder and my boa frequently grabs on to it with her tail. Then it goes all over my carpet. Fortunately it's really easy to vacuum up and doesn't mess up the carpet at all, even if it's stepped on. So it's a little bit of a nuisance, but barely.


On a side note, Figment eats her meals on a pretty pink princess placemat. As soon as the placemat goes into her cage she lays her little face on it and waits for her dinner to appear. Then she eats on the placemat and goes back to bask on top of her warm hide when she's done. It's pretty much the cutest thing ever.

[Gio]

I use a radiant heat panel which dries it out on one side of the cage. At that point it does get a bit dusty and dry, but it isn't bad, and minimal misting can fix it if it bothers you. I didn't have that problem in cages using uths. It doesn't really stick to the animal at all (even when they bury themselves), but I find it messier in front opening cages. I only have one reptile right now, but every other reptile I've kept had a top opening cage. They sometimes "grab on to it" and it kind of goes everywhere but for the top opening cages you can just brush it off and it doesn't stick to you or them and falls back into the cage. In front opening cages it's a little harder and my boa frequently grabs on to it with her tail. Then it goes all over my carpet. Fortunately it's really easy to vacuum up and doesn't mess up the carpet at all, even if it's stepped on. So it's a little bit of a nuisance, but barely.


On a side note, Figment eats her meals on a pretty pink princess placemat. As soon as the placemat goes into her cage she lays her little face on it and waits for her dinner to appear. Then she eats on the placemat and goes back to bask on top of her warm hide when she's done. It's pretty much the cutest thing ever.

I agree with all of that and also use a RHP. I should clarify it stuck to him because he dragged his prey through his water dish then across the news paper, then through the substrate then repeated the process. Basically everything you could do to make a mess he did tonight. Isn't that funny as I just cleaned the cage and room top to bottom today LOL!

When is not soaked with water and squeezed quail juice it does not stick to them.

My bad.