Quote Originally Posted by Sauzo View Post
Well if Eco Earth works for you, go for it. The stuff is junk to me as I've had nothing but problems with it. The whole getting in the mouth for the little ones plus the stuff is so fine that is doesnt really hold water well. The top section would dry out quick while the bottom stayed wet and unless i mixed it by hand, i actually had it grow mold on me. So yeah, it sucked for me. If i was to use another cocofiber substrate, i would use something a little bigger in size like ReptiChips but that stuff isnt perfect either. Its size is nice so it holds water well yet is big enough to allow air to circulate in the substrate. Problem is little boas would bury their tails and poop under the substrate lol. Even my big ones did it. So i would have go poop diving every few days and there is nothing like sinking a finger into a cold turd lol.

And good you got a T-stat. I would definitely turn it down. You want it around 86-90F at the cage floor. Use a temp gun to measure it if you are using something like heat tape. I have mine set at 90F but the AP cage floors absorb about 5F so on the cage floor inside, its around 85F or so and my snakes still dont sit on it 90% of the time lol. I catch Dottie over in the warm hide sometimes and sometimes i also catch Rosey sitting over there but thats usually about it.

And yeah, bump the humidity up. You dont want a sloppy wet mess but i would shoot for at minimum mid 60ish and then spike it here and there up to 70-80% and let is drop a little. I actually mist my aspen usually once a week. In the winter i sometimes will mist it twice a week. Then i just let it dry out and rinse and repeat. I do that with pretty much all my snakes, even the dumerils who they say like dry conditions. Luna LOVES when i mist her down with warm water but she is a weirdo and will sometimes sit half in her water bowl too. But anyways. dont worry about a nice misting as long as the substrate gets to dry out and doesnt stay a sloppy mess. And as for aspen molding, i have never seen it mold and i've used it for years. I'm sure it will mold if it soiled with waste and you mist it constantly but thats more bad husbandry than the aspen itself.

But give different substrate a try and see what you like. What works for me might not work for you. And same with the temps, play with them a little and see what your snake likes but dont go above 92F at the hot spot. And the temps should always be taken at the hottest part of the hot spot ie the cage floor under the substrate for belly heat and on top of the substrate for overhead heat.

And yes they love to burrow lol.
I'll kinda go through everything you said and tell you what I'm doing for it if that's ok?

As far as substrate goes, I've honestly had the opposite experience. When I had the aspen, I took -dug lol- her out one day to handle her, but she had maybe 2-3 aspen chips stuck in her mouth to where she couldn't really close it. IMHO Eco-Earth seems to hold humidity better, but that's just what I've seen in only a little over a year of working with snakes lol. It doesn't seem like It'd mold, huh. "there is nothing like sinking a finger into a cold turd" ! But it is a price I'd pay for having a comfortable boa Is that what you're using in the top pic?

Ok, I'll turn the T-stat down. would like 88° be okay?

I'll bump the humidity up when I get back. I don't overmist, I lightly mist maybe... 4 times a week? I'm not sure, but it works for my bps. I also use sphagnum moss with foil on the top. Which brings me to the fact that her setup is a 10-gallon, with 2 hides and a water dish. Also some leaves. I absolutely know I'll have to upgrade her to at least a 40-gal, I just got this 10 when I was at the dollar a gallon sale, and when I bought it the tank was originally going to be for a hognose.

I'm not home now, but tonight will be dedicated to adjusting the temps and humidity.

(Beautiful boas and great pics!)