mold problem

[snakeaholic]

Ok recently I switched to cypress mulch. Well today I noticed excessive amounts of mold growth. I thought cypress was good at contolling mold problems. I think I'm gonna go back to repti bark or newspaper. I don't think my snake likes it either, he has'nt came out of his hide for a week now. He's fine though I 've checked him. Or if you have any suggestions I would appreciate them. Thanks.

[Smulkin]

Doesnt sound too good - you have to keep an eye out on that stuff when it gets excessively moist. If any of our aspen-kept enclosuresgets too wet the same thing is bound to happen. Smynx's experience with repti-bark/forest-bark seems very solid - she's got a couple of brown water pythons on that stuff in a pretty humid environment and we havent seen any moldies (though I got to inherit the insane Lilith). I pretty much stick with the newsprint anymore as it's very efficient not only in terms of cost but in maintenance time and technique.

I used to be a totally glass/bark guy hehe.

[Adam_Wysocki]

Ok recently I switched to cypress mulch. Well today I noticed excessive amounts of mold growth. I thought cypress was good at contolling mold problems. I think I'm gonna go back to repti bark or newspaper. I don't think my snake likes it either, he has'nt came out of his hide for a week now. He's fine though I 've checked him. Or if you have any suggestions I would appreciate them. Thanks.

Sounds like you need to stick with newspaper ... having kept ball pythons on just about every common substrate, I can tell you with great certainty that they don't have a preference. Sometimes the change can be disruptive, but they will adjust and do fine.

Mold is VERY bad for ball pythons. Balls have very sensitive repiratory systems and the spores let off by mold can do a lot of damage to their lungs ... even if they appear outwardly healthy. It's paramount to make sure that your ball pythons has ZERO exposure to mold.

-adam

[elevatethis]

In all my collection, I have 1 tank remaining that uses a loose substrate, and thats Jungle Earth in my boa's enclosure. Repti-Bark and Jungle Earth are extremely resistant to mold growth; I've never had a problem with mold using either. Both of these can be found at any pet store and give a more natural look than newspaper.

I use NO substrate on my plastic cages and its awesome. I never knew how much liquid urine gets absorbed by bark or other types of substrates and consequenty never gets cleaned out until the entire substrate is replaced.

If you take the no substrate or newspaper approach, you can go to walmart and get about 10-12 feet of fake vines to spread throughout the floor of the enclosure. It makes it easier on the eye as well as provide some security for your bp when they want to roam around.

[Shelby]

I use eco-earth/bed-a-beast for my burrowing species. My calabar python enjoys high humidity, and I have seen no trace of mold.

[SatanicIntention]

I use the cypress mulch from Home Depot and haven't had a mold problem. Maybe it's because I bake it pretty much all day at very high temps until it is completely dry. It should be baked anyway to get rid of any travelers living in the mulch.

Some of the mulch that is still in the bag from when I bought it is still slightly damp, and still no signs of mold. I would know, I sift through it and inspect it making sure there are no abnormally large chunks, sharp pieces, etc. It still smells fine, not overpowering at all, and doesn't have a moldy smell. I don't know how yours is molding...

[snakeaholic]

Thats where I bought my mulch from and I did bake it till completely dry. Not sure why mold has grown. Anyhow I think I'm going back to repti bark I never had a problem with them.

[Ginevive]

What is reptibark made of? I know that I saw some awhile back that said it was made of "fir bark" and fir is a pine type tree, so that might not be good. But if it is that ground-up cypress stuff, you're fine. that's what I use, and I have never seen mold on it.
I would be kind of concerned about the moistness of the substrate in your tank; if it can support the mold, maybe it could be a tad too moist for the snake? If it's a shed cycle, that's OK, but during regular time I let my cages get fairly dry. Of course they always have a water bowl, so there's no extreme drying or anyhthing.

[jotay]

To the best of my knowledge there are different type of Fir trees.
I have been using Reptibark for almost 2 yrs with no problems at all.
Actually I switch to Natures Best 4 paws but only because that is heat treated where Repti bark is not and I was concerned about possible mites or ticks. But I used Repti for about a year with no problems.
I like it because it holds humidity and when my bp ur's or bm's I just scoop up a large area, spray the cage with Virosan and replace with new bark.
So far so good.
I guess I am into the display aspect and it looks good. And since it seems no harm to my bp I guess I will flow with it.

I don't think Ozzy cares one way or the other

[Adam_Wysocki]

Not sure why mold has grown.

Moisture and poor air flow are usually the culprits no matter what the bedding. I've seen mold grow on newspaper.

-adam