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Your favourite substrate?

LMS68

LMS68

New member
Just checking out in the search engine about different substrates people use & I was wondering what people preferred to use as a substrate & why? Or if you could, which one would you like to use? (if you had the time, patience or ability) I know I'd like a natural one (saw a couple of threads & they are gorgeous!) but I would most certainly kill all the the plants!:shrugs:

We're currently using aspen because that's what we were recommended. Though someone had suggested astro turf as well.
 
me personally i like sani-chips because they make for easy spot cleaning and allow the snakes to burrow at their leisure.
 
I LOVE bio-active substrate sand/soil. For one its self cleaning and 2 its great at holding burrows.

P1030700_zps9cac11c0.jpg
 
I like aspen, lets them burrow and it isn't overly dusty, spot cleaning is easy aswell.

I wouldn't recommend the use of astro turf, as I have heard it can hold a film on it that is harmful to snakes, and i have also seen people with snakes that have flaking scales from rubbing on the astro-turf. so I REALLY wouldn't use that..

I have also used carefresh colours, I like it a lot. its also easy to spot clean, and really absorbent.. the only problem is that I find it dusty, but if you don't mind doing a little work I find that mixing it around in a bin for a bit works really well to get rid of most of the dust! :) and I really do like the colours for Sirius' "nursery bin" ;)
 
Looking on the Petsmart site & they have "Douglas Fir Shavings Bedding with Eucalyptus" (Zilla). Click on the pic of the bag & it's aspen chip bedding. So chips or shavings, is one preferred over the other?
 
I get the a 40 lb bag at llleptile here for around $28. Its is finely shaved aspen ans it says sani-chips on yhe bag. Im not sure if you can buy it from there site ill check and let you know.
 
Just checkes there site they do have it. It says bulk bag for 19.99 not sure if it is as big as the bag i get but it will give you an idea.
 
I use white puppy pee pads with a layer of paper towels in my racks. The pee pads are super obsorbent incase someone spills their water dish or something, and the paper towels add a layer or two for them to hide in if needed. (sorta kinda like burrowing). I like to use the white stuff so that I can see easily if anyone has mites or impropper stools or is bleeding etc, and it keeps the snakies nice and clean. Its also a breeze to clean, which is helpful when you have a bunch of snakes.

Ive always been really curious about bio-active substrate. Do you use it in a rack system? What would you do if you found something like mites? Do you have problems with humidity getting too high? I'd love to learn more.
 
I use aspen on all the cornsnakes, and repti-bark for the boas.

The bio-active substrate looks interesting...I may have to investigate it.
 
Do the puppy pee pads have chemicals in them??? I wouldn't use them, if so.

I use paper towels for new hatchlings. CareFresh after their first meal. I like how soft CareFresh is for their delicate new skin, but it has a weird smell to me, and it gets in their water bowls and absorbs all the water.

If the babies stay longer than a couple sheds, they get switched to aspen, and it's always such a relief.

Yearlings and up are on aspen.

I like CareFresh for shipping snakes in delis. Recently I tried CareFresh Crinkles for shipping. It's _okay_, but it's hard to keep it from getting sealed in the deli lid. It makes nice little nests in the shoebox bins if you put a ball of it in there. If a snake sheds in shipping, and is in Crinkles, it will absorb the colors and stay that color till the next shed, when it sheds off...
 
I also bought a 40lb bag of aspen shavings because its cheap and recommended.
However, after we go through this bag ( may be awhile) I plan on using the Bio-active soil/sand. I really love the natural look and will definitely be going that route next time.
 
heatwave said:
Ive always been really curious about bio-active substrate. Do you use it in a rack system? What would you do if you found something like mites? Do you have problems with humidity getting too high? I'd love to learn more.
Click to expand...

I've never used it in racks and i wouldn't think you would be able to use much of it. There are lots of mites in my enclosures but these are helpful mites that help clean the cage like wood mites. I've only gotten mites twice in 13 years so i guess you would just have to be extra careful. And no I've never had humidity problems. But again i don't use racks.
 
Here are the two links I've read on "BAS Natural vivs" so far from older threads on here:
http://www.cornsnakes.com/forums/showthread.php?t=53051&highlight=substrate+vivs
http://www.cornsnakes.com/forums/showthread.php?t=115995&highlight=favorite+substrate


But I guess if something health wise would happen, one would need a "sick" viv on hand anyhow. Right now for me with Martha, being on aspen shavings, it was as easy as just emptying the tank, washing it & putting down the bare necessities. No fuss/no muss (sp)

I know this is a repeat but no harm in putting the name of the book in as many times as possible right? In case others (like me) are searching for different substrate viv set ups. It seems many of you recommend this book, Amazon has it & when I searched for it on the Chapters Indigo site, they have it new or used & also downloadable. The Art of Keeping Snakes by Philippe de Vosjoli.. I'm going to get it.
 
I keep my snake on aspen. In fact, I'm going to pick up another package today.
I like it because I can take out the poo and the aspen around it, then throw another handful or two in. Stig likes to burrow in it, but he really likes his humid hide with the moss in it for burrowing.
When I eventually upgrade him to a showy viv, I might look into that bio-active substrate.
 
I prefer aspen for Nigel. I use the Zilla brand because I find the is holds the shape of the burrowing he does. It's like a little subterranean highway...until I fluff the bedding.
 
What i don't like about aspen is it doesn't hold burrows well. Once the snake decides to put its weight on it it will collapse. With sand/soil it hold strong and thick burrows. When i was using aspen my snakes were always forced to make a new burrow but with the bio-active i found that they prefer to use the same one as there home.
 
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