"ASPEN"

[newt]

Ok here it is, I used to use shredded coconut fibre for the bedding for my corns. Then it started to get to be a pain changing it every 2-3 months. It got very dry after a week or soo. So I'd have to ring it with water every week or so. I heard Aspen bedding was the way to go, so I changed what I was using to Aspen. It seemed good, the snakes could borrow very easily.

Now my thing is I like to make the snake feel like their in the wild. Take a piese of their habbitat and mimic it. Aspen is not the way to go for that. Its very dry, its hard to keep damp. My snakes need dampness to shed properly and my big male had the worst shed of his life. It was in 34 pcs, thats nuts. I also had a tupaware with spagnamoss so he get the right kind of humitidy. So in my opinion I dont recommend Aspen bedding if your looking for a natural look.

 

[CAV]

Are you using lamps for heating?

Aspen is not the cause of the bad sheds. Be careful using damp substrate, it can cause numerous health issues for you snake.

 

[A_Mc]

Aspen is not the cause of the bad sheds. Be careful using damp substrate, it can cause numerous health issues for you snake.

SO true!! They can get really bad respiratory infections and skin problems from damp bedding. The bedding should be dry. How big is the waterbowl?? It should be big enough for the snake to soak himself in......That should be enough 'dampness'...If you are still having bad sheds, you can also place some damp crumpled paper towels in one of his hides when it's close to shed time....Hope this helps??
:cheers:

 

[Gronk]

Newt...

For Ball Pythons some moisture in the bedding works ok..if it's just a touch. For corns moisture in the bedding can be bad news, as the others mentioned.

I'm surprised at your shed problems. Most of the year my house is terribly dry, we run 2 room humidifiers just to keep the static down. We're talking less than 30% humidity at some times of the year. In 2 years I've never had a problem shed with my corns, even with the dry conditions.

All I've ever used for my corn bedding (other than hatchlings) is Aspen.

 

[Jynx]

I think I can take the cake for dry weather, and the only time I ever have a problem with shedding is not due to low humidity, but to a health problem with the actual snake. If you have been keeping your tanks extremely humid, they may very well be suffering from respiratory infections already, which might be the cause of your big male's bad shed. A small spray right before shedding is about all I need to ensure a healthy full shed, and I live in the desert.

 

[newt]

SO true!! They can get really bad respiratory infections and skin problems from damp bedding. The bedding should be dry. How big is the waterbowl?? It should be big enough for the snake to soak himself in......That should be enough 'dampness'...If you are still having bad sheds, you can also place some damp crumpled paper towels in one of his hides when it's close to shed time....Hope this helps??
:cheers:

Ok I used a damp substract for the first three yrs and there was no problem. Look it up "shredded coconut fibre" just add water. That was the best thing for them. No health problems what so ever. I took my male to the vet and the vet said he's healthy, so no they are not sick. Aspen works for some and not for others, In my instance it does not work. :sobstory:

 

[Joejr14]

Ok I used a damp substract for the first three yrs and there was no problem. Look it up "shredded coconut fibre" just add water. That was the best thing for them. No health problems what so ever. I took my male to the vet and the vet said he's healthy, so no they are not sick. Aspen works for some and not for others, In my instance it does not work. :sobstory:

You have to understand that aspen is the bedding of choice, and you are in the extreme minority in this regard.

Did you expect everyone to say, 'oh my god, you're so right. I hate aspen!'

The only two complaints I've heard about aspen have been from people who live in Canada. Perhaps that has something to do with it.

 

[Jynx]

lol the GBB strikes again

 

[CAV]

Look it up "shredded coconut fibre" just add water. That was the best thing for them. No health problems what so ever.

Water is only added in order to expand the dehydrated brick. Damp fiber is great for tropical species that require higher humidity, but is really not healthy for N. American colubrids. I understand that you may not have had a problem thus far, but that doesn't mean that is is safe. Just my opinion based on experience.

 

[breedingcolors]

You have to understand that aspen is the bedding of choice, and you are in the extreme minority in this regard.

Did you expect everyone to say, 'oh my god, you're so right. I hate aspen!'

The only two complaints I've heard about aspen have been from people who live in Canada. Perhaps that has something to do with it.

Nope, never have any problem with the aspen. But... I live in Quebec so.. I guess I am not really living in Canada. :grin01:

 

[breedingcolors]

Ok here it is, I used to use shredded coconut fibre for the bedding for my corns. Then it started to get to be a pain changing it every 2-3 months. It got very dry after a week or soo. So I'd have to ring it with water every week or so. I heard Aspen bedding was the way to go, so I changed what I was using to Aspen. It seemed good, the snakes could borrow very easily.

Now my thing is I like to make the snake feel like their in the wild. Take a piese of their habbitat and mimic it. Aspen is not the way to go for that. Its very dry, its hard to keep damp. My snakes need dampness to shed properly and my big male had the worst shed of his life. It was in 34 pcs, thats nuts. I also had a tupaware with spagnamoss so he get the right kind of humitidy. So in my opinion I dont recommend Aspen bedding if your looking for a natural look.

Sorry I am not sure I understand the real purpose of this thread. You talked about the shedding problem but you finish by saying you

dont recommend Aspen bedding if your looking for a natural look.

I have a couple of snakes and I had problems only with one snake. All the other shed perfectly in one piece. So I really don't think aspen is the problem. Maybe if your snake was always in a humid environment and you suddently change it, it would have to adapt (he is borg! LOL sorry). Maybe your environment humidity is too low but with the coconnut bedding, it was ok.
I really like aspen. It is simple to use, I like the look (my snakes look pretty on it) and they really like to borrow under it.

Use what you want but don't blame the aspen too soon. Don't think the bedding is really the problem here IMO.

 

[Jon_without_H]

I am thinking about just using wood chips when i get my corns. Is there any problem with that? the only reason i am going to use that is because i obsorbed the excament from the snake very well and if they over flow thier water dish then it will soak up. If any of you have any better suggestions of what i could use tell me. My second opion was going to be potting soil because it seems to work well for my cresteds and it holds moisture very well. Then i am going to use a mister system to get the humity up. maybe just have it run once or twice a day for 15 minutes. if there are any problems with my plan please tell me.

 

[CAV]

I wouldn't recommend a mister system. Corns do just fine in most environments without assistance. Wait to see if you even have a problem before implementing solutions. Too much moisture can be even worse than too little.

If you are going to use wood chips make sure that you don't use pine or cedar. The aromatic oils in the wood are toxic and can harm your animals.

 

[Jon_without_H]

What wood chips could i use? oak? is there anything wrong witht he potting soil idea. The snake would be able to burrow and it would be easier for me to make a nice looking tank because i can put a ovel shapped rubbermaid and cover it with dirt.

 

[CAV]

You best bet is aspen chips. They are sold an most reputable pet stores. Potting soil is useable but care must be exercised in maintaining it. Soils can potentially harbor high concentration of bacteria, especially if they are kept damp and dark.

 

[Taceas]

I agree with everyone here, I don't think you should be blaming the aspen prematurely. I'd venture out on a limb and say 93% of corn snake keepers use aspen exclusively, and most of them never have shedding problems aside from a snake in poor health to begin with.

I think Caroline was accurate in saying if he was kept in a humid enclosure with the coconut bedding for 3 years, he's probably adapted to it. And when put on aspen, needs time to adapt to a drier ambient humidity level. My relatives live in Western Montana where there is no humidity. They come here to Southern Indiana to visit and die for a couple of days till their body learns to adapt to it. Same is true for corns I'd imagine.

If your snake had one bad shed after being on the aspen for a short time, I'd give it a few times to make sure that was the problem before advocating it not be used. If you had a humid hide available with damp moss, then I don't see why he should have shed badly. :shrugs:

My house is commonly 30% RH due to the AC being on, but I very rarely have bad sheds from my snakes, and I don't even have water bowls big enough for them to soak. And the only one recently that I can remember was an 04 amel that had gone off feed for no particular reason for a few weeks and had shrunk down to nothing and then tried to shed. After she started eating again and putting weight back on, her sheds have improved to the point that they're a one-piece shed again.

As for potting soil, I don't think I'd recommend that at all. It would risk impaction from it being on/in everything due to its small size, it would clog up the nostrils from a burrowing corn, could cause infection, harbor bacteria from fecal matter, half you can't find anymore without fertilzer or perlite additives anyway. And putting a misting system with corns would be totally unnecessary. Corn snakes are almost always found on the ground and a snake that's kept wet will develop scale rot and other issues. Misting units belong in a lizard enclosure where the lizard is on the branches/vines and not in constant contact with the wet substrate. Even tropical snakes with misting systems I've heard of issues arising from belly rot.

What is wrong with aspen?! Its easy to obtain, easy to clean, virtually dust free, looks nice, non-toxic, I could go on and on. Unless you liked newspaper or paper towel, I don't see why one wouldn't use aspen for the more 'naturalistic' alternative. Repitbark doesn't work so hot with corns unless you rinse it thoroughly beforehand. Its red dust clogs up a burrowing corn's nose and mouth. It looks nice, but still I can't justify the beauty of my corns for their long-term health.

 

[bigaaron17]

yea i dont see why u have a problem with aspen ive been usin it for a while and i havent had one bad shed :shrugs:

aaron :crazy02:

 

[newt]

Stop your attack

ok my snake had a shedding problem because he got bit by my female. The shed was bad do to the cut he had. I addmit that its not the aspen so everyone that cried about it, there it is. My first post if you really read it, it says that I try to look for a natural look and aspen is not it. In the wild corn snakes do not borrow into aspen, they borrow under leaves or dirt not aspen. I said "in my opinion" not everyone elses. So if you bad mouthed me, trying to make me look like an amatuear thats fine. Iv been breeding corn snakes for 5 yrs, and I do know what works and what doesnt. Its not luck its knowledge. This forum is the same as others outthere, a couple of people think they know more then others and thats fine. If anyone says something that others dont agree with on this forum, they seem to get attacked. So they try to make the person look like an idiot.

With everyone out there with a snake they know what works and what doesnt. So if anyone says I dont know what Im doing ill prove it to you. uke01:

 

[Gronk]

newt said:

So if you bad mouthed me, trying to make me look like an amatuear thats fine. Iv been breeding corn snakes for 5 yrs, and I do know what works and what doesnt.

Attack ? :shrugs:

I guess you just can't handle people disagreeing with you Newt. That's the thing that makes you look "amateur".....reacting this way towards these folks that have been keeping corns for many years also.

 

[Drizzt80]

ok my snake had a shedding problem because he got bit by my female. The shed was bad do to the cut he had.

Nowhere in your first post, or others following, do you state this until now when you are feeling attacked. In fact your first post states 34 pieces of shed . . . can't see that happening from one bite mark.

I addmit that its not the aspen so everyone that cried about it, there it is.

I disagree, it was because of the aspen, but not 'because' of the aspen. Taceas very clearly described adjusting from a humid environment to a more dry environment. I exclusively use aspen and have had no shedding problems either in a very dry environment in ND, especially during the winter months.

My first post if you really read it, it says that I try to look for a natural look and aspen is not it. In the wild corn snakes do not borrow into aspen, they borrow under leaves or dirt not aspen.

Yep, and everyone here, in their experience was relating to you the negative aspects of doing what you want to do. Why did you post if that's not what you wanted??

I said "in my opinion" not everyone elses. So if you bad mouthed me, trying to make me look like an amatuear thats fine. Iv been breeding corn snakes for 5 yrs, and I do know what works and what doesnt. Its not luck its knowledge.

Opinions are like noses . . . everyone has one. Pick yours, and others will pick theirs.

This forum is the same as others outthere, a couple of people think they know more then others and thats fine. If anyone says something that others dont agree with on this forum, they seem to get attacked. So they try to make the person look like an idiot.

You're right it is, but you made the original post. Again, why post if you're not looking for opinions or discussion? I agree with Gronk here, you're the one overreacting to the suggestions given to you. In my opinion, you're the one that's turned this thread into an attack.

With everyone out there with a snake they know what works and what doesnt. So if anyone says I dont know what Im doing ill prove it to you.

Prove away, I'd just suggest doing your best not to come off as hyesterical. You don't happen to feed chicken parts do you?! :crazy02: Hope you find what you're looking for.

Just my opinion, but I thought this was a pretty good thread discussing the positives and negatives of different substrates . . . guess I was wrong. :eek1:

D80