Desert Snow substrate. Good or bad?

[LawDog1]

I recently saw a product called Desert Snow at the local pet store. It is a substrate and I think Exo-Terra makes it. It says its nontoxic and that its okay for corns. It is. a nice color and seems like it will hold moisture well. Has anyone used it before? I know it is pretty pricey but we may use it for a couple of our snakies just for the display aspect, unless of course its not good stuff.
Thanks,
Jimmy

 

[pwargcm]

well if its anything like sand, like it sounds like it is. then id say bad. corns are not meant for being in sand. stick with aspen or the such.

 

[Nanci]

(I changed my comment. I thought it was sand, because I've seen it advertised for desert lizards, but I guess I knew it wasn't. So I am undecided, but say nothing beats good old aspen).

 

[LostNFound]

well it's not sand ...

Desert Snow

* Premium Multi Purpose Bedding
* Enhanced Clumping Capability for Easy Spot Cleaning
* Laboratory Tested and Recommended
* Non Toxic and Dust Free
* Pristine Hardwood Pulp
* Resist Mold and Decay
* Breeder Tested and Recommeded
* Highly Absorbent


...but i know nothing about actually using it. Oh and it's made by t-rex.

 

[LawDog1]

Yep, Not sand.

Thanks LostNFound. I was just gonna look it up and let people know that it is not sand and what it is actually made of.

This is one of the places I found it on the net:
http://www.petmountain.com/product/reptile-bedding/504532/t-rex-desert-snow-bedding-.html

LostNFound wrote all the same information you will find in the link. I didn't go into much description in the original post because I figured the people on here have tried and seen it all! It surprises me no one has experience with this stuff yet.

It is hard wood pulp, but it is very white in color. Maybe they bleached it of something. Pine is a soft wood, so it can't be pine (thats a good thing). It almost feels like chips of pressed paper.

We are thinking our amel and my MBK will really stand out on a background of white. Should look pretty.

Any more help out there? Thanks in advance.
Jimmy

 

[shaberry]

I'm currently using desert snow made by T-Rex and so far I haven't had any problems with it. However, I will be switching over to Aspen when I run out, cause I hear it's better. Also, because I hear that Aspen smells good.

The only possible problem that I might have with desert snow is that it gets smelly(?) after a while. If that makes any sense. I only say that because recently my room kind of has a "pet" smell. And. I'm thinking it's because of the substrate and its inability to absorb or mask the smell. (So far, I've. Only done spot cleaning with this substrate.) But, maybe it's normal? I'm new to having a corn snake and substrates, so this is all I could come up with. Hopefully my input helps.

 

[cornspot]

I think it's basically the same thing as Carefresh but is bleached white & sold by someone else. It should be fine to use.

Any substrate can cause impaction issues if too much is ingested at once. Feeding out side the cage or at least on a paper plate (though the snake may still drag the prey through the substrate) and making sure the snake stays adequately hydrated will reduce the risk of impaction.

I bounce around from substrate to substrate and have never noticed any problems when I use Carefresh.

 

[Caryl]

I'm currently using desert snow made by T-Rex and so far I haven't had any problems with it. However, I will be switching over to Aspen when I run out, cause I hear it's better. Also, because I hear that Aspen smells good.

I'm slightly off topic, but I've never noticed aspen having much of a smell. I've used several brands, but none are noticably pleasant smelling. If that you're main motivation for switching, you may want to rethink it.

 

[shaberry]

I'm slightly off topic, but I've never noticed aspen having much of a smell. I've used several brands, but none are noticably pleasant smelling. If that you're main motivation for switching, you may want to rethink it.

Actually, the main reason why I'm switching is because I hear Aspen is the better and more preferred brand. About it smelling good, I heard it somewhere around the net. Lol.

But, back to the topic. I thought bleached substrates are supposed to be avoided?n

 

[carnivorouszoo]

Also, because I hear that Aspen smells good.

The only possible problem that I might have with desert snow is that it gets smelly(?) after a while. If that makes any sense. I only say that because recently my room kind of has a "pet" smell.

Um, my snake doesn't smell at all. I just cleaned out her tank (a full cleaning) at the we've had her for one month mark. Not a single odor. If your snake smells you may have a problem.

What does everyone else think?

 

[LawDog1]

Yep, stink.

I can't say for sure if any of our snakes actually stink, but you sure can tell when they take a dump! When we clean all our cages out I don't notice any smell. Two days after feeding and as soon as I walk into the room I can tell one of them has pooped.

As far as the substrate, we have a bag of aspen and I wouldn't say it smells good or bad. It has a smell but it is very mild. It doesn't even smell like wood, which I thought it would.

So far the Desert snow has been working nicely. It is fairly absorbent and we may or may not continue to use it, but it is almost twice the price of aspen, so probably not. I don't know if it was bleached to look the white, it just appears that it could have possibly been bleached since it is that white.
Any other opinions, I'd be glad to hear them.
Jimmy