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Reptibark or Aspen?

D

DaBachelor

New member
hey ive been using reptibark for about two months however ive been hearing that aspen is the best. Now i know that reptibark seems to help out with the humidity however i bought a bag of aspen about a month ago and i was thinking of using it. Any advice?
 
Is this for corns, I'm assuming?

I love the look of Reptibark, and I know that some of the videos and such on ivillage and the like recommend it. I started out using eco-earth. I like the look a lot, but it was next to impossible to find the waste, so I'd end up emptying the whole thing because I hated the thought of a an old poopsicle being in the cage.

One other thing I've *read* but have no experience with is mites in the bark. I personally HAVE noticed gnats from it and am not sure if it was an attraction OR if they hatched out of the bark. I nuke all my substrate now, and I've also heard of people freezing it before putting in in their cages. Hopefully others can weigh in with their experiences. I'm very new at all this, so this is coming from very limited experience. But regarding your humidity questions, you don't want your corns to be in TOO much humidity as that can also cause problems. A good sized water bowl should provide what they need, and maybe a misting during their shedding process as well.

Good luck! Have any photos of your snakes?
 
I prefer aspen for the corns. They like to burrow in it, it seems like a more natural substrata for them, it looks nice (natural) and it's easy to spot clean.
I heard the repti-bark was good for the larger species, helps with the humidity levels.

Try it out with one snake and see how you feel about it.
 
I use Eco earth I like it. I am a veterinary Tech i have seen one or two snakes 9bigger snakes not corns) that have problems with aspen like eating it. I use to use aspen with one of my corns for years and had no problems
 
I've used just about everything out there... I prefer the Aspen and I know that its the preferred bedding of my big guy, Kieran.
 
I use mostly Aspen but I also throw in some Repi-Bark because my snake loves the two different textures. He can still burrow in the Aspen but has the benefit of both. Hope this helps.
Hilary
 
aspen all the way. I've never ever (knocks on wood) had a mite issue with it, even straight outta the bag. I can't say the same for repti-bark. I've had mites before with it. Plus, as mentioned before, the corns LOVE burrowing in it, because it holds the tunnels shape instead of collapsing.
 
Is half aspen and half repti-bark okay, or half eco-earth?

Also, how do you know if you have mites?

And should I freeze or oven my repti-bark before using it?
 
I'm sure it'd be ok, but why buy two bags of different stuff when you can just buy one bag of one thing?

To tell if you have mites, look for little black bugs crawling all over your snake, esp. around the eyes. They like to attach themselves there.

If you're adamant about using repti bark, then its probably good practice to either heat it or freeze it.
 
Okay, So aspen has less risk of mites, and repti-bark should be heated or frozen? Heat for how long lol?

And if I do notice mites on the snake, what happens from there?
 
IDK about the reptibark heating, but it needs to be frozen for at least 24 hours...

The best treatment for mites that I've used is:
A: remove all substrate and pourous fixtures from the enclosure.
B: use plain paper towels as an interim substrate until the problem is solved. change daily.
C: daily baths in luke warm water followed by a good rubdown in baby oil, nose tip to tail tip. the baby oil drowns the mites.


but seriously, why even keep considering repti-bark? If you're worried about having something in a pinch, just use paper towels... alot of people keep their animals on it all the time. Just make sure that it is plain paper towels, and not ones with patterns on them. The dye can irritate the snake.
 
Well paper towels are great for price and ease, but they look stupid and the snake can't burrow...

So assuming I do use repti-bark, i freeze if for 24 hours?

And if i ever notice mites, switch to paper towel for a week and bath him daily (do I leave an area in the tub with no water so he can escape it or no?).

And the olive oil? how do u go about covering the snake with it? his head and eyes too?
Any kind of olive oil?
 
A: like I said, good in a pinch.
B: thats what I said.
C: switch to paper towels until mites are gone... one week, two weeks, however long it takes. full submersion bath, no escapes, but give him enough depth where he can still touch bottom without swimming. you dont want him to drown.

D:I said BABY oil, not olive oil. How do you cover the snake with it? That cant be a serious question. Dude, hold the snake in one hand, squirt baby oil on him with the other hand, and rub. Pretend you're doing something else.... you'll get the hang of it, I promise.
 
zeewhiz said:
D:I said BABY oil, not olive oil. How do you cover the snake with it? That cant be a serious question. Dude, hold the snake in one hand, squirt baby oil on him with the other hand, and rub. Pretend you're doing something else.... you'll get the hang of it, I promise.
Click to expand...

Consider this response a friendly warning.
Implied or otherwise.........no go here.
 
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