can i keep a common garter snake on plantion soil

[eddospeeples]

Ok so i have a 15q tub that im gonna be putting a common garter in and i wanted to know if i could use plantion soil

[Holly]

I would think it would be okay. That's what I'll be switching my guy over to once we move and get him a proper tank. I would be wary of feeding on it though as he could ingest some.

[eddospeeples]

im gonna be feeding in a different tank how big do they have to be to eat a pinky

[guidofatherof5]

im gonna be feeding in a different tank
how big do they have to be to eat a pinky

It all depends on what size pinkies you have. I use a lot of extra small(1-2 day old pinkies.) This means I can get some of my babies(3-6 months old) to start on pinkies sooner. I never feed anything that is more that 1/3 bigger than their head width.

[aSnakeLovinBabe]

Potting soil? I guess you could, but I wouldn't... It comes moist and will probably harbor a lot of bacteria. It's also going to come with unknown bugs and such living in it. Then once it dries, it will be extremely dusty, which is VERY bad for the respiratory tract of your snake. But you would need to let it dry because your snake can't be in moist dirt all the time. That will give him scale rot. Many potting soils also are made with chemicals and such in them, and even if they say they are not... you just don't know what's really in it, because it's such cheap stuff... and for putting plants in. I would recommend against it.... potting soil is for plants. Get some aspen shavings, (no pine or cedar!) repti-bark, coconut fiber (this is very similar in looks to potting soil but it's clean) newspaper, newspaper pellets, wood pellets, carefresh, cage-carpet... anything but sand... cat litter... (or potting soil!)

[infernalis]

Potting soil? I guess you could, but I wouldn't... It comes moist and will probably harbor a lot of bacteria. It's also going to come with unknown bugs and such living in it. Then once it dries, it will be extremely dusty, which is VERY bad for the respiratory tract of your snake. But you would need to let it dry because your snake can't be in moist dirt all the time. That will give him scale rot. Many potting soils also are made with chemicals and such in them, and even if they say they are not... you just don't know what's really in it, because it's such cheap stuff... and for putting plants in. I would recommend against it.... potting soil is for plants. Get some aspen shavings, (no pine or cedar!) repti-bark, coconut fiber (this is very similar in looks to potting soil but it's clean) newspaper, newspaper pellets, wood pellets, carefresh, cage-carpet... anything but sand... cat litter... (or potting soil!)

I agree fully, Bagged dirt is not an ideal substrate.

[Holly]

Ah, I thought plantation soil was the same as cocofibre. That's what I have for my geckos and was going to switch my snake over to.

[aSnakeLovinBabe]

Ah, I thought plantation soil was the same as cocofibre. That's what I have for my geckos and was going to switch my snake over to.

Coconut fibre is the husk of a coconut all ground up... it's not made of anything "soily"... therefore making it a great and clean alternative!

[Spankenstyne]

It is the same thing, it's just an unfortunate name Exo-Terra branded the stuff with. At least the stuff we get out here is, if you look at bag it should say it contains coconut husk.

[aSnakeLovinBabe]

the potting soil we get here is not coconut husk, and doesn't say that it contains it either. I can also see other things in it, of unknown origin. So I will continue to stick with an alternative I know is safe here.