The Best Substrate

[Sid]

I'm aware of the tree...just wondered how it looks in a viv. Have you got a picture?

James,
Check my photos in the gallery. Many show Aspen as substrate. Work good for me, but not a lot of eye appeal.

Sid

[Cazador]

Has anybody here noticed any differences in how smelly different substrates get?

Definitely! This is a huge drawback for paper towels, newspaper, and astroturf. They're great in a quarantine tank, though, since they prompt you to clean as quickly as possible.

[Stefan-A]

Glad to hear that it's not just me.

That's it, I'm switching to something else. The corn in the quarantine tank can keep it, but the garters are getting something better than peat or paper.

[abcat1993]

Trust me, you don't know what smelly means until you have a hamster with that fluffy bedding. I can't walk past my sisters room without dying or holding my breath (usually I choose to hold my breath though).

[Snaky]

I've been using peat now for some weeks, I have to say that till I find the smells ok. It's more or less like when I used little pieces of wood. I have to admit that paper towels don't absorb that well and are a bit more smelly

[drache]

this guy I met recently who used to own a reptile store suggested shredded paper
he says that's what he keeps his snakes on
he says it's more absorbent than regular paper and free once you have a shredder
it's also easier to remove small patches
I haven't tried it but I'm considering it
I'd make sure not to shred paper with weird chemicals
maybe I'll try it with one of the kings

[Marcel_h]

I use peat mixed with bark it doesent smell and it looks natural.

[RedSided]

I use hemp shavings, local reptile store recomended it. It seems good enough and spot cleans easily.

[adamanteus]

I know it has it's drawbacks (as do most substrates in a captive environment) but I'm still surprised that no one else has gone for a similar approach to mine.....i.e. a "permanent" substrate such as slate.



It's dead easy to spot clean, it doesn't harbour parasites at all, it warms nicely and stays warm, it looks good (in my opinion) and it's never going to get ingested! I would be interested to hear your arguments against it.

[sschind]

James: My only argument against a permanent substrate is that it is completely non absorbent. If the snake takes a dump and you are not Johnny (or in this case James) on the spot to clean it up the snake can crawl through it and spread it around and get it all over itself and in general make one heck of a mess. When I first bought my store the previous owner had a bearded dragon in a large cage with linoleum tiles as a floor. It stunk, the dragon stunk, and the whole room stunk. It was the first thing I changed.

The only suggestion I would make to anyone contemplating a solid substrate is to make sure every single little crack is sealed to keep liquid waste from seeping into cracks.

It does look nice though and I am sure that the heat retention is appreciated by the snakes.

Steve