Is Aspen bedding a good substrate?

[Stefan-A]

Dang local stores want $10 for an 4 quart bag! I got 8 quart bags online for 5 bucks.

So your local stores want about twice as much as our "local" online stores and you got yours at about half the price of what the online stores demand. Or at roughly 8 times the price of peat moss.

Then again, my math could be a bit off. It's midnight.

Peat moss is indeed fine and dusty. It being fine prevents it from causing impactions and it being dusty can partially be prevented by keeping the humidity high enough. It's best not to let it completely dry out, but of course it's not supposed to be moist all the time.

[ConcinusMan]

No, the pet stores locally want about $10 for a 4 quart bag. I got 8 quart bags online for $4.99. Even with the shipping, after ordering several bags along with some loose coconut fiber bricks, I saved about $30 over what it would have cost to buy those items in the local pet store. Also, online there was no sales tax. Buying it in the store is subject to 8.9 percent sales tax. I make a lot of purchases through amazon. I save a lot of money on certain items by purchasing online, in spite of shipping costs. Saved about 30 dollars buying online.

I tried peat moss. I don't like it. Damn dust gets on the glass, and if you keep it damp it starts smelling awful really fast. Coconut fiber looks about the same, but doesn't have the dust clogging my snakes nostrils, and it is nearly impossible to get it to mold, even if it's kept damp for some time. I use a little mixed with the reptile bark. Helps with absorbing wet feces and such.

[Stefan-A]

No, the pet stores locally want about $10 for a 4 quart bag.

$10 / 4 liters = $2.50 / liter, divided by the rate, which is about 1.287 and that comes to roughly (rounding upwards) 2€ per liter, or twice as much as I'd have to pay.

I got 8 quart bags online for $4.99.

$5 / 8 liters = $0.62 / liter divided by 1.287, which comes to about 0.5€, which is half of what it would cost me, but also half of 17 times the price of peat moss.

if you keep it damp it starts smelling awful really fast.

You're doing something wrong, I've never had a problem with smelly peat. In fact, that's the only substrate I've tested so far, that didn't get smelly fast.

[ConcinusMan]

OK, mr. math, so how is it that you still think it's expensive for you? I think it's quite reasonably priced the way I got it online, for what it is. I just think if you want something natural looking, you can't beat coconut fiber and/or reptile bark. Peat moss, at least what I get around here is only slightly cheaper and it's garbage as far as I'm concerned. The coconut fiber is a bit more expensive but a better value. Of course, value is just an opinion. I don't give a damn how cheap peat is, I don't want to use it, tried it, it's crap and so the low cost doesn't matter if it's not what you need or want.

I must have screwed up somewhere, talking about two different substrates. I went back and checked my purchase. It was $4.79 for a 8 (dry) US quart bag (that's roughly 8.8 of your liters) for reptile bark.

Coconut fiber bricks, 3 pack which expand to create 24 liters of substrate, cost me $9.85. (pet store charges around $18) Shipping costs are hardly significant enough to be worth mentioning.

Math gives me headache. I'll let you figure it out. I still think there might be a problem with your currency conversion because, while it's not cheapest substrate I can get, it's certainly not expensive to me. I'm not rich by any means but I still don't think that it was unreasonably priced.

[Spankenstyne]

I use Aspen and find it works great, it's a good choice. Lots of ways to go about it that will work, we all seem to have our preferences but to answer the original question I know of many others that use it and swear by it as well. I tend to use the chip these days for many of my snakes.

[Stefan-A]

OK, mr. math, so how is it that you still think it's expensive for you? I think it's quite reasonably priced the way I got it online, for what it is.

How do you think it's reasonably priced? Don't you have a forest industry? I'm just saying, considering the quantities of bark produced as a byproduct of the forest industry, it should be significantly cheaper than it is.

I just think if you want something natural looking, you can't beat coconut fiber and/or reptile bark.

None of the substrates look natural. Peat, bark, aspen chips, paper towels, ultimately they all look wrong.

Grab a camera, go to where you find garters and take photos of the ground in a few dozen random places. If I were to look for a genuinely natural looking substrate for example for Vipera berus in this country, and exluding areas where there is significant undergrowth, the ground would most likely either be sandy soil covered by pine needles, or humus covered by leaf litter.

Math gives me headache. I'll let you figure it out. I still think there might be a problem with your currency conversion because, while it's not cheapest substrate I can get, it's certainly not expensive to me. I'm not rich by any means but I still don't think that it was unreasonably priced.

CBA and no there isn't.

[kibakiba]

You guys argue so much! You both give ME a headache What's cheap for Richard isn't cheap for you, and what you like Richard doesn't like. To him reptile bark and coconut fiber looks natural, to you it doesn't. You're both 2 different people, you have 2 different opinions. Sheeesh quick bickering like a married couple....

[Snakers]

You guys argue so much! You both give ME a headache What's cheap for Richard isn't cheap for you, and what you like Richard doesn't like. To him reptile bark and coconut fiber looks natural, to you it doesn't. You're both 2 different people, you have 2 different opinions. Sheeesh quick bickering like a married couple....

LOL! I see your points!

[infernalis]

At least we all agree that Aspen sucks....


I buy my reptile bark from a vendor that has flat rate shipping, so when I order I get 6-8 bags and 2-4 of the coconut fiber brick 3 packs.

Only have to order substrates about 2-3 times a year for all the snakes I have...

Math aside, (I do agree with Stefan, he found what works for him and he likes it. ) I have tried substrates from other sources like garden shops, and have always been disappointed with dirty crap substrates that are better suited as mulch.

[ConcinusMan]

You guys argue so much! You both give ME a headache What's cheap for Richard isn't cheap for you, and what you like Richard doesn't like. To him reptile bark and coconut fiber looks natural, to you it doesn't. You're both 2 different people, you have 2 different opinions. Sheeesh quick bickering like a married couple....

LoL. I love it. You know what, I'm really starting to like kibakiba. She's very cool.

You know what, I like what you said but don't interfere. I'm quite enjoying the argument. I like arguing with Stefan. Don't mess it up for me.

I have a feeling if we were to meet and spend time together we would argue for hours, and at the same time, enjoy it, and each others' company.

I could say his snakes are ugly fuggly. He would say mine look like they evolved on a Christmas tree. We would both be right and that makes everything OK.