FAQ:Best substrate for pythons

[JandC_Reptiles]

I offer to shake your hand Slim6y, I think shade cloth would be alright for some people.
Without members trying something new & un-heard of we would never get results or evolve to newer & better ideas about husbandry. Imagine if everybody followed the owner of the 1st snake in captivities advice & all used soil & leaves. Or if we caught wild rodents to feed our beloved ones.

IMO urine will soak through newspaper just as easily as it would shade cloth. So the problem of having moisture in a timber enclosure still remains, it just means cleaning enclosures have to be done regularly (as is the case with any substrate)

[codeth]

Originally Posted by slim6y

would that not still provide a substrate for mould (rot) to grow on anyway?
.

yes if left in there like that , as soon as i spot dirty newspaper i change it. normaly bout every 2 days. but i just had a thought , put a few sheets of newpaper under the shade cloth then it just wouldnt be sitting under it, it would be soaked up ready for disposal. jmo

[shamous1]

Use paper. If you can afford more expensive substrate and have the time to clean it then buy it. I use all sorts and find all easy to manage......but I have plenty of help.

[bug_collector]

i got a whole lotta that fake grass astroturf stuff from pool and rubber shops

[slim6y]

Originally Posted by JandC_Reptiles

I offer to shake your hand Slim6y, I think shade cloth would be alright for some people.
Without members trying something new & un-heard of we would never get results or evolve to newer & better ideas about husbandry. Imagine if everybody followed the owner of the 1st snake in captivities advice & all used soil & leaves. Or if we caught wild rodents to feed our beloved ones.

IMO urine will soak through newspaper just as easily as it would shade cloth. So the problem of having moisture in a timber enclosure still remains, it just means cleaning enclosures have to be done regularly (as is the case with any substrate)

handshake accepted and experiment of using shade cloth seems just fine for my purposes that's for sure.

I find I am cleaning the shade cloth around 1 - 2 times per week depending on activity. This is a simple wipe down with a cloth... Full cleaning occurs much less regularly.

Another good thing of the shadecloth is its insulating properties, keeping your snake cooler in summer and warmer in winter...

Well, good luck for those who wish to rin off to Bunnings or Mitre 10 for a metre or two of shade cloth for their herps! keen to hear of your experiences.

[rumfreak]

have not had any problems with the astro turf and it looks great

[pixie]

dont buy the cheapo fake grass as each time you hose it little bits of fake grass come off and go everywhere, i had it for a while but switched to newspaper...

[jkrakka]

wow theres some great ideas from very one in here

[Dan123]

hey all
i have 3tanks ones currantally not in use and ive tryed out alll the different substrates with snakes and a few blues i used to have and heres what i found
bark- horrible when the blues got to it it smelt worse than my mouse room
astroturf- was ok but i had to keep disinfecting it which took a goof half hour
stones/aquarium gravel- was ok but hard to clean and cant use as snakes especially juvies can consume it
paper- was brilliant easy to clean and very simple just diddent look as good
AUSPET and BREEDERS CHOICE- this is the way to go cheap,easy to clean, looks good and its totaly safe there both kitty liters made of compressed cardboard i think and they are fantastic when they get waste on them water/poo/lizzard food they just break down and you remove them with a shovel and replace takes less than a minute

[The-Guy]

I use some kind of bark stuff, no idea what its called, but to clean up u just remove the poo and substate around it coz its pretty cheap, it looks alright and come in a large packet, if u dont dry food proply it sticks to it but ive had no probs with that.

[Aussie Python Lover]

I use breeder's choice recycled paper bits i use it all the time have had no probs with it yet, cheap way to go. bark chips not many ppl suggest that here in darwin alot of ppl use the fake grass turf or the shredded paper. three of my friends who have snakes used to use wood chips til they found out the bark wasnt treated for mites and stuff and thier snakes got mites..... so ill stick to using that but it comes down to the person on what they want to use. im sure you will make a good decision on what to use Good luck matey

[jonesc1]

does anyone use just washed river sand for their pythons? none seems to hav said anything bout it, closest was aquarium gravel. would it have the same problems as gravel and cause impaction? or because of the smaller particles would it pass through it it was accidentally consumed?

[Squamata]

I have over 100 pythons and I use butcher paper (on top of newspaper) for most of them, it is a little bit more expensive than just newspaper, but easier to pick up any problems that the newspaper might hide. I Dont like breeders choice, too drying and can harbour bacteria. River sand is ok, as long as you use a feeding plate so that your python or animal doesnt injest it. I use beach sand for some of my Stimmis, but use a feeding plate or feed them when they are in the branches, so cool to see six stimmis all hanging from a branch eating. GTG Beauty just dropped a beauty for me to clean up

Being in WA i have a drier warmer climate than most of you guys, so each to their own, you will find what suits you and your python best.

[Reptilian]

i use normal towels (like we use after a shower)...each weeks i take out the old and wash in the machine and replace with new towels...

[jkrakka]

thanks every one for your help im getting my first snake tmrw its a little female bredli and for now im going to use news papper then ill eventually get some of that marine carpet. i am also thinking of getting some of those shiny river stones you get from garden centers is there any problem with these thanks