Using kitty litter as sibstrate
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saximus
Almost Legendary
I use oz-pet which is pelletised wood I think. I was so happy when I switched from newspaper to this. My Jungle enclosure always used to smell (for all those flamers, yes I cleaned it regularly but the smell seemed embedded even after replacing the paper). Now I can stick my head in there virtually straight after he has messed it and all you get it a bit of a timber smell from the litter.
lace90
Active Member
I use Max's kitty litter...cheap, biodegradable, non toxic and looks nice and sooo easy to clean.
abnrmal91
Very Well-Known Member
I was using newspaper but have changed to "kitty's crumble" same as kritters crumble but cheaper and in a larger bag. It only cost $23 or $24 for the 6kg bag so definitely cheap enough. Pm me if anyone wants to know were to get it near in western Sydney.
yeah, Ozpet is the best!!
Lokis enclosure seemed to have a 'smell' embedded in it too, i scrubbed with dishwashing liquid, bleach, everything and nothing would get rid of it,...now his tank smells clean and fresh,..even when theres a massive nugget sitting on his substrate.
and the shingles were such stinky buggers too, no matter how often i scrubbed and changed paper it would reek, you could smell them from the front door,...since changing to ozpet there is no smell whatsoever, even when the ozpet is heavily soiled theres no smell and its simple as to spot clean.
oh, ozpet is $20 for a 20kg bag.......cheap as chips!!
Lokis enclosure seemed to have a 'smell' embedded in it too, i scrubbed with dishwashing liquid, bleach, everything and nothing would get rid of it,...now his tank smells clean and fresh,..even when theres a massive nugget sitting on his substrate.
and the shingles were such stinky buggers too, no matter how often i scrubbed and changed paper it would reek, you could smell them from the front door,...since changing to ozpet there is no smell whatsoever, even when the ozpet is heavily soiled theres no smell and its simple as to spot clean.
oh, ozpet is $20 for a 20kg bag.......cheap as chips!!
saximus
Almost Legendary
I'm surprised the kitty litter haters haven't popped up yet. There is an argument against it that when you spot clean you don't get it all and that the liquids can leak under and support bacteria. However, I have found if you use a deep enough layer it soaks all of the liquid up without any problems and another bonus with oz-pet is it breaks down into a kind of powder as soon as it gets wet which gives it more surface area to dry quicker
Red-Ink
Very Well-Known Member
I use breeders choice kitty litter for my stumpy. It keeps the humidity in the enclosure nice and low.
abnrmal91
Very Well-Known Member
I am sorry I just realized we have been giving you the wrong answer he is looking for some sibstrate, not substrate. Haha the ozpet stuff is cheap but I don't like the look particularly. Definetly better than newspaper.
ive found anything more than an inch is too much as the liquid just goes straight to the bottom and is harder to see/spot clean,..(i started off with a 3 inch layer).
with 1 inch the patch of sawdust is clearly visible, easily and fully removed,.....i spot clean for a few months without replacing any, then do a complete change with whatever is left.
ive started feeding my soiled ozpet to the fire,....less waste!
with 1 inch the patch of sawdust is clearly visible, easily and fully removed,.....i spot clean for a few months without replacing any, then do a complete change with whatever is left.
ive started feeding my soiled ozpet to the fire,....less waste!
SamNabz
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Dan, how long have you been using Oz-Pet for?
I have just switched back to newspaper from Kritter's Crumble after a small piece got into one of my darwin's eye and gave it a little infection (all cleared up now after some antibiotics); I was wondering if you (or anyone else using it) can list some pros/cons and if you have had any problems with it to date.
Cheers, Sam
saximus
Almost Legendary
Hmm not sure exactly how long but it's been at least six months. I haven't had any problems with health. I did notice that it can stick to prey items if they are still a bit wet from the defrosting but because of the size of the pellets they've never been ingested (touch wood)
Pros: Easy to clean. No smell
Cons: Can get messy and difficult to fully replace once it turns to dust (but a cheap vacuum fixes that). Lowers humidity quite a bit
Others can probably add to that list but they are my major ones
pros - ALL bad smells gone
wonderful to spot clean,....takes less than 30 secs to fully remove a poop/pee and have the enclosure back to sparkly and clean
cheap
looks nice
cons - its heavy (when buying/bringing home)
loose substrate so feeding on it isnt advised.
umm,...having a really hard time finding cons,....
wonderful to spot clean,....takes less than 30 secs to fully remove a poop/pee and have the enclosure back to sparkly and clean
cheap
looks nice
cons - its heavy (when buying/bringing home)
loose substrate so feeding on it isnt advised.
umm,...having a really hard time finding cons,....
sarah_m
Very Well-Known Member
I have been using ozpet as a substrate for my BHP for 3yrs and he digs and burrows through it and has never had a problem with it. I do the same as chris1, spot clean when needed and a full change every 8 weeks or so.
I give mine his rat on newspaper so there is no risk of him ingesting it
I give mine his rat on newspaper so there is no risk of him ingesting it
I used to use Breeder's choice kitty litter for my spotted a couple of years back, never had any issues. I use newspaper in my click-clacks for hatchies, but will use Kritters Crumble in my display enclosure. Comes down to personal choice.
Torah
Very Well-Known Member
why dont people use sand ?? Just wondering
Red-Ink
Very Well-Known Member
Sand would be species dependant Torah, fine for womas as well as most dragons. I wouldn't use it on morelias though.
Boondocker
Active Member
I haven't seen these pellets.
Are the oz-pet pellets the same as wood stove pellets, the kind of wood pellets sold for burning to heat homes?
saximus
Almost Legendary
It doesn't really absorb liquids very well either
They are actual kitty litter pellets. I haven't seen the wood stove pellets but these are a bit thicker than a pencil and about 2cm long and they break down into a dust when they get wet
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