substrate for shingles URGENT my shingle is sick

[lizardman59]

what do you use as a substrate for shingles i need to know as my shingle has a cold because a guy at reptile traders said pine shaving were a good substrate please do any of you know a good substrate

 

[harley0402]

i use coco soft, its great for all reptiles even if ingested, and its 100% natural coconut husk

 

[reptilife]

I just PM'd you lizardman before I saw this thread

 

[harley0402]

it is also soft for ground dwelling reptiles that like to burrow and it holds the warmth too. I have a bhp and she loves sliding through it and curling up in it. I would recommend to anyone.

 

[lizardman59]

where do you get it from

 

[Wally]

If you've ever kept shingles or blueys for that matter on newspaper you will quickly realise just how much they p*ss. Keeping them on a substrate that may hide this can be a problem as it creates humidity in the enclosure. The only way to prevent this is regular substrate changes or newspaper as a substrate. Or keep them outside if permissible.

 

[lizardman59]

thanks wally

anyone else know a good substrate

 

[harley0402]

I just got it from my local produce, they have a little reptile section, i have also seen it online, i just googled cocosoft for sale in what ever state your in and just looked around. Petshops might be able to order it in for you. If your shingle does pee alot then like wally said, newspaper might be a good option.

 

[Wally]

You can keep them on marshmellows if you want to, it really has nothing to do with the substrate type and everything to do with the keepers diligence.

Edit: I'm being facetious, don't keep your skinks on marshmellows.

 

[hornet]

pine shavings are fine, i used them for a few years but they do have the same problems as kitty litter, they can be a bit dusty, they can dry the enclosure out and are alot harder to clean. As for coco fibre being great for all reptiles even when ingested, where on earth did you get that from? It may not kill them all the time (i have personally lost a rep from ingesting coco fibre) i wouldnt say its good for them if they do eat it. It is a great substrate but as with most subs it can cause serious problems if it is ingested. Big downside to subs like coco fibre with species that do poo and pee alot is the cost, you will probably need to change the sub completely once every 1-2weeks, spot cleaning isnt good enough as the urine will soak into the coco peat, same with pine shavings and kitty litter. I stick to newspaper, easy to keep clean, free and still allows them to hide. Now when you say your shingle has a cold, what do you mean?

 

[hornet]

where do you get it from

bunnings, kmart, target, hardware shops. Its coco peat or coir with a fancy name and a huge price tag. You can pick it up from bunnings for about $2

 

[harley0402]

can i just ask, lizardman said he was told to use pine shavings, and i have been told strickly not to use pine or cedar shavings. is this true ? if so can you tell my why pine and cedar arnt good options ? If they are raw shavings, would that be ok ? im just asking because at first i was going to use pine shavings then i was told not to and it took me forever to find a substrate that was suitable but at the same time wasnt newspaper, only because i thought news paper is kinda boreing hehe, sorry i was asking wally, im a slow typer and his was the last post at the time hehe, sorry

 

[harley0402]

Sorry hornet but it is coconut husk not peat, i know the diff and its not that pricey

 

[Wally]

Harley, I believe it's the oils from pine and cedar that may be the problem.

 

[spongebob]

If it's got a cold concentrate on creating a hot basking area rather than the substrate. What ever you keep it on will need to be changed daily anyway while it is sick. Newspaper is probably the best. Once it is well then it's time to consider the most appropriate substrate for general maintenance.

 

[hornet]

Sorry hornet but it is coconut husk not peat, i know the diff and its not that pricey

if you take the time to read my post you will see i said coco peat, no peat, they are 2 different products, cocosoft is is just a brand name coco peat and seems to be about 5x the price of the "home brand" types. Individually its not much but over time you will save a fortune

 

[Reptile-Man]

Coco substrate like coco peat or coco soft something 100% organic so if he eats it while eating his prey he won't get sick.

 

[hornet]

I believe its cedar thats a big no no, i believe pine is fine, i have used it with no probs in the past but switched to newspaper just to make things easier. As for the coco soft, from what i've seen its normally $7-$10 in pet stores, same thing from bunnings is $2. There are a few things like that, the cricket water crystals are another example, they are just normal gardening water crystals with a fancy name and a beefed up price. The coco husk is great for so many things, i keep most of my inverts on it and its a great addition to potting mix but since losing a rep from eating it i have stopped using it with reps although it would probably be fine with large lizards like shingles and blueys

 

[harley0402]

oh ok cool, would the pine shavings from petshops be raw ? is there a way you can tell if its been treated ? or are you taking about like natural oils found in the wood itself ?

 

[hornet]

Coco substrate like coco peat or coco soft something 100% organic so if he eats it while eating his prey he won't get sick.

it doesnt matter if its organic or not, if they eat too much at once it can block their airways causing death, probably wont be much of an issue with a large specimen buti personally wouldnt risk it if its a small shingle, i had a beautiful northern spotted velvet gecko die from ingesting coco peat, it can and does happen