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Is gravel a good substrate for kings? I'm looking at getting a cali or grayband in about a month. I was goin to use aspen, but gravel looks better in the below post. Is it hard to clean? Also, does it allow the snakes to burrow? Thanks!
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1.0 Hypo Tang Leopard Gecko
1.0 Giant Jungle Albino Leopard Gecko
0.1 Normal Leopard Gecko
0.1 SHTCT Baldy Leopard Gecko
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1.0 African Fat Tailed Gecko
0.1 Crested Gecko
1.1 Cornsnakes
1.0 Ball Python
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Aspen is the preferred and choice substrate amongst most breeders of large colnies for sanitary reasons. But if you want the extra and expense of cleaning for display puposes then gravel is fine. Spot cleaning will work for a while and then you have to dump all that heavy gravel and dispose of it.

Personally, I prefer aspen (or other wood-derived substrates) to gravel simply because it's easier to find my snake when he burrows. These substrates are also much easier to dispose and clean than gravel. I hope this helps.

>>Is gravel a good substrate for kings? I'm looking at getting a cali or grayband in about a month. I was goin to use aspen, but gravel looks better in the below post.
>>>Is it hard to clean? Also, does it allow the snakes to burrow? Thanks!

I find its real easy to clean, I use cheap paper plates and plastic spoons. Just scoop it on to the plate, put plate in your recyled plastic grocery bags, tie a knot, and drop it in the garbage can.
If you spot clean after each feeding, you can go and easy six months without changing the sand. Than I just recyle the sand by letting it soak in a bucket of water and bleach for about a week, stir with a stick, then push a water hose to the bottom of the bucket untill the water runs clear. then I dump in to sand bags to let dry.

>>Also, does it allow the snakes to burrow?
I've had a few snakes crawl thru it, and they like to dig in it. The Sand also contains heat well. I wouldn't recommend sand with any fines in it, I use #2/12 grit kiln dried sand, works real well.

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R.Bichlers Colubrids
http://www.webspawner.com/users/rbichler/index.html

I had my Glossy snake on gravel/sand and he was fine. Only thing w/ gravel v. aspen is that gravel is such a heavy medium and the way I have my snakes set up I have to lift the tanks off the shelves to get the snakes out for cleaning and handling. Needless to say it's lighter and easier w/ aspen.

reako45