Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I just bought one of those bricks of coconut mulch. You put it in water and it expands. Has anyone else tried this stuff? Either as a substrate or as an incubation medium? It seems real nice but I was wodering if it molds or has any other bad attributes? I have always used vermiculite for incubating but I hate the way is seems to adhere to the neonates when they hatch out.

I am trying this stuff in a couple cages right now as a substrate and plan on using it on at least one clutch of eggs this year but I am wondering if anyone has experiences with it already.

I used it for a Tiger salamander years ago, it held moisture ok, but had to mist it often. I don't know how well it works for snakes. I would use cypress mulch if you wanted a slightly moister substrate.
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Todd Hughes

I mix it 50/50 with play sand and use it for my scarlet kings. It doesn't mold at least if ventilation is good. That said this mix does dry out fairly quickly when well ventilated so you'll need to adjust moisture level.

Thanks Tony and Todd. Tony do the scarlet kings make burrows in it?
I used this stuff one time called Jungle Mix or something like that and mold and mushrooms grew in it. I did not eat the mushrooms, lol.

Yes they do and the tunnels hold up fairly well as long as there is at least a little moisture present.

I use it mixed with spaghnum in nesting boxes and I use separate boxes to incubate.

Works great.

Chris

http://www.kingofkingsreptiles.com

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"All the fancy names in the world will be of no help if you do not know the difference between chocolate pudding and pig poop." -Frank Retes

Thanks that's good to know about the incubation. I have been using it now for about a week. I put a layer of damp coconut mulch on the bottom and topped it with a layer of dry sand. I figured the dry sand would eventually get moist so I also put a deli cup half full of dry sand in there; kinda the opposite of a dry cage with moist hide.
So far they seem to love it, they make burrows that hold up and 3 out of the 8 nonfeeders(graybands) I have from last year took live unscented pinks.

I use the coconut fiber from the bricks along with green sphagnum moss in my Brazilian Rainbow Boa damp moss hide boxes. If the ventilation is low to non existant the stuff stays wet/very damp for months. I regularly end up with the sphagnum moss molding because of the high humidity(gonna try a different source soon) but even if the green moss on top is completely full of mold I have never had the coconut fiber itself start growing mold. I've even taken the moss box that had very moldy green moss and set it asside for an extended period with the coconut fiber still in it and non of the spores seemed to take hold in the coconut.

If you do not need the moisture holding characteristic I don't think it is that great of a substrate but I have been extremely impressed with it's mold resistance.

Sean.
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1.1 BRB
1.1 Triple Het TPRS's
0.1 Silver TPRS
1.1 Amel Bloodred Corns
0.1 Abbott Okeetee Corn
0.1 Blizzard Bloodred Corn
1.1 Thayeri Kingsnakes
0.1 Reeve's Turtle
0.2 Amstaff's
1.0 Pudytat

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