Reptile & Amphibian Forums

i was told to get some exo-terra coco husk for my savannah monitor. i cannot find the stuff locally and the shipping if i buy it online is about 4X the cost of each block. my local pet store does have some t-rex forest bed. is it the same and will it work? also do i need to mix it with sand of any sort?

The best substate hands down for any monitor is DIRT. ProExotics has great info on thier website on how to mix and where to get. I use topsoil bought from your local hardware store with a mixture of playground sand. It allows them to dig and holds moisture. The deeper the better.
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Scott
"The most powerful person never has to use it"

snakeeyes i've heard you can use dirt (just not the clay you find around here) but EVERYONE i've talked to, from the guy in the pet shop who knew very little about monitors to a friend who has kept monitors for 18 years and runs a reptile rescue with her friend who is a reptile vet has told me NEVER to use playsand because its poisonous if ingested.

I have never heard that....I have kept mine on it for over 2 years now with a mixture of topsoil and he has been fine....I get my topsoil like i said from the major home improvement stores
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Scott
"The most powerful person never has to use it"

i was told always to use substrate thats made for them or calcium sand because it wont hurt them if they swallow it. the silica in the playsand is poisonous.

HUH...That is funny i have kept different herps on it for years and never once had a problem....Had a beardie on it and he lived 13 years. I dont htink the scilia is in it anymore...I remember reading that someplace...Sounds like someone pushing the more expenisve stuff
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Scott
"The most powerful person never has to use it"

>>i was told always to use substrate thats made for them
>>or calcium sand because it wont hurt them if they swallow
>>it. the silica in the playsand is poisonous.

Silica is chemically inert and quite non-toxic (although it is harder than tooth enamel so if you eat it your teach can wear down faster - but this is not an issue for monitors because reptiles replace their teeth frequently). Silica blasting sand has sharp edges that can cause small cuts and abrasions. Some have said that blasting sand can lock together easier and is thus prone to forming blockages. Play sand is much smoother, and is safe. You would expect this - many types of monitors live in places with sand, most of which is made of silica, and they seem to be thriving.

The stuff they sell as calcium sand in stores is not so good. It clumps when it gets wet, so it has the potential to form blockages if ingested. In fact, many reptile keepers have experienced calci-sand blockages in their reptiles. If the sand were pure calcium carbonate this would not be an issue, because the sand particles would dissolve in the stomach acid. However, it is easy to show that calci-sand is not pure calcium carbonate - just drop a grain in vinegar. When I did this, there was some bubbling as the calcium carbonate dissolved away, but soon the bubbling stopped and even after some time there was still a grain that had not been dissolved by the acid. I personally have had problems with calci-sand, because it sticks to wet things. A grain got in the eye of a bearded dragon I own, and it was very difficult to remove. That beardie was scared of me for quite a while afterward because of what I put it through to get the grain out (after several days when it would not come out on its own).

Luke

it would make sense that they were pushing expensive stuff but more than one person who i knew on a personal level and had nothing to sell to me told me this. thanks for the info on the calcium sand. i know now not no buy it. so a bag of topsoil mixed with some play sand would work best? do i need to put coconut husk in it to help keep the burrow from collapsing?

>>so a bag of topsoil mixed with some play sand would work best?

I've heard that one good mix is a bag of topsoil, a bag of play sand, and a bag of vermiculite. I think the pro exotics website has the exact proportions that they used to use.

What would work best would probably be good natural scrubland soil (for savanna monitors, other monitors may do better on other kinds of soil). If you can't get that, the topsoil - play sand - vermiculite mix can serve.

>>do i need to put coconut husk in it to help keep the burrow
>>from collapsing?

You could always experiment with the coconut pulp to find out. Try the straight mix, and if it will not hold a burrow when very slightly moist then mix in some coconut stuff.

Luke

can you post the link to the substrate recipe you were talking about? i looked and couldnt find it.

>>can you post the link to the substrate recipe you were
>>talking about? i looked and couldnt find it.

Here you go ...
http://www.proexotics.com/FAQ2.html#19

thanks much.

I strongly suggest getting a copy of the Savannah book by Bennett and Ravi, available at our site, or here on the classifieds.

If these folks are really giving you this advice ("everyone" you know, including the rescue guy) then I would suggest limiting conversation to simpler topics like "Where can I get good tacos?" : )

You are certainly being given bad monitor lizard advice. Typical pet store recommendations though. Ugh.

The Home Depot mix of topsoil/playsand/vermiculite in a 50/25/25 mix is a good start. Mixes well, digs well, burrows well, and the lizards will use it.

Some folks go with just soil and sand, lots of folks dig their own in the forest or creek bed. But if you don't know where to start, or what makes a good soil, try the Home Depot mix. Simple and economical as well.

And get that book. It is a must have, and covers modern lizard husbandry very well.

Best of luck.
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robyn@proexotics.com

ShipYourReptiles.com
Pro Exotics Reptiles

>>i was told to get some exo-terra coco husk for my
>>savannah monitor. i cannot find the stuff locally
>>and the shipping if i buy it online is about 4X the
>>cost of each block. my local pet store does have
>>some t-rex forest bed. is it the same and will it
>>work? also do i need to mix it with sand of any sort?

First, coco husk is only really suitable for short term housing. For the long term enclosure for your new pet, about a foot or two depth of good, diggable dirt that will hold a burrow will be ideal. You can get dirt in bulk from landscape stores (many nurseries also double as landscapers). I recently bought a load of dirt for $15 per cubic yard, and another $40 for delivery. A cubic yard of that went into the enclosure I am constructing for an argus monitor I plan to pick up soon, nicely filling the bottom half of an 8' x 3' galvanized steel horse watering trough. A similar setup would be ideal for your savanna as an adult.

Second, nurseries will sell shredded coconut pith for about half the price of pet stores. I would suggest paying a local nursery a visit and see what they have to offer.

Luke