Reptile & Amphibian Forums

ive kept my black rats in calcisand for almost a year......but they havent seemed to do well.....some have gotten eye problems...some have gotten blackness under some belly scales....

what are your thoughts?

i am switching to turf

keith
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I'm not sure I want popular opinion on my side -- I've noticed those with the most opinions often have the fewest facts.

I don't like using sand of any sort for non-desert dwelling snakes due to it's invasive qualities (sounds like it's really bothering your snakes too).

I used astro turf/carpet type substrate for a number of years but it was a pain. Hard to tell if it's really clean since moisture just seeps through and settles at bottom. It took a while to dry out too, so I had to have spare pieces to swap out during cage cleaning.

Some people have had good results with aspen shavings, but you should watch when feeding the snakes in the cage because they sometimes swallow it with their dinner, which can lead to impaction. Also, even with spot cleaning visible waste every few days, it can still get pretty funky. When I cleaned out the whole tank, I usually ended up with half of it on the floor which doubled my clean up (ok, so I'm sort of clumsy too).

I prefer paper substrates like paper towel, news print, or heavy craft paper. I know when they're clean, they're absorbant and not likely to be ingested. It also makes cage cleaning really simple which is always a plus. And if you ever end up with mites (hope you don't, but it seems inevitable if you keeep enough snakes long enough) paper substrate is the easiest way to identify them early and start your treatment regimen.
Just some observations based on my snake keeping experiences.
Lora

I use "Lizard Liner Terrarium Carpet". It is like a stiff heavy felt. I have two for each cage. They are easy to clean and quickly. I like them better than the Astro Turf because I think they are easier to clean and more absorbent, and you can feed your snake on it.

I don't like the idea of using newsprint. The ink will come off on any animal that is in contact with it. Any one who has delivered papers knows that this is true. Fewer chemicals I feel are always better.

Best of luck with your animals.

Rick

n/m
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Mark

I use the really cheap aspen from walmart.It is fine cut and I feed on it.I use a shop vac to clean it out so there is no mess.

(nay cubed)

I would not use any sort of sand either. I also had astroturf in the tanks, but the thing is that its so un absorbant it would stink i would have to soak the carpet in vinegar every month or so...it was too much of a pain in the a**. i had 2 pieces for each tank. now i'm on aspen and i like it so much better, and so do my snakes. they are a lot more active now than they were and to me their happiness means a lot. I just take about once a month or so a big 55 gallon black trash bag, put it over the tank, and dump it all in there...simple cleanup (along with spot cleaning of course)
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The reason mainstream thought is thought of as a stream is because it's so shallow. -George Carlin

Battling ignorance one stupid person at a time.

Current snakes:
0.1 Licorice Stick Black Rat (Lola)
1.0 Neonate Black Rat (het for Lic Stk's) (Frankie)
1.1 Texas Bairds (Jose and Rosa)
0.1 Blue Beauty (Brunhilde)