Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hey guys, i just posted a message about proper ventilation, and now im starting to notice white mold growing on the peatmoss on the bottom of the enclosure. How do you keep high humidity without mold growing on the moist bottom??? I'm assuming this mold is bad news and will harm my henk.
Please help

Frisk

you're probably getting the substrate too damp or the air just isnt circulating thru there at all. maybe try misting more often with less water so humidity keeps up but the substrate doesnt get too moist? maybe even try putting moss over the top of the substrate, but i dont know if thatll work or not. maybe try some leaf litter?

Are you using a good UV light on them? UV light tends to inhibit mold growth fairly well. I hardly ever have any in my U.ebenaui cage. Try that it should help. It also may be time for the substrate to be changed out. I usually do mine every 6 months.

Cheers,
boy

Cleanliness is next to Godliness...give your enclosure a good scrubbing with warm water and mild soap. Some substrates support mold growth better than others, cypress for example, has a lower pH than most and will inhibit some unwanted growth. Keeping the whole system well ventilated is also important.

So ventilation is important to their health as well as to stop mold growth? As far as the UVB lighting comment, have a Reptiglo 5.0 on top. Also im using peatmoss as a substrate, which i thought had a resonably low ph anyway. The cage has only been set up for a week.

Thanks
Frisk

eco earth or bed a best will last a lot longer without molding compared to peat moss.
it is also much cleaner and no where near as dusty.
anyone else feel the same way?

I have to agree with you about the peat moss. I use a coco-fiber type material I get from a local hydroponics shop near my place and have been having great success with it. I add some orchid bark to the mix to give it more consistency and love it. I have a lot of good breeding from my U. ebenaui with it. I also use filtered water with all of my animals. I can not say that its been a noticable difference when it comes but it works. I also bleach all of my cage wood when I get it because I collect in the San Gabriel Mountain range out here in L.A.

But UV light seems to be the best for me with solving mold growth issue.

cheers,
boy