Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I am currently using a repti-bark and Potting soil mixture with my Anoles. I see most people seem to really like the cypress mulch. Is anyone tried the potting soil? I would like to keep a more natural environment for them. Could the potting soil harm them at all? If this is a bad Idea I will try to find Cypress mulch. I haven't seen it before but I am sure that it is around here...
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I dont think you should use that. Either cypress mulch or even newspaper. Newspaper looks ugly, I think with mulch you need to bake it in the oven to kill everything in it. What I have used which my tegu loves to bury itself in is creature travelers soft chips http://www.creaturetravelers.com/Products/ProductsGroups/pages/reptiles2.htm for the hide box you can use the Soft bed they make it hold good humidity. I use both of these they are great never had any problem with bugs I know Daryl the owner hes a great guy. One time I used bed-a beast w bad mistake it stuck to my tegus eyes and he hated it not to mention the huge mess it makes also I tried putting some type of bark but I noticed there were bugs in it. Creature travelers stuff doesnt have bugs cause once its opened from the coconut it is immediately packaged giving bugs no time to get into it. He will ship it to your house also. My friend and I love this stuff in fact it pretty much lasts forver all you have to do is spot clean it.
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Thank you for that advice. Now that you mention the bugs I am really surprised I don't have more in my mixture but I treat it with a bug killer liquid before my animales go in it. I will try that stuff. I might try some of the mulch just because it is easier to get my hands on for the first batch as I am hopefully getting my new tegu this afternoon. I will prob be back here with alot more questions. I like doing things right the first time.
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oooh better be carefull with that isect killer. that can be harfull to your herps

Kewl thanks, I usually treat the soil and let it soak for about an hour or so while my herps are in a staging area. And after a little while I rinse all the substrate to get rid of the soap and it didn't do any harm to my anoles. but yes I did wanna be very careful with that stuff.

I wouldnt use that... You shouldnt have to treat anything and it could be toxic to your herp. Buy something you dont have to worry about it. You could bake it in the oven for a while that would do the job without using something that could be toxic to them