Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I'm going to keep my 3 plateds in a big aquarium on my porch during the summer. Its about 6 feet long and 18 inches deep. Do you think that hay or straw would make a good substrate? It will be plenty humid enough thanks to our Virginia summers, but probably not so humid that that it would get moldy unless they spilt their water on it. I just wonder whether hay/straw woud be too dusty? which(if either) do you think would workthe best and look the best?
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"Let us step out into the night and pursue that mighty temptress, adventure." (Albus Dumbledore)

My menagerie
2.1 Ball Pythons 1.0 Amazon Tree Boa 1.0 Corn Snake 1.0 Dumeril's Boa 1.2 Bearded Dragons(and 11 eggs!) 2.1 Crested Geckos 1.2 Sudan Plated Lizards 0.0.5 Eastern Painted Turtles 1.1.5 Eastern Box Turtles 1.1 Eastern Red-spotted Newts 1.0 Northern Mockingbird 0.3 Chickens 2.0 Cats 1.1 Ferrets 1.4 mice 0.0.34 London Shubunkin goldfish

I would go with cypress mulch. It dries out well if wet and doesnt get moldy. Its very moisture resistant. I am afraid the hay or straw would break down and hold mold much more easily, and probably hidden underneath the top layer.

Yeah, cyprus mulch would be a lot better. But how damp is it? I'll be breeding my plateds so I want the females to lay in a lay box, not the substrate.
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"Let us step out into the night and pursue that mighty temptress, adventure." (Albus Dumbledore)

My menagerie
2.1 Ball Pythons 1.0 Amazon Tree Boa 1.0 Corn Snake 1.0 Dumeril's Boa 1.2 Bearded Dragons(and 11 eggs!) 2.1 Crested Geckos 1.2 Sudan Plated Lizards 0.0.5 Eastern Painted Turtles 1.1.5 Eastern Box Turtles 1.1 Eastern Red-spotted Newts 1.0 Northern Mockingbird 0.3 Chickens 2.0 Cats 1.1 Ferrets 1.4 mice 0.0.34 London Shubunkin goldfish

Cypress mulch like any substrate, will remain as damp as the conditions its kept in. I quess you are really looking for how dry does it get? It gets pretty dry IMO when not misted, or exposed to wet conditions, and dries out fairly quick when it does get moist if not too thick and in a well ventilated area. Even Eco Earth and other coco fiber stuff gets pretty dry if not misted. So, a lay box purposefully kept optimally moist should be more secure and inviting then the mulch that is allowed to dry out. But, I have heard of snakes laying their eggs in their water bowls and even ignoring their nice lay boxes, so there is always a chance for error regardless of our husbandry practices LOL! I hope this is answering your question. Just treat it like any commerical substrate.