| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| oakleyman18 |
Posted - 16/12/2010 : 14:48:41
Hi guys and girls,
For anyone new to Rainbow keeping, I thought it'd be useful to illustrate some of the types of substrate available which can help keep humidity levels at the high ranges needed for these animals...
I found this type of Husk/Bark to be OK, but nothing special...
Next I tried "Jungle earth", and exo terra branded substrate, but available in many forms...
But so far personally I have best results with "Plantation Soil", by quite a long way infact. It seems to regulate very well over time and keep levels high!
They all do the job to a certain extent, but I thought it'd be useful to share my experiences... Anyone else have any input??
Oscar
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| 15 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| Snakesitter |
Posted - 21/09/2012 : 20:58:43
No worries! Good to see other people being concerned about such things, really. I just wanted to make sure I did not have to alter my practices and advice to preserve an endangered organism! |
| Spugy |
Posted - 20/09/2012 : 06:47:46
seems my memory is wrong and she was overzealous. My bad, sorry :(
(and I have been avoiding peat moss for years!) |
| Spugy |
Posted - 20/09/2012 : 06:46:22
I need to do some online research to check. I heard it while on a field trip to a local mash/bog. They will not show the public how to get to the main bog, partly because bogs are dangerous, but also because the moss is endangered. Maybe it is the specific sphagnum to here but memory tells me that the presenter was quite concerned that people used peat moss in their gardens. Maybe she was overzealous! :P She certainly hated poison hemlock, and introduced species, though for that she had good reason. |
| Snakesitter |
Posted - 19/09/2012 : 23:49:10
Spugy, so long as you give them enough hidng places, any substrate is fine. I use a mix of paper towel and newspaper, and everyone seems fine.
Agreed on the buried poop. Jenn can say more. ;-)
As noted, if using garden-quality mulch, just check to see what it is treated with.
I have tried regular green moss, and found it lacking -- it just dried out far too quickly, and the texture was not as good.
I had not heard that sphagnum was endangered, where did you read this? |
| Spugy |
Posted - 18/09/2012 : 02:58:18
I'm throwing in my two cents worth (two pence if you are in the UK, I suppose). I happen to have reptile coconut husk here that I might try (am am trying to get materials together to test my setup long before I purchase a BRB). I hear that snakies love to bury in it... I am guessing this means that these shy snakes are even harder to see than usual. Is it cruel to set them up with something like orchid bark if you have supplied enough hides? Just curious because I understand that BRB hide a lot and being buried and hiding probably makes them even harder to find/see. Also, spot cleaning is hard if poop is buried...
I like the idea of cypress mulch, especially if it is inexpensive. Where do you get it? I LOVED hearing that you can use gardening orchid bark. One person said he took it out of the bag and put it in a bucket? Was that for storage or to prepare it in some way for the viv?
Kinda a dumb question here. Sphagnum is undoubtedly great for retaining moisture, since that is what peat bogs do (hence sphagnum moss). Has anyone experimented with anything else? When I get my boa, his health and comfort will be important but sphagnum moss is endangered and I would prefer not to utilize an endangered species that cannot be renewed anywhere near fast enough to replenish human demand. I seem like such a tree (moss?) hugger, but it is a concern. Thanks. |
| Snakesitter |
Posted - 17/09/2012 : 22:16:13
That much spraying means the moss (or viv) is not holding humidity well enough. My moss is fine with misting once or twice a week. |
| Hidenshi |
Posted - 15/09/2012 : 17:03:48
Well I did use it when I had Niiji and there were times where I found her burrowed in it with her head sticking out. Sp I assume she liked it. But I was asking cause this type of moss wasn't mentioned in any posts. And as I remembered it did held moisture but had to spray it like 1-2 times a day. |
| IncurableFlirt |
Posted - 14/09/2012 : 16:50:43
Well, if it says that, it should be ok. :) You could at least try it and if it didn't hold moisture well or looked to be too scratchy for burrowing or if your snake doesn't use it, you could always switch over to Sphagnum. ;) |
| Hidenshi |
Posted - 14/09/2012 : 06:48:11
Well it does say its for reptiles and its a Terranium Moss.... |
| IncurableFlirt |
Posted - 14/09/2012 : 05:36:08
Hrm, I dunno about that one. I never heard of Beaked moss, myself. Does it say it is for reptiles? I know Sphagnum is specifically for reptiles, so that is why I use it. |
| Hidenshi |
Posted - 14/09/2012 : 03:08:53
Oh ok thanls! But does Beaked Moss work to? |
| IncurableFlirt |
Posted - 14/09/2012 : 00:09:46
Hey Hidenshi! :) Both of those substrates will work just fine. There are even some people who mix them, so if that is what you're planning, it should work great. I would put down about 1 1/2 inch to 2 inches worth of substrate mix (less would be ok, too, I think it's really your personal preference, just so long as it's not too shallow). I think the moss you were talking about in the first post is Sphagnum moss. That's what I use in Marius' humid hides and he loves it. If you are going to use moss, don't mix it in with your other substrate, lay it on top. ;) |
| Hidenshi |
Posted - 13/09/2012 : 20:09:29
Ok I was at PetCo and I see Eco Earth Coconut Fiber Substrate and for the other one is Zoo Med Cypress Mulch as a forest floor. Are both good to buy? |
| Hidenshi |
Posted - 13/09/2012 : 01:14:48
So from reading this, best substrate would be Eco Earth for the soil and what kind of moss again? And for a 20gal viv, how much high should the Eco earth be from tge bottom of the viv and how much moss should be ontop of the Eco Earth? |
| Nathair2012 |
Posted - 21/08/2012 : 18:26:16
Cool. Sounds like a good idea incurable. I will deffo ask if their orchid bark is treated with any chemicals. I do t think it is but you can never be too careful!! Cheers guys :) |
