New Substrate?

[Minkness]

Went to the shop for some generic supplies and saw this new stuff that caught my eye. I didn't buy it yet, but I was wondering if anyone has yet and what their experience might be. If no one has experience, what are your thoughts?

I was thinking it would be a great substrate for my rough scale sand boas. Not sure how easy it would be to clean though, or the ramifications of ingested.

[Tiny Boidae]

No experience with it, but it looks interesting. Millet is essentially birdseed from my understanding so it's an unusual concept- certainly one I haven't encountered. I'd put it into google and apparently it's popular with uro's (as seen on the bag) because it doesn't cling to foods and is less likely to cause impactions.

[Pogie]

I wouldn't use it. Those seeds have hulls on them. If ingested probably not a good thing. Birds love it though, it's the main seed in a lot of the bird seed you buy.

Only thing I use it for is to feed my birds :)
As for cleaning, no idea.

[Sasha2]

I wonder if they pee on it if it would sprout?

[Minkness]

That is a valid question.....lol

[toddnbecka]

Hey, what could be more natural and organic than keeping your critter on a bed of birdseed? A little water in the corner of the cage and you'll have green growing sprouts in a few days. Set it outside in warm weather, with the top open, and hungry birds will flock to feed. Your snake will have a live banquet, and spot-cleaning the bird poop is easy! LOL

[smoothie4l]

I'd give it a try if the price is right! Millet is budgie food so you could probably find it for cheaper at a bulk barn :p

[Jim Smith]

I don;t know what that 5lb bag costs, but you can get 2.5 CF of SaniChips for about $10.20 per bag and that is a proven product. I suspect that you will end up using more millet seeds than SaniChip and probably cost you more. Just a thought...

Native Earth Aspen Sani Chips 2.2 Cubic Foot Bedding | Pet 360 (http://www.pet360.com/product/9215/native-earth-aspen-sani-chips-22-cubic-foot-bedding)

[Minkness]

Well, I was thinking more for my sand boas. The male has a nasty tenancy to get a mouth full of sanichips =/

I almost just want to put him on sand aince that is their natural habitat. I'm sure they are biologicallyable tohandle some sand ingestion....

[Tiny Boidae]

Well, I was thinking more for my sand boas. The male has a nasty tenancy to get a mouth full of sanichips =/

I almost just want to put him on sand aince that is their natural habitat. I'm sure they are biologicallyable tohandle some sand ingestion....

I tried it once just to see, and it was a nightmare. I didn't even feed in the enclosure but once or twice a week I'd have to get a Q-tip and clean everyone's mouth out because they'd get sand in their lips. Not to mention it can't hold a burrow and it's pretty expensive. I even tried something a few months ago after I'd gotten a free bag of sand from a friend. In two of my females' cages I filled a clean half with sand, and a clean half with eco earth. I had the heat pad covering some eco earth sections and some sand sections to make sure temp wasn't a part of it, and I never saw them in the sand bits, even when I moved their beloved cork flats onto the sand. Never putting them on sand again.

[Minkness]

Yeah, that is a concern. I have my male on dried eco earth now and check on him every so often. Not sure how it's working yet so will give it a bit more time. Mine don't hide under anything, ever. They just burrow. So I just have a rough rock in there to help them with shedding and that's it. They seem very content with the set up.

Any other options someone could suggest?

[sirtalis]

Why not just use play sand? If you keep your animals at the proper temps its 10000 times safer than bird seed lol

[Minkness]

What is the difference between play sand and reptile sand?

[toddnbecka]

What is the difference between play sand and reptile sand?

Price and possibly color, lol. Play sand is going to have a fairly wide range of particle sizes, some almost like powder, but all quite small. In an aquarum it compacts very tightly. Pool filter sand is sifted so that the particle size is fairly uniform. It doesn't have the smaller particles mixed in, and doesn't compact like play sand. There are also various grades of gravel, one of the smaller sizes of that should be a good alternative to sand.

[sirtalis]

Repti sand is not good for any animal ever, play sand is sold in home improvement stores like home depot. Its 100% natural and if you keep your temps a bit above the recomended levels and decent humidity there is very little risk of impaction I switched my leopards geckos to it about 2 months ago and I have had 0 problems. I'm just trying to figure out why people would use bird seed for a reptile's substrate, it kinda reminds me of crushed walnut (probably the worst substrate ever) I doubt it would pass through their system very well imo

[chairman]

If using sand then I prefer coarse sand. It is also frequently sold at home improvement stores. It tends to hold burrows better due to the variety of particle sizes.

Millet is sometimes suggested for uromastyx because they're herbivorous and can digest it.

My rough scaled boa has cypress mulch and is doing well with it.

[Minkness]

I may look into that. The cypress mulch doesn't hold too much humidity? I know the roughies are supposed to be a lower humidity type.

[chairman]

I just let the cypress dry out before I put it in the enclosure. Cypress will hold water without rotting but if you never add any then humidity remains low.

[Minkness]

Ah, good to know! Thanks again! I may just look into that since I was going to start using it for my BPs anyway.

Is it good for burrowing though? My roughs like to stay burried 99% of the time.

[chairman]

Mine stays buried too. The cypress works well for that, even holds the tunnel intact most of the time.

[Minkness]

You are full of aweaome info! Thanks!

[Pogie]

If using sand then I prefer coarse sand. It is also frequently sold at home improvement stores. It tends to hold burrows better due to the variety of particle sizes.

Millet is sometimes suggested for uromastyx because they're herbivorous and can digest it.

My rough scaled boa has cypress mulch and is doing well with it.

May I ask where you get your cypress mulch? I've looked around here at the home improvement stores and all they carry are the cypress "blend" mulches.
My next step is to try a large plant nursery not far from me and see if they carry it.

Is your's 100% cypress? Thanks :)

[chairman]

Mulch is sold on a regional basis. I don't recall whether it is due to the economics of shipping or an attempt to prevent the spread of insects. In my area I can get 100% cypress mulch or 100% cypress bark mulch at home depot or lowes. Other areas do mix different hardwoods into the cypress, though.

[toddnbecka]

I buy it at reptile shows.