Advice needed on aspen alternatives

[bluewind]

First off, apologies if this is the wrong spot, but I couldn't find a better one. :confused:

I have had my lovely Lily (albino sand boa) for about 3 years. My asthma has gotten bad enough that I need to switch beddings as aspen is now too dusty for me, so I would very much appreciate suggestions for alternatives. Her aspen has always bothered me with bedding changes being the worst, but until now it was just an annoyance I put up with. She likes to burrow and I don't have access to newspapers if that helps narrow the field of possibilities. I'm also already on an allergy pill. I read something about a product in the UK called Aubiose that's supposed to be less dusty because it's made from hemp, but I don't believe it's available in the US.

I tested to make sure that was what was causing my problems as well. I left her at my dad's for about a month checking on her weekly and feeding her as needed. Then I brought her back home. I can say for certain that the aspen is effecting me judging by my reactions at my weekly check and since having her home (she is in my living room which I never use). It's also not something growing in the cage itself as I clean her cage and hide well each bedding change (using vinegar water and then clean water before drying completely by letting set or using a dry towel), clean her water bowl weekly (topping it off between then of course), feed her in a separate small tank, remove sheds and poop when spotted, and have never had mold or aspen that turned black.

Thanks to anyone who took a moment to read and try to help. :)

Oh! And the aspen brand I'm using is Zoomed. Considering the very good rating it has on Amazon, I doubt there is much difference between it and other aspen in terms of dust level. :\

[Andy_G]

Try sani chip. Pretty much dust free!

[regi375]

You can always go with a sand that's reptile safe.

[bluewind]

Andy: I did a little reading and that sound fascinating! I've never even heard of it before. Any particular brand you prefer? I seen one called T Rex on Amazon. How long until it would need a full change with frequent spot cleaning? Can they burrow okay?

Regi: I've heard too many sand related horror stories to use it. Plus, sand boas don't actually burrow in sand in the wild (they find ones already made, munch up the residents, and chill there for a while until moving on) so they aren't built for it. I appreciate the suggestion though.

[Andy_G]

Andy: I did a little reading and that sound fascinating! I've never even heard of it before. Any particular brand you prefer? I seen one called T Rex on Amazon. How long until it would need a full change with frequent spot cleaning? Can they burrow okay?

Regi: I've heard too many sand related horror stories to use it. Plus, sand boas don't actually burrow in sand in the wild (they find ones already made, munch up the residents, and chill there for a while until moving on) so they aren't built for it. I appreciate the suggestion though.

The brands may be different there compared to here, but all should be comparable. When I have bought it in the past, it has always been in bulk from feed and seed supply stores (or at a pet supply store as a last resort). It works well for burrowing as I used it mainly for hognose. It would be similar to other substrates as far as rate of cleaning...it'll depend on the size of the enclosure, the amount that the animal passes waste, etc. To be safe, once a month/month and a half or so for the complete bedding change or once there is a lingering smell is a good rule of thumb to go by no matter the substrate choice.

[Skipper7]

This seems to be a pretty good price https://www.petfooddirect.com/product/9215/native-earth-aspen-sani-chips-22-cubic-foot-bedding

[bluewind]

Andy: Thank you my dear! Good to know. It will help me know how much to buy and how often. She's about 90 cm in length (most likely a hair longer but it's close enough) and her tank is a 20 gallon long. I usually have her bedding about 3 to 5 cm deep to give her plenty of room to dig. I would measure and weight her now, but she's currently asleep on my stomach. Sometimes I think she thinks she's a cat XD

[Skipper7]

PS: If my math is right the 2.2 cubic foot bat should be good for roughy 5 bedding changes :)

[bluewind]

Skipper: Lovely! Thank you so much for the help :)

[dannybgoode]

Sand boa? A nice sand biased dirt mix. I'd say 60% play sand / 30% topsoil / 10% very fine grit.

[Skipper7]

Happy to help!

I don't know much about sand boa behavior, but the above mix should hold a burrow better than sani chips. Play sand is cheap as well from Home Depot.

[dannybgoode]

If you want it to really hold a burrow then add in some excavator clay as well :)

[Jim Smith]

I switched over to SantiChips a couple of years ago and really like this material. I buy from Pet360 where the 2.2 CF is 11.99, and if your order is over $49, shipping is free. https://www.pet360.com/product/9215/native-earth-aspen-sani-chips-22-cubic-foot-bedding

Just one more option to keep the overall costs down...

[jay's reptiles]

(not trying to hijack this thread) but how well does sani chips hold humidity? I have never tried it so i wouldn't know

[Andy_G]

It's similar to aspen or pine in that it won't hold humidity that well. Better for lower humidity species in general.

[Ronin]

Great alternatives I can think of for your boa are Cypress bark, Aspen (which you can no longer use), coconut bark, newspaper, reptile carpet, and ReptiBark. I prefer Cypress for looks and keeping up humidity but if you have many snakes newspaper is cheap and easy to clean up. I wouldn't use sand, its not a sandy animal and eating it is still not good for any reptile.

[Jim Smith]

For higher humidity bedding I think something like Ecoearth is better. I use it in my two BRB enclosures and keep the humidity in the 90% range at all times with no problems.

[bluewind]

Just a quick general reply to everyone before bed.

Sand is a no go for me. I've read too many horror stories, doing a rinse and bake would be difficult for me (I have a bad left arm), a total cleaning would be crazy difficult, and it's just not for me.

Thanks for all the information and links! I'm fairly certain I'm going with the sani chips. It seems like every other no dust asthma safe option (like hemp and cardboard with good ratings) is sold in the UK! O_O

In case anyone else has another suggestion, I need something that won't cause asthma issues, is dust free, not too difficult to change out/clean cage, safe for her and me, will not stink up my house (the bedding not the poop in the bedding although that would be a bonus), works for her breed and humidity level needs (Albino Kenyan Sand Boa thus the aspen until now), and possible for her to burrow in with tunnel collapse being okay. Looks don't matter to me. I'm all about function although I want to find something that lasts at least a month from a cost perspective.