Fir Reptibark

[siz]

With the store closing I decided to get some extra substrate and give my BPs cage a good clean out but we didn't have any Forest Floor. I got Reptibark instead but I noticed today it was Fir..is it ok to use for my snake?

[Chu'Wuti]

Better to not--fir, pine, & cedar contain phenolic compounds that are toxic to snakes. I've been told the compounds can irritate their skin and lungs.

[siz]

Ahh crap that's what I thought. I didn't even think when I grabbed it off the shelf the other day..is there anything I can use it for or should I ditch it?

I got a new BP by the way!!

[mykee]

Fir is far better to use than pine or cedar. Use what you've got and if you must use a loose substrate, then get some aspen in any of it's many forms (cuts).

[Chu'Wuti]

So fir is not as toxic as pine or cedar, Mykee? I suspected it wouldn't be as bad as cedar, but I thought it is equivalent to pine, and I've always heard that all three are bad for snakes. Nice to know that using fir isn't a disaster.

Siz--you got a new BP? What did you get? Post pics!

[mykee]

Chu; nope. Pine and cedar are really the two you should stay away from. Repti-bark is very commonly used with reptiles. I prefer paper towels and unprinted newspaper stock, but I don't have decorated fish cages and function trumps form over here.

[Chu'Wuti]

OK, LOL! I hear you! ;) If I were in the breeding business, I wouldn't try decorated fish cages either! In fact, won't try them . . . waiting for summer & a show to go figure out what I want!

[Kmef07]

well darn! i was hoping that the reptibark was going to be the answer to the spots on my brb. oh well the neosporin seems to be helping. Could the reptibark still be contributing do you think mykee? im going to pick up some coconut husk tomorrow and change out all the bedding on wednesday.

[Smilts]

fir is better than pine and ceder still not great though over the long run.

[siz]

Someone dropped off a normal 2 and a half yr old (they thought) BP at the store I guess they had bought it for their kid, who is now 7, and he didn't know how to take care of it. They fed it mice 3 times a week, never misted, it was constanly in shed from eating so much..etc. Apparently he was a biter but he has been totally fine with me. Anyways I only had to pay for the tank and it was super cheap cause the store is closing. I kept him at the store for about a week and I brought him home about a week ago. He's already looking alot better but he won't take rats. I'll try and grab some pictures of him when I get a chance.
His name is Mitch lol.

[mykee]

I prefer a substrate that is non-abrasive, like a shaving or a fiber, only because it rubs too much for my liking. It can cause skin irritation but nothing that can cause any long term issues. I like smooth bedding as mentioned, paper towels or unprinted newspaper stock.
I might also add that it is much more difficult to maintain proper temps with a substrate that can be moved or pushed out of the way.

[Kmef07]

question about substrate:

I just ordered some t-rex coconut bark and it is loose cubes of substrate that looks pretty good. the cubes are about the size of the repti-bark i have now. but i also ordered forest floor to put under the coconut cubes so it would hold moisture and release it and the cubes would be more dry and keep the snake out of the wet substrate but keep the humidity hi and also im going to get some pythos ivy and that will go in the forest floor.

the question is:
Is it good to layer the substrate like that?

[siz]

I might also add that it is much more difficult to maintain proper temps with a substrate that can be moved or pushed out of the way.

This is what I was wondering about in relation to UTHs. Is this something I need to take into consideration when using a UTH? Mitch's enclosure has an aspen substrate that often gets pushed away to the point you can see glass, and this obviously happens easily.

[Kmef07]

Ya you have to make sure that the snake cant come in direct contact with the UTH because it might get burned.

[citysnakes]

This is what I was wondering about in relation to UTHs. Is this something I need to take into consideration when using a UTH? Mitch's enclosure has an aspen substrate that often gets pushed away to the point you can see glass, and this obviously happens easily.

really a UTH, or any heating element, should be used in combination with a thermostat. sadly this is not the case in with the majority of reptile keepers out there.

anyways, if you have no thermostat you need to measure the temp of your UTH above the glass. this way you will know the exact temperature that your snake will contact if it decides to move the substrate away and sit directly on the glass above the UTH.

[Smilts]

I actually like carpet under substrate for just this reason.

[siz]

Ya you have to make sure that the snake cant come in direct contact with the UTH because it might get burned.

LOL I know, I'm not putting the UTH inside the tank..

really a UTH, or any heating element, should be used in combination with a thermostat. sadly this is not the case in with the majority of reptile keepers out there.

anyways, if you have no thermostat you need to measure the temp of your UTH above the glass. this way you will know the exact temperature that your snake will contact if it decides to move the substrate away and sit directly on the glass above the UTH.

Yeah Julian, I was going to get a dimmer for my UTH, that's good, right? Or..how much would a decent Home Depot-esque thermostat run me? I have a temp gun so getting exact temps are no problem. I've just been wary of using the UTH til I get everything figured out with it. How hot do these things max out at, anyway?

When I asked about UTHs in my other post, Aaron replied saying sometimes he just peeled off the corners of the paper and then stuck it to the tank..does this interfere with the heat transfer?

[siz]

I actually like carpet under substrate for just this reason.

Do you just use repti-carpet? Can you put paper towel under the substrate to acheive the same result?

[Smilts]

paper towel is easy to move and i use that green indoor outdoor capret its hard to describe but its soft and i get it at the local carpet place for $1 a foot.

[citysnakes]

a dimmer should work fine as long as the room temperature is relatively constant and you are double checking the temp regularily.

[Aaron_S]

When I asked about UTHs in my other post, Aaron replied saying sometimes he just peeled off the corners of the paper and then stuck it to the tank..does this interfere with the heat transfer?

I've never looked into if it affects the heat transfer or not. I didn't have any issues maintaining proper temperatures when I did it this way.

[siz]

Thanks for all the help guys :)

[Kmef07]

LOL I know, I'm not putting the UTH inside the tank..


HAHA i meant that the snake can't come in contact with the glass that the UTH is attached to because without a rheostat it is too hot normally.

[mykee]

NO heat source should be used without at the very least a dimmer (which is not acceptable in my eyes). If you're going to take the time, effort and money to purchase a ball python and outfit it's cage all pretty, the first purchase you should make is a good thermostat. No exceptions. If the excuse (that I hear all the time) is that you can't afford one, then you shouldn't have purchased a ball python in the first place.

[siz]

..I can't afford one!



HA, just joking mykee :D Where is a good place to get a good thermostats for the average person? (I SERIOUSLY can't afford Herpstats :P )

[mykee]

Jess; Herpstats and Helix's are the two top of the line models, there are others and I honestly don't know where to get them because I only use Herpstats.

[Smilts]

for smaller setups Alife has a decent one its not a top of the line but for a single unit it works I use it. Alife 1000 watt electronic thermostat with probe (http://lllreptile.com/store/catalog/reptile-supplies/reptile-incubators/-/alife-1000-watt-electronic-thermostat-with-probe/)

[Aaron_S]

If you go ahead and spend the money (after saving) and buy a herpstat it will work for more than one enclosure. Although they have to be set for the same temperatures but at least it's three set-ups for say 3 ball pythons instead of just one.

[skysthelimit]

Ya you have to make sure that the snake cant come in direct contact with the UTH because it might get burned.

Thats true, it could be a potential hazard. Why do you think many people dont like heat rocks for lizards?

As for the fir bark, I never had problems with it. Hmm.