Cypress mulch .

[maximus30576]

Just wandering if anybody uses cypress mulch like what you would get at Home Depot , i have read that its great but wanted to make sure before i bought a bag , i have been using repti bark but its a little pricey .

[BarelyBreathing]

Cypress mulch, sold as a mulch, often contains toxins. Make sure when you buy cypress, it's labeled for reptiles, or as "cypress bedding".

[Skumbo]

Amazon.com: Zoo Med Forest Floor Bedding, 24 Quarts: Pet Supplies (http://www.amazon.com/Zoo-Med-Forest-Bedding-Quarts/dp/B0010OVM7A/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1330062136&sr=8-1)

this is what I use, bought 2 bags, a bag will probably be good for one snake 6 months, considering I just spot clean when needed and replace all of it once a month. so $30 a snake per year isn't bad at all..

Dont get cypress mulch from the hardware store, its almost guaranteed to be mixed with cedar, pine, etc etc chips which are poisonous to snakes

[wendhend]

I use it for my Brazilian rainbow boa, because it's mold resistant and works better than aspen in higher humidity. I've been really happy with it, and I do think it looks more attractive than the aspen I use for the rest of my snakes.

[RandyRhoads]

I use it for my burm, and I love it. Never had a problem. Holds humidity well and is cheap.

[Caylan]

Coconut coir in compressed bricks are my substrate of choice. I don't like bark...

[Terranaut]

I have been trying a few things and mixing different things together but resently I went to my local exotic pet shop and he had huge bags of 100% cypress mulch labeled for garden use. He told me it's safe and I got 4 times as much as the same priced aspen. I tell you I jumped at it having 4 of my snakes being 5.5-7.5ft. They kill substrate when they pee I mean wow. My female JCP soaked more that 1/2 of her enclosure when I tried newspaper. The point is I go through a lot so cheap is good. Now that I have used it a bit I really like it. Holds moisture for days in PVC enclosures unlike aspen. The snakes seem to like it. My king makes a maze of tunnels in it. I have noticed little wood mites(not snake mites) in this stuff. It is harmless but it anoys me it's there. I think I am going to NIX them in the bag and see if they go away. Anyway my $.02 is .... it's cheap and works great. BUT. If you get some and there is cedar or pine in there that would be bad so be careful what you buy.

[BlindOne]

I've been using the 'no float' cypress mulch from Lowe's for years with no issues. Works great

[maximus30576]

Blind One , does the bag you have say blended cypress or 100 percent cypress..

[RandyRhoads]

Same with me as for using the same one sold at the reptile shop. Home depot had the same bag without a 400% mark up...

[youngster]

Same with me as for using the same one sold at the reptile shop. Home depot had the same bag without a 400% mark up...

I hate how everything marked reptiles always gets a jacked up price :O_o:

[maximus30576]

All the big bags i am finding say cypress mulch blend , which means theres a chance of pine or even cedar and i dont think i want to go there if it ''might '' hurt my snake ...If i could find some that says 100% cypress then i will try it out .. Guess i will keep looking ..

[Gungirl]

Maximus.. Pine is fine to have in the mix as long as its kiln dried. Once Pine has been kiln dried all the harmful oils are out of it.

[KORBIN5895]

I use coconut husk MULCH. The stuff I buy is 100% organic and cost $3 for 56 liters (compressed) . My local pet store sells Cox husk in 7 liter blocks for $6 each. Do the math.

[Skumbo]

I use coconut husk MULCH. The stuff I buy is 100% organic and cost $3 for 56 liters (compressed) . My local pet store sells Cox husk in 7 liter blocks for $6 each. Do the math.

what brand is that? how is it for humidity? my main reason for cypress is that it holds humidity well, im not huge on it otherwise

[KORBIN5895]

what brand is that? how is it for humidity? my main reason for cypress is that it holds humidity well, im not huge on it otherwise

The original mulch block is the brand. I find coco husk works great for humidity and doesn't mold. Pain in the but to get it dry enough to use in the enclosure once you rehydrate it. I usually bake mine on cookie sheets.

[BlindOne]

Blind One , does the bag you have say blended cypress or 100 percent cypress..

Blended.....I can't find anything that says 100% Cypress

[Caylan]

I'm with Korbin, Coco mulch can hold humidity really well, or if you can dry it(does take a while, it even works as a dry substrate. I do the same thing the $5 50L blocks instead of the $10 7L ones lol. No chance of any other bark in this stuff, and no toxins. For it often holds more humidity then I want lol. So no worries there. I make about an entire tote full of it and just replace as needed. Lasts a long time, never molds. Smells good actually. My bloods use it as a hide pretty much. Best stuff for snakes needing high humidity!

[KORBIN5895]

I'm with Korbin, Coco mulch can hold humidity really well, or if you can dry it(does take a while, it even works as a dry substrate. I do the same thing the $5 50L blocks instead of the $10 7L ones lol. No chance of any other bark in this stuff, and no toxins. For it often holds more humidity then I want lol. So no worries there. I make about an entire tote full of it and just replace as needed. Lasts a long time, never molds. Smells good actually. My bloods use it as a hide pretty much. Best stuff for snakes needing high humidity!

Coco husk is also amazing for absorbing urine. The poop is a little harder to find though.

[Skumbo]

Blended.....I can't find anything that says 100% Cypress

DONT USE BLENDED

for one, it probably has nasty critters in it, but at best it has softwoods (cedar, pine, etc) whose oils will poison your snakes.

if you cant afford 100% online or something, youre much better off just using paper towels until you can find safe substrate.

[youngster]

If it's been kiln dried even cedar will not hurt your snake, all the oils go bye bye in the drying process.

Can't stress that enough.

[Skumbo]

If it's been kiln dried even cedar will not hurt your snake, all the oils go bye bye in the drying process.

Can't stress that enough.

i guarantee you they aren't testing for if they removed all the oils, and not all will go away when kiln dried, its much better to just avoid it all together given you have the options, considering the kind of poison wood poising will give wont be immediate and by the time you notice your snake will pretty much be dying

[BlindOne]

i guarantee you they aren't testing for if they removed all the oils, and not all will go away when kiln dried, its much better to just avoid it all together given you have the options, considering the kind of poison wood poising will give wont be immediate and by the time you notice your snake will pretty much be dying

I appreciate your concern but I've been using the same mulch for about 5 years now and haven't had any issues with my 20+ snakes. I know another breeder who's used the same mulch for years with his 200+ animals and no problems.

[Skumbo]

I appreciate your concern but I've been using the same mulch for about 5 years now and haven't had any issues with my 20+ snakes. I know another breeder who's used the same mulch for years with his 200+ animals and no problems.

See that's the thing, it could be *slowly* poisoning your snakes, and you wont notice until they die a few years earlier than you would have expected, its not something that's going to happen quickly at all.

My grandfather was a woodworker for nearly 50 years and was diagnosed with wood poisoning in the late 90's after working with it every day (unfinished) for most of his career. He started developing rashes and chills and got really sick, actually ended up in the hospital for a week before they figured out what was wrong..
You can become increasingly sensitive to irritants, as that's the nature of histamine reactions.

Some individuals are resistant too it and others are very sensitive, its the same with any organism, so you may run into a snake that is much more sensitive than your other snakes. You also develop more sensitivities the more you are exposed to things you are only moderately allergic to (and therefore don't notice symptoms until its too late).

I'm just saying.. you may run into problems in the next few years, maybe never... maybe only with a few snakes... but its a decision I would never make.

(Its also possible you got lucky and your blended brand has no softwoods, but I know some do have cedar and whatnot in them)

[Terranaut]

This stuff os what I am currently using. 100% Cypress
http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j9/terranaut0/photo-102.jpg

[KORBIN5895]

How does it deter weeds?

[Kiljosh]

I use a blend of about 20% cypress 80% aspen in my king's enclosure. Anymore than that and the humidity goes to like 80% when I change his bedding. Humidity NEVER moves. It bounced all around when I was using just Aspen(and spraying).

My ball python gets a 100% Cypress. Hold's 60% humidity for about 5 or 6 hours then drops a percent every 2 or 3 hours.

I have used coco fiber for my old MBK but it got real dusty. The skink we just got is currently on it though.

[Terranaut]

Lol. Blocks the sun from shining on them I guess. It must work. I have no weeds in my snake vivs ;)

[Kiljosh]

It must work. I have no weeds in my snake vivs ;)


Truly lol, but imagine one day you wake up and go to check on your little guys, and there's a seedling sprouting in the tank. :suspicious:

[Terranaut]

Better be the good stuff :)

[BlindOne]

(Its also possible you got lucky and your blended brand has no softwoods, but I know some do have cedar and whatnot in them)

I kinda figure that even being a blend, it's still 90% cypress. I don't think there's enough of the other stuff in it to be a concern. I've also used Eucalyptus in the past but it doesn't hold humidity as well.

So far, 3 successful seasons of breeding on the stuff, no animals lost.

[Caylan]

I kinda figure that even being a blend, it's still 90% cypress. I don't think there's enough of the other stuff in it to be a concern. I've also used Eucalyptus in the past but it doesn't hold humidity as well.

So far, 3 successful seasons of breeding on the stuff, no animals lost.

I figured a blend wouldn't have enough to really harm your snake, thanks for this! I still use coconut, but that's good to know as I've always wondered that...
3 seasons is good streak so far! But its not enough to gauge possible long term damage from exposure to toxins... but like you said, even at 90% cypress, is there enough of the others to be a problem? I don't really think so... Snakes are pretty tough!

[Skumbo]

I figured a blend wouldn't have enough to really harm your snake, thanks for this! I still use coconut, but that's good to know as I've always wondered that...
3 seasons is good streak so far! But its not enough to gauge possible long term damage from exposure to toxins... but like you said, even at 90% cypress, is there enough of the others to be a problem? I don't really think so... Snakes are pretty tough!

I feel this way as well, to be honest with you. I feel like blended isn't a huge deal or anything, but the potential is there to run into a sensitive snake and IMO not worth it if there are so many "healthy" alternatives