Burmese Substrate - Need Opinions

AjaMichelle · 06-19-13, 11:11 PM

Hello,

So I want to rearrange my reptile room and I really dislike the enclosure in which I have my burmese. He's a big guy and the enclosure looks nice, but it's really impractical. So I'm going to build another.

Pretty much, tell me what you think about this:

--- Substrate!!! Would using substrate make cleaning up his messes easier? Doing so seems like it would. He's 15 feet and about 90 pounds, and because I need others present to tend to him, I can't always clean up his messes immediately. He produces copious amounts of fluid, and substrate seems like it would absorb the mess.

--- What's your experience using sliding doors on tracks? I currently have a pull down, ramp-type door and it's impractical when I feed him. Putting in food and taking it out if he doesn't eat it is an ordeal. However, I use a sliding track style door with my savannah monitors, and the clips intended to keep the door on its track come off, and I'm concerned about him possibly pushing the door off the track. Although, I was thinking that if the door was locked, this wouldn't be an issue (and the door would be locked).

---What experiences have you had with keeping large constrictors on something similar to a bioactive substrate?

Thanks for reading my thread!

Mikoh4792 · 06-19-13, 11:17 PM

A few years back I kept a 7 foot BCI on newspaper and cocohusk. Both seemed to work well. Cleaning was a lot easier on newspaper since I just needed to discard the soiled sheets, wipe the corners down and put in some new sheets.

However if you buy loose bedding(cocohusk, mulch,aspen..etc) in bulk you could always just keep refilling the soiled portions you take out.

Terranaut · 06-20-13, 04:56 AM

News paper with a big snake like that will be messy. Aspen would absorb the mess but you will go through a lot of it. I prefer the drawbridge style door to sliders but thats just me.

SSSSnakes · 06-20-13, 07:15 AM

Aspen works best for easy cleaning. Sliders are weak and the snake can escape if he pushes on them.

NCHornet · 06-20-13, 09:24 AM

I use nothing but Aspen now, I can get it cheap at Tractor Supply. The snakes like to bury in it, and a large snake will pack it down pretty quick. I fluff it up whenever I take them out. Clean up is easy and I change 100% of it every month but know others who go much longer. Try it and see if your big guy likes it.
As for the doors, with a big snake I prefer the full drop down door instead of sliding because it gives me full access to the full length of the cage, YMMV............................?

**millertime89** · 06-20-13, 02:39 PM

On a snake that size anything but a solid paper material is gonna be a mess to clean when they piss. Blank newsprint or something similar that you can buy in a roll and fold over 4 or 5 times is going to work best.

Terranaut · 06-20-13, 06:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by millertime89

On a snake that size anything but a solid paper material is gonna be a mess to clean when they piss. Blank newsprint or something similar that you can buy in a roll and fold over 4 or 5 times is going to work best.

I respectfully disagree. Aspen holds the moisture and when the snake drops a wet mess much of the liquid will go to the bottom and spread out under a layer of aspen as opposed to it just becoming a small lake under your snake. If you can be right there and remove the snake when it goes then replace the paper then it might be better...cheaper for sure but if you aren't there they can crawl through it a few times before you have time to clean it.

smy_749 · 06-20-13, 07:37 PM

With a snake that size, everything is messy. Newspaper isn't exactly bounty papertowel to absorb everything, and unless you use alot of layers of newspaper, the moisture will seep down onto the enclosure material. Aspen is porous, and like terr said, will seep down through the layers of aspen and rest on the bottom. Which is great so that the snake doesn't drag it around and paint the enclosure with it, and imo absorbs better, but is still annoying to change out. Those precut liners are pretty good, if you can find them in the right size or find out which material is used.

dave himself · 06-22-13, 03:01 PM

We use Aspen here and have never had any problems with it

moshirimon · 06-26-13, 12:45 AM

Whatever substrate you have, cleaning up after a giant will be quite the job.. I say go with paper. Only disadvantage is that liquid and urine has nowhere to go but just clean as quick as possible and scrub hard every time lol. Aspen would visually appear less messy but try smelling your aspen after its been soiled. You'd have to change the whole thing every time depending on the size of your enclosure. I've seen burms piss lakes lol.

guyabano · 06-27-13, 07:48 AM

I have several colleagues who keep their bigger snakes in enclosures with plastic kennel flooring. That would be pretty easy to clean and it should keep the snake from soaking in its own urine.

With my biggest burm, I used to use newspaper, but I only recall ever having to clean out the enclosure twice. I could almost always coax her to do her business outside of her enclosure. Off topic, but I have had a large burm pee on my head and it wasn't pleasant.

slowhite03 · 06-27-13, 11:31 AM

I don't see how aspen would work. When it gets full grown the weight wouldn't work. It would flatten and be like paper anyways. Not to mention the dust, my king recently got allergies from aspen. I'm not a fan of aspen anymore. If you want asethically pleasing, why not get repti carpet or maybe some fake grass from your local home improvement store?

Terranaut · 06-27-13, 11:42 AM

If your aspen is dusty you should try misting it before putting the snake in. You do not just dump it in and add your snake. Now I do have a giant but my 8'boa can make a big mess and I have tried evey substrate under the sun. For easy clean up I think aspen is best.

SSSSnakes · 06-27-13, 12:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Terranaut

If your aspen is dusty you should try misting it before putting the snake in. You do not just dump it in and add your snake. Now I do have a giant but my 8'boa can make a big mess and I have tried evey substrate under the sun. For easy clean up I think aspen is best.

I agree. Aspen works best for me. If your Aspen is that dusty, find a better grade of Aspen. The Aspen I use is almost dust free.

Terranaut · 06-27-13, 02:27 PM

I just noticed I wrote "do have a giant" I was on my phone in the sun. I do not have a giant. My female BCI and female JCP are my largest snakes.