Eco earth vs cypress

trailblazer295 · 02-19-16, 10:07 PM

During winter in my 24x24x12 PVC cage I'm having trouble maintaining humidity. I looked at eco earth once before but someone told me it was bad and could get stuck in a snakes scales so being a newbie got scared and moved on. Currently my baby boa is in there but eventually be an adult BP. Is eco earth bad if not then which is better. I use cypress in both small pvc and a 48x24x16 both with pro products RHPs and in the same room one on top of the other. The bigger cage maintains a lot better. I'm worried that the humidity drops to fast and isn't' stable enough and due to work sometimes to tired when I get home to think about anything else. I need something more stable

Oleman · 02-25-16, 07:22 AM

Have you tried using flexwat? I have used small pieces of it under a water dish to increase humidity at times. I live in a very arid area, usual humidity is between 5-30%.
You do have to make sure your connecters can't get wet if it tips over. I build a 2x4 frame to hold the water bowl in place. Then I'll take the flex watt and put it in a gallon size zip lock and use silicon to seal the last bit the can't zip shut.
Remember to always use a t stat on this stuff for safety. Adjust accordingly to get the right humidity.
Hope this helps.

chairman · 02-25-16, 09:43 AM

Eco earth isn't bad. It does get your snakes dirty and they lose that post-shed new skin look much faster than on cypress. It can make noticing mites hard but if your collection is clear of them and is either closed or you quarantine well that shouldn't be a problem.

I personally prefer cypress but if my snake needed me to change to ecoearth, if only seasonally, I would.

trailblazer295 · 02-25-16, 10:15 AM

How is eco earth for mold growth?

jpsteele80 · 02-25-16, 10:22 AM

I use cypress mulch for my green tree and I spray once a day and can maintain great humidity lvls, I have wondered about eco earth as well

reptiledude987 · 02-25-16, 11:08 AM

I use it for several things. However I find when it dries it gets very dry and when its wet it tends to saturate. I find that if you get cypress to absorb some moisture it stays dapm longer without being soggy.

trailblazer295 · 02-25-16, 11:24 AM

Sounds like sticking with cypress is the better option. I'll try redoing the cage and see if water dish closer to heat source helps.

pet_snake_78 · 02-25-16, 08:32 PM

I use both for different species and I definitely prefer cypress for snakes.