bioactive substrate? - Page 3

**Aaron_S** · 01-01-14, 08:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sharlynn93

what about humidity? corns, BP's, etc don't require high humidity, wouldn't they be in danger of getting scale rot?

Ball pythons require relatively high humidity. They would suffer in low humidity environments.

Sharlynn93 · 01-01-14, 08:43 PM

sorry, Aaron...i guess in MY mind 60% isn't high considering what my rainbows are kept at...to me 60 is moderate...my concern was constant dampness against their belly scales...

poison123 · 01-01-14, 08:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sharlynn93

sorry, Aaron...i guess in MY mind 60% isn't high considering what my rainbows are kept at...to me 60 is moderate...my concern was constant dampness against their belly scales...

As I said before, keep the top layer dry. The snakes will choose how moist they wanna be by burrowing down. If the all out humidity in the enclosure is to high then create more ventilation. My soil hold moister very well at depth even with a screen top. But I'm using 6-10" of soil.

Sharlynn93 · 01-01-14, 08:55 PM

I put about 2 inches in (the corns are still pretty small) plus a layer of dry over top...they are rebelling right now by climbing alot..LOL...but they did that with the aspen at first too...dove in and burrowed the next day...we will see how it goes...my BP setup is about the same (since she doesn't burrow) and she didn't seem to care 1 way or the other...she is blue right now so she just took back off for her hide...at least I have the peace of mind that she isn't going to get burned because she knocked the probe off the heat mat again...

infernalis · 01-02-14, 07:03 AM

People.... bio active dirt ROCKS...

It's nothing more than hacking up some woods or your lawn and using it in your animal enclosures.

If your critters get sick, it's because everything else is off with the husbandry.

Your snakes and lizards live on the ground or up in trees out there in the wild every day, have done so for millions of years, LONG before "smart" people decided that bleaching, baking & boiling substrates sounded like a good idea.

I absolutely love the stuff, it's free (just need a shovel and a bucket) and it's self cleaning.

Monitor Lizard Forums - Bio Active Soil

Bio Active soil

LadyWraith · 01-02-14, 10:58 AM

^^^ I love this description. Can't wait for warmer weather so I can collect a massive amount of soil from my parents' 5 acre, middle of no where country house. Really excited about bioactive.

infernalis · 01-02-14, 11:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LadyWraith

^^^ I love this description. Can't wait for warmer weather so I can collect a massive amount of soil from my parents' 5 acre, middle of no where country house. Really excited about bioactive.

It's a win win for everyone, including the animals. The people I communicate with that use it all have vibrant animals, and you can literally watch feces disappear overnight.

I have not cleaned a single turd out of my lizard cages (My gecko is on dirt too) in years. Never have to.

CosmicOwl · 01-02-14, 02:42 PM

I went on a bit of an expedition. After digging down a few feet, I found some nice sand. It's a light brown-grey color and feels similar to play sand. I mixed it up with two brick of eco earth until I had something that I could I could dig in and make cave/ burrows. I put a layer of about 5 inched in the tank, with some areas being 7-9 inches in certain spots.

I figured out a solution to part of the heat issue by placing a half log directly over the heat pad and burying it. The temp inside the artificial burrow is 82 degrees(he seems to like his warm spot a little less warm, so I don't go much above 82-83). When I put my guy in there, he went right for the half log. After a bit, I noticed him digging his own burrows. I think I may add a bit more substrate to make sure his burrows keep their integrity. Otherwise, he seemed interested. A lot of exploration and tongue flicking.

In the next few days I'll go about collecting leaf litter, worms, pill bugs and such. it should be pretty fun.

CosmicOwl · 01-03-14, 05:18 PM

How long after changing his enclosure do you guys think I should wait before feeding him again?

poison123 · 01-03-14, 05:19 PM

Offer food on your normal feeding day. If the snake wont take then wait a week.

**Aaron_S** · 01-03-14, 05:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CosmicOwl

How long after changing his enclosure do you guys think I should wait before feeding him again?

The next full moon. But only if it's on a Sunday that is between the 10th and 12th of a month not ending in 'Y'.

CosmicOwl · 01-03-14, 05:49 PM

One more question. The surface of the soil is pretty dry, but I was wondering if I should offer him a hide that isn't in direct contact with the ground, so he can be completely dry if he chooses. Do you think that is necessary?

poison123 · 01-03-14, 05:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CosmicOwl

One more question. The surface of the soil is pretty dry, but I was wondering if I should offer him a hide that isn't in direct contact with the ground, so he can be completely dry if he chooses. Do you think that is necessary?

Yes, do provide cover above ground.

CosmicOwl · 01-03-14, 10:01 PM

Good news, he ate. He's always been a good eater, so I'm not sure what I was concerned about. It sounds a bit silly, but I'm really ecstatic about this change.

Besides the burrowing, I'm already seeing some interesting behavior from him. The last few days he has been in his self made chamber, but he'll position himself so that his head is sticking out of the entrance to the tunnel. I'm guessing it's so he can "ambush" any potential prey that might come by. Pretty neat.

CosmicOwl · 01-06-14, 02:57 PM

So, I've noticed some blue mold growing on the buried half log. What do you guys recommend I do? Should I dig it up and check the rest of the wood? I was thinking of replacing it with a plastic pipe or half of a plastic coffee container.