bioactive substrate?

[CosmicOwl]

I made the decision to pull the moldy log and replace it with a black plastic hide, which I then buried.

[formica]

mold is not the issue most people think it is (except slime mold which can be destructive), its part of the enclosure cycling, infact its an important marker to let you know that the cycle has started, and a good indicator of how well the cleaner crew populations and bacteria are building up.

Personally I would leave it for at least 6-8 weeks before thinking about changing it out, but first I would look at other things, like ventilation, humidity and substrate moisture content, plant foliage and root growth, and working out how much food is available (ie rotten vegetation, content of soil, dead cleaners) - all these things need to be in balance, and that takes time

molds and fungi means that the enclosure is beginning to cycle...patience is the key molds are only a major issue if they are out of control, or if they are in a sterile enclosure, rather than a bioactive one

You can use a clean damp sponge to remove some mold if you really want to, but you are removing food for the cleaner crews, which will mean they establish more slowly

[CosmicOwl]

Originally Posted by formica

mold is not the issue most people think it is (except slime mold which can be destructive), its part of the enclosure cycling, infact its an important marker to let you know that the cycle has started, and a good indicator of how well the cleaner crew populations and bacteria are building up.

Personally I would leave it for at least 6-8 weeks before thinking about changing it out, but first I would look at other things, like ventilation, humidity and substrate moisture content, plant foliage and root growth, and working out how much food is available (ie rotten vegetation, content of soil, dead cleaners) - all these things need to be in balance, and that takes time

molds and fungi means that the enclosure is beginning to cycle...patience is the key molds are only a major issue if they are out of control, or if they are in a sterile enclosure, rather than a bioactive one

You can use a clean damp sponge to remove some mold if you really want to, but you are removing food for the cleaner crews, which will mean they establish more slowly

I appreciate your opinions. The reason I decided to remove the half log was because it was buried and I couldn't get to the underside to wipe away any mold. When I dug it out, there was a considerable amount of mold on it, so I just decided to chuck it. My snake spends most of his time on the cool side, but I want him to be able to visit the warm, "burrow" if he chooses to and I worried the mold might make him avoid it.

Right now he's getting ready to shed, so he's spending all of his time buried on the cool side of the tank.

[formica]

Its difficult to kick start and maintain a stable bioactive enclosure without a good length of time to cycle properly, in advance of adding a reptile. Probably was the best option if the snake was already resident