Real Rock and Bedding

[KingDouglas]

For Ball Python

So I was wanting to know if I was to go out to my local lake and get a rock would that be ok if I cleaned it real good. Also I was thinking of using aspen bedding.

[Jim Smith]

It should be fine, but I would probably boil it in water for 5-10 minutes before introducing it to your enclosure. That said, make sure that you place it in such a manner that it can not fall down and injure or crush your snake.

[akane]

Don't boil rock. You can have exploding rocks. Avoid porous rock and scrub with a toothbrush or other small, stiff bristle brush depending on size and some vinegar or bleach. Vinegar will fully evaporate leaving nothing behind and bleach if not rinsed leaves only a salt residue so both are nontoxic when dry. It is still best to rinse bleach if possible. Alkaline rocks may bubble under vinegar which is harmless but it means it's eating some of the rock. However, anything porous like sand stones and some soft calcium based rocks can absorb toxins or hold cleaning agents so they can't dry fully. Those are impossible to sterilize and should only be used if from a clean location if you do not mind unsterilized items. I have some bio-active setups that everything isn't sterilized. The point was to get all the critters in the soil and living on the sticks. Just a different approach. Both have their own rules to accomplish safely.

[sirtalis]

Bleach it, boil it, disinfect it, etc. I mean its not like these guys live in the wild or anything.

[sirtalis]

But in all honesty, you can just put it in the enclosure as long as your positive there are no chemicals on it. In my bioactive cage I have not cleaned a single item, the branches, the dirt (from a river bank and my back yard) the rocks, etc

[dannybgoode]

Originally Posted by sirtalis

But in all honesty, you can just put it in the enclosure as long as your positive there are no chemicals on it. In my bioactive cage I have not cleaned a single item, the branches, the dirt (from a river bank and my back yard) the rocks, etc

Saved me some typing there

[akane]

Originally Posted by sirtalis

Bleach it, boil it, disinfect it, etc. I mean its not like these guys live in the wild or anything.

Except that if you boil it you can blow the dang thing up and kill yourself, your pet standing nearby, your kitchen, or at minimum your pot. Don't boil rocks if you don't know what they are. Preferably don't boil rocks ever.

[sirtalis]

Originally Posted by akane

Except that if you boil it you can blow the dang thing up and kill yourself, your pet standing nearby, your kitchen, or at minimum your pot. Don't boil rocks if you don't know what they are. Preferably don't boil rocks ever.

I was joking haha, did you see my second post? And I know about the exploding rocks, a few years back while I was on an extended hiking/camping trip my friends and I made a fir pit out of some rocks we found, eventually they started to explode when the fire was started, no one was injured which was good lol

[sirtalis]

Originally Posted by dannybgoode

Saved me some typing there

No problem lol, when I put items from outside into my enclosures I usually will dust them off a bit just to make them more aesthetically pleasing

[dannybgoode]

I stick with the dusty unkempt look!

[KingDouglas]

Originally Posted by sirtalis

But in all honesty, you can just put it in the enclosure as long as your positive there are no chemicals on it. In my bioactive cage I have not cleaned a single item, the branches, the dirt (from a river bank and my back yard) the rocks, etc

Can I see a picture of it?

[sirtalis]

For sure man, the wooden enclosure is currently unoccupied but will likely house a gaboon viper in the next year, the aquarium was at one point used for leopard geckos, then a garter snake and is currently empty, Im just letting it sit for a bit. I have a much larger cage that houses my peacock monitor but the way its set up is virtually impossible to get a full image, its about 2.5 feet wide in a room only 4 feet wide haha32127d1433126007-bioactive-planted-leopard-gecko-enclosure-20150531_212901.jpg

34773d1458238936-what-should-i-do-20160317_131242.jpg

[sirtalis]

Originally Posted by dannybgoode

I stick with the dusty unkempt look!

Usually I prefer a more natural look but when a rock is going into a sandy enclosure I prefer it to look more "desert" if that makes any sense

[KingDouglas]

Thanks for sharing.

[sirtalis]

Originally Posted by KingDouglas

Thanks for sharing.

No worries man