substrate.. another question

[royal]

I would like to use forest floor, but how are people cleaning it?
I heard from some people they use it for a year? How, If your snake is peeing on it how do you clean it(just scoop it out, can you see it that easy)?

Another question is there a better way to layer substrate for the natural look? like maybe soil on bottom, then cypress mulch mixed with forest floor?

Another newbie feeling lost, any experience or ideas would be useful

[royal]

P.S. I forgot to say that my aquarium is empty, the snake is comin soon, but it is tall. With the substrate (natural looking) I was hoping to get about 2-3 inches of height.... unless the cleaning is a *&#$.

[dlucka]

I use some thing like forest floor, it's more that you have to put time in cleaning then money. I do spot check every day is there some thing to remove i do and clean locally. Every 2 week i remove all the stuff replace with
the spare clean all then make it dry so it will be ready for nex time. That take
time but i like the look it give. I bought it at "Canadian tire" or any Home depot. Same stuff as pet shop for less.

[royal]

dlucka, How do you clean it(substrate), because im in the same boat as you... I like the look of the forest floor. Unless someone else out there has another product that is cheap that I could use.

So to clean it every two weeks... ?you boil it? or do you put it in the oven? or both?

[dlucka]

Hi Royal

I do the big clean about every 2 week and do a every day inspection to remove the durt. I use "cage-nett" from "laboratoires RIGA".
I put the substrate in a rubermaide with the solution,
(5ml for a liter of water if it's real dirty or you have a sick animal use 10ml)
wash it rinse it then past true a net to make it dry after, just leave it there
on a flat surface, i use the covert of the rubermaide.
That product is a disinfectant, antibacterial. Smell like the product they use
in the veterinary clinic. I have a spray bottle to clean around like after feeding time, i don't feed my snake in their enclosure a use a rubermaide
(i love those box ) so i just spray it after food time. Don't let your snake
eat on this (forest floor).
Cage-nett it less then 6$ for a 100ml around here. Forest stuff
7$ for a bag at Canadian tire with that bag a cover 4 feet X 2 feet about 2inch deep.

[royal]

One more side question.

Sorry all, I know its annoying all the questions. When some ppl have talked about their tanks they mentioned that they used a thermostat to control the heat of their undertank heaters.
I have my tank set up to get the temps right and with only 1/2 inch of substrate on the heat pad(which is mounted under the tank) there is barely any heat comin out... It is rising in his hide but looks now where near 80.. and out of the hide it deffinetly is not 80.. its around 65.
With the heat light I have I wont be able to focus enough to keep a cool area unless I move my divider and make the tank bigger.
ARRRRGGG, Is it maybe just my heat pad? It is an 8x8 exoterra heat wave for terrariums.Directions say it can be under tank mounted. I dunno i am STUCK

[dlucka]

No problemo, i don't use heat pad for my enclosure only for transportation.
Heat pad are good to create a hot spot so the snake will put is bellly on, it will not heat the thank, not enough. You will have to put a other heat source like a spot, i use infra red spot for my thank and a normal rock (big enough so the snake can get on or put his body around) just under the spot and will take the heat, a bit like in nature the sun that heat the rock. Humidity is hard to keep in a thank, so i covert most of the thank, just put some thing on the lid and a water bolt in the hot spot (keep water on the cool side too). Some time at night time i spray the inside of the thank with water to help.

[Lisa]

we have no problem heating using under tank heaters. both the hagen and the zoomed are good.