What substrate are u using

[top dog]

Hello fellow retic keeper
Got some real nice cages for my retics and i am kinda over using news paper. Having nice big display cages in the center of my lounge i need to use something that looks good aswell as functional.
Any ideas
Thanks in advance Mark

[Seaborne]

Hello there Mark

Well I guess it would depend on what repti u have. I have a BD and I just love the AstroTurf. I find it easy to clean, it looks good and if you keep the nails clipped he has no problems walking.

Most people on here however like to use tiles. I just don't know how well my heat pads would warm the tiles up. it sure does great with the Astro. Hope my 5c worth helps u out

[burmco4]

Hi there, if you opt for the astro turf, just put some newspaper underneath it to help absorb the urine and make sure to wash the astro turf every other day. What sizes are your retics?

Charl

[top dog]

thanks for the replies guys but i am real not that keen on astro turf at all
looking for a more natural substrate.
My retic range from a about 1meter to around 3meters, big girls are not that easy to measure thou

[Bushviper]

You can use kennaf which is almost like corn cob but not as dangerous. Potting soil which has no manure or chemicals added mixed with the tiny bark chips also works well. Feeding outside the cage is not that easy with big pythons so bear that in mind when feeding defrosted food. Dry it first properly.

[top dog]

thanks bv

[Burmbuddy]

Hi mark.
How are this retics coming man?

I use Bio substrate in my cages (potting soil, peanut husks, peet moss mix), I also use live plants as this helps to get the bio-substrate active (gotta place them so that the tics don't crush them...). Looks great, smells like fresh dirt and is the easiest to clean of all substrates I have used for big snakes (by FAR).

Give Phillip De Voslje's book "the art of keeping snakes a read", never looked at snakes the same way again.

If you don't like the idea of bio substrate then I also like SFK (corrugated cardboard). Buy it at packing stores in HUGE rolls. Cheap, clean and looks great.

PS- would not recommend feeding a retic out the cage...ever, unless you like the idea of experiencing scenes from the first anaconda movie in your living room...

Cheers
DAN

[top dog]

Thanks dan that is some really good info
will start looking into it this weekend
Retic are growing like weeds man

[CarlaSmit87]

Sorry to steal the thread... But I thought you should never feed inside the enclosure especially with bigger snakes? So they do not confuse handling time with feeding time . Reason I'm asking is I just got a hatchling burmese and I want to do things right from the start and I guess you people that keep big snakes would know the best

[top dog]

Hey Carla with large snakes it is best to feed them in there cage, trust me trying to move a large rectic or burm for that mater around feeding time is going to hurt.
The best thing to do is to tap train them
this mean when u want to handle the snake you tap it on the head before you attempt to pic it up. when u feed u just place the food infrom of the snake in the cage

[Bushviper]

You can go one further and tap on the glass when it is feeding time. That way when some idiot taps on the glass you just slide it open. Problem solved.

Seriously though they do associate the glass tapping with food readily and then if you open the cage and stroke them with a stick or place something over the head like a paper towel roll then they know they are going to be picked up.

[Burmbuddy]

100% agree with what Mark and BV said...

Feeding large snakes out the cage is cruising for a bruising....

Retics generally learn faster IMO, but most would say I am bias...

[CarlaSmit87]

thanks so much for the info, it makes sense because I fed her this past weekend in a tub outside of het cage and it ended up in me having to put her back in her enclosure with a hook because she was in a hectic feeding mood after she ate and striked at my hand repeatedly when trying to pick her up.

@Bushviper lol thanks I will do the glass tapping from now on