Best substrate for Cresties?

[MarkB]

Right, we've just got back from the reptile shop because what with my little accident with our Crestie yesterday, we thought a new, bigger viv was in order. I just don't find the exo terra all that practical.

The problem is that we've been forced to bring home less than brilliant substrate (cork-bark) because that's all they had. Well, everything else was worse.

We'll change it as soon as we can, but when we do, what should we try and go for?

[secuner]

compost with live moss on top

[Art_Gecko101]

Ew bark is HORRID! goes gross and mouldy and they can get impacted from it big time! Well... the chance of the swallowing it fairly small but if they do it can cause big problems.

Personally, with young ones i always use kitchen roll, its just the safest thing and you can monitor their poos! Cause as im sure you've noticed, they eat barely anything!

With adults, i like natural potting soil with smooth pebbles on top to compact it down. You can buy sheets of stones stuck to plastic flexible mesh from poundland which work like a dream, you can put it on top of the soil, then sprinkle a little more soil on top to cover the mesh, and voila! natural looking and pretty impaction safe!

[MarkB]

Originally Posted by Art_Gecko101

Ew bark is HORRID! goes gross and mouldy and they can get impacted from it big time! Well... the chance of the swallowing it fairly small but if they do it can cause big problems.

Personally, with young ones i always use kitchen roll, its just the safest thing and you can monitor their poos! Cause as im sure you've noticed, they eat barely anything!

With adults, i like natural potting soil with smooth pebbles on top to compact it down. You can buy sheets of stones stuck to plastic flexible mesh from poundland which work like a dream, you can put it on top of the soil, then sprinkle a little more soil on top to cover the mesh, and voila! natural looking and pretty impaction safe!

Ours is 2 years old, so not a youngen.

Trust me, I really didn't want the bark. It was the best of a bad bunch, seriously. And it WILL be a temporary solution.

I THINK what he was on before was coconut husk; but we couldn't find that today

We also found some peat moss floor, which was for amphibians really, so I wasn't sure about that..

But yes, those ideas sound great, thanks for the suggestions

[forteh]

My OHs are on lino, same as her leos

[MarkB]

Originally Posted by forteh

My OHs are on lino, same as her leos

We thought about that too.. But certain people on here said that that can be a problem when misting? Damp, smells and stuff?

[Art_Gecko101]

Yea i understand, and pet shops can be very pursuasive sometimes! lol I think my poundland has the mesh tiles in at the moment, they really are good! and you can cut them up really easily too!

Originally Posted by MarkB

Ours is 2 years old, so not a youngen.

Trust me, I really didn't want the bark. It was the best of a bad bunch, seriously. And it WILL be a temporary solution.

I THINK what he was on before was coconut husk; but we couldn't find that today

We also found some peat moss floor, which was for amphibians really, so I wasn't sure about that..

But yes, those ideas sound great, thanks for the suggestions

[forteh]

Originally Posted by MarkB

We thought about that too.. But certain people on here said that that can be a problem when misting? Damp, smells and stuff?

She mists the plants till theyre dripping and not had any problems so far. The lino stays dry and most of the mess comes from the cresties climbing through their calci dish and leaving white footprints everywhere

[sparkle]

Originally Posted by forteh

She mists the plants till theyre dripping and not had any problems so far. The lino stays dry and most of the mess comes from the cresties climbing through their calci dish and leaving white footprints everywhere

i found lino horrid and held no humidity... so i use kitchen rol but with a bowl of eco earth that hold humidity.. the bowls are huge and plastic and covers most of the floor of the vivs.. they are also hollow undernath and the cresties ue it as a hide.. perfect solution

[marky0283]

I use kitchen towel at the moment for mine. It might not look that good but would probably be better then the bark until you find something you like?