Reddit mentions: The best terrarium bedding

I use this terrarium once they're larger but I invested because I raise mantids as pets quite often.

For a twig, I use this

And for foliage I use this with the suction cup plonked near the top and the leaves hanging down that I found in the reptile section.

The fish and reptile sections at your local pet store are going to be your favorite aisles from now on.

For substrate a lot of people here prefer dirt (NEVER from outside, there are all kinds of parasites and mites in outside dirt!) But I prefer coconut fiber as my substrate because it's naturally antibiotic and will hinder fungal and bacterial growth, and smell nicer too.

You'll really come to love these little guys, and here's why. Mantids, unlike most "bugs" hunt via sight, not vibration. This means they move and act much more mammalian than other insects. They don't skitter, they don't make sudden scary movements or bite or attack on sight (well some do, they all have their own distinct personalities), and they're VERY smart.

Mantids have been known to be receptive to operant conditioning, AKA they can be trained like a dog would. You should try to handle them (gently and with clean hands) as they grow up, every couple of days, and by the time they're adults they'll readily calmly hang out with you whenever you want. You can plop them on your arm as you do computer stuff or whatever. They're very docile creatures most of the time and make great pets. Just be careful because they're fragile.

As others said, keep humidity around 50% and if they're Tenodera Sinesis then temperature should hover around 70F at night and 80F during the day, which means you'll want a dome reptile lamp and you'll need to figure our the appropriate distance from the top of the cage to place it. Don't place it right on top, the mantids love to hang out on top upside down and a lamp right there would fry them. Make sure there's at least 1 cool spot for them to cool off.

As for food and water, once they're a little bigger the crickets at the pet store should work fine. If they're super picky there are lots of online mantis stores that sell larger flies. and whet a sponge or paper towel in there to help with the humidity.

OK, Im just going to list a bunch of stuff I've purchased through this process. Nothing is in any particular order.

Almond leaves (for tannin) - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00LKTX4VC/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Moss - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0035Q65TQ/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o09_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Cholla Wood - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01H4FUMHY/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Dried red Shrimp (Protein and Chitin) - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0027JCRVW/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Instant Ocean (1/3cup per Gallon) - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000255NKA/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Ultrasonic Mister/Fogger (for DIY Fogger) - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00PAK21WU/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o04_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Digital Temp Humidity Controller - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01I6BZ2IO/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o05_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

LED White/Blue Light - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0191EWII2/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o06_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

UTH (You may need to get a different size and this isn't the most recommended, but it works for me currently) - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00TR4HLEI/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o06_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1 (This one has adhesive on the back of it, so you just stick it on like a sticker.)

Cork Bark Board - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0019J1VPY/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o07_s04?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Water Conditioner - https://www.amazon.com/Seachem-116043304-Prime-500ml/dp/B00025694O

If you have any questions, please feel free. To mitigate confusion I felt just listing this as a reference first is the best approach. If you are looking for a new tank so that you can get friends, i would suggest 30 or more gallons and work towards that instead of investing into the current tank which would get changed.

Personally with the 5 i have i clearly see they need much more room than the 15 gallon they have now. I am in the process of acquiring an 85-120 gallon tank for permanency. These guys can live 20+ years with the proper care and environment. but not everyone has that freedom. 30 is a totally doable size for 3 crabs. they can grow to jumbos and be fine in there, but im sure if they reach that stage you'll be looking for another tank. Jumbos need at least 12" of substrate for molting.

You shouldn't feel bad - you definitely saved him from a terrible fate on the streets! An albino mouse that is OK with you handling him is almost certainly domestic. Likely someone didn't want to care for him anymore and just set him loose. It's very sad because they will either die of exposure (they won't know how to find good shelter), or most likely a cat, hawk, or any other predator will eat him.

I would monitor him and see if he appears healthy. Domestic mice generally don't carry the same diseases as wild mice, and if he was friendly and looks to be in good condition (clear open eyes, smooth fur, no wet spot under tail, etc.), then maybe he was only released (or escaped) earlier that day. I found a domestic hamster once in our neighborhood, so it does happen!

It is always good to have a vet check on him if you can. If the vet confirms it's a boy, then he will need to live alone. Male mice fight.

He will enjoy a wheel like a Silent Spinner or Flying Saucer, a water bottle (not a dish, which gets dirty), and toys like paper towel tubes, small cardboard boxes, a large stick to climb on, etc. He will need a place to sleep that is something like an overturned cardboard box with a hole cut out, or you can buy one. I recommend a lab block like Oxbow young rat and mouse, and supplement with some bird seed occasionally (no dried corn). For cages, a tank like a 20-gallon tank with a mesh lid is the best. For bedding I would recommend either EcoEarth (it helps combat the smell), or Vitakraft paper crumbles, with something like Klean and Kozy for burrowing. Males do have a musk so he will be a little stinky, and need his cage cleaned once a week.

Share a pic if you can, and update us. I hope you keep him and enjoy him!

There are many options for covering wire floors. It can even be as simple as paper or cardboard cut to size (and replaced often).

Peel-and-stick vinyl tiles or cheap sheets of flooring could work but you would need to wipe them clean a couple times a day to prevent your rats from walking around through puddles of their own urine.

Plastic canvas from the craft store could work very well. Urine drips would fall through to the floor below so you wouldn't need to worry about your bubs walking through pee pools. It would also be pretty easy to hold in place with string, zip ties, or clips.

I've also heard of people using reptile zilla liners to line shelves. I guess they can be washed and reused. I've never tried them so I don't know how well they work. Here's a review from someone who eventually switched to fleece mats instead.

I've been very happy using fleece "mats" that have an inner absorbent layer. They can be held to the levels with little clips. I put grommets in the corners so they can be tied to bars of the cage. I made several sets and I swap them out every 3-5 days (as needed).

Your best bet is to hit your local pet store and look at the aquarium and terrarium section. The reptile and aquarium sections have sand of varying levels of coarsness/fineness. (reptile's generally use very fine grade sand which works great as sand for that scale as the coarse ones used for aquariums can cause issues with blockages when ingested by lizards) .

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Exo Terra terrarium soil is also pretty good to use for soil.

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Terrarium Moss is great for doing shrubs and folliage.

Sweet! The most natural way to start up is by using botanicals, such as wood, bark, leaves, and seed pods. The website linked above is my personal favourite place to get most of those, aside from my own personal local fish store. You can let them float at the top of your aquarium until they sink, or boil them for a short time to quicken the process, but either way, as they sink and decompose, they release tannins into the water, creating that gorgeous tea stain. I also prefer to use bottled tannin extract to add to new water during water changes, but that is entirely optional. The botanicals release enough tannins to make up for it eventually, I just like having it around.

Oh then check out this channel for direct Leopard Gecko care, and this channel for gold nuggets of care tips. I recommend going with reptile carpet or eco earth. Good luck!

We were told to use Eco-Earth or other pet friendly soils. I hoping that was good information because, fun fact: rats like to eat dirt lol

How much do you love the shelf vs the adonsonii? Lol

You could get something like this and wrap the arms of the shelf so the adonsonii can grab on?

If you like a more natural look then I'd go with that. If you ever want to move the plant though...its be literally stuck to the mat. So you could cut the mat off the pole, wrap it around something else, and hope the plant survives the stress.

I use a 10g and that reptile mat stuff for my Mediterranean Gecko. It's like felt but washable. I cant recommend the mat enough. I've had it 3 years now and after a wash it's as good as new.

Zoo Med Eco Carpet for 40 Gallon Tanks https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0027IQANE/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_4L1wCbH7030Z1

For one tiny house gecko 10g is fine, but for a fat tale you'd probably want a 40g breeder.

Edit: after a quick Google 10g might be fine so your 20g setup should be pretty decent

I order my supplies from lllreptile.com or reptilebasics.com I wouldn't recommend putting your snake on a dry substrate like sani-chips if she is a baby just because it's too dry for baby pythons and it can mold if sprayed constantly. Dry coco husk would probably be best. Adults tend to do pretty good on sani-chips due to their overall hardiness. You can find a bag of it on eBay or Amazon for a few bucks.

Substrate:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B000O39QEO

I can pretty much guarantee as long as your petsmart has a reptile section, it'll have ecoearth. They come in a brick like this ( https://www.amazon.com/dp/B007C8580K/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_jj17AbYM40X3N )
For playsand make sure it's mainly marketed as playsand, not allpurpose sand that can be used as playsand. People recommend buying this one ( https://m.lowes.com/pd/QUIKRETE-50-lbs-Play-Sand/3006085 )but i haven't seen it in person yet so you'll be find as long as it is mainly marketed as play sand.

If you're keen on doing some work to save money and have some tools lying around, you could build your own enclosure for much cheaper than premade ones. There's plenty of tutorials and the materials (usually wood or acrylic) are fairly affordable. The long term costs of owning a snake are pretty negligible, it's the initial cost that's going to be pretty high.

Aside from the enclosure, you also need; a heat mat (ex), a thermostat (ex1 ex2), thermometer and hygrometer (ex), substrate (ex1 ex2), 2 hides (ex), water dish (ex), ceramic heat emitter (ex), cleaning supplies (ex), and a mist bottle (ex).

Those are all just examples and some of them might not work for you, but it should give you an idea of what to look for. Things that aren't "technically" a requirement but are highly recommended are plants/decor and a light (UVB if you want to spoil them) to provide a day/night cycle. If you're wanting a Ball Python, options are practically endless on MorphMarket. Just make sure you do your research on a breeder before buying.

Substrate that holds humidity well

(2 Pack) Zoo Med Eco Earth Bricks https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01MUGYCL0?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share

Heat pad

Zoo Med ReptiTherm Under Tank... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0002AQCKA?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share

Heat mat thermostat and controller

BoHoFarm Heat Mat Thermostat... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07LBGWMV9?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share

Thermometer and humidity gauge

Zoo Med Labs Digital Thermometer... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06XY3X7P9?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share

Make sure you read the instructions on every item, but these will allow you to create the best habitat for your ball python :).
Remember that a water bowl and at least one hide that is placed over the hot spot are needed as well. They’re not climbing snakes so something for them to climb isn’t necessary, but isn’t a bad idea for exercise and aesthetics. Let me know if you have any other questions!!

If it's the Kaytee exotic pet home (the one with the green platforms) I was using fabric for a while too and had the same problem with urine smell.

I started using terrarium liners in the base of the cage and it worked quite well.

I bought two of them and cut them to fit the cage (be sure to check the dimensions of the cage and the liner before you buy). Every three days you can just pull the liner out and swap it with the clean one. Then the dirty one can be rinsed out with cold water to clean it and hung up to dry.

They're treated with enzymes that neutralize urine odor, and it made cleaning much easier. Swapping them out every few days, a pair usually lasts about a month. If you wanted to use them on the platforms as well you could probably buy another one or two to cut to the platforms' sizes and clip them down with binder clips or something.

Also, be sure you put something like torn up strips of kraft paper or something for them to chew/burrow in the base of the cage. If they're used to having old shirts and blankets to burrow around in, the terrarium liners will get chewed on and crawled under.

We recently(two or three months ago) switched to this:

Before we used a plastic grass mat that she really seemed to like but figured she would like a flat terrain better(also much easier to clean)
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000MD594W/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Awesome, are the the lamps in the picture UVB/UVA Bulbs??? i only bought UVA Bulb for my red ear slider.

Looks like i will be buying this for the basking area.

Would this work?


http://www.amazon.com/Zoo-Med-Coconut-Substrate-Quarts/dp/B00167VVP4/ref=sr_1_1?s=pet-supplies&ie=UTF8&qid=1414967795&sr=1-1&keywords=eco+earth



And this is what I cant use?

http://www.amazon.com/Zoo-Med-Laboratories-SZMEE10-1-Brick/dp/B007C8580K/ref=sr_1_5?s=pet-supplies&ie=UTF8&qid=1414967880&sr=1-5&keywords=eco+earth

Also thanks for the link, it was very helpful. Also the spawn to sub ration is 1:2?

It's just a chunk of this stuff (Frog Moss).

I happened to have a chunk of it that fit perfectly. My wife gave it to me as part of the "kit" she put together for the baby T.

You can but any general reptile/pet store should carry some. Amazon typically has better deals though. Most go with the Zoo Med Eco Earth Bricks https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00TNLIANQ/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?smid=A3PNUN7H1KV96E&psc=1

One of those bricks should be enough to cover the bottom of your terrarium and with changing every 1-2 months $30 of substrate will last you a while

Just a suggestion, in the future instead of paying extra for "tumbling media," get this: lizard bedding. Same stuff, different label. I personally occasionally add a bit of silver polish. It works on all metals and is ammonia free, so it doesn't damage your brass.

Repticarpet is awesome and affordable

Here's a link for it on amazon so you can read the other reviews if you like http://www.amazon.com/Zoo-Med-Coconut-Substrate-Quarts/dp/B00167VVP4

This is the carpet I'm using. Not sure how thick it is. Not very. The glass is pretty hot, not burning hot but the carpet is barely warm.

if it helps, this is the moss I got https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00KZDT346/ref=ask_ql_qh_dp_hza

Yes, to the Tannin Aquatics! And the pods last longer than leaves. You can also buy CaribSea Instant Blackwater Amazon. It used to be cheaper at Drs Foster and Smith but maybe you can still find it on their partner site or look elsewhere. And Rachel O'Leary on her YouTube channel talks about Roobios (sp?) Tea you can buy at the grocery store...but my store only has it mixed with some other flower or plant so i don't know where to get it just by itself.

You want fiber not husk.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00167VVP4

That stuff in either the bag or they have it in bricks that you mix with water as well.

> Also, humidity is still low. Low 50's, about 52. How can I raise that? His water dish can't get much bigger so I don't know the next step.

Better substrate. I recommend the coconut fiber substrate that's fairly common. Also, if you're using a glass aquarium, I recommend covering most of the screen top with aluminum foil or something similar. This will help keep the humidity you generate in the tank.

> It looks like he began shedding before I got him. Now the skin is peeling off in somewhat random spots. Head and neck seem fine but the body is scattered. Could this have to do with the humidity? What should I do about it?

Yeah. This is a bad shed and is very much due to low humidity while shedding. Humidity needs to be around 60% during a shed. In the meantime, you can soak him. Get a small tub with lid. Poke some holes in the lid and fill it halfway or so with water. Then put the snake in and put the lid on. You can leave him in for 15 minutes or so (checking on him every couple min). After that, take him out and put him in a towel. Hold the towel and let him crawl through it on his own while you loosely grip him using said towel. The stuck shed should come off very easily this way.

Another thing to check is the humid hide. A terra cotta pot broken in half lengthwise works very well. Get some sphagnum moss for bedding inside and keep it moist. Spray your tortoise with water as often as you can, and spray its food too. Always keep water available. A terra cotta saucer is perfect. For your tortoise size I’d get a 6” or 8” dish. Also try to keep the substrate damp. The latest and learned method of raising sulcatas is to keep them damp their first year.

Mazuri pellets

Cuttlebone

Sphagnum Moss

I’m just gonna go off, this will be long as hell. It’s currently really early in the morning so sorry for any formatting/spelling.

• a terrarium. I currently have a 10 gallon since my frog is still small but I’ll probably go up to 20-30 gallon which isn’t necessarily obligatory as they don’t move that much. I wouldn’t personally wouldn’t recommend going under 10.
  
  
• a mesh lid. This doesn’t regularly come with the terrarium and you’ll have to buy one that fits appropriately with the size of your tank.
  
  
• Day and night light stand. an example, this is what I have.
  
  
• UV day bulb, and a night bulb. Make sure to flip the lights over whenever you wake up and whenever you go to bed so he gets a cycle of day and night. find example here, not a huge fan of these ones but you might like it
  
  
• a thermostat and hydrometer. I have one that sticks to the inside wall of my tank. I found that putting it closer to the bottom will give you a more accurate reading of the temperature and humidity. I keep my frog’s temp at a steady 80° Fahrenheit and about 65 - 80% humidity. an example of thermostat plus hydrometer
  
  
  
• substate. Make sure it’s wet but not soppy and give it a good spray at least twice a day. an example
  
  
• shading/ a place to hide. You can plant safe plants in their terrariums but I prefer just to add some fake plants.
  
  
• a water dish that he can get in and out of. If he goes in it by himself then the substrate isn’t wet enough. They absorb water through their skin and need to basically constantly be damp.
  
  
• for food I personally feed crickets, mealworms, and wax worms. I again personally use tweezers to pick the bug up and put them in front of mine so it doesn’t run away from me and get lost. I’ll occasionally dip the bugs in calcium powder as well. Be careful with waxworms, pinky mice, and other fatty foods as the frog could get overweight.
  BE WARNED: crickets stink af and even in their little bug home you can smell it from afar. Not to mention their food stinks and they die easy. Buy the smaller ones if you can, I’ve noticed they smell a lot better and don’t die as quickly.
  
  
• don’t move or hold the little dude to much as it stresses them out.
  
  
• if you’re gonna let bugs roam in the terrarium clean it out once every week. I personally clean mine about every 3 weeks but I don’t keep bugs in there.
  
  I hope this helps! If I think of anything else I’ll add it here. Also if you have any questions don’t be afraid to ask.

https://www.amazon.com/Pack-Zoo-Med-Earth-Bricks/dp/B01MUGYCL0/ref=pd_lpo_sbs_199_img_2?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=9TJ74GXV5D0F100M3N98 amazon page for eco earth.

ZooMed coconut fiber substrate
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00167VVP4/ref=cm_sw_r_other_apa_i_U9P4CbFK61SSA

https://www.amazon.com/Zoo-Med-Compressed-Coconut-Substrate/dp/B00TNLIANQ/ref=mp_s_a_1_2?keywords=zoo%2Bmed%2Bcoir&qid=1564784394&s=gateway&sr=8-2&th=1&psc=1

Coir is sold at every pet store

I think you need a bigger pot, and less water. Use a mix of tiny bark chunks (like this), potting soil, and vermiculite or perlite.

I have some Mojave Sand already for it. the only two things I'd need to buy would be this. Is this a good start?

https://smile.amazon.com/Zoo-Med-Excavator-Burrowing-Substrate/dp/B000N5OM8S/ref=sr_1_2?crid=16MWUGEQOVNWL&keywords=excavator+clay&qid=1570129542&s=gateway&sprefix=excavator+clay%2Caps%2C212&sr=8-2

https://smile.amazon.com/Zoo-Med-Coconut-Substrate-Quarts/dp/B00167VVP4/ref=sr_1_4?crid=11MUDK3PQLGV5&keywords=coco+fiber+substrate&qid=1570129565&s=gateway&sprefix=Cocofiber+%2Caps%2C212&sr=8-4

Yes! Forest floor (cypress mulch) doesn’t mold like aspen and you can mist it or pour water in directly. I know Amazon sells it but most stores that I’ve been to that sell reptile supplies have it too. Also I remember I got the compressed coco fiber block and it was SO wet after rehydrating it. I ended up getting a bag of loose eco earth to mix in and absorb some water.
Zoo Med Forest Floor Bedding, 24 Quarts https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0010OVM7A/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_D-czCbXHJYNFD
Zoo Med Eco Earth Loose Coconut Fiber Substrate, 8 Quarts https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00167VVP4/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_ycdzCbDF55X9G