Best Substrate

[Brandonjames]

I've heard a lot of debates over what is the best substrate for Gu's. Many people I have talked to says cypress mulch is the best, and a large amount of others say the best is a soil/sand mixture. What is your opinion on the best substrate and why?. I feed out of cage so impaction isnt really a worry for me.

This thread is going to determine how I design my cage and what substrate to use in it. My Gu likes to burrow, a lot, So I will probably go with whatever holds burrows the best.

-Brandon

 

[Guest]

i think cypress is going to be the most suggested on this forum. i have a hard time finding it in the portland-metro area, so i use hemlock mulch. my tegu does great on it, i've had no problems and i have yet to see any bugs or anything like that in it.

 

[TEGU_JAKE]

I like to use soil the best, but I have never used Cypress. Soil holds a good burrow too.

 

[Guest]

If you can get it Cypress !!

The word they have for soil and water is mud ..

 

[eddyjack]

:dead :dead :dead :dead :dead :bolt

 

[Brandonjames]

Alright, Cypress it is. I can get a bag that fills my 4x2x3 about 5 inches deep for about $3 at the local home depot.

 

[Toby_H]

To me, no matter what I used it had to be mold/mildew resistant...

Cypress Mulch has worked great for me since my ('08) Tegu was a hatchling. It is readily available (in my area), inexpensive, mold/mildew resistant, basically inert (harmless), a functional blend of chips and flakes, burrows easily/well, doesn't stick to the Tegu, etc, etc...

Pulverized Coco Fiber (such as EcoEarth) has most of the benefits Cypress Mulch has but is fine and almost fluffy. It works well in smaller enclosures for smaller reptiles (like Tegu Hatchlings) but is to expensive for adult sized enclosures...

Yet note I do not like 'crushed' Coconut Shells, it is too "fibery"...

I often saturate sections of my substrate therefore I would not want to use any form of soil as I wouldn't want to create mud. Also my Tegu free roams easily enough and often enough that any substrate that sticks to my Tegu.

 

[eddyjack]

Very good choice!

 

[Guest]

i think cypress is going to be the most suggested on this forum. i have a hard time finding it in the portland-metro area, so i use hemlock mulch. my tegu does great on it, i've had no problems and i have yet to see any bugs or anything like that in it.

Do you really use hemlock?! my family owns a landscape supply yard (i dont know much about anything sold) but i always thought hemlock may have some sort of chemical treatment or something?

 

[Guest]

Many hemlocks are poisonous ...

I believe the Hemlock they are talking about is like a pine or cedar tree ..
A white wood like aspen ..

 

[Guest]

k thanks that would save me so much money if i could just steal it from my dad.

 

[Guest]

there are different hemlocks, one i think is a plant and thats the toxic one.
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has a few types you can try or look into, theres also orchid bark

here are a few more
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