# harmful substrates.....



## KSTAR (Jan 11, 2009)

i know that cypress mulch is the best type of bedding but i had a little problem with it so i was looking to get some new substrates and was curious to know...are any of these a harm to the little guys...
*douglas fir shavings with eucalyptus
*sphagnum peat moss
*pure shredded aspen


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## Wooly (Jan 11, 2009)

Try using ground coconut shell bedding. I use a brand called BeatsPeat. It holds the moisture better than any bedding i've tried.


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## hoosier (Jan 11, 2009)

you could also use topsoil mixed with cypress. or straw. those work well.


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## KSTAR (Jan 11, 2009)

well i was leaning more towards the shredded aspen the most...i had cypress mulch in my enclosure and my little blue started chewing on it lol so i got scared that he might do so more often and suffer from being impacted  so i dont know what substrate to go with now...i think i might try the top soil or the aspen...even though top soil could be messy


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## hoosier (Jan 11, 2009)

check out the substrate area of bobbys caresheet http://www.tegutalk.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=20
it has alot of good ideas fo a substrate.


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## PinkPunisher (Jan 11, 2009)

I wouldn't do Aspen personally, I get the idea it would mold fairly quickly. 

This is my opinion but have you been feeding your blue as much as he will eat? Until HE/SHE stops? That might be why he was chewing of the Cypress, also are you feeding inside the cage or outside of it?

Coconut coir is amazing stuff. I use it in my 8'x4'x4' and I LOVE it more then my Cypress, I found the Cypress dried out much quicker then the coir and they didn't burrow nearly as much as they do now.

Just my $0.02 though.

Spencer


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## KSTAR (Jan 11, 2009)

thanks alot for your help guys :-D and yes i have been feeding outside of the enclosure and he/she eats until it no longer wants anymore so i dont kno what happen and i never had this problem until last night so i didnt know what to do either...so i took out the bedding and put newspaper...and i only had it for 2 days now cause i picked it up from DaveDragon this past saturday..where he fed his hatchlings everyday if im not mistaken and he ate ground turkey and crickets today...so when i see some poop ill be alot more happy cause ill know hes not impacted but hes still engaging in normal activity so ill just observe alot more... heres a pic...


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## KSTAR (Jan 11, 2009)

should i use compressed coconut fiber bedding or Loose Coconut Fiber bedding? or should i just use the repti-bark since its still small even if it tryed to eat it it cant due to the size...


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## PinkPunisher (Jan 11, 2009)

I would just mix the Cypress with Coconut coir. The only difference between loose and compressed to my knowledge at least is that one is still in the block form that hasn't been expanded and one is expanded. 

I prefer the compressed because its usually cheaper and takes up less room. All you need to do is soak it in water for 5 -15 mins and it expands usually 8 times the size.

Here its extremely expensive to fill a big cage with only Cypress so I opted for Coconut products. It costs me at most $50 to fill the cage with Coconut products. I use 4 blocks of coir and 3 blocks of a more chunk like form of coconut. It holds burrow perfectly and doesn't compress like Cypress over time, only if you apply a good amount of weight on it but its easy to fix. Just put your hand under the compressed area and lift it up then mix with other non-compressed substrate.

Here are the two products I use. 

Coir
<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.homehardware.ca/Products/index/show/product/I5053990/name/coir_peat_alternative_5kg" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://www.homehardware.ca/Products/ind ... native_5kg</a><!-- m -->
Mulch
<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.homehardware.ca/Products/index/show/product/I5011955/name/mulch_garden_beyond_mulch_2_1cuft" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://www.homehardware.ca/Products/ind ... ch_2_1cuft</a><!-- m -->

They're $6.99 a block! 

Spencer


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## KSTAR (Jan 11, 2009)

great thanks alot pinkpunisher 8) ill look these links up..thanks all you guys for youre in put...and P.S - I DID NOT FEED IN THE ENCLOSURE...just in case anyone was wondering...but its pretty weired how i was just watching t.v and i looked over and saw him chewing but im still not sure if he got to swallow it or not...but if i see no poop in about 2 days im going straight to the vet...


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## hoosier (Jan 11, 2009)

PinkPunisher said:


> Here its extremely expensive to fill a big cage with only Cypress so I opted for Coconut products. It costs me at most $50 to fill the cage with Coconut products. I use 4 blocks of coir and 3 blocks of a more chunk like form of coconut. It holds burrow perfectly and doesn't compress like Cypress over time, only if you apply a good amount of weight on it but its easy to fix. Just put your hand under the compressed area and lift it up then mix with other non-compressed substrate.



wow it only costs me $8 to fill a 6X3. its only about $3 a bag for cypress here plus tax :yik


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## PinkPunisher (Jan 11, 2009)

If I was to fill it with only Cypress it would easily cost me over $100.. so I'm glad with what I have at the moment lol

Spencer


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## AlpineStar (Jan 11, 2009)

$1.20 a bag here. and this chick at a local petstore chain gives me her discount on the 3 block packs of eco-earth so i pay about a dollar a block. i would have to rethink my animals if i was paying $50-$100 to just do substrate, that crazy


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## PinkPunisher (Jan 11, 2009)

I spend the $50 every other month so its not that big of a deal, I waste more money on useless things between the time frame. Like going to see movies, buying video games, renting movies, etc. One night at the movies on average is in the $50 range for me and my girlfriend. So like I said, it doesn't bother me all that much lol

On average its $30.00 for a bag of Cypress mulch and I would need at least 4-5 bags to fill it to 4"s.

Spencer


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## MMRR - jif (Jan 12, 2009)

I use Cypress for my adult tegus as it is cheap here... 3 bags/$9. For the babies and for my other smaller lizards I use the coconut substrates...ecoearth or another product called Bed-a-Beast. I can get a 3 brick package for about $6 here. It holds humidity well without molding and I've never seen my baby Giant eat it. It is also very digable. CaribSea sells a bagged product that is larger shreds of coconut fiber. It is a very soft substrate and also holds moisture well.


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## DaveDragon (Jan 12, 2009)

MMRR - jif said:


> For the babies and for my other smaller lizards I use the coconut substrates...ecoearth or another product called Bed-a-Beast. I can get a 3 brick package for about $6 here. It holds humidity well without molding and I've never seen my baby Giant eat it. It is also very digable. CaribSea sells a bagged product that is larger shreds of coconut fiber. It is a very soft substrate and also holds moisture well.


Bed-a- beast! That's what I was trying to remember! I think we have a couple of bricks of that.


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## VARNYARD (Jan 12, 2009)

It is best not to use any types of Conifers for substrate; this includes furs, pines and cedars. This is due to the toxic oils that these trees contain, it can harm your tegu.

As for the aspen, it will mold if it gets damp and you need to keep a good humidity, so this will not work with tegus. 

You could make a mix of vinegar and water to soak the cypress, this will make the substrate less palatable and it is not toxic. I have never had a problem with tegus trying to eat the bedding, so this is a new one on me. I have heard of tegus eating stones too, but I have never seen my tegus trying to eat them. :chin


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## DaveDragon (Jan 12, 2009)

I guess my Tegu's are "special"!! :crazy


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## laurarfl (Jan 12, 2009)

I have a nuuty tegu, Kreacher, that eats bedding. I see it in her stool at times. I added a 1/4 teaspoon Metamucil to her diet and haven't seen it since. She is also the kind of tegu that just bites at things...jeans buttons, anything shiny, the tub overflow thingy, painted toenails...you name it!!!


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## KSTAR (Jan 12, 2009)

thanks for all your input guys..i will be sure to stay away from those firs and pines aswell...thanks bobby...i think i might just go with the repti-bark for now and see if he nips at it...or i might try the mulch again..he couldve just been testing it out to see what was it since that was his 1st time in it :idea: i just hope he didnt eat it...

to laurafl : how did you apply the matamucil to your tegus diet? and what form did you buy cause i know it comes in powder and capsules..did the meatmucil help you tegu got to the bathroom or stop eating the substrate?


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## KSTAR (Jan 12, 2009)

I over heard a little while ago that if moss is eaten by a tegu..the tegu won't suffer from being impacted...is this true? I thought if a tegu ate any substrate it will suffer from being impacted....


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## DaveDragon (Jan 12, 2009)

KSTAR said:


> to laurafl : how did you apply the matamucil to your tegus diet? and what form did you buy cause i know it comes in powder and capsules..did the meatmucil help you tegu got to the bathroom or stop eating the substrate?


I forgot about that! I did add a powdered laxative to our male Blue's turkey a couple of times when he was impacted. I wish my brain didn't have so many holes in it!!!!!!!!!! :doh


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## hoosier (Jan 12, 2009)

VARNYARD said:


> I have never had a problem with tegus trying to eat the bedding, so this is a new one on me. I have heard of tegus eating stones too, but I have never seen my tegus trying to eat them. :chin



mine has never tried to eat his bedding but for some dumb reason every time hes outside, he tries to eat a rock. i really dont know why :crazy


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## KSTAR (Jan 12, 2009)

ok I found some metamucil that's in a powder form but its orange flavored...does that matter? and also how much metamucil do I apply to his ground turkey?


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## DaveDragon (Jan 12, 2009)

I would give it a light dusting, like calcium.


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## KSTAR (Jan 12, 2009)

ok that I will do...but I found it flavored..its a orange flavor...is that ok?


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## KSTAR (Jan 12, 2009)

GREAT NEWS!!!! well guys i have great news...i re-did my blues enclosure with some new bedding...i used the reptile bedding that comes in a brick and i broke it up with hot water and he loves it...and he was digging it all up and most important..he pooped! :-D which means he didnt eat the bedding and hes not impacted :-D i wanna thank you all who helped me and gave your suggestions and knowledge :-D and thanks BOOSTFEEN...lol


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## BOOSTFEEN (Jan 12, 2009)

no problem KStar you know im always here to help and at least now you know for next time which hopefully there isnt LOL


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## DaveDragon (Jan 13, 2009)

Silly Tegu!!! Hopefully he learned his lesson and won't eat his substrate again. I'm sure you've got tastier things for him to eat!

Just keep that stuff moist, otherwise it's get dusty and he'll be breathing it in.


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## KSTAR (Jan 13, 2009)

ok that i will do... thanks dave...


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