Tofu's enclosure!

[Tofu]

I just called Home Depot in Portsmouth and they will have hemlock mulch in by the end of next week. I asked about 100% cypress but they said they won't have any. I have been reading that hemlock is just as good though so I think I will get a bag of that instead!

 

[BatGirl1]

Isn't hemlock poisonous? I may be wrong....?

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[Tofu]

The hemlock shrub is, not the tree. =)

 

[BatGirl1]

Ohhh. Ok. Thanks! Good to know! So is there info about hemlock being good for tegus? Because since the cypress is harder to get for some of us that could be a good alternative.

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[Tofu]

Yep! I've checked around on some sites and it says that Hemlock will do the same job Cypress will. To be honest, I think many recommend Cypress and it has morphed into this thought that only cypress is the best out there for Gu's. But in retrospect, what makes cypress good is that it does not have harmful aromatic oils, keeps humidity up, and isn't AS ingestible as other substrates. So if you take out the name "cypress" and put in Hemlock, you will find that it pretty much will fit the bill!

 

[TegusRawsome80]

Cypress can be incredibly harmful if ingested. A member on here lost a tegu due to a piece of the bark in it. I personally don't use it and won't again after hearing that story.

 

[BatGirl1]

So what do you use? I know you may have posted your preference before, so forgive me if i forget...my memory is horrible. There are also many other opinions that vary from member to member, so... would it be like perhaps soil and sphagnum moss or something else?

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[Dubya]

I didn't like the big pieces in the bags of cypress mulch, so I switched to peat moss. I feed inside the enclosure, so the peat's fine grains should hopefully not pose a problem. It can be dusty if it is too dry though.

 

[BatGirl1]

Oh. Peat moss? Is that readily available in large bags at like lowes and places like that? I imagine if you soak it first it should hold moisture, right?

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[Dubya]

Oh. Peat moss? Is that readily available in large bags at like lowes and places like that? I imagine if you soak it first it should hold moisture, right?

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Yes, it is processed and has no bugs in it. It is REALLY hard to get it soaked, but once you do, it holds humidity well. It is like $10 for a 3cuft bag here on LI, where everything is the most expensive on the planet. It can mold after a while, so you have to turn it occasionally. It holds burrows well.

 

[BatGirl1]

Do you mix it with anything though? Like to make the consistency better or keep the moisture in? I haven't really worked with it, so just curious.

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[Tofu]

I think a lot of people mix peat or sphagnum moss with some other substrate that doesn't hold as much humidity, I may be wrong though as I have never used it either.

I also feel that different people have different circumstances so choosing the best bedding for your own personal circumstance is ideal. For example, I do not feed Tofu inside her enclosure so I feel that using Cypress or another "big pieced/hard" substrate is fine because the only time she is in her enclosure is when she is sleeping. Others may have problems with this same setup because their circumstances/personal preferences have their gu eating on the substrate, so thus they use other methods.

 

[BatGirl1]

I feed niles in a feeding tub

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[frost]

its $10 in here in bay city too. and they are finally getting in their peat moss and cypress.

 

[Chantel]

I just don't think it is the season for it right now. It is winter here in New England and I think cypress starts coming out during the spring time. I have tried Home Depot, Lowes, Aubuchon Hardware, Amazon.com (the shipping was more than the mulch itself), Petco (too expensive) and a gardening shop near where I live..all to no avail. I think my best bet would be to just wait til spring comes around and check then..

Also, she has started charging at my hand since I have put her in her new enclosure but only when I put it in first thing in the morning..? Does this happen to anyone else?

I think you're fine, the sand would get in her ears and eyes. But I went to Lowe's to get a huge bag of cypress mulch for under $4, I'm in upstate New York, it's available. Just frozen... so thaw it out for a few days. I didn't actually have much luck with it, though - the first night my tegu got a cut on her neck from burrowing in it. Don't know how safe it actually is.