Substrate Material

[Crestie101]

Still new in caring for the Crested. What is the best all around substrate material out on the market for these little guys.

[crested creations]

I personally like cage carpet or paper towells but if your looking for  something more along the natural side bed-a-beast works good...

[Crestie101]

Thanks for the info.

[Cicada Hollow]

I also use paper towels, no chance of impaction, easy to clean. But I use Forest Bed in my lay boxes. It's a fine substrate and safe for cresteds.

[b|ue Ash]

Are those Forest Bed and bed-a-beast substrates really safe for cresties if injested?

[whtwulf]

I have been using it in my vivariums for over a year, that or a mixture of ecoearth and sterile soil.  I see little fibers in their stool from time to time, so I'd say it passes through them just fine.  I should qualify that I have never had hatchlings or young juvies, only adults and sub-adults.  I would stick to papertowels for the young ones.

[b|ue Ash]

Thanks.
I used those type of products for my first and only crestie whom was a juvenile. He'd end up getting some in his mouth whenever he went to eat a cricket. One day he suddenly dropped dead, but I saw no signs of health issues. I'm trying to eliminate possible problems and I'm really worried about the well being of my next crestie.

[garweft]

I haven't been using any lately. I keep mine in deep sterilite containers, with egg crate to climb on. I really like papertowels though and will use them if I decide to use anything.

[firecrested]

I use papertowels, but when i did a natural viv. i used peat moss.  potting soil around the plants(non pesticides), aquarium rocks at the bottom.

[smith710]

I use paper towels for my baby and peat moss for my adult.  But I also put perlite underneath my peat moss because it helps alot with mold.  I put a couple inches of perlite, then a couple inches of peat moss, then a little green moss on top to make it look a little nicer.

[honuman]

I use paper towels on for my Juvies and keep my adult animals on cypress mulch.  They do just fine on it and I like to keep live plants in all my adult enclosures.  The only drawback is that nest boxes are useless in my enclosures because the females prefer to lay in the substrate.  Never a big deal though.  I just have to dig a bit in the tank to get the eggs.

I worry about the little ones getting an impaction so paper towel is quickest easiest solution for them.

Steve

[ColleenT]

rubbermaid shelf liner from walmart in tan. it is rubbery, and you cut to size. under 5 minutes to remove and clean and replace. no nails get caught in it.

[firecrested]

how does humitity hold up on the shelf liner?

[ColleenT]

it does not affect humidity at all. it is rubbery.

[smith710]

I think he means, does it keep the humidity up where it's supposed to be.  It doesnt seem like it would hold humidity too well, that's all.

[Liz]

yeah... i like th emore natural look for adults

[ColleenT]

i have no problems with humidity. i have live plants in every enclosure

[jackxc925]

Still new in caring for the Crested. What is the best all around substrate material out on the market for these little guys.

definitely cage carpet or paper towels. The crickets can tunnel into the bed a beast and stuff gets moldy really quickly, I like the cage carpet for display tanks, it's clean and simple but can still look nice. remember to always provide a nest box for mating adults, moss is good for that.

[Liz]

we only have bed a beast in 1 cage, the show cage. Everyone else gets paper towels.

[jackxc925]

How is that working for you?

[Liz]

well the paper towels are easy to clean. And the bestabeast stuff isnt bad, we dont give them crickets a ton because thye love the cgd. But it's ok, havent seen really any mold or anything, But oh yeah, We put perlite on the bottom and but screen over it so if she digs she wont get the perlite to come up. I think that helps alot with the mold too

[smith710]

I wouldn't use floor carpet for cresties either.  I've heard too many people say how they get their claws or jaws stuck in it when they are trying to get their food and stuff.

[jackxc925]

I wouldn't use floor carpet for cresties either.? I've heard too many people say how they get their claws or jaws stuck in it when they are trying to get their food and stuff.

I've never actually used cage carpet, but I've seen it and it looked nice. Thanks for the heads up, I'll be sure to refrain from using it.

[jackxc925]

Since my two cresteds are still juveniles, I like to remove them from their tank to feed them crickets. I put them in an exo-terra faunarium with nothing in it but the crickets. I only place one in at a time to eliminate any "friendly fire," so to speak. I suppose I am going to have to stop doing this for time reasons once my collection is bigger. It is a good way to monitor how much your babies are eating though. I just put the CGD in all the time so they can eat whenever they want