Substrate ratio to lower humidity?

[BP_Mama]

Hello! I want to start off by saying all substrate experiments are happening in a rack with no animals living in it.

I have been experimenting with DIY substrate ratios. My animals are currently pretty happy on newspaper in their other racks but a substrate blend really appeals to me and I'd love them to be able to root around. The closest I have gotten so far is my latest mix of 50% topsoil and 50% peat moss in a fairly thin layer (1/2" or so) there is no water bowl in the experiment tub yet but it is heated and the humidity has been around 80%. I'd like to get it down a smidge under 60% and a slightly thicker substrate layer ideally.

I really want to avoid drilling holes in the tubs themselves. The rack is from ARS and there are ventilation holes in the shelf panels already. The humidity of the room roughly a foot away from the rack is 34% so I would prefer to avoid fans or dehumidifiers for the sake of myself and my other animals.

What can I add or change in my substrate blend to help?

I am trying to stick to materials I can source from my local garden/hardware stores and deep freeze to sanitize. There is only one pet store close to me and they have insane prices. I have tried ordering online but have bad shipping experiences. I know there are good pre-done blends out there but I'd really like to stick to DIY.

As an additional note, there is no store near me with cypress mulch that is not dyed so that is not an option.

[BP_Mama]

Here is a picture of a happy healthy noodle as tax!

[Bogertophis]

I'm glad you're testing this out with un-occupied containers.

There's no end of pathogens & other potentially harmful stuff in typical "topsoil" sold in garden & hardware stores. I'd advise NOT to use that, no matter how innocuous it may look. Just don't. Same goes for dirt from your yard...there will likely be parasites (worms) & germs aplenty from wildlife (birds, squirrels, etc.)

What kind of heat are you using? If UTH, then you need to avoid thick substrate (1/2" or deeper) over or near that, as it will "insulate" & not allow heat to rise where it's needed.

I can understand you wanting your snake to enjoy digging around- the best way to do that is to put deep substrate in a large container that either goes within the living quarters IF it's big enough (& if there's enough room on the UN-heated side) or in a separate "snake playground" that some of us provide.

For lower humidity, consider shredded paper (I shred all my clean business papers to use as substrate- it allows heat to rise, & adds NO humidity.) There are many substrates you can buy that use some sort of "paper" also. Carefresh is actually hygroscopic, but I wouldn't use that for a BP- best for snakes that like it dryer. It also depends on your local humidity too. No way to guess a "ratio" for you- you'll have to test it for yourself. But you could use paper shreds, & also offer a humid hide (with damp moss) for example, & let the snake choose what it needs/wants.

[Malum Argenteum]

There's no end of pathogens & other potentially harmful stuff in typical "topsoil" sold in garden & hardware stores. I'd advise NOT to use that, no matter how innocuous it may look. Just don't. Same goes for dirt from your yard...there will likely be parasites (worms) & germs aplenty from wildlife (birds, squirrels, etc.)

With dart frogs, we tend to bake (low temp, long enough that everything reaches 200F+) or microwave (same temp target) pretty much all the organic materials we use, to eliminate pathogens and plant pests. Every pest and pathogen I've ever looked up is killed by these temps; the low temp tolerance of most of these organisms simply isn't known.

To get the RH down, you'll need less water in the mix. Unfortunately dry peat is dusty so isn't the best choice for a moderate moisture animal in a tub. I use a peat based mic for higher moisture animals, but I keep it damp-ish and the RH is very high.

A decent 'root-aroundable' substrate is coco chips -- I have tried a few and prefer 'Repti Chip' brand. It also has the virtue of being a waste product from food production; peat moss is environmentally problematic, I have read.

[BP_Mama]

I'm glad you're testing this out with un-occupied containers.

There's no end of pathogens & other potentially harmful stuff in typical "topsoil" sold in garden & hardware stores. I'd advise NOT to use that, no matter how innocuous it may look. Just don't. Same goes for dirt from your yard...there will likely be parasites (worms) & germs aplenty from wildlife (birds, squirrels, etc.)

What kind of heat are you using? If UTH, then you need to avoid thick substrate (1/2" or deeper) over or near that, as it will "insulate" & not allow heat to rise where it's needed.

I can understand you wanting your snake to enjoy digging around- the best way to do that is to put deep substrate in a large container that either goes within the living quarters IF it's big enough (& if there's enough room on the UN-heated side) or in a separate "snake playground" that some of us provide.

For lower humidity, consider shredded paper (I shred all my clean business papers to use as substrate- it allows heat to rise, & adds NO humidity.) There are many substrates you can buy that use some sort of "paper" also. Carefresh is actually hygroscopic, but I wouldn't use that for a BP- best for snakes that like it dryer. It also depends on your local humidity too. No way to guess a "ratio" for you- you'll have to test it for yourself. But you could use paper shreds, & also offer a humid hide (with damp moss) for example, & let the snake choose what it needs/wants.

We have been deep freezing for a few days to a week to help kill off pests and isolating the substrates to check for any development before cycling them into use. So far I haven't seen a need to bake but the health of my animals is my main objective and this experiement wont be considered a success unless I feel very confident we have a working formula here.

I do use a heat panel, I'm fine keeping the substrate shallower I just know some of my bigger girls are going to trench near the heat no matter how much or little I put XD

I worry a bit about mold potential adding paper but I can definitely experiment. My first thought was to add some play sand in there as I know it is in a lit of DIY blends. I might give each a go in different tubs and see if anything changes.

A big goal of ours is to have snakes that are able to thrive in any good setup whether that is a rack or a vivarium so we love getting them exposure to all sorts of fun stimuli in a low stress setting. I love providing enrichment in our enclosures and try to stick to tubs larger than the hobby average to support this.

If in the end newspaper is still our best bet, it is what we'll stick to. I have a few who hate it and wad it in the corner immediately so this is in great part for them as well.

[Bogertophis]

I think some things can survive freezing but not baking. It's just not fun to bake a bunch of dirt, IMO, but your choice. Paper doesn't mold...but mold spores abound in dirt, just saying.

Sand, even play sand, is abrasive- it can get under a snake's scales & cause nearly-microscopic scratches which then may become infected- sometimes to a serious extent, so I'd avoid using sand.

I personally don't like newspaper because it's not very absorbent, doesn't offer any traction for snakes, & snakes end up sliding thru their excrement, though if you put a second layer on it, that would help.

I keep mostly colubrids that don't need so much humidity- for convenience, I line tanks with paper towels, & over that is a thick layer of 50:50 paper shreds & Carefresh. This way I can spot clean, & when it's time for a total change, I just roll up the whole mess in the paper towels underneath- very few of my snakes burrow at all. That would change the equation.

Substrates are not "one size fits all"- do what works for you & what you're keeping- & what keeps them healthy, of course.