Stuck Between Options!

[AnnaMonroe]

Hey everybody, my name is Anna and I'm new to the site.
I am in the midst of preparing for my new BTS that will hopefully arrive sometime soon.
My question concerns cypress mulch and which company you think provides the best quality of it.
I came upon the Forest Floor company and also the T-Rex company, and wondering if there was really any major difference. I just want to provide the most comfortable terrarium and was really hoping to get some advice.
Thanks ;D

[Alioop]

Welcome!

Many people (myself included) use the big bags of cypress mulch that you find at garden centers (like Lowe's, Home Depot, etc). Its much cheaper when you have multiple lizards and need lots of cypress. So, the short answer to your question is: No, cypress is cypress and I don't think you'll notice much difference between brands.

Can't wait to see photos of your new friend! And let us know if you have any other questions!

[iLoveMyLizard]

Just thought I would pop in a give my opinion.

I bought a bag of the exo terra jungle earch cypress mulch and a bag of the zoomed forest floor. I found the Exo terra to be very dry, and dusty. It was also a nightmare to clean out, as it took forever to dust up. However, the forest floor was alot less dusty, but presented a problem of high humidity, which I think if kept too high, can cause respiratory infections. It was very good though, being burrow friendly and it was quite natural, and I really liked it, but i have to dry it out before i put it in, which is a bit of a pain.

So cypress can vary a little bit, however generally it is mostly the same. I would imagine the stuff Ali is referring to from the garden centres to be your best option, you may find that its perfect for your skink at a perfect price! In the UK, cypress is £18 per bag because it is not commercially produced, however I understand it to be far less expensive in the USA.

Best of luck with your substrate hunting!

[AnnaMonroe]

Thank you both! I am so amazed by this forum and have found answers to so many questions. I love the idea of many people who own and love blueys being able to come together and share ideas and advice.
home depot is just a few minutes away from home, so I will be sure to drop in and buy some mulch. I just hope I don't have that high humidity problem or the dusty problem.
Also, I was wondering.. For night time, I won't be using a lamp, but instead an under tank heater to provide heat, but since there won't be any lamps, and the lights in my room being off at night as well, won't the bluey be agitated that it is completely pitch black around him? He won't be able to see a thing until the sun comes up and shines some light in my bedroom

[iLoveMyLizard]

Thank you both! I am so amazed by this forum and have found answers to so many questions. I love the idea of many people who own and love blueys being able to come together and share ideas and advice.
home depot is just a few minutes away from home, so I will be sure to drop in and buy some mulch. I just hope I don't have that high humidity problem or the dusty problem.
Also, I was wondering.. For night time, I won't be using a lamp, but instead an under tank heater to provide heat, but since there won't be any lamps, and the lights in my room being off at night as well, won't the bluey be agitated that it is completely pitch black around him? He won't be able to see a thing until the sun comes up and shines some light in my bedroom

If the temps dont fall below around 65F then an undertank heater will not be necessary. The reason I had the humidity problem was because the mulch was blatently wet, and put it in regardless, hoping it would dry in a short period of time. It did, but was still just a little too damp, so providing you feel it in the bag and its not too wet, slightly moist if anything, then you should be ok, just wanted to make you aware that i have found differences in mulch. The dust I believe to just be the exo terra branded mulch, most others seem fine

As for the dark, its ok. Some people have reptile rooms in garages etc with no light in the night at all.

[Susann]

No need to worry about light at night. As long as your skink has enough hides that he feels secure in, he will not be agitated that it's dark. Imagine in the wild; there are plenty of nights when the moon is covered by clouds and it's pitch black, with lots of nocturnal creatures out sniffing around.... He'll be just fine in your bedroom

As far as nighttime heating goes.
I've worked out temps so that I have a Ceramic heat lamp and a basking lamp on during the day that makes my terrarium the right temperature on both sides of the tank, and the basking spot. During the night, only the ceramic stays on (which, of course, doesn't put out any light), so that my skinks still have a warmer spot to go to if needed, but the rest of the tank cools down to give a nighttime variation.

But as iLoveMyLizard pointed out, if your house stays warm enough throughout the year during the night, you really don't NEED a heat source for your BTS during the night. This is just what makes ME most comfortable and worry-free

And, oh by the way, this IS the best forum out there!

Edit: I do want to point out though, that 65 degrees at night might be a bit too cold for some species. For example, if you get an Indonesian species, you really don't want to dip below 70. But you can make those adjustments when you know what you'll be getting.
Cudos by the way for getting things figured out, and hopefully set up, BEFORE you get an animal!

[AnnaMonroe]

Susann, I am loving your specifications! Haha you lift the weight right off my shoulders! Now I don't feel as bad leaving him in the dark during night time lol.
I am pretty sure I will be receiving a Irian Jaya. & yes I definitely am going to have the entire enclosure fully stocked and prepared for his arrival! I want it to be absolutely perfect.
I pretty much have almost everything I would need. The hardest part was getting the glass terrarium because of its large size. I have a 48 x 24 x 12. I personally will be using zoo med's powersun mercury bulb for the basking side of the tank. That and the UTH are the only heat/light sources I have so far, but I will be using the PE-2 temp gun I just ordered to see if I will need anything more.

[Susann]

Gosh I wish more owners were like you! And I really wish you weren't such a rare bird.... Very few people have the patience to set everything up first, and then wait for/look for the right animal. I want to hug you!

I have had no problems with my UTH when used on glass tanks, and when they stuck to the glass well enough on their own. 4 out of 5 UTH on my plastic tanks have failed by overheating and melting to a twisted mess because we had to improvise when they wouldn't stick to the bottom. Not to scare you or anything, I just want to admonish you to make sure you use it as directed. Put bumpers on the bottom of the tank for air-flow, and do not use anything to help hold the UTH in place. Wipe the glass on the area you will stick the UTH onto with alcohol or acetone to remove all traces of dirt or fingerprints, to ensure the best "stick" of the UTH glue.

Awesome that you are getting a temp-gun too!

Please PM me if you want any more speciffic instructions. I can be a bit in my posts, and hate to bore people unecessarily...

Good luck, and don't ever hesitate to post questions on the forum! That's what we're here for, because we have all been in your situation and love to impart of our experiences to hopefully help others avoid the bad ones.

[AnnaMonroe]

Haha oh my gosh Susann I'm like sitting here with the biggest smile on my face. You are just making me more and more excited about being a baby bluey owner! And besides, I don't see why someone WOUDN'T set up an enclosure first before getting their animal... What are you supposed to do when the animal comes and you don't have a home for him? Keep him in your sock drawer? Uhm, no thanks. Lol! xD
And thanks, I will be sure to do my best to make sure the UTH stays safe and sound.
Thank you for all your help, I will definitely be PMing you, I have some newbie questions that I'm still very confused about -.- lol

[Susann]

Bring it on!

BUT. I may still ask you to relate your experiences as a thread on the forum later, because, if you are new and are confused about things, chances are, lots of other new people are confused too.
So keep that in mind.

I'm also no expert by any means, but as you can see on my animal "count", I'm up to 11!!! And I've only been here for a little over 2 years. But I have set up lots of tanks!

Either way, we are all here to help. So whether it's here on the forums, or by PMs, BRING IT ON!

[AnnaMonroe]

ELEVEN!?!?! O_O dayummm, you go girl! Haha that sounds like a hell of a responsibility, but I bet it is extremely rewarding.
And yes, you're right, thanks for the heads up

[Kbell31]

[Richard.C]

Even if temps dip under 65 at night they can be fine with out extra heat,i dont offer any heat to my tropical blueies at night,though in the earmer season,it often sits above that,in saying that,it can be well under that to,any time of year,over winter here its well below that,usually 12 to 16 during the day,celcius,often down to 6 over night but usually at least ten over winter

Not all of australia is hot,lol

Its probably best to offer gentle warmth for tropical species over night though,dark nights wont fuss them either

Welcome go the forum

[AnnaMonroe]

Thank you Kbell31 and Richard C!!! I feel very welcomed.