Fluker's Colored Aspen

[KrisKringle]

So the other day I was at my local pet store looking for substrate for my new BTS and noticed that Fluker sells colored aspen! They only had black where I went but when I arrived home and did some more research I saw that they sold red to. It says that it is safe to use with snakes and is recommended for lizards but I just wanted to know if anyone else has had experience with it or if it could be harmful to my skink. If your interested in purchasing I posted the link to buy below.

http://lllreptile.com/store/catalog/rep ... g-8-quart/

[lovinonkittens]

I'v seen several places that aspen is a great substrate for blue tongues! However, you want to look at the bag very carefully and see if the colored aspen is Shaved or Shredded! Shredded runs a higher risk of getting stuck in a blue tongues nose or mouth when burrowing.

Im new to blue tongues, myself, and this is only what I'v read. It never hurts to check up on the care sheet! Im not entirely sure how the dye would affect a blue tongue (if it would at all), but maybe some more experienced members could help you more!

[Linnea]

i would personally not recommend anything coloured. the substances they put in there may be completely harmless while dry, but the skink literally digs its face through it all day. id be even more suspicious of it if the colour would go out a little when theres water on the substrate.

not saying regular doesnt have preservatives and such on it, just saying its sometimes preferable not to go with coloured stuff.

i dont think its lethal to have it however, just.....not so healthy.

[Lea]

The dye leaks out when wet and stains the enclosure and your reptile and can get into your water, too. Dyes are most likely low in toxicity, but ingestion over a period of time is more likely to cause health issues. It also limits odour control by clogging the usually absorbent material with the dye and you may find maintaining hygiene is more of an issue.

Most likely it is ok to use dyed substrates, but probably best avoided since there isn't much evidence to prove either way, apart from biased sales propaganda.

[critterguy]

Unless the dyed substrate presents some sort of benefit to the animal I don't think it should be used.

If you really don't like the look of aspen, astroturf may be a decent alternative.

[Spindown]

Every single person I've talked to says that this substrate leaks colors. Not something I would personally use...I like my critters the colors they started out being