Reptichip?

[LunaCatta]

I've been looking into switching substrates for my northern because cypress mulch is difficult to find here in Maine.
I was considering trying a product called Reptichip as it seems to have good reviews.

I was curious if anyone has used Reptichip for their skinks? Particularly northerns?

After browsing their website, it says this substrate is great for animals with humidity requirements but I know northerns don't need as much humidity as other species.
I just don't want to make my northern's enclosure too humid.

Here's their website: http://www.reptichip.com/

[NickBrahz]

Cant say whether or not is good for humidity but i can say it is a common substrate used down here in Aus, i personally use it and i don't have any humidity issues with my bubs (Easterns/Blotch).

[alichamp]

The substrate alone won't cause problems of too much humidity. It looks like a good option, I use something called kritter krumble which looks like the same sort of thing for my blotchy.

Actually I just posted a similar thing in another thread (Northern question) so I'll quote it here too.

If this helps, I have an Australian bts (being in Oz), so doesn't have high humidity needs, and I wouldn't keep him on aspen. I keep him on coconut husk fibre (kritters crumble), the coarse version (not fine). Around shed time I would give the enclosure a little water misting anyway.

Looks like this (but more brown in real life):

20160816_103252.jpeg

Im guessing this is like your reptibark?

I suggest you switch him to the substrate you use for Noodles when you bring him home. Using a humid friendly substrate for a bts that doesn't have high humidity needs certainly won't hurt and will still be a good choice.

[Janella]

I did look up both Kritter Krumble and Reptichip. Both products look wonderful. I decided to order the Kritter krumble for my new Northern to see how I like it. I do have Noodles on Jungle Mix with Reptibark on top. The only thing I don't like about that is he gets dirty. Jungle mix is mainly soil and sphagnum moss mixed together. It is working great for him though for humidity and he loves borrowing in it. Thanks for all the advice everyone. I do appreciate it. I will let you know how my new Northern like the substrate.

[Janella]

Two more questions I thought of. With the Kritter Krumble how often do you need to mist the substrate? Just when they are shedding then? Then lastly, how often do you recommend total substrate changes? I would be cleaning fecal and urates daily. Thanks

[splashy07]

I use that coco fiber too. Northerns and Easterns. I mix it with reptibark and cypress too. It does dry out (it's very hot and dry in my apartment). I spray the cages 2x a week, and one of my northerns still has difficult sheds so I wouldn't worry about it being too humid. Problem with him is he is very light and I never know when he's about to shed. It is good for holding humidity in certain applications but would have to be kept dampened. Great stuff and economical, you can buy it in bricks that you add water to. Makes it easy to store. When I kept gigas it was great for the humidity, their cages were sprayed daily.

[alichamp]

Janella, I only mist around shedding time because my blotchy doesn't need high humidity husbandry but I find that giving him a misting helps to shed. And, to be honest, I mist when I think of it. If I notice him shedding about a week before, I will start misting anywhere from every 1-4 days, and it will be more often at the time he actually starts to shed - perhaps once or twice a day for those couple of days. Like I said, I don't need to worry about maintaining a particular level of humidity, it's more to give him a boost to help it come off easy.

If you read Austin's Caresheet on Northerns he says that the natural humidity area for Northerns varies heaps so there is a huge range for humidity. So I think it is really about finding out in your house how your skink responds. In other words, there isn't a standard answer.

If you are not so happy with Jungle mix, perhaps you could try mixing kritter krumble (if you like it) with sphagnum moss for Noodles...?

Daily fecal and urates spot cleaning, it's really up to you to judge how often you need to completely change the substrate. For some, once a month, for others, longer would be fine...

[Janella]

Thanks Ali champ. I appreciate all the advice. I will see how it goes. I can't wait to bring my new baby home.

[xxmonitorlizardxx]

I use it for Meraukes and it works well. I see mold occasionally. But I'm relatively new to it.