Shredded aspen bedding? & food question - northern bts

[Bentayga]

I’ve just got my hands on a baby northern blue tongue skink, they’re about two months old. I see a lot of topics on this and just can’t seem to make a decision. I’m currently using shredded aspen bedding, but I feel like this may be too dry of a substrate. Not sure if it’s okay to always have it or should I switch it out every few months for a different substrate with a little more humidity?

This is my first northern, I’ve had a halm for a few years so I’m so used to keeping their humidity way up. When I look up info about a northern, the info seems a bit mixed so id just like some opinions.

And was wondering how often I should be feeding the baby? I’m thinking every other day til they get a bit bigger, and cat food.

[splashy07]

I would not use aspen bedding. When I first started keeping northerns some years back it was suggested. I had all kinds of issues with bad sheds, dust causing excessive sneezing and mold where I tried to keep a humid hide for shedding.
Cypress mulch, coco husk, repti bark or combination thereof I have been using with success.
My babies (I am a breeder) are fed every day during their active growth period (6-8 months).
They will normally slow down at around that time, give or take.

[Bentayga]

Okay! Thank you! Will be switching out with one of those substrates asap. And okay, I will try to feed everyday. This is my second day with them, and they took food yesterday. Kept feeding til they stopped taking it in. Very active and ate with ease, so I’m very pleased with how different they act compared to my halm haha

[splashy07]

Just a note, I keep my babies on newspaper for the first 3-5 months. This allows me to monitor their excrement and prevent accidental ingestion of substrate matter.