Enclosure/substrate question

[floridakat85]

Is using coconut coir and mulch as substrate going to contain too much humidity for a Russian?

 

[Crazy1]

Katie, depending on the age of yoru Russian you may or may not want to dampen the substrate. When the substrate is used without water being added it is pretty dry. JMHO

 

[Jacqui]

It shouldn't be. You just need to keep it damp, not to the point where you can squeeze and have water come out. It tends to dry quickly under the lights, so keep an eye out for that happening. If it gets (and stays) dry it can become dusty and cause troubles. Coir and sand make up most of my indoor habitat substrates, including the Russians.

 

[floridakat85]

It shouldn't be. You just need to keep it damp, not to the point where you can squeeze and have water come out. It tends to dry quickly under the lights, so keep an eye out for that happening. If it gets (and stays) dry it can become dusty and cause troubles. Coir and sand make up most of my indoor habitat substrates, including the Russians.

Thanks! He seems to be much happier having the deeper substrate anyway, gives him something to dig into. There has been much less scratching at the edge of the enclosure since adding it.