Anyone Used Rubber Mulch Before?

:wavey: This may be a totally stupid question but with rubber being so easy to wash when cleaning out a viv, I was wondering if anyone had tried the new rubber mulch?

If you have not heard of it..It is mulch made out of recycled tires. The playground variety, used for kids playgrounds or backyards for safety of falling children is non-toxic, non-abrasive, non-staining, quick drying or so it claims.

Here is a link if you want to see what I am talking about - http://www.americanrubber.com/rubberstuff/

Just wondering your thoughts on this and if anyone has tried it, thought about trying it etc. :shrugs:

I wouldn't trust my snake in it. It says non toxic...but they aren't having kids lay face-down and LIVING in the stuff. I used to play in a wooden playground that had tons of old tractor tire things for kids to play on...and I don't think I would want to live in the smell of rubber for the rest of my life. PLus it isn't very warm and cuddly.

Sounds like you would have the similar problems as indoor/outdoor carpet stuff. Bacteria and such. Try aspen, shredded newspaper or paper towels.

I use aspen now, but now I wouldn't think you would have any problem even close to carpet because it is solid rubber, meaning you can wash it off. You know like a rubber hose??? It would be like washing off a rubber duckie, that isn't going to mold.

I was just curious if anyone had tried it, sounds like a pretty good idea. I mean dang, pop it in the sink, wash it, rub it dry and you are good to go again.

But it isn't like you say danigurl, you are talking about simple shredded tire. This is recycled, reformed, and toxic components removed. So it is nothing like the stuff they used way back when. It also comes in many different colors.

So I think it is worth at least looking at personally. But I am like you all, I don't want to take the chance, so I was curious if anyone had tried it and with what results and if they could point me to sites that had information on it regarding using it in viv's.

Having played on a playground with this stuff (it was years ago, I assure you )...Actually, I can remember it was a big topic of discussion back in grade school when they brought this "new shredded tire stuff" to the playground. Anyways...

I think it would be a pain to clean it well. I wouldn't trust just letting it soak in cleaning solvent and rinsing it off. You'd have to scrub all the little pieces to make sure that no poo, bacteria, or other nasties were still clinging to it.

The other thing is that I'm not sure how easily a snake could move through it. They might be able to move across the surface, but I'm not sure how easy it would be to burrow :shrugs:

I read the site's info, and I just don't know.
I've never heard of anyone using it. It does say it "smells like new shower curtain" for a while, so I would rinse it and figure out how to age it first. I wouldn't use it with tubs which are so enclosed compared to tanks. Could it cause RI? I wonder if it would get a little melty on top of glass with a uth underneath. I have no clue, sorry. :shrugs:

I'd never heard of the stuff, but personally, I don't think I'd want to try it. If you do decide to give it a go, be sure and let us know what you think of it.

I definatly wouldnt use it, I dont see how it would be easier then aspen; if you were planning on re-using it it would involve cleaning, extra rinsing, and drying before it can be used again, while with substrates like aspen you just removed the soiled clump and replace it all when needed. I think a lot of people also dont take the snakes comfort into consideration that often, when given the choice I have seen many snakes prefer a softer bedding when compared with a hard or rough ungiving substrates (the reason why I dont like that repti-bark, especially for larger bodied snakes). Also I could see it seriously causing problems if accidently ingested.

You also have to look at rubber itself, it actually breaks down pretty easy. Heat, UV light, and urates would destroy this stuff fairly quickly. Degenerating rubber is a dry, dust like powder that the snakes could inhale, or ingest. I don't think anyone here would risk the life of a snake just to try a substrate thats re-useable.

We have some of this stuff in our basement, and after 3 weeks its in bad condition. The tiny bit of sunlight from the basement window has degenerated it a lot already, and the spot where the cat peed is now the size of large grains of sand... and cat pee is no where near as concentrated as snake urates hehe. It doesn't say on the bag, but I imagine heating this would release some chemicals, and as for the "new shower curtain" smell... yuck.. its more of a nasty rotten potato smell =P I got it to use for drainage under my moss beds LOL... basement = sphagnum swamp hehe.

To be honest i get annoyed at people, why can't you just use aspen, its cheap, looks good, holds tunnels well, clean, easy to change. My corn developed a much better attitude with aspen, she is out and about all the time...tip of tail poking out then on other side of cage there's her head popping out!

Would a human enjoy living in rubber...maybe some would...lol... but to most, NO, so a snake certainly wouldn't.

Please Don't Judge Based On Your Own Misinterpretation

I wanted to say thank you to all, who actual read the question and saw it as a question and responded. That is exactly what I was looking for, folks who had info on it or their own factual based concerns. I really appreciate the responses.

The rest of this post is to 3330PHILIP

3330PHILIP said:

To be honest i get annoyed at people, why can't you just use aspen

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Philip maybe you wouldn't get annoyed at people, so often if you read their questions, instead of so quickly judging them, based on your misinterpretation of what was said. Hopefully the information below will clear up any confusion you may of had about what I was REALLY asking.

First let me quote this part of my post..

MomFor2Gifts said:

I use aspen now

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Now Let me quote the ACTUAL question parts of my posts again ok?

MomFor2Gifts said:

I was wondering if anyone had tried the new rubber mulch?

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MomFor2Gifts said:

Just wondering your thoughts on this and if anyone has tried it, thought about trying it etc. :shrugs:

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MomFor2Gifts said:

But I am like you all, I don't want to take the chance, so I was curious if anyone had tried it and with what results and if they could point me to sites that had information on it regarding using it in viv's.

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I see this happen a lot, a person asks a question and instead of getting a relevant answer they get one based on someone reading like every other word in the question itself, or taking the question out of the context written, so when they reply the reply is not relevant to the question at all and becomes a judgement.

I hope this helps more people be aware of doing this because I think if more people would read the questions, then folks would get the information they need or at least some more insight, instead of being driven away by personal attacks or judgements however small or large they are.

Hope this helps clear up any of your confusion.

:wavey:

3330PHILIP said:

To be honest i get annoyed at people, why can't you just use aspen

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If your so annoyed, then please don't even post a reply. Its rude and immature. I don't know why people do that. She had a very valid question, and I'm glad that Gintha had some experience with it to report to us. Now I know not to try it myself. I've tried a lot of different substrates and have settled on aspen, but its always good to hear about alternatives. I'm not sure the adults enjoy aspen as much as the young ones, but I haven't found anything better for them. I tried Carefresh Ultra to see how it would go. It was okay, but aspen is still better. If there was something, I would want to know.
Cheers all!

I actually used Yesterday News cat litter for the first year, because I couldn't get aspen. Its also good, and easy to spot clean. Hopefulling I be able to keep getting aspen tho, the boys love it.. always burrowing hehe.

We have that plastic bark in our yard and snakes would not like it. It would be very uncomfortable for them and hard to burrow in. I'm sure the snakes in my yard are pretty pissed haha

Chill out mom.

I am flabbergasted, my message was not at all offensive and wasn't meant to be. OK, maybe the word annoyed was a bit strong butif you read rest of my message, as i have a number of time since you sent me the private message, i can't see how on earth you can have a go at me.

So, please drop down from your high horse, this is a forum where everyones views can be aired, i didn't swear at you or say anything durogatory about you or anyone else.

I wouldn't use rubber for the same reasons people don't use aquarium gravel. Probably hard to burrow in, hard to clean without taking it all out, no absorbance.

Without any kind of absorbance, liquids will go straight to the bottom of the viv where you won't see them until you take the whole viv apart and wipe it out. That will grow bacteria, and who-knows-what else.

Good replies folks

Well it was one of those - I want to see if anyone had tried it, heard of it questions, ya know?

I am so glad all of you replied, you all made great sense and since no one has tried it, there probably is a pretty darn good reason lol. The majority of which were answers you all supplied.

Thanks for replying :wavey:

Let's Shed A Little Light On The SUBJECT

Kind of :-offtopic yet about the topic at the same time.

3330PHILIP said:

Chill out mom.

So, please drop down from your high horse, this is a forum where everyones views can be aired, i didn't swear at you or say anything durogatory about you or anyone else.

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A view?

Let me provide the definition:

(noun) judgment colored by the feeling or bias of its holder

Had my post of been a statement about actually using the stuff, I most certainly would of seen it was a VIEW, but since it was not such a statement and rather a question of anyone knowing about it, your reply was nothing more than a non-sense rant.

I mean if you can tell me why you get annoyed that I use something, I didn't say I used, nor said I would, then I would gladly cede the point. But you obviously can't and my previous reply to your post was only to point that out.

If you take offense to a reply based on your inaccurate assessment of the question, then you take offense at yourself and are only re-directing the humiliation you feel towards another rather than admitting the obvious, which is you did not read the question or reply to its factual contents.

Driving folks away is not the point of this forum and if you spout off with non-sense replies based on you not reading the questions, you will do that, which was my point.

Get off my high horse? Well I gladly would if I wasn't the one on the pony looking up at you on your Clydesdale that's filling the pasture with loads of crap. Sorry but I don't want to step in what you are leaving behind.

You are welcome to reply, however, I am done with the subject as I think the point was to make it clear that you did not read the question and once again I think I have tried to show you that.

It is up to you if take from this that non-sense unrelated responses, can drive people way from getting the information they need.

After all isn't this about learning about these wonderful creatures and how to take care of them? I know that is why I came here.

Why keep on at me? Are you purposly harrassing me? In my message i said annoyed was too stong a word and the wrong word. grow up.

3330PHILIP said:

Are you purposly harrassing me? grow up.

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Well I normally would not respond back but since you are going to state harassment, which is a big charge, and one that should be taken seriously, and dealt with accordingly, Let me clear it up for you.

I am not harassing you, anyone who reads what I wrote will see it was in response to your claim that I was on my high horse.

Funny how that isn't considered harassment or personal attack by you when you are saying it about another, yet when one responds to your statements/allegations then you claim to be the victim or injured party.

I think in a legal battlefield, I would not be seen as the one harassing here.

Your statements show that, the proof is in the pudding.