Is it Ok to use coconut fiber soil dry

by Iced coffee Sun 09 Feb 2020, 1:45 am

I bought 6 bricks of expandable coconut fiber soil from the reptile section. Is it ok to just hand crumble it dry? I already did this however it was slightly dusty, but settled fast. Is this safe or should I have sprayed some moisture on it?

I have 4 females in a 55 gallon tank, natural themed
I don’t know if I posted the picture correctly, this is my first time posting and I’m on my phone trying to figure it out Smile

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by Robin~ Sun 09 Feb 2020, 8:31 am

The coconut fiber should be safe like that, but I would be concerned about two things:

1. It can be very dusty, which can be very bad if you have a sensitive mouse.

2. They can’t burrow in it, meaning your mice can’t thermoregulate by adjusting how close their burrow is to the surface.

I definitely would not have sprayed water on it. Any sort of dampness can cause pneumonia or generally sickly mice, particularly in a tank without much ventilation.

Anyways, to solve this issue, I would strongly suggest leaving the coco fiber to a portion of the cage and using 4-6” of a natural-colored paper bedding (such as Carefresh) in the rest of the cage.

by Iced coffee Sun 09 Feb 2020, 11:14 am

Thank you for answering. I ended up taking the girls out and I added a couple cups of water to the soil and turned it up very very well. This softened everything up just right and they can definitely burrow now. It’s not wet in there at all. And the tank is an open top, if that’s adequate ventilation?

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Note: I have additional water bottles, however my mounting technique failed (hot glue gun lol) so I just have the one in a tp tube until I go buy Velcro. And I bought the very last small exercise wheel the store had so I do plan to get at more. I JUST put this together last night, so I’m still building. And I have a 30 gallon, and three 10 gallon tanks that will all be connected with tunnels once my set up is complete Smile

by Robin~ Sun 09 Feb 2020, 12:45 pm

I have experience with EcoEarth myself, at least the dry stuff. It may seem sort of burrow-friendly for a few days but then it dries out. Along with that, EcoEarth doesn’t have any odor control and just holds in moisture. Please consider using a paper bedding for your mice’s safety.

I actually would not suggest an open top, especially for younger mice. You’d be surprised at how high they can jump; I’ve had one jump 20” into the air! A meshed lid made from metal would be best.
Tanks are a bit debated—for example, many experienced mouse owners on here use them with no issues, but my vet strongly advocates for meshed cages. It sorta depends on how sensitive your mice are.

I would also not use the smallest SS size (4” I believe?)— wheels this small can bend backs (causing arthritis) and cause “wheel tail” in which the mouse, from holding its tail up to run on the wheel, cannot bend its tail to a normal, straight position, which can affect balance. Typically an 8” or above is better; the 8.5” Comfort Wheel can be found in most pet stores and Wodent Wheels and Silent Runners, which are much quieter, can be found online. Flying saucers (the medium size) are also great.

I would also try to fill the tank a little more—mice absolutely love cramped cages and having little to no open space is preferred. This prevents boredom and stress Smile

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Is it Ok to use coconut fiber soil dry

Is it Ok to use coconut fiber soil dry

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