Topsoil (Is this ok)

[jtmoney]

Is this topsoil ok?

I just found a website that said it was a:

Mixture of organic compost and sand







I am pretty sure the white are pieces of sand but wanted to make sure its ok before I mix it with sand

[RioBravoReptiles]

Ok for what? general substrate for Monitors?
.
These products contain a zoo of bacteria and the use of them with some snakes has been blamed for agressive Salmanellosis and a belly-rot. Monitors aren't snakes, of course.
.
Probably this doesn't answer your question..

[DRZRider]

It will work especially if you mix sand with it. Sandy, loamy dirt will work better. I don't know anywhere that sells the sandy loam in bags. Some landscape places sell it and can dump it into the bed of a truck or have it shipped to our place in a dump truck.

I have used topsoil/sand mix in many enclosures and it is ok, just not the best.

Ed

[jbt123]

I use topsoil/sand with my Ackie monitor, only now because he is much larger than when I got him (hard for babies to burrow in) but now he LOVES it. I sift the topsoil (just regular topsoil: no fertilizers) to get all of the big "chunks" of dirt and wood out of it, then mix whatever is left with about 25% sand.

It's alot cheaper than your typical "reptile" dirt, and it works. If I had the $ I would buy him strictly Cocosoft bedding (he loves the stuff) but it's not very cheap when you need to make 3 inches or more of it in a large enclosure!

[razeraze]

Originally Posted by RioBravoReptiles

Ok for what? general substrate for Monitors?
.
These products contain a zoo of bacteria and the use of them with some snakes has been blamed for agressive Salmanellosis and a belly-rot. Monitors aren't snakes, of course.
.
Probably this doesn't answer your question..

Salmonella and the belly rot would usually be from very high amounts of animal waste in the soil, I doubt this product is laced with high contents of fecal (trace amounts definitely). If this was the case any tomato plants grown in this substrate would cause an epidemic like we have now. Who knows maybe this is the brand to blame

I think the substrate would be fine with any reptile but would need to be compacted for snakes so it is not as loose and easily get into their vents.

	Cloaca is the posterior opening that serves as the only such opening for the intestinal, urinary, and (usually) genital tracts of certain animal species.All birds, reptiles, and amphibians possess this orifice, from which they excrete both urine and feces

[DRZRider]

Originally Posted by razeraze

Salmonella and the belly rot would usually be from very high amounts of animal waste in the soil, I doubt this product is laced with high contents of fecal (trace amounts definitely). If this was the case any tomato plants grown in this substrate would cause an epidemic like we have now. Who knows maybe this is the brand to blame
I think the substrate would be fine with any reptile but would need to be compacted for snakes so it is not as loose and easily get into their vents.

This makes me think back to Mom telling Dad to go to the cow pasture and get some (um, very, very) rich dirt for her tomato plants. HAHA

	Cloaca is the posterior opening that serves as the only such opening for the intestinal, urinary, and (usually) genital tracts of certain animal species.All birds, reptiles, and amphibians possess this orifice, from which they excrete both urine and feces

[jtmoney]

I went to home depot and this was the cheapest topsoil they had therefore I thougt it was most likely the best. I just went to a nursery and they didnt have what I was looking for eithier. The topsoil is so dark I just want a light soil. I would get it local but there are so many farm around that I dont want to risk it. I just dont like it that they get this from a compound, I just want good old plain dirt that I can mix sand with! I just went around for 2 hours with no success on finding what I wanted.

[razeraze]

I just use the cheap topsoil from the home depot.

[jtmoney]

Originally Posted by razeraze

I just use the cheap t