is reptibark harmful?!!

[pandinus]

someone just told me that the reptibark i am using for a top layer of substrate is harmful to my emp! is this true?!!! what should I use, and can it wait until i clean the cage again, as i just did two days ago and do not want to disturb my emp!
please give me feedback on this, it is a little unsettling for me.

 

[fusion121]

If its a product desgined for reptiles it should be free of unpleasant chemicals, its worth checking the packaging however to make sure it wasnt treated with something to remove pests as such things could be harmful to scorpions.

 

[pandinus]

i'll do that. as a precaution, i soked it in a collinder <(bad spelling) for about 20 minutes. The water turned red, so iwashed it until the water turned out clear, do you think that got rid of any possible chemicals?

 

[fusion121]

The concentrations going to be pretty negligable at any rate so a good soaking should get rid of anything nasty, it should be fine.

 

[pandinus]

thanx, i was starting to freak out there, of course i'm high strung and paranoid so thats not hard for me :}

 

[genious_gr]

:8o

Uum, sorry for giving wrong advice...
I've allways seen wood chips to be frowned upon...guess I was wrong

my bad

 

[fusion121]

Idealy for an emperor I wouldn't use only bark chips I've kept them for about 7 years and I always give them a mixture of 2/3 peat with 1/3 bark chips, its very good at allowing them to make scrapes and the bark chips are excellent at maintaining the humidity.

 

[pandinus]

what kind of bark do you use? my budget and available rescources are extremely tight

 

[pandinus]

:8o

Uum, sorry for giving wrong advice...
I've allways seen wood chips to be frowned upon...guess I was wrong

my bad

hey, dont worry about it. Everyone makes mistakes, i bear no grudges!

 

[carpe scorpio]

I have used a product called "naturebark" with great success, I think it is made from fir trees. No chemicals.

 

[pandinus]

is it a pet substrate, or did you just use it as such?

 

[carpe scorpio]

Yes it is for all small animals and is manufactured by Four Paws in Hauppauge New York as item #70408

 

[carpe scorpio]

looks very similar.

 

[pandinus]

interesting.....
maybe it's the virtually the same product, just marketed under a different name...hmm....

 

[Kugellager]

Although not the best substrate IMO/IME for Pandinus spp. or Heterometrus Spp. as long a s the bark is not some sprt of pine/cedar bark it should be ok. Pine/cedar has oils and other natural aromatic hydrocarbons them that can be harmful to invertebrates.

I personally prefer 100% peat or a mostly peat/soil mix.

John
];')

 

[pandinus]

so you would say no bark at all?
my other question is if emps burrow, because mine has never tried to, but ive read that they do