S.heros substrate question

[ophiophagus]

I was thinking of making some nicer displays for my S.heros
and want to use something like a clay type sand that more like their natural substrate. I was wondering if anyone had any suggestions on what to use and where to get. Or any other ideas.

 

[Galapoheros]

Ime, heros can be kind of difficult, but some specimens seem tough as nails. Subspinipes, polymorpha, alternans, Ethmostigmus... very, very easy compared to heros, ....at my house anyway, but some heros seem to get "sick", but many have recovered. The ones that seem most healthy are the ones I put in terrs with 3 to 4 inches of substrate, a 50/50 mix of granite sand I get out of a local river and coco fiber. I think more sand than coco fiber might be better. Then I get a local limestone flat rock or slate that may take up 80% of the terr bottom to put there and stack on two or three more flat rocks on top of that. This is what has worked best for me so far. When it's warmer, they sit between the rocks, in winter when it gets cooler, they dig under the bottom slate rock until it get warmer.

 

[ophiophagus]

Thank you very much for that. Just curious if it makes a difference that the set ups are for S.h.arizonensis and S.h.castaniceps and not S.h.heros? Or would you make the same recommendations for all three subspecies?

 

[Canth]

S. heros heros and S. heros arizonensis would be very similar, while S. h. castaneiceps would be a little more moist. Maybe mist/spray a couple times a week.

 

[Bill S]

I was thinking of making some nicer displays for my S.heros and want to use something like a clay type sand that more like their natural substrate.

I find wild S. heros "arizonensis" where I live, but not in clay type sand. I see them in limestone outcrops, in the openings of caves, and on rocky surfaces.

My adult female does very well in a large kritter keeper with slightly damp coco fiber as a substrate. She burrows in it, generally staying below surface in the daytime but coming to the surface at night (except during the winter, when she pretty much stays burrowed).