Ideal bedding for a Pacman?

[reanimatedfish]

I've had a pacman for awhile, it recently passed away due to a irremovable obstruction of coconut fiber. He was about twice the width of a quarter.

Is there any better kind of substrate brand and type anyone can recommend for my next Pacman friend? I'd be most appreciative, since these guys are very hard to find in my area, and losing a pet is always a humongous bummer.

[John]

Hands down the best substrate is a good quality topsoil you collect yourself (stay away from places ever treated with pesticides/herbicides). Beyond that, I would say the finest grade of coconut fibre should be fine for them. I find it hard to believe that fine grade coconut fibre on its own could be responsible for this death.

[reanimatedfish]

It was an obstruction in his digestive tract, the little guy was trying to spit it out pretty bad. I think it may have been my fault, since I let him hunt crickets free range, and he may have swallowed too large a load of semi-dry substrate. He was Estrivating for almost two weeks, than woke up looking terrible, and trying to disgorge something, and passed within six hours.

[John]

Are you sure he couldn't have swallowed something else in the terrarium? Any gravel? Any moss?

[Minhocao]

Two weeks aestivating and suddenly wakes up like vomit and died in 6 hours?
Very rare. It is difficult to advise without knowing everything. Thin coconut fiber causes no impact. Perhaps using some thicker? A good alternative is to feed off campus in a tupperware .. then return the animal to the compound.

[reanimatedfish]

After he passed, his esophagus was distended, and I could see the obstruction. I actually removed it with tweezers to see what killed him, and it was just a huge clump of coconut fiber, and it stank horribly, I almost threw up. I picked it apart with a small knife and it was just dirt, nothing unusual at all. I never used gravel or moss in his terrarium.

I have to conclude with the extreme unlikeliness of this whole thing to everyone else that this was some sort of freak accident that took out poor Escobar. I'm going to be very careful with how his little successor gets fed until he's pretty sizable, just to be on the safe side.

[jesse977]

I always take my small pacmans out of their tank and feed them in a separate container with no substrate. It makes it easier for him to hunt down his food and no worries of impaction. I also get to see the little guy in action and see exactly what he eats.