Anyone have experience with Exo-Terra Sand Mats?

cowana

New Member
Messages
593
Location
Dayton, Ohio
I have been on the hunt for a brown 40 Breeder reptile carpet for what seems like ages now. Only one pet store (out of 5) in my are even carries the size I need and they only have it in green. I am going for a more naturalistic arid look to my terrarium, and bright green doesn't fit that bill.

I know, I know. Just order it off the internet, but I hate ordering things online. I really do.

I did find this Exo-Terra Sand Mat at the Reptile Show today in a 40 breeder. Before I bought it I beat on it pretty good to see if I could knock any pieces loose without any success, so I decided to pick it up. Not too worried about cleaning it. My kids use one small corner and everyday I fold up a paper towel in fourths in that corner and they relieve themselves there, then I trash it. Repeat. (Obviously, I do routine full cage cleans as well but not as often.)

I just wanted to see if anyone had personal experience with it, good or bad before I put it in their cage. It is a bit rough, but not sharp. I don't want them to get hurt. They're from rocky, packed earth so this should be natural for them right? Am I being over protective?

Exo Terra : Sand Mat / Desert Terrarium Substrate

Amy


Leopard Geckos: Cheech, Chong, & Chima
 

indyana

Well-Known Member
Messages
2,336
Location
Massachusetts, United States
I've seen people use it before. My only concern, looking at it, is the ability to clean it should the gecko decide to have an "accident". :) Might be worth picking up a second one at some point so you can swap one out and give it a deep clean every so often.
 

cowana

New Member
Messages
593
Location
Dayton, Ohio
Thanks. Those are some good points. I plan on holding onto my reptile carpets so I can do my cleans and whatnot. If I come across a second one I will pick it up if I decide I like it. I'm not going to put it in until I try to introduce Chima after quarantine. I plan to do a deep clean and rearrange the tank to be as neutral as possible. :)

Amy


Leopard Geckos: Cheech, Chong, & Chima
 

JennyBeen

New Member
Messages
87
Location
Denver, CO
I love the exoterra mats! I have one for the geckos that I alternate in, and one for the bearded dragon (a 40 gal size) that we use most of the time.

I think these are great, personally, and they really help the geckos when they're itchy and trying to shed. As far as keeping things clean, I also do put down papertowels in their "spots" on where they are more likely to go (which is harder for the dragon, but super easy for the geckos) They seem to get good traction (way better than sand, and for the dragon, much better than paper towels alone), and I like that they can't get toes stuck in threads.

For cleaning them, I do swap them out for a few days at a time with the geckos. Since their mat is smaller, I can easily douse the whole thing in a dilluted mix of vinegar, hydrogen peroxide, and water, and then rinse it really well with hot water before setting aside to drip-dry. It is a tougher job for the 40 gallon size; we live in an apartment without a hose (that would be my go-to, I think), and instead have to clean it off in our shower with our removable showerhead on a high pressure setting to sort of power wash it. I then will spray it down with my diluted vinegar, water and hydrogen peroxide mix (mostly in the messier spots), before power washing it again with steaming hot water. It does take a while to dry, but you can try to speed up the process by dabbing it with a towel or paper towels. For the dragon I usually let him run around for 30 minutes or so until it dries, and since he has a heat lamp, that also speeds things.

Do whack it a good bit outside before bringing it in to get any loose bits off that are annoying to clean up later or can clog your drain.

Other than that, I love them. I think I'd love them even more if the dragon were more potty trained like a leopard gecko to just go in one general spot, but I think it looks nice and is far less messy or potentially dangerous than sand. Good luck! I hope you do well with them too!
 

cowana

New Member
Messages
593
Location
Dayton, Ohio
Thanks for all the great insight! I will probably stay with reptile carpet for my Beardie... He is a piglet! But I am excited to try this with the LGs. I appreciate all the cleaning and prep tips, so I can be successful with it! [emoji3]
 

heavendow

New Member
Messages
1
So I pretty much only use these Mats. So there is not a lot of information online about them and how to clean them. Here's what I have been doing and it's been working for years. So they're not that hard to dry. If your lizard ends up pooping on it And there's residue When you take it up From spot cleaning everyday rinse it off under the water. A b****** or a fan will help it dry quickly. Otherwise it dries within an hour or so. They are very durable one will last me over a month.
 

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