At the moment, I'm using paper towels for my Leo's substrate, but I want something that is nice looking and easy to clean. Any suggestions? (I don't want anything that is like sand, gravel, or in any way a loose material, I want something more solid)
I use reptile carpet on the cool side (76-80 degrees F) and slate tiles on the warm side (82-86 degrees F) for several reasons. There are pros & cons to each.
Reptile Carpet:
- No risk of choking on loose substrate
- Temperature stays fairly moderate (doesn't hold heat too well, which is why I keep it on the cool side)
- Nice texture to help with shedding & reduce slipping
- Kinda difficult to clean & can hold bacteria if not changed fairly frequently
- Needs to be replaced semi-often & is a bit expensive (I have a 20gal)
Slate Tiles:
- No risk of choking on loose substrate
- AMAZING for clean-up (can pretty much last forever if you clean it well)
- Stays in place
- Holds heat well (but can also get super cold quickly, so temperature must be stable)
- Inexpensive (I purchased my slate tile from Home Depot for about $2)
I'd say either of these substrates are great choices. You don't even need to use both; I just find it gives my gecko more options. As long as you steer away from sand or any other loose substrate, your gecko should be happy & healthy. Also, I actually use damp paper towels in a tupperware container as a humid hide (I replace them every other day), so your paper towel idea could still work for that.
I hope this helps! Let us know if you have any other questions =)
I stuffed 6" x 3" slate tiles from home Depot. Online sale only. Didn't have to cut a single one for my size terrarium even had extra to go up the back