Beech chips

[Sandra]

I've been looking for different types of wood to use as substrate in naturalistic tanks and this is the one I liked the most, because it's for dry enviroments and is light, so it wouldn't darken up the colors of the geckos. But the coarse beech chips I've seen don't look so 'coarse' to me... Not enough at least. I can't imagine the thickness of the chips by just looking at the pictures of online pet shops (that, in most cases, use the same picture for coarse, medium or fine granulation, if they use one at all).

A friend of mine that keeps ball pythons told me that she used beech chips for some long time without problems (although she skipped to coconut fiber because she wanted something that kept the humidity high)... But leos and balls are not similar at all.

Has anyone used beech as substrate? I would like to know the size of the coarse chips, (although it will depend on the brand, but they don't seem to differ too much), what your experience has been and which other substrates with similar features do you know.

Thanks in advance!

 

[BalloonzForU]

IMO I'd go with a slate tile if you're looking for something a little more natural than paper towels.

 

[Golden Gate Geckos]

Wood chips are only OK if they are of a size that cannot be ingested. Also, keep in mind that wood cannot be santitized and can harbor mold and bacteria.

 

[Sandra]

IMO I'd go with a slate tile if you're looking for something a little more natural than paper towels.

I've considered the use of slate, but I wanted to make a rock wall with polyurethane foam and, if I used slate, it would get stuck to the foam and wouldn't be removable anymore. I've been thinking ways of making the rock wall and the slate compatible, but none of them has convinced me. That's why I am asking about loose substrates, that would be much more easier to put and clean. Any ideas are welcome, anyway.

Wood chips are only OK if they are of a size that cannot be ingested. Also, keep in mind that wood cannot be santitized and can harbor mold and bacteria.

That's why I was asking about the size of the beech chips... They look like they are smaller than other types of wood bark, or it's just my imagination? The mold doesn't worry me too much since the enviroment will be dry. I'm more concerned about bacteria, though.

 

[Californiaman]

Tile or Flagstone

Go to your local tile distributer. A reputable one.
Ask for any discontinued Travertine or Slate tiles. They usualy just throw it away. Tell them the size you need. I use 12" White Travertine tiles. Tell them it's for your leopard gecko terrarium and they'll set you up usually for free. I mean, what do you need four or five pieces?
To cut it, buy a pair of nippers. Trim it off in 1/4 inch sections to fit.
I also use flag stone split to differing thicknesses to produce hotter and cooler spaces directly over the UTH and use Reptisand in between each piece of flagstone.
If you use tile, you only have to use a little sand around the edges and the seems.
My geckos love the naturalistic set-up that the tile or flagstone creates. :main_thumbsup:

 

[ReptileMan27]

Go with slate rock, its natural,safe,and looks good. I wouldnt reccomend woood chips stuff for leos.

 

[Zbiz]

Well... this is wat i did for my natural tank. I used plaster! yup the regular one you can get at the craft department. Pour it on the bottom of the tank and make sure i dries well... as it dried i pressed crumbled paper towel on to it so it had a texture,it might take a week to dry. Then use $1 acrylic paint to paint it any color you like! preferably tan. I did all sorts of things to make it more natural, dry brushing, washes ect. Do what you like. Then after the paint fully dries. Tape off the edges and cover the glass of the tank with newspaper and use spray on sealant. Make sure it says safe for childrens toys on the back. Wait for that to dry for a couple of days and your done! it wipes down easy its not like concrete that scratches and leos seem to have a good grip on it. I took this method and coated foam with it making caves, cliffs ect. It took awhile but the results were AMAZING! i love it and it actually is one of the better looking things in my house. Also i have a drawer system in the tank which has a tupperware container in it for the humid hide. That was more complicated... Oh and btw this was done in a 10 gallon tank so it'll be much easier in something bigger. Have fuN! if i can get a hold of my mothers camera i'll post pics

It is perfectly safe, my leo has been stayin in it for over 4 months and actually has gotten fatter if anything lol *shes a pig, 20 mealies a night*

 

[Scott&Nikki]

I REALLY want to see pics. I just got my 20L and haven't done the transfer yet. That really caught my attention...

 

[Sandra]

To cut it, buy a pair of nippers. Trim it off in 1/4 inch sections to fit.

But would a pair of nippers be able to cut the slate tile so accurately that it would fit the shape of the rockwall? I'm concerned about that... I've never used this kind of materials so I don't know the consistence of it. What I've seen are slate rocks in the nature, that didn't look like they could be cut easily... Although I suppose that slate tiles are different.

Zbiz, what you say sounds amazing, I would love to see pics too. But, if you do that, you can't remove the substrate from the bottom of the cage anymore, can you? I wanted to use undertank heating but inside the tank, cause I want the tank to be made of wood (looks better, is easier to work with, and keeps the temperature more stable). The idea of putting a heat source under a non-removable substrate doesn't attrackt me at all... My initial idea was to put the mat/cable inside, then putting a cristal or tile over it so the gecko couldn't directly touch the heat source, and over it some loose substrate.

Maybe I should make a sketch of the idea I had for the tanks, and it would be easier for you to make suggestions about substrates, heat location, rockwalls, and everything.

 

[Zbiz]

Hm.. wood.... let me see, This is where i originally got the idea. Geckkohappy has super skills, her Tank blew my mind. She doesnt have the pics of it finished up but she explains here wat she did. If you check in her profile pictures you can see it half done without the paint. Well, it is removable but it'll take chipping it off the bottom to do it. So its pretty perminant unless you dont want it to be lol. She used a wooden tank and i think mounted the UTH inside with a space in the plaster to put it and a hole in the back to slide it in and out, she thought of everything... Genius imo. She is also a great artist, hense the creativeness. I give lots of respect to this lady, she also lives in NJ like me w00t ftw. Heres the links, it sucks that she doesnt have the finish picks up, but she started a whole craze with plaster in cages.

How to post:
http://www.repticzone.com/forums/CagesandEnclosures/messages/812611.html

Cage half finished:
http://www.repticzone.com/photogallery/viewmembersphotos.php/29001/56170/

 

[Sandra]

Wow, the tank decoration is amazing! Very very nice!

Although so far, the desertic decoration that has impressed me the most is from a webpage I saw where the guys made rockwalls imitating ancient temples with Maya motifs or something similar. That was just mind-blowing.

Does anybody know this website? Because I would love to visit it again. I've been trying to find it again recently without success.