Calci-Sand?

[Im-Perfection-xo]

I know everywhere I've read says strictly no sand. I completely understand why. But I'm wondering what exactly is this Calci-Sand stuff, and is it alright to use (as the label says). If it is infact dangerous, why is this being sold as a suitable substrate?

It says specifically on the bag that it was designed with accidental ingestion in mind. So.. If it's made of calcium, why would that be any different than leaving calcium in a dish in the tank for your leo?

( http://www.reptilesupply.com/product.php?products_id=1201 < Link to full description of product. )

 

[marineman26]

not sure as why they label that stuff "safe" for my guess would be so that they can just make money from you and do not care much about your pets well being. I have heard of ppl purchasing sand and having no problems with it but only with older geckos. I recently purchased a bag of aspen bed crumble and the pet shop recomend me to get it. the aspen stuff says its real safe and turns into a fibrous mash if accidently ingested but after seeing my gecko eat it I decided nope no way it was going to stay in the cage, so out it went. I went out and got some indoor outdoor carpet and cut it but I guess that scared me just as bad because the ends were fringed anyhow I thought the gecko may eat it accidently so tonight I got some of the professional reptile carpet from zoo meds. I honestly feel better now that I got the right stuff. I again think that its them labeling stuff is "safe" and making money from you.

 

[fallen_angel]

I agree, it's just marketing.. They just want to make some money off of you. The claim that it's safe is a straight-up lie. The reason this happens is because products like this aren't regulated enough for anyone to take it off of the shelves.

ANY kind of loose substrate is bad because your gecko can accidently get a mouthful when hunting crickets. Other geckos jsut like to sit there and eat the stuff like it's some kind of buffet. Either way, it's highly dangerous, because most geckos do not survive impaction. You would risk them eating the substrate and getting impacted every single day, even if you don't ever see your gecko eat any.

You either learn the hard way, or you don't.. I am one of the lucky ones that had a gecko on sand for awhile because it looked better and I didn't think the risks were that high. I never had any problems. However, I know first-hand stories from friends that have had to experience this first-hand, and it's not something that is very good to hear about. You really shouldn't want to take the risk.

Paper towels, repti-carpet, or tile are the only safe choices. Everyone thinks that paper towels would look stupid, but they really don't look that bad at all. And besides, they are 100% more alluring when you know that your gecko is 100% safe.

The only thing is, we go through paper towels REALLY fast, so I'm thinking that it's kind of a waste.. At least with reptile carpet or tile, you only buy once and the stuff doesn't have to be replaced. Tile is also the easiest thing to clean

 

[Golden Gate Geckos]

Calci-Sand is made of Calcium Carbonate, the same calcium we give our geckos as a supplement in smaller and more powdery doses. There is a B-I-G problem with using it as a substrate for leopard geckos:

First of all, the GI tract of the leo is very short, and the large grains of Calci-Sand will not dissolve completely in the intestines. Instead, it gets soft and gooey, and sticks together. This can cause impaction, which can kill your leopard gecko.

Second, Calcium Carbonate is the same stuff that Tums and Rolaids are made of. It reduces stomach acid. If a leopard gecko has a constant load of this in their stomachs and intestines (from getting a mouthful every time it strikes at food prey), their gastric juices will be cut off. This means their food will not get digested properly, which will further add to the risk of impaction.

Calcium Sand may be appropriate for many other reptiles, but NOT for leopard geckos! Stick with a substrate that cannot be ingested.

 

[Im-Perfection-xo]

I had never planned to use sand, I was just curious about this Calci-Sand stuff. I might do some more research into it and see if I can't get something in motion to ban it. If it's really this unsafe, it should be dealt with.

I was thinking about it, and I was wondering about this as substrate: a coconut fiber / moss floor. On many places on the forum people have said moss is good for the moist hides, so I assume it would be safe enough for a substrate. And as long as the coconut fiber doesn't completely dry out, it won't turn to dust. I'm not worried about causing impaction with the coconut fiber, as a friend of mine has had many leopard geckos, and has never had a problem.

What do you think?

 

[Paco]

Marcia sadi it

I had never planned to use sand, I was just curious about this Calci-Sand stuff. I might do some more research into it and see if I can't get something in motion to ban it. If it's really this unsafe, it should be dealt with.

I was thinking about it, and I was wondering about this as substrate: a coconut fiber / moss floor. On many places on the forum people have said moss is good for the moist hides, so I assume it would be safe enough for a substrate. And as long as the coconut fiber doesn't completely dry out, it won't turn to dust. I'm not worried about causing impaction with the coconut fiber, as a friend of mine has had many leopard geckos, and has never had a problem.

What do you think?

Marcia said it. You don't want to use any substrate you Leo can injest in any quantity. There have been plenty of people who have used Calci sand with no problems as well does not make it the proper substrate. As for the Ban on Calci sand don't waste your time. It's safe for MANY reptiles just not good for Leos.

 

[fallen_angel]

The coco fiber just doesn't work (we tried it too) because you do have to keep it moist in order for it to not be all over the place (when it gets really dry, it's like there's coco fiber "tumbleweeds" in there).. and moisture within the ENTIRE cage can cause respiratory problems. It's safe to use in the hide because they usually don't eat coco fiber or moss, and it's great for keeping moisture for a few days.. but it's definitely UNSAFE to be used in the entire cage, because the geckos need to live in dry conditions, and just have a moist place to retreat to when they want (not be forced to live in humid conditions constantly).

 

[ReptileMan27]

They all say there 100% digestible and crap like that. Even though thats not true they are not going to put its not safe on the package and lose sales lol.. I remember seeing a vid on youtube awhile back from reptile TV and they interviewed a guy from T-Rex that happened to be one of the creators on the calci sand crap and they asked him if it was safe.. Well what a suprise it was when he said it was safe and good substrate lmao. That had to be one of the dumbest and funniest things ever, what do they think the guy is going to say?. I created it and work for them, the product is bad and not safe lol.

 

[fallen_angel]

No kidding, noone would ever admit to it unless they were willing to lose their job

 

[Im-Perfection-xo]

I just don't see how there isn't other suitable substrates (other than paper towel, reptile carpeting, and tile). I'd really rather not put my gecko on something like that on a permanent basis. It just doesn't seem like a good idea. I realize that it's safer than putting them on something they might eat, but it seems too unnatural for them. Though, I suppose if they're captive bred to begin with, that's what they will have been on all their life..