Crickets Hiding Under Repticarpet?

[AMoriarty]

Hi there all; I am a first time poster here and have found some good info.

However there is an issue I have not seen addressed. I use Repticarpet in my leo's tank, and though the fit is as close as possible to the tank, when I clean the tank I always find crickets, mealworms, etc. from the night before under the reptile carpet. It's really annoying since it looks like my gecko Tokai is actually eating more than she is, and I obviously do not want the crickets munching on her in the evening. For those of you who use repticarpet, what do you do to avoid this problem?

Also, I am considering switching to ceramic tiles in the hope they may conduct heat from my uth a little better and bring the temps on the warm side up a little more (right now they are in the high 80's during the day but really I would like them up around 92). What do you suggest? Any special type or size of tile? Cheap is best.

 

[Dog Shrink]

A couple things I would suggest are first to ditch the repticarpet. It can harbor a lot of bacteria and feeders and your herps teeth and claws can get stuck in the nap. Tiles are a great alternative substrait to carpet... the high end vinyl (a simulated slate look) is what I use in my viv and I love it. Ceramic is more of an insulator rather than a heat conductor (think coffee mug here) and if you went with something more natural like slate, stone, or marble tiles they would heat a lot better than ceramic or porcelain. You want a surface that has some traction to it so texture is good. Home depot has a ntural stone tile that comes in a nice off white, I got 2 for my son's ball python's tank to cover his hide. They work really nice and hold heat well. Depending on how thick the tile is you may need up go up to the next size under tank heater or possibly suppliment with a moonlight blue bulb to get to the suggested 88-95 range for your leo.

Something else you can do is add a feeding container that the bugs can't get out of. One of those plastic flower pot saucers could work or a gladware disposeable tupperware dish (just build up rocks on the outside so your leo can get up to the edge of the bowl) and both are inexpensive. Also removing the jumper legs on crix will help keep them in feeder bowls. Any feeders that aren't eaten by your bedtime should be removed if not in a bug safe dish because of the reasons you mentioned... you don't want them nibbling on your herp stressing them out.

If you decide to stay with the repticarpet, you can get some of that self adhesive velcro strips and attach it to the carpet and the floor of your viv to help keep the edges of the carpet down better.

Hope some of this helps... welcome to the forum

 

[AMoriarty]

Thanks! I clean the repticarpet weekly but it can be a pain to clean off; maybe you are right about it not being the best choice.

Re: the high end vinyl, does the vinyl not give off some kind of fume when heated with a uth? Also, it is textured vinyl, right, with some kind of matte surface so the gecko doesn't just slip around? Is there a type you recommend? I hope maybe I can just go to the flooring store nearby and ask the guy to cut me a piece to fit the tank bottom exactly. Slate would be great, but I am really broke so probably vinyl would be best for me.

 

[Dog Shrink]

High end vinyl tile puts out no off gasses when heated... I've posted about this several times actually I use the self adhesive vinyl simulated slate tiles. I stuck them directly onthe bottom of the tank so nothing gets under there, they heat well, and they are super easy to clean. The glue doesn't melt until over 110*F, and in most cases with the high end ones over 120*F so off gassing shouldn't be a concern. These are the ones that I used.

http://www.homedepot.com/Flooring-Vinyl-Resilient-Flooring-Vinyl-Tile/h_d1/N-5yc1vZaq27/R-202191231/h_d2/ProductDisplay?langId=-1&storeId=10051&catalogId=10053

You don't have to buy them by the case. Home depot sells them singally as well. You'll need 2 and a half to do a 20 long tank (but you'll have to buy 3 as they don't sell half tiles), and they run about $2.00 +/- a piece. They do have a nice texture to them just like slate would, and you know if it is a high end tile if it cracks and snaps rather than bends and flexes when you bend it in half and is at or over that $2 a tile range.

You can also purchase natural stone tiles at home depot and they should be willing to cut it to size for you at home depot... again shouldn't be very expensive. They usually cut them for free in most areas and the stone tiles are around $4-5-ish bucks each.