Hello, advise needed!

[Daniee Willis]

Hello!
I just bought two leopard geckos today!
However, I'm a little concerned with which substrate to use.
They currently have beech chips in their viv for tonight, UI only got them today, as thats what my bearded dragons use.
Which substrate is best for them? I find it difficult to find sand which isn't calcium sand around here.
Also, I'm now concerned that the beech chips are not okay for my beardies!
Please help?
Daniee

 

[Kylerbassman]

Look in husbandry and housing. I use slate. You are right, that substrate is not good for either. People use paper towels(for easy cleaning) nice stick on tiles, or slate. It's a little personal preference. No loose substrate. I prefer the slate because I like the look, it's easy to clean, and its pretty cheap. I spent less then 10 bucks for my substrate for 2 tanks. I would really advise you to look in the different sections and look at stickies because there is a lot of accurate info. People at pet stores sometimes have no idea, and are pushed to sell products that aren't necessarily good. Any questions feel free to ask. Are you housing your Leo's together? You really should quarantine even if they were together. Also, Leo's in general aren't social creatures and tend to do better by themselves.

 

[Daniee Willis]

Hi thanks for the advice
I took out all the beech chips and replaced it with some wierd paper towel I had lying around the house.
Here's a pic of it:

Does this look okay? The gecko in the pic keeps trying to hide underneath it which worries me in case he burns his feet on the heat mat.
Will they still be able to feel the heat from the mat through tiles?
Thankyou!

 

[Kylerbassman]

When using paper towel, it's best to use a roll and then use your 3 hides (hot, moist, and cool) along with decor to hold it down to ensure that your Leo's and feeders don't get under it. I would just go out and buy a roll of paper towels. Keep the pieces connected (not shreds or pieces) sorry, should have explained it better. Slate actually soaks the heat pretty well, try and find the thinnest pieces of slate you can and have them cut to fit tight so that your Leo isn't snagging toes or getting caught in joints. I used a little sand under the slate just to level them out. Then pour sand (little bit at a time) into the joints and mist sand with water. The mist will help harden the sand so it won't come out. I did about 1/8 of sand at a time in joint and spray, repeat until filled.

 

[DrCarrotTail]

Kyler's advice is golden. Flat paper towels off a roll or slate are best. The geckos should hide inside the hides you provide them. They don't really burrow under the towels often. Wood chips of any kind are pretty rough and can scratch, irritate or tear the soft skin on their bellies so they are not a good choice for substrate. I don't know enough about bearded dragons to say if they are okay for them or not.

 

[Kylerbassman]

I'm no bearded dragon expert and I don't own one .... Yet lol. I know just by talking with others that many use slate, paper towels and ceramic tiles. I think you have to look at what is least likely to harm and what is easiest to clean. Sand gets nasty quick with unrates and poops, plus you run the risk of compaction. Chips can hold bacteria and give off fumes from unrates and poops unless cleaned constantly, plus it can hurt there feet and be a pain with feeders. Natural stones seem to keep heat, they are really easy to clean, most times easy to find and affordable. Paper towel is really easy to clean (not the nicest look) but nice when you have tons of tanks to clean. You don't run compaction risk with either, just loose substrate. I actually do have a tray of sand in my enclosures, but that's for potty only lol

 

[ZHANG FELIX]

So beautiful! I like it!