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Sniper666
Guest
:main_cool3:
:main_cool3:
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RoseT
Guest
There very cute! Do they live on sand or is that just for the photo?
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Sniper666
Guest
Pink calcium sand?? They are not mine. I'm watching them for my Niece and Nephew. Should they be living in something else? This is what the local pet store recommended.
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Turbo
Guest
no loose substrate is good for them, something like reptile carpet would be better. 
John N
JCN Reptiles
- Messages
- 444
- Location
- Lancaster, PA
The reason is that the loose substrate can be swollowed and cant be digested. Which means the substrate would stay in the gecko and cause problems in the long run.
If you want something cheap to replace the sand, myself an many other keepers, keep our animals on paper towels.
If you want something cheap to replace the sand, myself an many other keepers, keep our animals on paper towels.
John N
JCN Reptiles
- Messages
- 444
- Location
- Lancaster, PA
BTW, your niece and nephew sure have some cute geckos!
dragonflyreptiles
Resident PITA
- Messages
- 2,135
- Location
- Winston Salem, NC
Nice leos!
Jeanne
Abbie's Human
- Messages
- 4,090
- Location
- Tyngsboro, MA
They are adorable little fatties! Love the little dot on the first ones nose.
I agree with John, I keep all mine on white paper / paper towls. It is safer for the gecko and a LOT easier to clean :main_thumbsup:
I agree with John, I keep all mine on white paper / paper towls. It is safer for the gecko and a LOT easier to clean :main_thumbsup:
- Messages
- 583
- Location
- Ohio/West Virginia
I use reptile carpet you can get it in like a thousand different colorsssss......Sand is bad
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Sniper666
Guest
Ok... Ok.. I got rid of the sand and replaced it with reptile carpet. The smaller one is starting to shed and her coloring is more vibrent. A pretty pastel color, quite fitting for a female.
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JBrune
Guest
Just my 2 cents
The issue of substrate is very subjective and sometimes is more of a choice rather then right or wrong. There is a good reason to keep hatchlings and juveniles on a solid substrate such as newspaper, papertowel etc. It looks like the geckos in your picture are adults, and the sand that is being used is a real good fine grain sand. I would not change them to anything else if they have been doing fine on the calci sand. I have had my adult geckos on play sand and in 8 years I have never had any problems. By no means am I discrediting the other posts because in the beginning I changed to papertowel because I saw so many posts about the problems with sand (even though at that time I had never experienced any problems with sand). What I found is that I had a hard time keeping enough humidity in their hides and encountered some shedding issues when I had all my geckos on papertowel. I would only imagine that carpet is even harder. I went back to sand and had no more shedding issues. If young kids are keeping these geckos they may not be as diligent to keep papertowel moist enough or monitor the humid hide as well as some experienced keeper are. Sand is kind of a no brainer when it comes to moisture. I feel it is more important to know if your gecko is parasite free, eating, pooping and shedding properly then whether it is on sand, carpert, papertowel, etc.
By the way those are great looking geckos, your niece & nephew are doing a great job!
Good luck,
Joyce
The issue of substrate is very subjective and sometimes is more of a choice rather then right or wrong. There is a good reason to keep hatchlings and juveniles on a solid substrate such as newspaper, papertowel etc. It looks like the geckos in your picture are adults, and the sand that is being used is a real good fine grain sand. I would not change them to anything else if they have been doing fine on the calci sand. I have had my adult geckos on play sand and in 8 years I have never had any problems. By no means am I discrediting the other posts because in the beginning I changed to papertowel because I saw so many posts about the problems with sand (even though at that time I had never experienced any problems with sand). What I found is that I had a hard time keeping enough humidity in their hides and encountered some shedding issues when I had all my geckos on papertowel. I would only imagine that carpet is even harder. I went back to sand and had no more shedding issues. If young kids are keeping these geckos they may not be as diligent to keep papertowel moist enough or monitor the humid hide as well as some experienced keeper are. Sand is kind of a no brainer when it comes to moisture. I feel it is more important to know if your gecko is parasite free, eating, pooping and shedding properly then whether it is on sand, carpert, papertowel, etc.
By the way those are great looking geckos, your niece & nephew are doing a great job!
Good luck,
Joyce
gko reptiles
A New Generation
- Messages
- 679
- Location
- Orlando
I agree with Joyce in most respects. When we first started, we kept our geckos on sand and they did great! As far as moisture goes... I'm a little confused...? Leo's need dry climate + moist hide (again, not condescending, just asking for a little clarity. ) As for your niece/nephews geckos, be careful with the reptile carpet too. Reptile carpet + Lots of poop = Bacteria! Diseases can be stored/transferred with the reptile carpet unless it's changed a LOT (like weekly) and that gets expensive!! Assuming that they're been on sand for a looooooong time, I'd say that they're O.K. to be kept on sand. Again, its a HUGE controversy here (and everywhere else in the gecko world), but at this point a consensus has not been reached and it has become a personal preference. Paper towels are by far the best way to go (because they're so easy to keep clean/change/cheap/etc.), but as far as what you/your niece and nephew prefer, that's your choice! Good Luck!!
) As for your niece/nephews geckos, be careful with the reptile carpet too. Reptile carpet + Lots of poop = Bacteria! Diseases can be stored/transferred with the reptile carpet unless it's changed a LOT (like weekly) and that gets expensive!! Assuming that they're been on sand for a looooooong time, I'd say that they're O.K. to be kept on sand. Again, its a HUGE controversy here (and everywhere else in the gecko world), but at this point a consensus has not been reached and it has become a personal preference. Paper towels are by far the best way to go (because they're so easy to keep clean/change/cheap/etc.), but as far as what you/your niece and nephew prefer, that's your choice! Good Luck!!
marula
New Member
- Messages
- 1,884
- Location
- moved from texas to italy
...i use paper towels for my younghers, carpet or sand (without calcium, nautral sand) for my olders (over than 3 years)...
i never had any problem with sand..they love sand...i use carpet for olders gecko with strong attitude to lick around (glass, plants, substarte)...generally they have more problem when they was young...expecially if you give them crickets..but my geckos eat worms in the cup, so they never eat accidentaly sand with food...and i put in every my tanks a little cup with calcium..(some geckos eat sand for found calcium...)
i never had any problem with sand..they love sand...i use carpet for olders gecko with strong attitude to lick around (glass, plants, substarte)...generally they have more problem when they was young...expecially if you give them crickets..but my geckos eat worms in the cup, so they never eat accidentaly sand with food...and i put in every my tanks a little cup with calcium..(some geckos eat sand for found calcium...)
- Messages
- 583
- Location
- Ohio/West Virginia
I used to use sand but I just personally didn't like it....I may switch to play sand again in a while I just think that reptile carpet makes the cage easier to clean
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