Is this substrate safe?

[LeoparddGeckoss]

Today I switched my gecko's humid hide substrate from paper towels to coconut fiber. It is pretty solid; do you think there would be a risk of impaction?

One of my friends who owns a leopard gecko uses coconut fiber as the substrate in their gecko's tank. Is this okay?

Thanks!

 

[marauderhex]

I've known plenty of people who use coco-fiber with great success. I, myself, used it at one point, but now am lazy and just use tile as it's much easier to clean.

 

[LeopardShade]

With any loose substrate there always is a risk of impaction that you need to be aware of. This risk can certainly vary from substrate to substrate, but it is invariable there regardless. I would consider coco fiber relatively low risk when it comes to loose substrate due to the large abundance of keepers whom have used it safely and with great success. You still should monitor and ensure that the gecko is not accidentally ingesting it some way. I personally use paper towels just to be on the safe side.

 

[Golden Gate Geckos]

I'd stick with using the coco fiber for moist hides and/or lay boxes, but not for an entire habitat's substrate.

 

[zet]

It really depends on where you live, but coco fiber might run the tank a little high on humidity. Best bet would be to grab a reputable humidity meter to monitor the humidity levels.