Paper Towel or Soil Substrate?

[DustyTheGecko]

I've had a bit of problems with my soil substrate recently. It gets everything dirty (I have no live plants in this enclosure) and it gets moldy... Plus, I cant see her poo near as easy. AND, she always liked hiding in the paper towels I had before. Which is better?

 

[acpart]

What type of gecko is this for?

Aliza

 

[DustyTheGecko]

What type of gecko is this for?

Aliza

Crested, sorry.

 

[acpart]

Was your soil substrate actual soil? Paper towels will get wet and mushy when you mist the cage. If you were using actual dirt, get some coco-fiber which comes in compressed blocks at the pet store. When hydrated it looks like dirt but it's actually shredded coconut shells. That substrate will help to hold the humidity and moisture. If what you were using was getting everything dirty, the gecko was probably tracking it around the cage. Let us know how it turns out.

Aliza

 

[DustyTheGecko]

Was your soil substrate actual soil? Paper towels will get wet and mushy when you mist the cage. If you were using actual dirt, get some coco-fiber which comes in compressed blocks at the pet store. When hydrated it looks like dirt but it's actually shredded coconut shells. That substrate will help to hold the humidity and moisture. If what you were using was getting everything dirty, the gecko was probably tracking it around the cage. Let us know how it turns out.

Aliza

I used gardening soil mixed with a couple of those cocofiber blocks. Its a thin layer, only about 2 inches....

 

[acpart]

Consider either making a true false bottom to drain your substrate better: a few inches of hydroton clay balls, a piece of vinyl screen mesh to cover the footprint of the tank, then coco fiber without any gardening soil.
Here's a much easier solution:
Check out Josh's frogs tropical bio bedding (https://joshsfrogs.com/sp/josh-s-frogs-tropical-biobedding-bioactive-substrate-4-quarts-jfc81548)
It doesn't require the clay balls and the mesh. I use it in some of my enclosures. It won't be as dirty and probably won't mold.

Aliza

 

[DustyTheGecko]

Consider either making a true false bottom to drain your substrate better: a few inches of hydroton clay balls, a piece of vinyl screen mesh to cover the footprint of the tank, then coco fiber without any gardening soil.
Here's a much easier solution:
Check out Josh's frogs tropical bio bedding (https://joshsfrogs.com/sp/josh-s-frogs-tropical-biobedding-bioactive-substrate-4-quarts-jfc81548)
It doesn't require the clay balls and the mesh. I use it in some of my enclosures. It won't be as dirty and probably won't mold.

Aliza

Wow, thank you! That's a great price too!!! Also, I'm having some success with my gecko eating by herself, but she isn't eating a lot at the moment because its plum flavor and she never really eats a lot of that. Blueberry flavor is coming tomorrow

 

[Kasia]

That substrate will help to hold the humidity and moisture.