Repti-carpet/Tile questions!

[Briannn]

i've heard people say lots of stuff about leo's getting their toes stuck on the carpet, well i have the carpet and i have NEVER seen this but what i do see quite frequently is him getting his mouth stuck when he misses a cricket because he's only a baby. is this very serious? do i need to change from the carpet right away until he's older? also, if i replace it with tile, won't he smack his face on hard tile when he misses? and i'm kindof worried about the tile getting too hot. does it usually? does having tile usually require much more monitoring the heat? i just cringe everytime i'm feeding him and those little suckers get away and i have to watch him suffer. i'm just not sure if this is causing real serious damage and i'm just allowing it to continue. thank you all.

 

[katie_]

SERIOUS damage? Probably not. Stress that could be avoided? Yes.

It's not something you need to change RIGHT NOW, but in near future it. As long as you have a good thermometre and a light dimmer, you should have no problems monitoring your heat.
Make sure your tiles are not shiney/slippery - try to find textured ones.

 

[OnlineGeckos]

Tiles conduct heat rather well, it may be hotter when using tiles as compared to when using repti carpet, but you can easily adjust that by either getting a thermostat, or layering some paper towels beneath the tiles.

Repti carpet has many negatives aside from their toes/teeth getting stuck in the loops. It traps bacteria and it's hard to clean. So it's really not sanitary to use repti carpet for long.

Give slate/ceramic tiles a try, you won't regret it. They make your tank look better, it'll feel natural to them as in the wild they live in rock crevices and burrows. They're also very easy to clean, and you won't have to worry about impaction issues or anything getting stuck.

And if not tiles, paper towels work just as well. Either tiles or paper towels will be better than repti carpet.

 

[EthanC]

i have had my leopard gecko for about a week now and also had the carpet, i saw the same thing with the little strands and the coating on the crickets also was getting all in it ands there was just white powder everywhere with sucked, well i just took everything out and fliped the carpet over to find that the other side was alot more smooth and lad less strands coming out, idk if yours is the same way but its worth a shot

 

[contracteryin]

I use the carpet. I wash it once a week (in the washer, very hot water, no soap) and I have two per tank that I switch around. I also generally feed them outside the cage or in a bowl to reduce them getting their mouth stuck. As far as the toe problem, I've never had that but I know people who have. Just melt anything sticking out with a match or something, but be careful, and if you're on the younger end have your parents do it.
Best regards,
Alissa