Sand Complication

[Euphoria]

Since i have recently gotten a new gecko and have a nice room to go with it now i really wanted to use sand in my terr. but all the negative comments have spooked me away. but i kinda figured that since im only feeding him mealworms in a bowl (hate crickets...) that he wouldnt be lunging towards the sand with an open mouth. I really dont want to risk it but i do hate how the reptile carpet looks compared to a nice orange toned sand, and i figure sand would be easier to clean also. So considering that i only feed him worms and they stay in the bowl at all times do i really have to worry about impaction, why else, other than for calcium which wont be a problem, would he decide to eat sand? :main_huh:

 

[GeckoMandi]

I learned my lesson with using anything other than paper towels, I guess it's just your choice. But to me if the look of there homes are more important than their health than I guess that has to be on you.

I just use paper towels, or brown shipping paper I decorate the houses with rocks, sticks, driftwood to make it look appealing there is tons of ways you can make cute homes for them without using sand.

 

[BalloonzForU]

You can also use tile and rock formations which would look more like their natural habital.

 

[GeckoMandi]

You can also use tile and rock formations which would look more like their natural habital.

I have wanted to try tile in one of my tanks, how could I use a heat source with that? I use uth's. sorry for the thread hijack, lol.

 

[Euphoria]

true, do you think all of you could be so kind as to post some pictures of all your best looking terr., btw, the health of my gecko is the most important factor, i am just wondering if there is another way to use sand safely.

 

[GeckoMandi]

I wish I knew a safe way to use sand, I really have no idea. Hopefully someone can shed some light on it.

I'm in the process tonight actually of redoing all five of my tanks, but I'm sure you can dig through some old threads and find some awesome ideas.

 

[JBrune]

Sand user here.

Hello,
I have used sand as a substrate on all of my display tanks for the past 8 yrs. I use play sand and I nave never lost a gecko to impaction. Of course I only house adults which are 5-6 inches or bigger in these tanks. I free feed crickets and bowl feed mealworms & superworms. I moisten the sand under their humid hides for shedding purposes and use slate, rocks and wood as decorations.

My feeling is keep an eye on your gecko. Do annual fecals to insure your geckos don't have any intestinal parasite issues. Feed regularly so your gecko defecates regularly. A healthy gecko will thrive on sand, just like on papertowel or carpet, etc. All these substrate have pros & cons and I am not saying one is better then any other, but just letting you know what I have experienced.
Joyce

 

[GeckoMandi]

Is play sand any diffrent than like reptile sand in pet stores? Just curious.

 

[BalloonzForU]

Is play sand any diffrent than like reptile sand in pet stores? Just curious.

Yes, the pest store sands have calcium in them, which inturn causes the leo to lick it more than it would the play sand. That calci sand clumps when wet, and does the same thing in the tummy, not only that it is not digestible as the label says.

 

[Euphoria]

all the sand in the pet store is reptile sand? i really enjoy the rich redish-orangish color of the kind in my pet store... guess ill have to read the lable next time i go there

 

[JBrune]

What the brand?

There is a very fine desert sand that I have seen in the stores which comes in many colors. I don't believe it is calci sand. My geckos poop contains sand at times. It's just play sand is smooth without too many sharp edges. Calci sand is almost square and I have never like it and never used it. I have used the fine desert sand in small tanks but it was way too expensive for my larger tanks compared to play sand.
JB

 

[Euphoria]

well i have a very small tank, i only plan on keeping my single gecko for now, so money put down on sand really isn't a problem for me at this point. Ill have to look an see if mey petsmart has that sand though

 

[Led Zep]

"All natural substrate for desert dwelling reptiles. Contains no added dyes or chemicals." This is on the back of the ZooMed ReptiSand, I use it, but before, when I was watching my normal, she started licking it, is that a problem??:main_huh:

 

[KiKi]

isaw a picture of a leo after it died from impaction it was so bad. i only use reptile carpet very easy to clean and it is gray. i just dont trust sand

 

[Led Zep]

Really, I always thought ReptiCarpet wasn't easy to clean, how do you clean, do you have to wash it or can you just pick it up? I might switch if it is, even though you have to admit, sand does look better and you just use the little sand scooper thing and scoop it out.

 

[Wretched]

The sand i use, (tho I have hardly any plain flat exposed areas of it) is called reptilite. it is calcium, tho none of my critteres have ever licked it (from what ive seen) and their fecals are clear. All the grains are rounded and smooth, it comes in a variety of colors and is dust free. One of the best ive seen. If you like the natural look, i recomend a lot of flat rocks with perhaps sand in between. But I am no expert, its what ive found that works, looks good and not too pricy.

 

[Led Zep]

Ok, good idea, I'll try that, it will look better than repticarpet.

 

[Wretched]

just remember, the less sand, t he better, but if you can minimize it, it is safer. also, dont put heavy rocks directly on glass, i broke a tank like that once, have a layer of sand under it.

 

[Led Zep]

K, I am going to set it up this weekend, with only some sand in the cracks, but I am also going to put some sand where he craps.:smartass2:

 

[KiKi]

to clean the petile carpet all you need id a tissue and then you flush .you change it every two or three monts and it comes with two sets