sand

[paul75]

i know they say not to use sand with a leopard but i wondered how the gecko eats it, is it that the gecko gets a mouthfull of sand when it grabs its dinner, or does the food get covered in sand and thats how the gecko eats it? these animals live in the desart do they not? so i would think they live on sand?
is there anything that i could use that would look better than paper towels, tiles or even reptile carpet? i did have my gecko in the big tank with some wood chunks but after grabbing a cricket to take it out the tank i noticed how hard it held onto the wood and i was worried the gecko would eat some wood with a cricket,
my gecko must be atleast 6 months old, right now i have it in a platic container upstairs but im looking at putting it in a tank downstair so i was wanting to have it look as good as possible
thanks

heres a couple of pictures of the tank when i had the wood bits in it, it did look good but i didnt feel like it was safe for the gecko, even though the woman at the pet shop said it was fine, infact this is the same stuff they had in the tanks, ignor the naff looking hides as i have not got round to getting some good ones yet

 

[fallen_angel]

Any kind of loose substrate can be harmful for your leo because they can ingest it when they are catching food, or just because they want to (I've seen leos eat substrate like it was some kind of buffet). Even pebbles for fish tanks won't work because they can get their little feet/toes stuck in between and possibly rip them completely off.

I think the most professional and safe look you'll get is tile. We use paper towels, and they really don't look as bad as you'd think. Plus, knowing your geckos are 100% safe in regards to their substrate is a much better feeling, and obviously much better for them

 

[paulnattress]

We use paper towels for both of our vivariums too and it looks ok. It's also very safe for the geckos and very very easy to clean up. I usually put a few layers down in the poop corner and replace those when it looks like they need replacing (every few days or so) and do a full clean out monthly or whenever the towels look like they could do with being replaced.

If you're worried about crickets etc. getting under the towels, just tape the edges down with some sticky tape, it works a treat for me.

I haven't used tiles before but I think it can look better than towels. However I do tend to think that towels are a little softer for the leos to walk on than tiles but I'm not sure if they care or not!

 

[fallen_angel]

We use paper towels for both of our vivariums too and it looks ok. It's also very safe for the geckos and very very easy to clean up. I usually put a few layers down in the poop corner and replace those when it looks like they need replacing (every few days or so) and do a full clean out monthly or whenever the towels look like they could do with being replaced.

If you're worried about crickets etc. getting under the towels, just tape the edges down with some sticky tape, it works a treat for me.

I haven't used tiles before but I think it can look better than towels. However I do tend to think that towels are a little softer for the leos to walk on than tiles but I'm not sure if they care or not!

That's a good idea about just having extra paper towels in the poop corner, I will have to start doing that!

Tape can hold the paper towels down, but be careful. We taped paper towels down in a hatchling's enclosure, and he clawed at the wall so much that the tape came off and the end result was his arms stuck to the tape all night long and a broken leg after being freed. I have also heard stories of other people's adult leos doing the same (but the end result wasn't as bad).

I believe tiles hold heat well, too, so that's a plus. Also, you have to be sure to get textured tiles so that it's not too slippery.

 

[david13]

any lose substrate is bad..i use tile and i think it looks pretty good

 

[gothra]

I use cotton table mats at the moment. With a bit of texture, I think it goes very well with the cage furnishing (rocks and woods). Here is a pic of my setup:

I put toilet paper on their toilet spot (top right corner), it'll be changed once its soiled. And I throw their mats in washing machine once a month.

With regard to the wood chips you're currently using, I know you'll be changing it soon, but how is your gecko getting heat at the moment? If the surface of the wood chips is warm enough, then the bottom must be very hot, just be very careful that your gecko don't dig down the chips. Otherwise, it could get burnt.

p.s. Leopard geckos don't come from sandy desert, they live in arid land with hard packed soil with some loose sand...but not like sand dunes.

 

[paul75]

^^ does the claws of the gecko not get caught in the mat?
mines isnt on the wood anymore i took it out of that tank after a few days because i was worried it would eat some wood with a cricket, the wood was put over the heated area faily thin because i couldnt get it warm enough with lots of wood on it
i suppose putting lots of stuff in the tank would take the eye away from paper towels on the floor or even getting the repti carpet

just wondering but iv seen different types of sand, some say never use calci sand but use realy fine repti sand, is there any difference between any of these sands as far as harming the gecko

im not going to use sand but am just wondering about these different opinions
thanks

 

[fallen_angel]

I just LOVE your enclosures, gothra!! The mat sounds like a good idea.. I was thinking of using some kind of nice, soft fabric (but not TOO nice obviosuly) inside the enclusures, like maybe buy some from Wal-Mart or Michaels or whatever.. Then put paper towels down in their "corner" and wash the fabric every so often, just like you do with your mats.

I have heard that the geckos do stick to the repti-carpet..

the only sand that could be anything closer to safe is fine play sand from Home Depot

your gecko is very beautiful too, I'm glad he is no longer on wood chips

 

[HillDog]

I agree with fallen angel, Gothra... YOU'RE CAGES ROCK!! And tile works pretty well.

 

[thegeckoguy]

Leopard geckos do come from hot desert like areas but they dont live on or near sand. They live in(on) rocks and crevices. Petstores usually know nothing. I was at petco and this lady was buying her son a gecko. I was standing back and watching and then the lady asked me if i had geckos. I told her i had some and that i actually bred them and i was giving her a little info. Then she was talking to the lady at th store and the lady was like "Get sand. Its the BEST thing you can use for them because its natural and safe to eat" Then i stepped in and i was explaining that sand was bad and that it can cause impaction. After i spoke with her(the petco lady) She said "Ya sure well i get paid to say this"

That right there proves that the big chain stores care nothing about there animals. I mean i know the lady didnt want to lose her job but still thats not the point.

At another store i went to i saw the gecko actually taking bites of the sand.

The best substrates you can use which are very safe are paper towel, newspaper, tile, reptile carpet(although the gecko toes can get snagged in the loops), and i actually really like your substrate gothra it looks great!