Substrate poll!

[piratitude]

Paper towel/newspaper.

They have never gotten any ink on them.

We used calcisand briefly (but I demanded it be removed haha), then repti-carpet for awhile, but I didn't like how their claws got stuck in it sometimes, so most of the cage is newspaper with some paper towel in their pooping corner.

 

[rubym]

slate in the 55 gal, tile in all the rest and paper towels for the babies. We also have some repti-carpet in some of the tanks over the ones that the UTH doesn't seem to heat through the tile.

 

[Retribution Reptiles]

hmmm this is actually very interesting reading what everyone uses. it would seem that ceramic tile would work great as long as it wasn't super smooth. it would be thin enough to transfer heat from the UTH. Slate i could imagine that could be too thick. Using paper towels for hatchlings is a good idea but my thinking if useing belly heat would it not get too hot in those areas using either the rope or tape heating method, or for hatchlings would you use back/side heating? sorry i blab on forever and think way too much.

Thanks,

Ryan

 

[kyahbean]

The base of my tank is a piece of slate, but I have it covered with Repti-carpet.

 

[PrettyMomma]

substrate

I use shelf liner.

I use Shelf liner too. It looks and feels better than reptile carpet. You can also wash it. This should be on the poll

 

[Coqui]

Paper towel for now, But I'm thinking about switching it out to reptile carpet.

 

[Pepper]

I use reptile carpet, but paper towel in the potty area.

 

[tofuman]

I mostly use paper towels. But I also like use coconut husk chips.

 

[jmlslayer]

paper towels period idc what u say paper towels will always be best and the safest

 

[SJP]

Everyone keeps saying that paper towel is best and cheapest. I don't agree. I think slate is better.

This I guess depends on what you're using it as. If you have multiple set ups for breeding etc..then yes it would be easier to use paper towels, but for your main or if you only have on set up, I think slate is better.

1. Price - 4 pieces of slate tiles cost $8, done no more cost. Paper towels have to get replaced. If you’re not clumsy and won’t break the tile you won’t have to worry about it. I have used the same piece of slate in one of my tanks for years.

2. Safety - It's probably the same since you use a UTH and have to adjust accordingly. The temperature is actually more natural since the slate distributes the heat gradually between the hot and cool side. The paper towel doesn’t do that.

3. Cleanliness – I guess you could say that all you have to do is throw the paper towel out and replace it. But you still have to remove all the hides and décor. So you’re all most taking the same time with slate, but you have to add a small step in wiping them down.

4. Appearance – It just simply looks better and more natural!

Plus I remember using paper towels and the damn feeders used to crawl under it. Then I would have to waste my time trying to put it down so nothing could get under it and place things in certain areas where the paper towel would come up. You all know it’s true!!

I don’t know, am I missing something here?

If you want to see the way I have it set up for slate, look at my set-up thread.
http://www.geckoforums.net/showthread.php?t=33543

 

[THE WHISPERER]

I'm switching all my tubs from paper towels to SHAM WOW. Alright I'm just kidding. I saw that annoying guy on t.v. selling these things and when he said "you'll never use paper towels again" this poll was the first thing I thought of. :main_laugh:

 

[Leopard.Geckerz]

Carpet for the Leo's.
Coconut husk fibre soil for the AFT. It's pounded down hard so it's not loose. Just recently changed... getting all paranoid though so he may go back to carpet as well.

 

[brothaT]

I'm all over the place. For babies and juvies I use either paper towels or carpet, very easy from a mass production point of view. Most of my adults are on reptile carpet as well, but the ones in the large glass enclosures are on sifted play sand.

 

[VampyricAngelX]

I use the repti-carpet simply because it came with 2 in a pack, is washable, and there's no risk of impaction like there is with sand.

 

[GeckoDude94]

I have repti carpet right now and it is nice because it looks good and its easy to clean

 

[Yamori]

I use a 1 inch layer of plantation soil that ive compacted down.
Safe, easy to clean, fairly cheap and can buy in bulk(usually Exo terra, even though i hate using these big brand commercial products) it looks good and looks very similar to pics my mate sent me of the forrest floors in the southern territory which is were N millis are native of.

Millis do not dig or burrow so i need not worry about accidental swallowing of substrate. unless of course someone who owns/breeds them has seen otherwise.

If i didn't use plantation soil id most likely use natural slate.

 

[Foreverandever]

Used to use repti carpet. Now I use tile

 

[Ciprion]

Repti Carpet....I've heard too many horror stories!!! I want to try tile or slate tho....Carpet is not as aestethically unpleasing as paper towels but its not all that natural looking either.

 

[mystikal222]

I actualy have carpet on one side and cal-sand on the other..

 

[Foreverandever]

and cal-sand on the other..

:main_no: I'd go all carpet