substrate

[katia]

currently maynard's tank is set up with NO substrate and i feel really bad. the straight glass doesn't look very comfy. but i found with using paper towel as a substrate the 3 week old crickets always managed to find a way underneath the paper towel, and then they die and stink. and i understand sand is an inappropriate substrate for juvie leopard geckos.

does anybody have any suggestions for a substrate that doesn't allow the crickets to burrow, and is alright if my leo ingests a little bit of it?

 

[Chiefmcfuz]

Have you tried tiles?

 

[chaosapiant]

Tile is best. Just don't let your Leo eat the tile. Just kidding, they can't eat tile.

 

[katia]

tile, hmm never thought of that. i just talked to my friend and co-worker and he said he uses wheat germ.

what do you think of that?

 

[gage]

wheat germ is a loose substrate and you leo wil most likely eat it

 

[Chiefmcfuz]

After reading alot of info here I wouldn't use anything that they could ingest. You never know what it could do so I opted to spend $20 at home depot and came home with a bunch of tiles for my tank. Now I have 2 tanks and had enough tiles for the both of them. Tiles come in a variety of sizes and colors so I was able to mimic the actual color of sand/clay I think and help give the appearance of a natural environment and a safe one in my opinion.

 

[chaosapiant]

Tile, IMO is hands down the best substrate. It's easy to clean, doesn't have to be replaced, is relatively cheap, and looks fabulicious. Not to mention that UTHs have no problem transmitting heat through them, unlike more particle based substrates.

 

[katia]

alright, tile it is! it just seems so hard and uncomfy for my leo though

but i guess maynard does spend a lot of time up in her trees.

and yeah that's a good point about the UTH. i have yet to set up her UTH, right now she just has a 50w infrared heat bulb, i'm waitin' to get another herpstat. (wish they weren't so damn expensive, but i can't trust the cheapie on/off therms with my animals)

 

[Scoots85]

To fix the whole crickets burrowing problem you could stick around and wait 'til he eats all the crickets. If any of them get underneath then take them out and put them back ontop again. I do this with a pair of tweezers.

 

[nats]

currently maynard's tank is set up with NO substrate and i feel really bad. the straight glass doesn't look very comfy. but i found with using paper towel as a substrate the 3 week old crickets always managed to find a way underneath the paper towel, and then they die and stink. and i understand sand is an inappropriate substrate for juvie leopard geckos.

does anybody have any suggestions for a substrate that doesn't allow the crickets to burrow, and is alright if my leo ingests a little bit of it?

Just tape the edges down. Under the paper towels that is, so your leo cant get stuck. :main_yes:

 

[brillobee]

tile is the best

I use tile in my beardie and it the BEST! Easy to clean. I didn't glue my tiles in. I put paper towels underneath and the loose tiles on top. That way if any liquid is spilled ( beardies have messy poop) the towels soak it up. When they get gross I take them all out change the paper towel and wash the tiles with hot water. Good as new! Way easier to keep clean. Ans the tiles keep my beardies nails trim. She has a towel on her hid that she can lay on for softness. I plan to use tiles for my leo as well.

 

[MichaelJ]

wheat germ is a loose substrate and you Leo will most likely eat it

I'd have to strongly disagree with Wheat Germ (please take that as a personal attack in any way.. )

Wheat Germ is a natural and edible food product (I take it daily), which means if left out in open air it can mold and attract insects just as a stale pizza left out for three days..

Leos are naturally insectivores. Although there are many plant nutrients and supplemental items that are beneficial, having it as a major part of their diet or at least excessively available; is probably not the best for their biological make up..

From a husbandry standpoint I'd be very hesitant as well. If the substrate is an area where they defecate and ingest, you're multiplying your chances for fecal contamination 100 fold.

Fecal contamination is probably the biggest cause of health problems with captive reptiles today.. (my opinion)

Impaction from ingestion and then expansion of the wheat fibers would seriously concern me as well.

Lastly, depending on the type of wheat germ used the ingredients can be a problem as well. Often they contain honey, sugars, corn syrup, sodium, nitrates, and dozens of preservatives.. on that same token some do not.. but as something as advice to a large population; the majority of the purchases of it would be varied..

We have a rack system and about 90 tubs of different sizes. We actually found that legal sized recycled and non dyed xerox/copier paper fits perfectly across the bottom of a 15q, 32q, and when cut in half; even the 6/12qt "shoe box".

it's easier to maneuver than paper towels and looks a bit better in our opinion.. it's also doesn't retain a lot of moisture so their feces won't mold or continue to give off fumes after defecation.. And dirt cheap to buy a case of packets.. (or snag them from the office )

Tile really won't work for us just because of the scale of our colony, but when I've seen it and spoke with those that use it in a vivarium type setup; it's great and really good from a husbandry standpoint too..



hope that helps, and we have pics of them on our site if you want to see how it would look...:main_thumbsup: