WHAT SUBSTRATE DO YOU USE?

[lar20]

repicarpet cus it looks good lol

 

[cindre2000]

I use paper towels since it is the easiest choice for my bins. As soon as I get the space for my display I will switch over to sand/clay (reptilite/excavator).

 

[Edocsil]

I only have one leo so I just use paper towels. I tried using tiles but my UTH is sort of lame so they couldn't get warm enough. Repti-carpet gets dirty really fast and having to wash it is a hassle. Plus their lil toes get stuck in the repti-carpet. Paper towels are great though for one leo. My dad is a butcher, so I also have unlimited access to plastic-backed butcher paper too. I might try using that in the future.

 

[Spots]

repti carpet. and a little bit of toilet paper for the tiny corner that she poops in

I would love tile but I don't think it looks as warm and inviting (like in a house, tile just feels cold on the feet and I only see it for the kitchen or patio tiles).
Repti carpet looks nice but yes, it's a pain when she flips over her calcium dish all over the cage, or kicks all her moss and cocofiber out of her hides. lol And her fingers get caught sometimes. But I still prefer it.

 

[prettyprincess3690]

I used repti-carpet for awhile, but paper towel is so much cheaper and way easier to clean.

Noooo to sand!

 

[erik]

Hello folks!

As I am new to reptiles, I am slowly building towards actually getting any. I bought a terrarium (100*50*50 cm) and have plans to start off with two leos. But not until everything is in perfect place and in the best condition.

I have done an overload of reading into care and housing and I find a lot of different opinions, especially on substrate.

At the moment I have filled up the bottom with a kind of calci substrate. It's not sand, because it consists of different sized miniballs. Anyone familiar with the substrate? It's mainly light brown, with white balls in it that make me think it's part calcium. Pic added for a detailed view (pencil for comparison)

I saw some people who use carpet tiles for their tank. I have those as well, even in the right color but i wonder if it is easy to clean and I question the chances of mold when you'd put moist phnagnum on it.

well, I hope that someone can shed some undisputable light on it

Cheers from the Netherlands!

 

[Olimpia]

Erik, I don't know what to say about your substrate, I've never seen it before. I tend to think it might be a little risky, just because they are small hard balls. I doubt your geckos will eat any of them, but if they do it seems like it would be harder to pass than a super ultra-fine sand.

However, that is a fantastic enclosure! I love how you have it decorated.

 

[erik]

Thanks for the reply Olimpia! I am overly excited about decorating it I am just not a fan of putting paper towel in because it would wreck the whole look of it. I also considered buying big pebbles at a garden centre, preferrably with some different colors so I could make a patch with darker pebbles on the warm side, for natural heating up...

Anymore suggestions people?

 

[Olimpia]

No, don't ruin your beautiful enclosure with paper.

Yea, pebbles would be good. I use river pebbles for some of my geckos. You could also look into something called Ecoearth (it's basically dirt-looking stuff that's made of coconuts), it looks like nice brown earth so it still looks natural. You could also look into normal organic soil. Aaand, I'm not 100% about this, but perhaps you can find a nice clay?

 

[SassyAbi]

I use Bounty paper towels. Though my Gecko arrives on Tuesday I have his home all set up and ready

 

[Anejodave]

I use ceramic tile. I'm looking at possibly grouting the entire bottom of the tank and sealing it. Cleaning will be just hosing it out once a week.

 

[robin]

paper towel

 

[erik]

Ok after considering the things said on here i decided to rid my tank of the weird balls and boy was it a pain to get them out. There are still a few left but they will be buried in the gravel i bought (big pieces of gravel, so no impaction here )

 

[VitalTears]

Rept-Carpet

 

[sheepylizzy]

i use paper towel and with calci-sand over it.

 

[kaikara]

My large tank is half slate rock setup and partly play sand to give it a more natural look.

 

[fikken]

dry packed coconut fiber

 

[ElapidSVT]

paper towel

 

[Vegas_Eric]

I use paper towels folded to fit the width of the tank. Sometimes I mist it lightly to get it to lay flat. It dries out in no time.

 

[AKA Stormie]

I use paper towels.

Has anyone heard of using millet? A local pet store I went into the other day uses it. The owner seems to know what she is talking about, but I have never seen it mentioned here. She says they have something close to it in their natural habitat and it is safe for them to eat. Any opinions?