what to use for flooring?

[cobraSVT]

ok ive had a few anoles and some frogs....but i wanted to get somthing a lil better so i picked up a leopard gecko :main_thumbsup: anyways just need a lil help with building a good house for him....right now i have a couple dishes one for food one for water...they do drink from a bowl right?? i know my anoles just lick the wet plants and stuff...anyways ive seen alot of different flooring in internet photos....ive seen mostly carpet and sand?? is sand safe? and then i have a nice cave rock thing i got from petsmart...what about plants do they like plants?? when i bought him they guy told me i would need an under tank heater so i picked one up....anyways i would just like some help making a nice place for him to live!!

 

[C C Gecko]

Yes your gecko will drink from their dish.

Personally I now use paper towels. I tried reptile carpet but that was a pain to clean and they sometimes get their claws caught in the carpet. I have also seen some tile used.

 

[animeavatar]

I think tiles would be a good flooring. Sand can cause impaction and paper towels are wasteful. You can put fake plants but they aren't necessary. Carpet can get dirty fast.

 

[cobraSVT]

so should i get rid of the sand?? i didnt know it might hurt them?

 

[animeavatar]

Yea. I'm not a fan of sand. It's for the gecko's safety.

PS: what is SVT?

 

[LCReptiles]

What I used to do before I started with rack systems (or even for a gecko or 2 that you want to show in a room) is use terra cotta floor tiling over the calci-sand. As mentioned I DO NOT recommend the sand as a floor substrate as large mouthfuls can be harmful and impact a gecko. However, using the sand as a sort of grout between tiles gives the reptiles another option if they feel they need the calcium without giving them the option of ingesting large amounts of it at one time.

Just my 2 cents.

Jeff

 

[PyroPanda]

I use non adhesive shelf liner paper. It's safe and easy to wipe clean.
You can find it at Walmart and Target.

 

[muffy]

I use paper towels. Wasteful, but cheap and super easy to clean.

 

[animeavatar]

I'm sure tiles would be cheaper because you have to buy paper towels more often and if you take care of the tiles then you probably won't have to replace them.

http://www.geckotime.com/going-green-while-keeping-geckos/

 

[getgeckos]

I have about 1/2 inch to an inch of sand with 12 x 12 tiles over them. The sand seems to help with heat distribution as well. When I had tile only, I cracked the bottom of my last tank when one of the tiles I was taking out to clean slipped from my hand. The sand has solved that issue for me. But you definitely don't want to do just sand in your tank.

 

[ElapidSVT]

i use paper towel, btw

 

[M_surinamensis]

Edit: Nevermind, response was written to posts that were removed while I was typing

 

[ryshk003]

I bought 12x12 tiles that I fit into the bottom of mine- The type I got was an artificial slate (real slate looks nice but it chips easy into layers) I didn't get completely smooth (glazed) tiles as I like a more natural look- the semi glazed textured ones wipe off quite nicely. In between the tiles I used an aquarium sealant and pressed the tiles together- I did the same with the edges around tile. Otherwise any escapee crickets, mealworms, etc can find their way under the tile. Reptile carpet- my lil guy got his nails stuck all the time. Papertowel- I don't like the look of it and I'm always afraid that if it moves my gecko could be burned by the exposed UTH.

Hope this helps!

Btw I got the tiles at lowes for a 1.30 each.