Substrate

[klein]

Right now i am using calcisand, which is what was suggested to me at the pet store when i bought the setup. I am putting my leo in a new cage that i am just finishing up now and am going to need new substrate so i was wondering what would be the best. I know everyone uses paper towels or reptile carpet, i do like the sand as it looks nice and this cage will be on display so what type of sand or other substrate would you suggest for a display cage? He/She is approx 7/8 inches i would say.

Here is a link to Gizmo so you can see his/her size.

http://www.ssnakess.com/photopost/showphoto.php?photo=19693&size=big&password=&sort=1&cat=511

I also have pictures of the cage i am building in my gallery if anyone wants to give me suggestions on what i could do to it to make it better, i will gladly accept them. Here is the link to my gallery.

http://www.ssnakess.com/photopost/showgallery.php?ppuser=4408

Thanks in advance.

Nick

[drewlowe]

There is a big debate about sand that i really won't get into here, but for myself i will not use it.

Papertowels, newspaper, repti carpet (as long as they can't catch there little toes in it), bed a beast or eco earth (expandable coconut fibers). Those are substrates that I personally recommend.

I have pics in my gallery if you want to take a look at my setups, they are not your normal setups either.

[MartinW]

I used paper towel for my babies. The only problem (and it was a very annoying problem) was that the crickets would get under the paper and wouldn't come out unless I took them out. I ended up taping the sides of the paper down, but then someone told me the crickets might nibble on the tape and cause health problems in the geckos. I did eventually buy tiles (I think they're ceramic maybe?) that I was going to use for my adults but I sold them before I got the tiles cut, so I gave the tiles to the buyer. I can't think of any major problems with tiles, and there's a big variety of them at stores so it's easy to find some that look nice and natural.

Martin

[drewlowe]

Good suggest martin, I completly forgot about ceramic tiles, haven't used them lately. They look great and NO risk of impactation, theyr'e cheap and easily cleaned, maintain heat very well. You can get them at home depot and if you get the measurements they will cut them there for you.

[klein]

Drewlove, i like you setups, just worried that the cricket's would barry themselves in between the rocks and the leo's would never get them. I do like you idea of bed a beast or eco earth though, i think i will look into them instead of a sand substrate.

Martin, i didn't even think about tiles, they are a good suggestion, i might use them, but i doubt it, i like the idea of bed a beast or eco earth but we will see, will have to look into both.

If anyone else has any suggestions please feel free to comment.

[sketchy4]

reptile carpet for me.

[drewlowe]

Originally posted by klein
Drewlowe, i like you setups, just worried that the cricket's would barry themselves in between the rocks and the leo's would never get them. I do like you idea of bed a beast or eco earth though, i think i will look into them instead of a sand substrate.



Thanks for the complement. I don't allow crickets to "free range" in their cage. If they get feed crix. it's done with tongs. They have a small dish that i put mealies, silkies, wax, and butter worms in and they know exactly where it is. LOL their pigs not leos, i tell ya...

Bed a beast and eco earth and any other name they go by are the same product just different names, It expandable coconut fiber, I still use it to this day (it's even in my rock cage), I use it for nesting boxes and moist hides. The ONLY bad thing i can say about it is, if kept moist crickets can and will lay eggs in the substrate.

Jamie

[Optimus Prime]

I use paper towel to avoid any impacations problems.

[spidergecko]

I lost a spider gecko to play sand impaction last week. It is NOT a pleasant way for a gecko to die and it's not pleasant to watch a gecko die this way, either.

[klein]

i went to the pet store tonight and was looking at a bunch of different substrates there. they had eco earth (expandable coconut fibers) which drewlowe had suggested and i think that will look good in the cage so i will try that for this round and see what happens, thanks for all the suggestions and i will let you know how it turns out.

[blazinreps]

i use cocnut fiber for my leo lay boxes and they seem to like it i also us it in my bearded dragon tank and he likes it. dont get it from a pet store though it will cost like 7 - 10 bucks go to a plant store and get it its 1.99 a brick at sheridan nursuries.

[klein]

how true that is blazireps, when i was in the pet store last night, they had a deal, buy 2 bricks and get 1 free and for the 2 bricks it was $12.99 and for 1 brick it is $8.99. I will be definitely going to a plant store for this stuff.

[drewlowe]

Blazin reps is def. right, get that stuff from a feed store (or similar). for example the small brick at a pet store for me is between 3-5 (sometimes there on sale for 3) and a large brick is 25, but at the feed store i go to a small brick is 1.99 and a large brick is 8.99. Not to big of a difference for the small but when i buy them i buy the large brick so i save quite a bit.

Jamie

[klein]

the tank is going to be 15 inches deep and 35 inches long, how many block, big or small do you think i will need, and how thick do you put it?

[drewlowe]

I used to use 2/3 to a full small brick for a 20 gallon long, it depends on how deep you want it. That's when i use to use the small bricks, now i just buy the big one get it prepaired and store it in a garbage bag and i take out what i need.