Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Okay, I know not to use sand as substrate for my leo. However astehtics are really important to me as I have an artistic flair. I'd prefer to not use paper towels or reptile carpet for my pet because of the way they look. In trying to keep the terrarium with a desert theme, I am planning on using pebbles from the craft store. They are clean and fairly large, so I don't anticipate the lizard would swallow it. I plan on using both a UTH and a light bulb (not at the same time except maybe in the winter when it gets cold). And I plan on disinfecting the pebbles with a 1:10 chlorine solution once a week and rinsing with water thoroughly through a colander.

Can anybody anticipate any problems with the substrate I chose? If I decide to own more or breed them I will definitely switch to paper towels, but for now, I want the tank to look nice. Let me know what you think.
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-Kristin

The only thing I can think of, if they are large enough not to be ingested, is that it might be awkward for them to crawl across a floor of pebbles. If you want something a little more natural, look around for some slate tile or even regular house tile flipped backwards. Also, I don't have a step-by-step on one of these, but some people make a painted, foam inserts(Custom made to fit right into the tank size) that looks/feels like rugged, compact earth which is more like what they live on naturally. Hopefully someone else will have done this and can provide you with a step-by-step guide. Good luck.

-Brittany

Here is a method I used that is very pleasing to the eye, yet as safe as possible:

Sand look-a-like

Wow - that is pretty impressive!! Where did you find the fake cacti? My main concern would be whether this substrate would conduct heat well so that a UTH would be effective? If you use a UTH, let me know how it works out. Thanks for the idea!
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-Kristin

I use a few UTH's under the tank, and the plaster conducts heat beautifully (I use plaster disks to conduct heat evenly in ovens when I bake clays - I'm a sculptor) Plaster is known for it's ability to conduct and diffuse heat well, so it's actually better than just sticking the UTH on a glass bottomed tank.

I bought the fake cacti at a garden center years ago for a couple of bucks each. They came in little pots. I think you can find them at places like Walmart and other "everything" stores.

Glad you like it!