Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Right now I am using ZooMeds Desert Red Repti-Sand and Im pretty happy with it but I was wondering if I should use anything different because it was on dragonsbynatures substrates not to use list. Is there any problems with it I should know about?

it can cause impactions

i use wheat bran, i buy it at feed supply stores, its the safest particulate substrate in my opinion, my dragons love it, it looks great, smells great and works well for us.

here is a picture of one of my adults, Gobi, sleeping in her bran

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reiko
photos

Reiko, the wheat bran seems like a great idea. How often do you need to change it?...Greg

i change it every 2-3 months depending, mind you i do 2 times daily spot cleaning, one poop cleaning (usually) and one cleaning up the spilled veggies at days end, if you keep the enclosure clean, 3 months will do just fine. Also i dont provide water bowls (not needed), so the enclosures very dry.
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reiko
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i have never ever had a problem with mould or anything else with bran, it stays very clean smelling,clean looking and light and fluffy, it lasts very well
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reiko
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Greg P.

>> Greg P.
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reiko
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I've used the zoo-med sand before and never had any problems. I know a lot of people don't use sand because it could cause an impaction, but I have been keeping reptiles for years and never had any problems. Everyone has their own opinions about what to use and what not to use, so its your call.

I personally don't use any substrate they can ingest. To me it is not worth the health risk. I use a plastic non slip shelf liner cut to the sizes of my enclosures. It works great cause it does not slip or bunch up, and lays perfectly flat so bugs cannot get under and hide out. It makes daily spot cleaning easy. Just need a damp paper towel, and it is spotless again. Very clean, and sanitary, and when you plan to breed sanitation is very important. I also use the repti carpet when I'm cleaning the plastic liner. repti carpet is OK but it does offer a hiding place for crickets that get under, and it is hard to spot clean daily. If you hit Mystical Dragons below I think you can see two tanks with it in there. I spent about 3 bucks a cage for it and I rinse it every other week with a diluted bleach and water, and rinse again, and let it dry out well. It will last forever or until you want a different color. In the pics it shows the first ones I bought. I since picked a green color that looks better in the cages. The white plaid was just a test. I never had cleaner tanks then I do now. When you have 8 cages to clean a day this really helps big time.
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Mystical Dragons

i used to keep carrick on non slip outdoor placemats, they worked great and were very easy to clean, definatly a great idea for a large amount of enclosures

>>I personally don't use any substrate they can ingest. To me it is not worth the health risk. I use a plastic non slip shelf liner cut to the sizes of my enclosures. It works great cause it does not slip or bunch up, and lays perfectly flat so bugs cannot get under and hide out. It makes daily spot cleaning easy. Just need a damp paper towel, and it is spotless again. Very clean, and sanitary, and when you plan to breed sanitation is very important. I also use the repti carpet when I'm cleaning the plastic liner. repti carpet is OK but it does offer a hiding place for crickets that get under, and it is hard to spot clean daily. If you hit Mystical Dragons below I think you can see two tanks with it in there. I spent about 3 bucks a cage for it and I rinse it every other week with a diluted bleach and water, and rinse again, and let it dry out well. It will last forever or until you want a different color. In the pics it shows the first ones I bought. I since picked a green color that looks better in the cages. The white plaid was just a test. I never had cleaner tanks then I do now. When you have 8 cages to clean a day this really helps big time.
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>>Mystical Dragons
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reiko
photos

lol. your dragon looks so comfortable on that soft fluffy wheat bran. Very nice.

I would go with wheat bran. It is great bedding material because it's really soft and doesn't cause impaction plus it's CHEAP!!! We got a 50 pound bag for $8.