Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Is any of this stuff safe for beardies; vita-sand, clay burrowing substrate, or ESU lizard litter? The lizard litter is made of white fir and small amounts of Eucalyptus chips. If not then does anyone know the best way to get stains and odor out of cage carpet?

I love eco-earth for ADULT beardies. It is easy to clean and replace and does not harbor foul odors like the sand. However, I wouldn't use it for the youngsters.

I would stay away from any of the marketed vitamin/calcium sands and such.

If you need or want to use sand, I would get play sand from your local Lowes or Home Depot. It is cheap, but you MUST sift it fist to get out all of the larger pieces. I also wash it.

Thanks and yes the substrate is for an adult. I know my other bearded dragon is just way too small for any substrate that could be possibly ingested.

none of that stuff is safe for bearded dragons for a few different reasons. Wood products, especially chips, chunks and shavings, can cause choking and blockage hazards. They can also retain too much humidity (if damp from the bag or due to water spillage). Dragons should not be exposed to humidity levels over 60% for prolonged periods of time, this can lead to respiratory problems.

eco-earth (and I am assuming this is the same as 'bed a beast', basically shredded coconut husk) is also bad. If dampened (only real way to get the bricks to break up is to soak it in water) they can cause humidity issues for bearded dragons. When dry, it is dusty and contain many fine particles, which can be inhaled and cause respiratory problems. Because it expands and retains water like a sponge, if ingested, (either by licking it, or getting mouthfuls of it when chasing life prey) can cause intestinal blockage.

If the eco-earth is actually a soil mix for reptiles...if packed down firmly, it may be ok. But still has that impaction risk.

The burrowing stuff I am personally very leary with. I haven't heard anything bad about it in particular but i have heard bad things about clay. Clay can be either a very fine powder which, when dry, bad to inhale that fine dust (not as bad as clay that contains silica, which is very harmful to inhale. All ceramic type clay is silica free, at least up in Canada it is.) When wet, however, it clumps together and after drying, is quite hard, especially if compressed at the same time. The new burrowing stuff advertised now looks like it is very grainy, which makes me suspect it either has crushed kiln fired clay mixed into it. This is often done with stone ware, to give more strength. However, this would wreck havoc if ingested. Sharp pieces can perferate the bowel, cause impactions etc.

If the burrowing stuff is not real clay and in fact more like 'DAS' clay (which is a non firing clay which dries very hard at room temperature, like fired clay or oven baked clay) I still don't think it will be safe for bearded dragons. Das type clays are very fibrous with some sort of binder holding it together...and under the hot basking lights of your tank, would dry out into hard surfaces.

Also, clay, unless coated with a sealer, is porous. Which means, any liquid waste material will be absorbed into the clay. If it stays damp enough, bacterial and odors can quickly acuminate, causing a health issue for your dragon and an unpleasant smell.

All those calcium based sands...don't break down fast enough to be of any benefit for your dragon. If you want calcium as your substrate..buy a very large bottle of calcium powder without Vit. D or phosphorus and pour it into the bottom of your cage. (DON'T really do this...the dust itself would be harmful, but its more to prove a point than suggest anybody actually do it). Calcium based sands are too coarse to be properly metabolized by bearded dragons. Often it clumps together as well, creating even less of a surface area to break down in stomach acids. Calcium is also a 'base' which will lessen the strength of stomach acids and thus reducing any chance some calcium is broken down. Thus, you can end up with a large lump of indigestible calcium pushing through the intestines of your dragon and eventually causing blockage. This is especially a risk with young dragons.

This doesn't mean every dragon housed on calcium sand will die of impaction. Some dragons have no problems living on this stuff their entire lives. But many end up dying of blockage or related problems several years into their lives. Other factors can increase the risks of impactions. Dragons not getting enough calcium in their diet will be more prone to lick the sand and ingest it. Dragons fed insects or greens directly on the sand, have a higher chance to become impacted. Low or insufficient hydration can also play a role (not enough fluids to help flush out minor obstructions etc) as well as improper basking temperatures.

Good safe substrates are as follows (interestingly enough these are all the cheapest substrates):

Washed children's play sand (still risk of impaction, but it doesn't clump up like calcium based sands, have finer particles, doesn't neutralize acids etc).

Non stick shelf liner
Reptile carpet
ceramic tiles (the rougher surfaced ones, not the high gloss smooth as glass kind)
plastic table cloths
newsprint
paper towel.

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PHLdyPayne

Wow thanks for all of that info I really appreciate it. I only have 1 question now. If I would chose to use play sand and if I would place the reptile carpet over the sand and then put the crickets in would this lower the risk of my bearded dragon accidentally eating the sand?
I would just like a substrate that is easier to get rid of odor and waste.

After seeing that clay stuff in person I really doubt that is safe for any reptile, it just looks like a bag of mud.

placing a piece of reptile carpet over the sand and the bowl of crickets/salad ontop, should help reduce chance of ingesting sand by accident.

As for that excavator stuff, if it comes moistened..probably have to pack it down in the bottom of the cage and it will turn into cement....baked under the heat lamps...Yeah, I really don't think it will be too good.
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PHLdyPayne

I think then I'll give the sand a try for a few weeks. If it does not work out I'll try the plastic table cloth because that sounds like it would be easier to clean.