Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I am trying to set up a nice tank for some potential geckos, no real time limit.
I see sand-yes and sand-no, though there seems to be an age/time-limit (older is better for sand?). I am pondering this;
rocks. As a geologist, I have access to a LOT of rocks, all of which I could easily bake to kill anything that may be in there. Is there a reason I couldn't build a happy leopard land out of pieces of solid, textured rock? Hideys, one special egg hidey with wet substrate for the females, but any reason I can't just find some nice sandstones, slates, maybe something with fossils in it, and just clean them? Sounds more visually pleasing to me than paper towels

rocks get really hard to clean especially if it has poop that has dried up on it for over 5 days.
Finding a substrate which is both aesthetic and easy to maintain is very difficult.

Pros
Paper towels: Easy to maintain, safe for leos
Calci Sand: Aesthetically pleasing
Wood Chips: Aesthetically pleasing
Slate: Aesthetically pleasing, will not impact
Soil: Aesthetically pleasing, will not impact

Cons
Paper towels: Not very aesthetically pleasing
Calci Sand: Does not Digest, may cause impaction
Wood Chips: Will cause impaction
Slate: Heavy, may crush leos
Soil: Hard to maintain

All in all, I think paper towels are the best substrate to use, but if aesthetics is your preference, go for a fine grain calci sand and use a small fish net to sift out the poop.
Robert
-----
My Site

As long as you are securing the rocks tightly, there shouldn't be any issues at all. Thin slate-like rock structures will look more natural than other substrates.
-----
Wally
Web Site: Supreme Gecko
e-mail: Supreme Gecko e-mail