Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hi,
I'm trying to decide between a leopard gecko and Ball python for christmas and I saw some poeple using Zilla's ground walnut substrate. This isnt good to use is it? I think it looks very nice but I dont think it could be any better than sand.Thanks for any help!
~Tyler
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No, we're never gonna quit,Ain't nothin' wrong with it,Just actin' like we're animals - Nickelback, Animals

No, no good to use. In fact, even sand is dangerous to young leos and has some risks attached even with older geckos as they ingest sand when striking at prey and sometimes for calcium requirements. To prevent this people put pure calcium dishes in the enclosure, but this doesn't necessarily guarantee the gecko will not get impaction from the sand somehow.

The best substrate, in my opinion, is high quality soft papertowels. You replace the "bathroom" corner once a week and the rest of the floor monthly. Second best is tiles, but watch out for glazed tiles (they contain lead) and remember that the temperature you get from a thicker tile on top of a UTH is going to be lower than from a few layers of papertowels. Both are fine, just have to have a hotter UTH perhaps.
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0.1 Albino Leo Gecko
0.1 Crested Gecko
1.0 Dear Boyfriend
Departed: Harvey and Spock

I read that the walnut shell will also grow mold if wet when you gecko defficate on it and can also cause the outbreak of bacteria if wet.

That just about says it- I agree with sleepy, paper towels are best for young leos, though I think the best all around is to go to a landscape store and buy the thinnest unglazed, natural slate you can find. It holds heat from a UTH well, although it will take up to 12 hours to get up to temp, less for thinner pieces.
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1.0 Hypo stripe, Het RW from JL (BJ)
1.0 HypoTang from Crested (Apricot)
1.0 Tremper Albino from Petsmart (Cloud)
0.1 Hi-Yellow Leopard gecko from Petco (Beatrice)
0.1 Stripe female (rehabilitated rescue)(Pepper)
0.1 Jungle het RW hatched by me! (Jungle Bunny)
0.1 SHCT Leopard Gecko from Petco (Brite)
0.1 Tangy Mutt Leopard Gecko from Petco (Rainbow)
0.1 RW Stripe hatched by me! (unnamed yet)
0.1 Leucistic rescue (Lucy?)
0.1 Tremper stripe from JMG (Delta)
0.1 SHCT hatched by me! (Blinky)
0.0.1 SHCTB hatched by me! (Sunny II)
0.1 Ball Pythons
1.0 Brazilian Rainbow Boa
Hatched: ~50 leos

best you can do is soil. Unfertilized potting soil with about 1/4 play sand. If you must have a loose substrate thats it. Just change once a month or so. Sooner if needed. Moisture is the only problem but if you UTH half the tank correctly it will stay dry on one side and moist on the other.
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"Why is it we treat the earth as if we have a spare in the trunk"