Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I am using a sand (not shallow) as a ground for my adult leos. But someone sais that it isn't correct and my pets can simply die once upon a time =

depends...
what are you feeding the leos?
if you see your leos ingesting the sand take it off.
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0.1 "Tremper" looking Albino Leopard gecko (Lex)
0.0.1 normal ball python (felix)
1.1 Feral cats that we adopted (Fuzzy, and Bear)

I'm feeding them with crickets, my leos are 1 year old

if your using sand don't feed crickets, because they may ingest the sand while feeding.
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0.1 "Tremper" looking Albino Leopard gecko (Lex)
0.0.1 normal ball python (felix)
1.1 Feral cats that we adopted (Fuzzy, and Bear)

IF YOUR CRICKETS MISS EVERYTIME ALMOST THEN CHANGE BUT IF THEY ONLY INGEST A LITTLE SAND THEN THATS FINE!

DONT LISTEN TO ANYONE ELSE DUDE... BABY GECKO SOULD NOT BE IN SAND BECAUSE WHEN EATING THEIR FOOD, THEY FILL SIMPLY SWALLOW SAND TO AND CAN GET VERY ILL AND EVEN DIE. GROWNUPS ARE ABSOLUTELY FINE TO BE IN SAND! AS YOU CAN SEE HERE...
Link

n/p
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Christina

2.3 leos
-0.1 tangerine het rainwater albino w/jungle background (Blinkers)

-0.2 jungles (Vahz & Skissor)

-1.0 tremper albino (Spitfire)

-1.0 tangerine rainwater albino (Bronx)

How big are they?...Hatchling and juveniles should never be kept on sand. Older leos can, however I wouldn't recommend an entirely sand aquarium. The only way that I would say using sand is safe is to make it the minority of the substrate. A very natural and attractive way to use it is to use pieces of slate as the main substrate, with sand filling in the spaces between the slate, and feeding mealies in a dish instead of crickets. If you want to use sand, don't feed crickets, if you want to feed crickets, don't use sand! Anyway....there's a huge debate over the safety of sand, and its well accepted that it can kill, but it hasn't been proven exactly how dangerous it is. This means that as of now its a matter of opinion on the risks of it. I would say that its too risky to keep them on an entirely sand substrate no matter what you feed them, and even a partially sand substrate if you feed crickets. However I think its entirely safe to keep ADULT leos in a setup like I described above, as they shouldn't be injesting any sand (unless you've got a leo that licks it purposely for some reason...in which case it should not be kept on ANY sand).
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Christina

2.3 leos
-0.1 tangerine het rainwater albino w/jungle background (Blinkers)

-0.2 jungles (Vahz & Skissor)

-1.0 tremper albino (Spitfire)

-1.0 tangerine rainwater albino (Bronx)

I agree with you christina, as long as they don't eat it then it isn't a problem.
But that means food items like mealworms or stuff that doesn't run away and cause your geckos to ingest sand. And watching them eat.
I personally really like the tile idea, do you guys use ceramic tile? which ones conduct heat better? I would like a rustic, bricking looking tile.

I has my geckos on sand. After reading a lot of bad reports from sand I put them on tile. I went in my basement found some old 1'x1' tile and put it in my 20 gallon. Fits perfectly, I have a 6 inch strip that is their bathroom, very easy for spot cleaning. The tile conducts heat very well and will even spread the heat out more then just the surface of the heat pad. The only downfall with glazed tile is it is a little slippery. When my leos are lazing around they sometimes slip, nothing serious just a little slippery.
Owen Cass

P.S. When someone rights in caps it just doesn't make me interested. I usually bypass it, just right normally and people iwll want to read what you right.
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thanks so their ceramic with a glaze?

I;ve read some ppl using lenolium... im really not down with that, i want something that'll conduct heat well, since i've had problems with heatpad,etc

A lot of people use vinyl...I do, I don't use an UTH, but I think they still conduct heat well. I just have rocks in there that hold heat from red lights. You dont' have to get glazed tile either, you can find rougher looking tile. Just go to Home Depot, or Lowes, or Menards, or wherever you can find tile and look for something you like.
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Christina

2.3 leos
-0.1 tangerine het rainwater albino w/jungle background (Blinkers)

-0.2 jungles (Vahz & Skissor)

-1.0 tremper albino (Spitfire)

-1.0 tangerine rainwater albino (Bronx)

There isnt a single object in my tank that i havnt seen my geckos licking. Its natural for them, so if you want to run the risk, thats your decision. Just know that no matter how old, no matter how you have the tank set up, or how much sand you have, there is a degree of risk. People have kept them without problems, but many have lost their leos. Why risk it? Paper towels are so easy and cheep. THey are safe also.