Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I have sand in there now but after a year i have decided i don't like it! I tried paper towels but it is ugly! soo can i use aspen? Could i get some peoples views on different types of bedding?

Any kind of wood chips or shavings could potentially do a lot of damage is swallowed by your lizard. I would recommend against it.

I didn't like paper towels much either. I don't care how they look as long as my lizard is safe on them, but it was annoying how crickets could hide under them and my beardies could bunch them all up or pull them back.

I use non-adhesive shelf liner now. It's a thin, rubbery material that lays flat on the floor of the tank. It doesn't look natural, but that's not what's important. It does look a lot neater than paper towels or newspapers though. It's also super easy to clean, comes in different colors and patterns, and is not expensive at all.

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Amanda
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2.0 bearded dragons (Ocho / Domo-kun)
0.1 kingsnake (Rio)
1.0 ferret (Playstation)
1.0 cat (Wally)
0.1 dog (Tima)

I have used Calci-Sand (and like you, didn't like it).

Then, I switched to WheatBran (for adults). It is WAY cheap (~$8 for a 50lb bag....it is a lot less dense than sand. So a 50lb bag can do about 5-10 55 gallon aquariums) It is easier to dig for your little digger (like my ZZ) It cuts way down on the smell. It does look natural, it isn't as harmful as sand if swallowed but it too has some drawbacks. It can be VERY dusty! If you feed super worms (or other burrowing worms) you have to put them in something so they don't get loose--you will NEVER find them again. It is a little harder to sift than sand so I used to just scoop out waste (which is clumped) with a big spoon.

You can buy WheatBran at a feed store (like Southern States). I am not sure where else will have it...I think you find at some tack stores, too.

Good luck.
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Hangin with the Herps
ZZ