Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I just had a question on a substrate to use for a Red Ackie. I have pre ordered four baby red ackies that from Rare Earth Inc., that should be hatching anytime now, but i wont have them shipped to me until three weeks. I have the cage, thermometer, UVB?UVA bulb, ceramic heat emiter, etc. I was going to try to use decomposed granite, since Pro Exotics recomended it and so I looked in the yellow pages online and called a bunch of landscapeing people and rock/gravel type stores. Then, once i called them like NO ONE has even herd of decomposed granite. So, I was wondering if anyone knew what i should try searching in the yellow pages for, to maybe find a company or something that would sell decomposed granite. Or, has any one else had sucess with keeping/breeding Red Ackies on another type of substrate?

Thanks,
Nathan

I am sure joe gave you some advice on that. i use sandy loam. you can get that at nurseries. the only problem is that sometimes it is high in clay and therefore sometimes hard to dig. just be careful. you can mix some play sand in too, maybe a fifty pound bag, not much.

andrew

gonna get crusified.....wood shavings with a damp nest/hide box full of coco bark(those little bricks) worked good for me. Grew up big and strong and eventually laid in the boxes. Dirts messy and hard to keep moist. most will disagree. Just my opinion. Keep hatchlings in a 20 long w a good hide and a basking spot on top. You want to be able to watch these guys close. Use the coco for substrate but when u move them to the breeder cage in 10-12 months use the shavings. I just dont like digging up the hole cage to look for eggs. Wow look she buried them in the sweater box. how easy is that....just put a hole in the top of it. Just big enough for one Ackie. PS joe is a good guy and his ackies are REALLY red good luck