Reptile & Amphibian Forums

even though ive only had my beardie two months and she still loks likea baby can i put play sand in there or not

How old is she? I think if your bearded dragon is 6 months old, you can start putting sand in there. If not, then keep the paper towels or newspapers for a while.
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0.0.1 Bearded Dragon (Cookie Monster)
1.0.0 Crested Gecko (Vas-D)
0.0.2 Fire Bellied Toads (Norman & Forman)
0.0.2 Goldfish (Lenny & Carl)
1.0.0 Black Lab / Pit Bull (Mikey)

oh ok i was just asking because i saw a baby dragon on sand substrate and it looked yuonger then mine and no shes not 6 months yet

well, people have different opinions and some want their dragons on sand. but, with younger beardies, i've read that it's easier for them to get impacted with the sand. as they lunge at their prey, they might get a mouthful of sand which can cause impaction and they won't be able to digest any of their food. through readings, i've read it is best to keep younger beardies on newspaper or paper towel for the time being.

it's purely up to you as to what you want to use as substrate. but knowing the risk, i'm keeping my 3.5 month old beardie on brown paper towel

good luck!
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0.0.1 Bearded Dragon (Cookie Monster)
1.0.0 Crested Gecko (Vas-D)
0.0.2 Fire Bellied Toads (Norman & Forman)
0.0.2 Goldfish (Lenny & Carl)
1.0.0 Black Lab / Pit Bull (Mikey)

thanks i think ill keep using the towels cause i dont want ne thing t hapen to my gurl

IT's best to wait till your dragon is at least 10" long. There is always a risk of impaction from sand, no matter what age the dragon is. The risk may be 5% chance with adults but it's higher with babies. Far as I am concerned, 0% risk using no sand, using either paper towel, nonstick shelf liner or plastic tablecloth is better. But some poeple just like the natural look of sand.
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PHLdyPayne

Yeah, 10" long sounds better to me, especially since some beardies can run on the small side. The beardie I bought was 3 months old and the 6 ot 8 beardies left that were relatively the same age were A LOT bigger than him. It was actually quite surprising and the breeder said that the one I was buying wouldn't be too huge in its adult stages because of its length now.

And I also like the 0% risk of impaction, which is why I went around school and work and taking their extra brown paper towel rolls standing around LoL. It looks more natural than the regular white paper towels. And the janitors know me because of where I work, so they dont care that I'm walking around with some to take to my car. LoL They even gave me a couple rolls so I'd stop taking them from the bathroom for them to refill. LoL
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0.0.1 Bearded Dragon (Cookie Monster)
1.0.0 Crested Gecko (Vas-D)
0.0.2 Fire Bellied Toads (Norman & Forman)
0.0.2 Goldfish (Lenny & Carl)
1.0.0 Black Lab / Pit Bull (Mikey)

thanks a lot ill just wait shes only 5 12 inches but shes really small for her age

Shame shame shame..... Your not a very thoughtfull paper towel stealer..... There is probably cases in the supply room.... I'd hit them up about that.... Or bug them so much that they just offered...LOL
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A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds,
adored by little statesmen, philosophers and divines.
Ralph Emerson

hahahahahaa i did ask and a couple of the workers do give me a few rolls here and there. but when they're not working and i'm pretty much out of rolls, then i go to the bathroom and swipe the extra that's laying around - they always replace that one anyway... hehe

since my leo last year, i've been using the brown paper towel because it looks like sand/dirt i like it a lot ^_^ even my crested gecko likes it! yesterday i thought he escaped from the cage because he wasn't in his usual hide where he normally sleeps. but i was cleaning the cage out to find him and there he was, hiding under one of the paper towel sheets. it was so cute he came out for the night and i was able to put his jungle gym branches back in for him to run around on
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0.0.1 Bearded Dragon (Cookie Monster)
1.0.0 Crested Gecko (Vas-D)
0.0.2 Fire Bellied Toads (Norman & Forman)
0.0.2 Goldfish (Lenny & Carl)
1.0.0 Black Lab / Pit Bull (Mikey)

wait a minute 0% chance? i think not ive seen plenty of impactions from paper towel..as a matter of fact ive seen just as many of those as with sand...and if your adult bd is healthy and your husbandry is correct...ie keeping cage clean of poo and uneaten food and temps and uv are good sand will pas directly through them