Reptile & Amphibian Forums

i use repti-sand, is this a safe substrate?
if not, what is?
What does everyone on this forum recommend?

I use Paper Towels for small Beardies, and Playsand for Adults
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-Lauren

~ Lauren's Lizards ~

groups.yahoo.com/group/LaurensLizards

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-Lauren

~ Lauren's Lizards ~

groups.yahoo.com/group/LaurensLizards

so is repti-sand safe?
there were no warning labels or anything.

I use Paper Towels for small Beardies, and Playsand for Adults
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-Lauren

~ Lauren's Lizards ~

groups.yahoo.com/group/LaurensLizards

There are no warning labels because they don't undersatnd the harmful effects. Beardies could die from that sand. They're mostly in it for the profit. I use sterilized play sand, it's also a lot cheaper. Some say even playsand it bad, but mine have been fine. I think the sand it fine. You could also use paper towels or the repti carpet which has to be washed just about daily. Also, bacteria could be trapped in the carpet, causing problems. I like the more natural look, some people put plastic liner over their sand. But I don't do that stuff. Mother nature doesn't splip plastic covers over the sand for beardies living in the wild, and they're fine. I also heard you could use bran, which is nice looking and safe, I've never tried it. It also depends how old your beardie is, if it is under 10 inches, I use paper towels, than move ot sand. Because when they are young, they have lack of skills in the catching department, so they get a lot of sand when they miss, but as they grow, they get better, getting little sand, if not any.
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~Julie~

i am setting up my tank now and i bought pool filer sand and it is much to course(with silica) i would really like to have white sand-not the brown play sand. does anybody know where i can get this. if not can somebody post a picture of their berdie in bran-i want to know how that looks

thanks

i go around to construction sites and "borrow" the sand that is in big piles. they use it for to mix with brick mortor.i clean it at home and everything is free. (they just spread the sand out after they use it anyway its not stealing)

i go around to construction sites and "borrow" the sand that is in big piles. that sand is lighter in color than play sand. they use it for to mix with brick mortor.i clean it at home and everything is free. (they just spread the sand out after they use it anyway its not stealing)

my beardie likes to burrow under the basking area and what would be the safest way to let him do this? He is only about 3 months and 7-8 inches long w/ tail.

Hi
i using now 3 years a type of sand it looks like playsand heated 350 degree and its coccodiose free.
they use it here in pignons enclosures.
its also not so duty and it have a round shape grain so it wil pas good.
calsi sand i never would use it can cause impaction.
i have try out bran but for me it whas not so nice i like to mist my dragon and then you have a problem.
i use the sand for babies and for adults.
i hatch out this year 120 beardies and after they hatch not one died
byeeeeeeee

http://run.to/b22

Actually, 2 of my beardies are on no substrate. One is a plastic bin, and the other is in an enclosure I built with mdf. If anything doesn't come up with I pick it up with paper towels, I just spray it with water. If you have a glass tank, I don't recommend doing this. It just didn't clean up as well off the glass as it does on the others.

just plain ole wheat bran, it smells great, dragons love it,, i love it, looks great, easy to clean and i beleive it to be the safest particulate substrate...JMO

when you mist your beardie, what happens to the bran?

i use papertowels for babies until 10-12 inches,i only mist babies, not my adults, the adults are kept on bran, they get baths once or twice a week... and i dont keep water dishes in their enclosures either, so water isnt an issue

I personally don't like the idea of my beardies swallowing any substrate (even if it is digestible sand). I use cypress mulch because they don't lick it and swallow it like sand.

When using cypress, "I would not (and do not) feed them crickets in the cage with the mulch." I feed them in a large tupperware container or separate tank (because they can swallow wood chunks while chasing crickets). It's pretty easy for them to spit the mulch out if they pick it up by licking or tasting it. Sand sticks to their tongue and they'll swallow it.

If you use the "safe" sands, your dragon is going to eat quite a bit of it because they taste/lick everything. Some sands probably are completely safe, but I don't want my dragons digesting anything other than their food.

maybe i should feed him (or her) in a seperate container.

Is there really a substrate made completely out of calcium powder?

i thought there was..........

i've been thinking that in nature the beardies live on sand and that's it, no paper towel, newspaper, etc. so why not just have sand and that's it? it could be a helper of Darwin (survivel of the fittest) though.... i'm probably keeping the sand, for now.

Thanx.

Hey B22, what is that san called that you use? I want to look into that. Is it more expensive than play sand? Thanks
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~Julie~