Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I just got a leopard gecko and bought this Vita-Sand stuff to put in the cage. Now I read A LOT of websites to see what substrate to use before buying it and most of the ones I read said you could use sand but I was just wondering if anyone else ever used this stuff or is it just like Calci-Sand? Is says it is extra fine and that it is safe for leopard geckos right on the bag. Just wanted to know so I don't kill the gecko.
Also I read somewhere else that the crickets you put in the cage can bite your gecko while it's sleeping which can lead to infections. We tried to break their back legs off as the website told us to but is this something I really need to be concerned about? Any input would be greatly appreciated.

i wouldnt use that vita-sand, if you want to see why get some wet and see how bad it clumps. Also if you get it wet and let it dry it gets rock hard which could easly cause and impaction. personally i wouldnt use any substrate that is small enough that your gecko can eat it. If they cant eat the substrate it can not cause an impaction. As for the crickets they are only a problem if htey go uneaten. If your gecko eats them fairly quickly then its not a problem, otherwise just remove the uneaten crickets after about an hour

Vita sand is much smaller grained than calci-sand, so in theory it should be safer. However, NO sand is 100% safe and should never be used on babies younger than one year. If you bought your leo at a petstore it is probably pretty young and you should take him off that sand immediately and keep him on paper towels, shelf liner, tiles, newspaper, or indoor/outdoor carpetting until he is a year old.I dont like vita-sand because i really dont trust any "edible" sand, and it also has a very weird odor to it and has a tendancy to cling to your lizard and "dye" them the color of the sand.

As far as crickets biting your leo, you do not want to leave crickets in with a leo for more than the time it takes them to hunt them. One, because they can nibble at the gecko and just plain irritate him. But also because they lose their nutritious value if left overnight. You should be gut loading your crickets any way in a seperate tank prior to feeding, so you can just remove the uneaten crickets from your leo's tank and toss them back in the cricket tank. If you do not have a cricket tank for gut-loading i would set one up.

Good luck with your leo!
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0.1 Bearded dragon
0.1 mexican kingsnake
1.0.2 Leopard Gecko's
0.0.1 Rose Hair Tarantula
1.0 BTS
0.0.1 Reverse Okeetee Corn
0.1 Bullmastiff
4.1 Cats

Thanks for the quick response. I didn't get the gecko at a pet store, a friend of mine went to some kind of pet show and bought him. So I don't really know how old he is. My friend said they had him in a container just big enough for him to lay in, about half the size of a small butter dish. That is horrible. Anyway, I will make sure to change the substrate ASAP and take the rest of your advice as well. Thanks a lot!