Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I have Kaida on sand right now but I don't feel very comfortable with it. What exactly is outdoor carpet? Can anyone show me pictures of it? What about reptile carpet, is that any good or is that like a breeding ground for bacteria? Thanks!
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~Shana~

outdoor carpet is basically astroturf, that plastic short pile carpet you can get at hardware stores for balconies etc. It's pretty cheap but some can be a risk. If the pile is very short and there are no unraveling strands, it's alright. It also needs to be washed and sterilized regularly to prevent bacteria buildup (once a week is good, just buy two or more pieces big enough to fit your tank and swap them out). Reptile carpet is pretty much the same thing, though, if I recall correctly, it doesn't have much of a pile but pretty much the same cleaning method as outdoor carpet.

other substrates you can use are non stick shelf liner (duckbrand seems to be the one of choise, just make sure it is non porous), plastic tablecloth (something i have used myself with my bearded dragon, works great. easy to spot clean, just toss it out once a month and put in a new one) ceramic tile can also be used but will either need to be sealed into the bottom of the tank or cut to fit snug to prevent worms/crickets and debris getting in between the tiles.

Some people use wheatbran but I don't recommend it. If it gets damp at all, it molds very quickly. It also can harbor various kinds of grain eating bugs, which get all over your tank and house. Not to mention its easy for crickets and other insect foods to vanish in. Mealworms/superworms can burrow into it and next thing you know you will have these big black beetles running around the cage (at least till the dragon eats them, with isn't too much a concern with adults but could be a danger to young dragons).

Of all the other loose substrates, washed sifted playsand is the best. There is a chance of impaction but it's not as bad as other similar appearing substrates (ie calci-sand, reptile litter, mulch etc)
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PHLdyPayne

Thanks for replying so fast. Kaida hasn't been eating by herself in a LONG time, but she's on antibiotics right now that the vet gave her. He gave me a list of foods with the calcium phosphorus ratio, which I thought was pretty good, and said a lot of things that I agreed with, but interestingly enough he suggested to use calcisand. I know it's bad, but I think it's strange that he thinks it's good. Anywayz, thanks for telling me about those other substrates. Kaida's in a cage that I made myself with a rockwall, so I think the tablecloth would be the best choice. Again thanks!

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~Shana~

Nice cage One thing I would like to add, since your dragon is on treatments for parasites, it will be a good ideal to give a pro-biotic after the treatments. This helps restore beneficial gut flora which will increase appetite in your dragon. All natural fruit yogurt could be offered if you can't find any probiotics, or diluted gaterade.
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PHLdyPayne

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~Shana~

Yeah, probably a good idea to get her off the sand. Here's a photo of what one kind of indoor/outdoor carpet looks like...

It doesn't long strands or loops that the beardies can get their nails stuck in. It's very short. I bought it at Home Depot for $6 or $7 a foot. And when you buy one foot, it's like 6 feet wide!

However, the carpet isn't nearly as easy to clean as the padded shelf liner that everyone is talking about. I used to soak the carpet in bleach water for 20 minutes then rinse and rinse and rinse. Now I use the shelfliner and every other week I throw it out and get new. Of course I clean it in between.

You can get the shelfliner at Wal-mart for about $5 for a roll that is 2 feet wide by 6 feet long.

Good luck on finding something that's easy to use.

Hugs,
Veronica

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Redflame Baby Bearded Dragon currently up for adoption! More info here... www.beautifuldragons.com
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Beautiful Dragons

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Signature file edited; [phw 8/31/04]

We have been using the reptile carpet but as Adoni grows( 4 months old) so has his poo! The carpet will soak up alot of the liquid and start to smell. We currently throw the carpet in the washing machine with other rags we use to clean his cage and send it through an extra rinse. Seems to work fine but I am considering going to the shelf liner because we are washing his carpet alot! LOL