Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I have a kinda dumb question . Whats a better subsrate for egg laying vermculite or perlite.Ive heard of perlite causing birth defects for hatchlings .

I don't think that's a stupid question.

I don't breed my geckos -- too many already -- but I do know that it is Vermiculite that can theoretically contain trace amounts of asbestos but in my opinion this is more of an issue with vermiculite insulation...like in homes and buildings. There's been a fair amount of legislation and court issues regarding this

I've never actually seen any evidence that the garden-type vermiculite as an incubation material causes birth defects, but it could be a concern. It looks like most people use it just fine.

I've heard that Vermiculite is probably the best egg-laying medium but Perlite is the better incubation option for multiple reasons. I believe it holds better moisture levels for incubation too.

Maybe someone else can offer first-hand experience?
-----
Too many Leos
1.0 feline "Spot"
0.1 canine "Tika"

I haven't had geckos eggs yet but I hatched out 10 baby beardies using vermiculite and haven't had any problems with them and its been almost a month since they hatched so I don't see anything wrong with it. It actually held the right amount of moisture for the incubating eggs too.

i have used coconut bedding and that worked fine
and this year i didnt have any extra so i used some good potting soil and it has been working fine so far.