Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Simple question Simple answer
Can i or cant i use sand as a substrate and if so, what kind should i use.
i can get any type relatively easy.
thanks for any help.

i like blasting sand @ home depot on adults and sub adults not babies.C

There is much debate over the saftey, effectiveness and use of real sand and its alternative calci-sand. Instead of telling you the pros/cons of sand, I'm just going to suggest you try using Bran. Much eaier than diving into such a heated debate.

-You can use it with younger beardies, even hatchlings shouldn't have a problem.
-Smells great, unlike almost eveery other reptile supply.
-Easy to pick poop out of.
-Incredibly cheap to buy in bulk. I filled 3500 square inches for $4.50
-Works well with veggies and fruit, wheras sand coats them.

Don't get it wet, or it might mold if it doesn't dry right away, but your shouldn't be letting sand get too wet in a sand enclosure either. Instead, mist or bathe your beardie out of the cage. My dragons love to dig and "play" in it. I have actually found them burrowed under the sand sleeping.

Another great thing I love about having it is that I keep mealworms, butterworms and waxworms. When I buy some worms, I get a handfull of bran from the enclosure and put it in a cup and toss in my worms. Then they go into the fridge. So it has multiple purposes. The worms eat it, live in it, spin webs in it. and the mealworms even breed in it.
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1.1 Bearded Dragons
1.2 Maroantsetra Panther Chameleons
2.0 Long Tailed Grass Lizards
0.0.2 Rhampholeon Brevicaudatus Chameleons

Unfortunately, the question you ask does not have a simple answer. Though you can use sand, there are many conditions and concerns with it. For the most part those who do use sand use washed children's playsand. Pretty much everybody who does use sand agree that it should not be used with baby dragons, waiting till they are at least 10" long before switching to washed play sand.

The thing is, even with washed playsand, there is a risk of impaction. This doesn't mean every dragon put on sand will be impacted, some live on it all their lives with no problems whatsoever (and some of these are well over 6 years old, from what I have heard). However, others have used washed play sand and have had dragons become impacted, some even dying.

Though the simple answer to your question is yes you can use sand, a better question would be are you willing to take the risk? The risk may only be 5-15% but considering the alternatives...where there is no risk at all of impaction from injestion of the substrate (non stick shelf liner, plastic table cloth, paper towels, newsprint, reptile carpet...), it is a question you will have to ask yourself.

For more information about the debates held over sand, a forum search under the heading, sand, will bring countless threads, probably across many different reptile species. In the end, the reasons are pretty much the same for any reptile...impaction, bacterial growth in the sand, smell and mess.
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PHLdyPayne