Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Well I always did use WASHED play sand, but to tell you the truth I have personally done a big turn around.... out of the natural look. I still set my tanks up with big resin boulders and hides that I try and get to look natural, but I use paper/ towel/ butcher/ or even have used newspaper for my chucks,(so sloppy) :0)
This is coming from an old keeper who always had everything natural. But over the years of working with collareds and seeing in my opinion how delicate they can be as far as parasites, virus, bacterial infections..... I go for a clean as I can get them/ and keep them.

I have done a complete turn around. I see how dirty papers of any type get in a few days ( not just feces, but liquid and dead bug matter .... so on. And am glad I always cleaned tanks often even with sand, not just picking out poop, but empting and scrubing out, because I can't imagine not cleaning a tank with sand for months on end, the stuff ya see with paper in less than a week, can let you see what must build up in weeks in sand or dirt, let along months.

Anyway thats just my findings and observations. Lil ole Evey , hehehee. Hope everybody has been good, MISSED ya all.

Pretty little New Mexico X Aquaflame 2010 baby girl

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Eve
Suncharmers Colorful Collareds & More

I would agree...natural looks great, but for keeping lizards clean and healthy for indoor husbandry, going with paper of sometype is much easier to deal with.

I was also hooked on the pool filter sand when I was keeping lizards. I liked the feel of it a lot. I really like the traction sand appearance, but it is dusty as can be. It will collect on the glass and you can definatley see it settle on the light fixtures...so, it probably settles in the lungs as well.

@Tom...I've been really good. Still traveling around quite a bit. I can't complain too much (aside from not having time for keeping lizards)...I have been a few places to see them in the wild during my business outtings. I was so close to calling you when I saw your advertisment on Kingsnake for some redbacks

What are you keeping these days?

Regards,

John

Hey there Eve, I was thinking man it's wasn't the holidays without an Eve sighting or post. Good to see you posting, well the holidays were uneventful which was good.

So no sand now?? Interesting, I have been thinking about going with something other than sand but I just can't find any other alternatives. My bunch hate lizard carpet of any sort when I did try it I found them underneath the carpet lol. Well I'll keep using sand until I can find something that satisfys all.

I put Elvis and 'Scilla on sand for the first time Eve, lol, it was funny to watch 'Scilla dig and dig and dig and dig and dig. They both have settled and adapted to it and love the cage and the cage setup.

An idea...

I think we have all seen some of the very cool natural terrariums that some have build on this site...a foam substrate coated with a mortar mix, then painted (or tinted) to match some nice desert background.

I know it is a lot of work, but I was thinking about a cage in which the bottom and sides were a mortar mix design with one section of the bottom holding some real sand...in the bottom of this sand reservoir would be a plug. This area could be covered with a flat rock or used as a nesting site. When cleaning, simply pull the plug and drain the sand. The rest of the tank could be hosed out and allowed to drain from this same lowest point in the tank. Just an idea to give the lizards a small area of real sand, while keeping it somewhat natural.

This of course is no substitute for keeping many tanks as the work involved in construction is no simple task. Just an idea I wanted to pass along.

Oh I've been playing with many different cage designs and features and the plug on the bottom of the cage has been incorporated into many of them. Now I just need the materials, help, tools, and the money to do it, lol, it's always the money that holds me up.

I do still give the gravid girls sand. So there is a time when sand is needed as they do enjoy the digging, and laying eggs in it. But after all that is over it's paper for my gang now.

Nice to see you to Sean, glad the kids are doing good. Is Elvis still bluing up? :0)
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Eve
Suncharmers Colorful Collareds & More

I plan on doing ALL my tanks like alot of us do for our leopard gecko tanks. Soon within a couple weeks plan on doing all my tanks in a textured ceramic tile/ not the slippery shiny ones but "textured". I love the slate tile but do not like the little crevices and layers that stuff can get into. Anyway these textured ceramic tiles can be washed / scrubbed with disinfectants, and every so often be lifted out and scrubbed beneath, providing you do not seal them down, and leave loose.
You can always put a length of paper towel under them before laying them down to catch anything that may go under, and to keep them snug if you just want to lay them in loose. I do not want to put them in permenantly. This works great with my leopards. Different size tiles can fit pretty exact in some of the size tanks if you work it out. And looks nice.

Just moving along, hehehee. ;0)
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Eve
Suncharmers Colorful Collareds & More

any pictures of the leopard gecko cages...I dont think I've ever seen this type of setup with textured tiles. I'm interested in checking it out.

I finally did get around to makeing some fake rocks...some large one for the front yard...still nothing small. I'll send you some e-mail pictures.

J

Hey Johneee I would like to see your rocks, lol (I'm not sure that sounds very nice, hehehee) anyway yeah send me some pics!

As far as textured or slate tile for leopard tanks, I do not have any of my own pics to show you, my battery is also dead at the moment but here is a buddys tank ( The Geck Ring) she has used slate tiles in this one, nice clean but cool look( just wipes clean.

I want to go a bit lighter, more like earthy sand colored maybe, have to check it out and see what I want for the collareds.

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Eve
Suncharmers Colorful Collareds & More

Oh yeah Eve, Elvis comes out from sleeping and lays under the lamp and gets all nice and blue.

I'm glad he's in the BLUE :0) the flames are very good looking boys for sure!
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Eve
Suncharmers Colorful Collareds & More

Ahhh...that is pretty cool. I bet there is a nice gradient of temperature as well with one nicely placed light. Pretty neat.

If you want them to wipe even cleaner you may be able to buy a stone tile sealer...some of those textured stone tiles are very porous and will soak up the nasties.

I sent you the rock picture in your e-mail.

John

Johneee that's why I do not want the rock type like slate, I want just a textured ceramic, very washable!
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Eve
Suncharmers Colorful Collareds & More