Reptile & Amphibian Forums

anyone use sand as substrate. I've seen pics of people using it. i like cypress mulch but its hard to keep damp in a 16 ft x 12 ft room cage and gets real dusty.

I know some people use various particle substrates, but I don't like them. I like plain flooring. I'm too afraid of my babies ingesting substrate.

I like tile its easy too keep clean

My rhino goes poops in a tub of warm water everyday , then its flushed , He is then rinsed off and put back in his enclosure. no mess, no smell , no bacteria .

Common in nature, good for a nesting box, but your taking a chance if used on an entire habitat. There has been more than one incident of intestinal inpaction due to sand substrate. One breeder lost a $5000 Lewisi to sand. Iggy was picking up a little at a time. Owner did not think anything of it until the deficatons stopped. By the time the vet got involved there were complications and it was too late.

how about cypress mulch? really hate plain floor and newspapers when im at work an they poop i get home and its all over them.

Really? Mine are pretty careful about where they poop.

can you put him in a tub of warm water each morning before you go to work ? Then flush it . Only lakes a few seconds in warm water and Roni goes poop . I only have to clean up poop in his cage about once a month , if that .

i have 2 rhinos they poop in the morning once and always at night as well. ive seen rhinos on sand and cypress in zoos and crutcfeild the rock iguana king had his on small sized gravel ! when i was there. iguana and tortoise breeders used cypress.

If your iguana is kept outdoors with supply of calcium...I buy large bag from my feed store that is made for laying chicken, they are fine to be kept on sand/rock. In nature, tortoises and iguana eat natural calcium such as lime chips or chipped shells. Problem is that when proper calcium source is not provides, they will eat sand to get calcium but their calcium need won't be met and so they will continue to eat them in large quantities.....leading to impaction. This is more prevelant in reptiles kept indoors as some will be lacking proper UVB source as well. Iguanas would have gone extinct long time ago if they can not be kept on dirt/sand as that where they live. The problem is nutritional.

they are outside from april to oct. here. ive never seen them eat sand, and they do well eating out of bowls.

I am sure you will be fine. Just make sure they get calcium supplement.