Moving to sand

[Sandyballs]

So I'm planning on moving to sand(not calcium) for sevral reasons and I wanted to check in with you guys first:main_robin:. Here's my reasons, reptile carpet is very hard to clean and it looks very dirty after 1 dusted feeding. It's not easy to control temperatures, I constantly have to add towels under the carpet so that it doesn't overheat. Also better look and much easier to clean and contol temperature.By the way paper towels is not an option because too much heat goes trough.

I'm going to have a piece of tile where I drop the mealworms so that she doesn't ingest ANY sand particles. Also at the first sign that she's somehow ingesting sand I will remove it.




To the opposers....

Please say why this is not a good idea, I never leave food in the cage and she has a calcium dish , so how is it possible that she will eat the sand?

 

[gitrdone0420]

Yes, it is always possible that they an ingest sand. As far as leaving food in the cage, I always recommend that mealworms are left in for at least half of a day, that way the leos can eat whenever they like. Also, are you feeding any sort of crickets or roaches? A diet based solely on mealworms isnt a very nutritious diet. If you are feeding crickets or mealworms, then that is when your leo will ingest most of its sand and ingesting sand leads to impaction.

As far as your temps overheating... I use repticarpet and have never had that issue. Do you have your tank elevated so that it is not sitting directly on the tabletop? If you elevate it with, for example, bottle caps, it allows airflow in between the table top and UTH which usually sets your temps right around 90-95. You can also use a rheostat to set your UTH at a nice temp that you like.

Reptile carpet is so easy to clean! All I do is take it out, put it in the shower and hose it down with the shower head, voila! I highly recommend it and I highly recommend steering away from sand if you can.

 

[Sandyballs]

Yes, it is always possible that they an ingest sand. As far as leaving food in the cage, I always recommend that mealworms are left in for at least half of a day, that way the leos can eat whenever they like. Also, are you feeding any sort of crickets or roaches? A diet based solely on mealworms isnt a very nutritious diet. If you are feeding crickets or mealworms, then that is when your leo will ingest most of its sand and ingesting sand leads to impaction.

As far as your temps overheating... I use repticarpet and have never had that issue. Do you have your tank elevated so that it is not sitting directly on the tabletop? If you elevate it with, for example, bottle caps, it allows airflow in between the table top and UTH which usually sets your temps right around 90-95. You can also use a rheostat to set your UTH at a nice temp that you like.

Reptile carpet is so easy to clean! All I do is take it out, put it in the shower and hose it down with the shower head, voila! I highly recommend it and I highly recommend steering away from sand if you can.

Well when I just use repti carpet both of my thermomoters go up to 99-104 so it's kinda difficult, yeah my tank is elvated about 3/4 inches. Also my gecko is eating mealworms and waxworms. It wouldn't eat sand because I 'll put the feeder on hard surface with no sand on it

 

[erik]

I use rough gravel that people use for their yards or driveways here. I washed it to get the sand off and baked it in the oven. It looks really neat and is pretty easy to clean: I regularly clean out the poop corner and once in a while i clean all the gravel.

Second advantage: I buy 20 litres for about 4 bucks. It will have to endure a whole lot to wear off!

 

[Sandyballs]

I use rough gravel that people use for their yards or driveways here. I washed it to get the sand off and baked it in the oven. It looks really neat and is pretty easy to clean: I regularly clean out the poop corner and once in a while i clean all the gravel.

Second advantage: I buy 20 litres for about 4 bucks. It will have to endure a whole lot to wear off!

Wow that's nice!......what about the temps?

 

[erik]

IT works fine for me although i must say I don't use a UTH. But I figure since it's stone It might get warm but not too warm. I also but some smooth dark pebbles and made a patch of them in between the gravel. Those pebbles get warmer than the rest and gives them a nice place to heat up on. I have quite a big tank (40" 20" 20") and it's heated up by a 100W lamp on the warm side and a 26W lamp on the cool side. This way temps are about 93 at the warm side and 80 at the cool side. At night I have a 60W Nightglow that keeps the temp at 78-80.

 

[Adinar]

So I'm planning on moving to sand(not calcium) for sevral reasons and I wanted to check in with you guys first:main_robin:. Here's my reasons, reptile carpet is very hard to clean and it looks very dirty after 1 dusted feeding. It's not easy to control temperatures, I constantly have to add towels under the carpet so that it doesn't overheat. Also better look and much easier to clean and contol temperature.By the way paper towels is not an option because too much heat goes trough.

I'm going to have a piece of tile where I drop the mealworms so that she doesn't ingest ANY sand particles. Also at the first sign that she's somehow ingesting sand I will remove it.




To the opposers....

Please say why this is not a good idea, I never leave food in the cage and she has a calcium dish , so how is it possible that she will eat the sand?

Cocogecko posted this a little while back... this really can happen. http://homepage.mac.com/exoticdvm/reptile/PhotoAlbum181.html Sand isn't a good idea because it can be ingested at any time, not just feeding time. I've seen my leos lick alot of surfaces, especially when something new is put into the tank. You're leo can be doing this when you aren't around. Or even if you do put mealies on a tile, what happens if you need to leave the room for a moment, or turn around to do something? If crawls off (we all know how fast they can book it when they want to on hard surfaces), falls in the sand and your leo grabs it... along with a mouthful of sand. Even if it is the calcium sand, it still has the same effect on them.

As for reptile carpets, they're super easy to clean. One person mentioned using the shower. I personally throw them in the washer and run it on a short, cold cycle with no detergant. Either way, they dry quick. Another alternative is using all tile in the bottom of your tank. I did this with one of mine. Super easy to clean, looks great, and warms up nicely. If you're having issues keeping temps, do you happen to be using a rheostat? It will help regular your temps if you pair it with a probe thermometer. Also, if you're using a uth...is it the right size for your tank? There's ones for 5 gallon, 10 gallon, ect. If you're using (for example sake) a 20 gallon heater on a 10 gallon tank, that's going to be way too hot.

 

[SleepyDee]

It's not easy to control temperatures, I constantly have to add towels under the carpet so that it doesn't overheat. Also better look and much easier to clean and contol temperature.By the way paper towels is not an option because too much heat goes trough.

have you not thought about using thermostats to control the heat? so much easier and certainly a lot safer then using an unstatted heatmat

 

[prettyprincess3690]

have you not thought about using thermostats to control the heat? so much easier and certainly a lot safer then using an unstatted heatmat

+1!!

I just don't think the use of sand is worth possibly putting the health of a gecko in jeopardy. I'd rather be extra cautious and not use it at all because if you do, the possibility to ingest sand will always be there (whether through licking, eating escaped mealworms, etc). I'd highly recommend using a thermostat to control the heat rather than changing your substrate. I suggest using paper towel; it's definitely the easiest to clean (imo) and it is very safe for leos, plus it's super cheap.

 

[55g]

If you have tile already, why don't you use it for the entire substrate?

 

[leogecko88]

Sand should be perfectly fine as a substrate. I'm thinking about using something like that myself. To reduce or prevent sand ingestion make sure your leo gets enough calcium, has a calcium dish, and doesn't eat directly over the sand. I feed my leo out of a mealworm dish.

 

[Chewbecca]

If you have tile already, why don't you use it for the entire substrate?

This was EXACTLY what popped into my head when I read about how the OP was dropping a piece in to feed off of.

D'oh!
Tile looks NICE in enclosures. If it fit into my bins properly, ALL of my bins on my rack would have tile in them.

 

[M&I Gecko]

Ok. Sand can=impaction, shedding problems, and bacterial conjunctivitis. If you don't know the last one you might want to google leopard gecko bacterial conjunctivitis.

 

[robin]

Well when I just use repti carpet both of my thermomoters go up to 99-104 so it's kinda difficult, yeah my tank is elvated about 3/4 inches. Also my gecko is eating mealworms and waxworms. It wouldn't eat sand because I 'll put the feeder on hard surface with no sand on it

buy a thermostat

 

[Sandyballs]

Cocogecko posted this a little while back... this really can happen. http://homepage.mac.com/exoticdvm/reptile/PhotoAlbum181.html Sand isn't a good idea because it can be ingested at any time, not just feeding time. I've seen my leos lick alot of surfaces, especially when something new is put into the tank. You're leo can be doing this when you aren't around. Or even if you do put mealies on a tile, what happens if you need to leave the room for a moment, or turn around to do something? If crawls off (we all know how fast they can book it when they want to on hard surfaces), falls in the sand and your leo grabs it... along with a mouthful of sand. Even if it is the calcium sand, it still has the same effect on them.

As for reptile carpets, they're super easy to clean. One person mentioned using the shower. I personally throw them in the washer and run it on a short, cold cycle with no detergant. Either way, they dry quick. Another alternative is using all tile in the bottom of your tank. I did this with one of mine. Super easy to clean, looks great, and warms up nicely. If you're having issues keeping temps, do you happen to be using a rheostat? It will help regular your temps if you pair it with a probe thermometer. Also, if you're using a uth...is it the right size for your tank? There's ones for 5 gallon, 10 gallon, ect. If you're using (for example sake) a 20 gallon heater on a 10 gallon tank, that's going to be way too hot.

I know what your trying to say but I don't look away, I drop a mealworm, If she eats eat I drop another one, if she doesn't then I take it out of the tank

 

[T-ReXx]

Don't use sand. It's bad. Are you really willing to risk your geckos health?

If you're having temp problems, use a rheostat or thermostat as already mentioned. You should be using one regardless of substrate anyways.

Paper towel is the best substrate imo. If you want a more natural look go with tile. Loose substrates in general carry a risk of impaction.

 

[Tony C]

While I believe that the risk of impaction is way overblown, and that most cases of impaction can be related to improper husbandry, I still don't like sand because it is impossible to keep clean. It may appear that the waste clumps up for easy disposal, but there is a significant liquid component that is absorbed into the sand, likely feeding colonies of bacteria, fungus, and other nasties. Paper towel may not be the prettiest, but it is the most hygienic, and that's what is important. What good is a "pretty" enclosure if it masks filth and disease?

 

[Ehatcher]

While I believe that the risk of impaction is way overblown, and that most cases of impaction can be related to improper husbandry

quoted for the truth.

I still use paper towel in my tanks. It looks just as pretty as any other substrate to me :main_thumbsup:

 

[Tommy13b]

Try to prop your tank up a bit more, i have to put 4 meal worm containors under mine so it dosent overheat.

 

[Sandyballs]

OK FINE....I won't use sand!.........But im going to look into the gravel, no a gecko can't swallow a rock so don't even start............lol