PLAYSAND ALTERNATIVES, HELP

[geckowiththeglock]

Hello gecko owners. Unlike most of the members here, I'm not from the US or the UK, so finding many of the brands recommended is impossible for me. I want to switch my leopard gecko substrate into a playsand/topsoil mix. Unfortunately we don't have playsand where i live. It's not a thing to use playsand in Asia. The only play sand we have is kinetic sand, which is not safe whatsoever. My other option is a playsand that uses pure beach sand, but I'm assuming it's not safe due to its salt content.

Im getting desperate but i cannot for the life of me find anything on other safe alternatives. I want my gecko to have a safe and stimulating environment. Can anyone please recommend any other type of sand that is safe? Would it be okay if i combine 100% pure soil with NON-CALCIUM reptile sand, or 100% pure quartz freshwater aquarium sand, or pool filter sand? 7:3 ratio as recommended. So far those are the only three options i could find. If not, what can i do?

Thank you, a desperate Asian gecko owner.

 

[acpart]

Do you feel very strongly that your gecko needs to be on some type of sand? I ask this because in their native habitat they don't live on sand, but on hard packed earth. Many of us here use ceramic tile like the kind that is put on floors. Our home supply stores carry these tiles and they can be cut to size, or we can choose different sizes to fit in the cage. We also have a product here that is made of ground up coconut shells. It looks like soil but doesn't get muddy. If you have bamboo flooring in Asia you could use pieces of that as well. Do any of these ideas work for you?

Aliza

 

[geckowiththeglock]

Do you feel very strongly that your gecko needs to be on some type of sand? I ask this because in their native habitat they don't live on sand, but on hard packed earth. Many of us here use ceramic tile like the kind that is put on floors. Our home supply stores carry these tiles and they can be cut to size, or we can choose different sizes to fit in the cage. We also have a product here that is made of ground up coconut shells. It looks like soil but doesn't get muddy. If you have bamboo flooring in Asia you could use pieces of that as well. Do any of these ideas work for you?

Aliza

I was planning to make a bioactive enclosure with soil+sand substrate, isopods, and lots of slate tiles so he'll have a solid surface to hang out on, but also an option to dig if he wants. Mainly because i notice he likes to dig- but now in his paper towel set up he's just digging to the bare glass bottom of his tank for 10 minutes straight lol. I've heard that cocohusk can get dusty and can impact their respitory system, hence why I'm feeling a bit iffy about it. I've heard of multiple ppl with geckos end up with cocofibre in their eyes or affecting their lungs, and I'm a very paranoid pet owner. As for the tiles i have considered it, but then again i look forward to a nice, naturalistic setup. If bad comes to worse i guess i can provide a nice large digbox for him. Still, a bioactive setup would be the best option if i could find something that works.

It's also worth noting that the local gecko owners here are terrible at husbandry and i cannot rely on them whatsoever for any advice :/

 

[acpart]

If it's any help, I kept African Fat tail geckos on coco husk for a long time and also kept leopard geckos on coco husk for over 5 years. While I would not spray a leopard gecko enclosure frequently, I did feel that moistening the enclosure to cut down on the dustiness. Below I have links to 2 articles relating to leopard gecko bioactive enclosures. I'm not sure if you can access the supplies, but more data never hurts:

Holistic Design in Bioactive Vivariums: Leopard Geckos, Part 1 - Gecko Time

All bioactive enclosures have the same basic requirements, but the needs of your main inhabitant dictate the ways in which you can support bioactivity. Many people have claimed it impossible to create a bioactive desert terrarium, but let’s not forget that life persists all over the earth, even...

geckotime.com

Holistic Design in Bioactive Vivariums: Leopard Geckos, Part 2 - Gecko Time

This is the fourth article in this series and part 2 of leopard geckos. Gecko Time readers might recognize this enclosure from a previous leopard gecko bioactive article. What happened? Superworms! Zophobas morio overpopulated and became a smelly nuisance, and the worms escaped through gaps...

geckotime.com

Aliza