Excavating Clay

[Penelope]

Hi all, our beardie is ready to upgrade to a 4x2x2 tank, and I'm thinking of including excavating clay. Does anyone have any experience with their dragon using this stuff? I saw some from ZooMed that looked good but I just wonder if there's anything I should consider before making it part of the habitat. Turning to the experts!

 

[Dexter_Dragon]

Hi, I’ve used the Zoo Med excavator clay since I brought my guy home as a baby last June. He’s now around 10 months now. He’s never had any issues with the clay and it has very little small crumble that beardie may digest. I do, however, add a tad bit more water than the instructions require.

Pros for me:
More natural look and feel. He luvs digging and the clay enables him to do so. (His digging does create larger clumps of clay that will surround dig area. I just pick up the biggest pieces and discard).

His tank has a more earthy smell. Like a soft dirt type smell that makes me think of heated sand on a beach. You know what I mean? It’s actually rather pleasant.

Easy to keep clean. I scoop up his poo (with a dedicated poo spoon) making sure I grab a small additional layer of the clay underneath. No mess left behind to scrub.

Cons for me:
It’s can be an expensive substrate. I completely change up his clay about every 3 months. In his 40 gal tank I use 2 to 10 lb bags each time at rough cost of $15 a bag . . . about $120 a year. When he moves to a 120 gal tank I’ll be using and spending more if I continue with clay as substrate.

Takes time to dry when new clay is placed in the tank. I keep his heat light going, put a small dehumidifier inside, and run a blow dryer inside the tank for a bit to help the drying process, but it still takes a while to dry. You don’t want to put beardie back into the tank until it’s dry as humidity does build up inside the tank during the process. Make sure humidity and heat levels are back down to normal before putting beardie back in. (You’ll need to prep for this: I feed Dex very little the afternoon before and the day of his clay change. I have a container set up that has a screen I lay on top so I can give him some basking time. I’ll put his basking rock in and put his spare basking light on top. Otherwise he’s roaming and exploring. If your beardie is less adventurous this might stress them. Dex is very adventurous and has been on this routine since a baby so he isn’t bothered by it.)

Bout all I can think of at the moment. Hope this helps!

 

[Skybug]

Barb gave you a pretty good description, i feel the same way its pretty expensive, make shure if u decide to do it do it very very early in the morning so it drys, i used eggbeaters to really mix it together, it comes out smoother, I have no negatives other than its price.

 

[Dexter_Dragon]

Barb gave you a pretty good description, i feel the same way its pretty expensive, make shure if u decide to do it do it very very early in the morning so it drys, i used eggbeaters to really mix it together, it comes out smoother, I have no negatives other than its price.

Ooooo, good idea on the eggbeaters. Never thought of that. Duh! Sounds a lot better than kneading it over and over with rubber gloves on. lolol Thanks for tip, Skybug.

 

[Skybug]

Ooooo, good idea on the eggbeaters. Never thought of that. Duh! Sounds a lot better than kneading it over and over with rubber gloves on. lolol Thanks for tip, Skybug.

Yea I figured that out only after the 3rd time tiring out my arms kneeding the clay dough!!

 

[Penelope]

Wow, thank you so much to both of you! Great info and very helpful StripeSpot's been digging a TON lately so hopefully this helps him feel settled and like a natural environment. (Normally he'll try to dig in his hide right after I've let him out for a lil runaround in my office, maybe he's just making sure his house is still his, haha)

 

[Dexter_Dragon]

Wow, thank you so much to both of you! Great info and very helpful StripeSpot's been digging a TON lately so hopefully this helps him feel settled and like a natural environment. (Normally he'll try to dig in his hide right after I've let him out for a lil runaround in my office, maybe he's just making sure his house is still his, haha)

StripeSpot will enjoy the clay if he's a digger. Dex has been digging in his hide more now that's he's decided to sleep there the last few evenings rather than in his little trench hole in his favorite corner. He'll go in and push the clay towards the opening then turn and poke his nose out between the clay and the top of the opening. hahahaha If he sleeps in his corner he still has to dig, dig, dig each evening before he settles down. Has to have his little hole jussstttt right. lol Hilarious to watch them dig. Dex pushes with his front feet towards his back feet and then continues the same scoop with his back feet.