Excavator clay??

[jager]

Hi everyone, I was wondering if anyone uses/used the zoomed excavator clay substrate? I have watched some videos and its looks like pretty cool stuff, and seems like you can be quite creative with designing the tank. It seems to look like it is more padded down, than loose like regular sand substrate and possibly less likely to be ingested. Any thoughts?

 

[PatsyB]

I'm not really familiar with it. Personally I don't like any sort of loose substrate because I think it would be a pain to clean. I used to have Dexter on sand and she didn't poop in it but I was constantly picking veggie matter out of it I got tired of that quickly!

 

[jarich]

It dries hard, so once you shape it, it pretty much stays that way. Ive heard people who love it and other people who hated it. Guess its just a matter of personal preference.

Personally Im not a big proponent as it seems pretty dusty and impossible to clean. Ive never used it though, so cant say from experience.

 

[jager]

Thanks for the replies I think I may just get a small bag and make something small first, for the reasons you both mentioned. I do want to add a digging box for my guy but don't want to use sand. I have seen alfalfa but I am weary of it. It looks like a possible choking hazard to me, but I may be wrong. I have also read millet seed. Do you know of anything safe I could use?

 

[PatsyB]

I thought the same things about alfalfa and millet just seems like too much of a risk. Once when I thought Dexter was digging around in her tank I made her one with coco fiber and children's play sand. I had the coco fiber because I use it for my frogs and I know it's digestible with a hydrated animal. She never used her box, wouldn't even just sit in it so I took it out so it wouldn't take up space.