good substrate for bearded?

[monkeybumpz]

Can I get sand from the local park?

 

[adam5906]

Can I get sand from the local park?

I wouldn't. You can get a 50lb bag of sand at Home Depot for $2,50. If you do though bake it for atleast an hour to kill any parasites.

 

[monkeybumpz]

If I buy from home depot. Should I still steam it and wash it? Just hot water is good enough?

 

[adam5906]

If I buy from home depot. Should I still steam it and wash it? Just hot water is good enough?

It should be fine with just hot water.

 

[PatsyB]

When I got my sand I washed it real good with hot water and then baked it until it dried. I don't use sand anymore, it was too hard to keep clean and Dexter didn't really like it anyway.

 

[diegothediggy]

Is it safe to use sand if I don't feed in the enclosure?

It is safe as long as ur beardie longer than 14" but i had sand n found a few problems. If u have an activw beardie like i do the sand ends up in the food bowls. It also gets stuck in the.run of the door and makes an awful sound. Also u have to clean it all the time so bits of salad dnt get lost in there n go stale. Also when they poop its quite hard to make sure u got it all. I have tile well 3/4 tile n 1/4 sand in the basking end coz the like to dig. Diego also sleeps in his sand.

 

[diegothediggy]

What I do with my tile is I seal all cracks and crevices with 100% silicone. Keeps water and poop from getting in the cracks.

I like that gud idea i may pinch that in the near future i use sand to full the gaps

 

[diegothediggy]

Can I get sand from the local park?

I wudnt. Its not expensive to buy but make sure u bake it to kill any germs or mites ect

 

[Luvthemanimal]

The silicone can be taken off really easy. It's really flexible and peels off. I don't move the tile though. When he poops I spray it with bleach and take paper towel and wipe it off. It's really easy to clean

Never use bleach it's very toxic to your animals...... Hot water and vinegar is a safe and good alternative.

Is it safe to use sand if I don't feed in the enclosure?

Sand is for you to make your enclosure look pretty and serves zero purpose for your beardie. It can cause impaction and respiratory issues. Although they are "desert" reptiles there NATURAL substrates are rock and clay...... If you choose to use sand use washed and sifted play sand from home Depot.....

Can I get sand from the local park?

NO.

 

[adam5906]

I use I/4 cup bleach to one gallon of water. I ready about using it as cleaner on another website. It's so diluted it's fine for the bearded dragon. I do however make sure it's dry so they can't lick it up

 

[Luvthemanimal]

I use I/4 cup bleach to one gallon of water. I ready about using it as cleaner on another website. It's so diluted it's fine for the bearded dragon. I do however make sure it's dry so they can't lick it up

I still wouldn't do it...... But to each there own

 

[Josh]

I'd be very careful with both bleach and sand. I know some folks are extremely careful and know what they're doing and their method has worked for them for years. I just caution on the use for newbies who might not know all the precautions to take.
I prefer using an easily cleanable substrate like paper towels or even newspaper-like material or butcher paper. I really like using slate tiles too. They retain heat, are easy to clean, look nice, etc. There's so many options, I choose to not take any chances with questionable stuff.

 

[PatsyB]

Paper towels are nice but a pain in the butt if you have a very active dragon that will rip them up as he runs over them! I actually got so frustrated that put down construction paper last night and so far with all his running around Luci has not ripped it up yet. I may be looking into the slate tile idea. Will have talk one of my coworkers into taking a trip to Menards with me!

 

[Jon Macintosh]

The silicone can be taken off really easy. It's really flexible and peels off. I don't move the tile though. When he poops I spray it with bleach and take paper towel and wipe it off. It's really easy to clean

Would you be willing to post photos of your tile with the silicone?

I've made plans to get tile and actually mortar/grout it into the enclosure, but if this is a viable option I'd rather do it seeing as how I'd be able to take up and remove it at any time.

 

[adam5906]

Yeah when I get home. I use clear silicone but you could use white if you wanted to. Clear doesn't take away the beauty of tile

 

[Jon Macintosh]

Yeah when I get home. I use clear silicone but you could use white if you wanted to. Clear doesn't take away the beauty of tile

Awesome - thank you!

Do you use the silicone around the edges as well, to hold the tile to the sides of the enclosure?

 

[adam5906]

Yes but not to hold it to the enclosure. My tile had alittle gap along the bottom and crickets would crawl under the tile and not get eaten so I silicones around it. Also when you get silicone make sure it's 100% and has no extras like preventing mold

 

[Jon Macintosh]

Yes but not to hold it to the enclosure. My tile had alittle gap along the bottom and crickets would crawl under the tile and not get eaten so I silicones around it. Also when you get silicone make sure it's 100% and has no extras like preventing mold

Thanks for all the recommendations - I look forward to the photos.

I wouldn't be so concerned with it holding either, but more for the reason you described and so that nothing could possibly get down under the tile.

 

[adam5906]

Thanks for all the recommendations - I look forward to the photos.

I wouldn't be so concerned with it holding either, but more for the reason you described and so that nothing could possibly get down under the tile.

Sorry just got home and he left me a surprise

 

[Jon Macintosh]

Looking good!