sand??

[jynx77]

i use calcium sand and never new it was bad thats what everyone told me and i just recently went to the vet and she said that was fine just try and put a new bag in every four months and clean out poo as soon as you see it.... she also said it was part of their habitat where they are from..... can someone give me some of their in sight on this because now im confused??

 

[Red Ink AUS]

Calci-sand is bad for them. It is not part of their natural environment. If you are a first time owner i would suggest to use a safer substrate such as tiles, self liner or newspaper. There is a great risk of impaction with particle substrates if not used properly.

 

[crypticdragons]

Yeah as Francis said
Their natural substrate (correct me if im wrong man) is more comparable to clay. But either way, calci sand is deffinately not a healthy substrate. When ingested it does not pass like the bag says it clumps and becomes rocks of calcium sand in their digestive tract and can result in blockage/impaction. If you have to use particle substrate you can use sifted playsand (sifted because playsand actually has stuff you wouldnt think in it such as shards of glass). But for the first time owner newspaper, papertowels, repticarpet, or tile are going to be the easiest to maintain and the safest for your animal.

 

[renich]

On one hand, sand is doable. But you need to be on top of it, as your vet pointed out. Sand can harbor a lot of bacteria, which can lead to various diseases for your beardie.

I once used sand after my dragon turned 1 year old. I don't recommend it for beardies under 1 year old. Anyway, it was very messy and after doing much research, I switched to tile. It was such a relief not to have sand all over the sides of the vivs and not having to do thorough cleaning every week.

I placed papertowels under my tiles and lifted the tiles out for deep cleanings. It was so much cleaner and neater looking.

So, basically, sand is a very controversial topic. For those who are long standing beardie owners and breeders, it is not very popular. There are success stories, but you have to be committed to maintaining it. Personally, I like the easy route. Tile is the way to go.

 

[corrine]

Sand is a pain.. tile is awesome... easy to clean, looks nice, and keeps nails in check. newspaper also works good for babies.

 

[jynx77]

Thank you so much for the input. this weekend i told my bf we need some serious remodling for jynxy so we are going tile shopping and going to try and fix up her cage i have been using sand for the past year starting off and yes i am now having major problems with impaction (first time being for about 11 day without poo for her) so i think i have found the answer to that problem along with the parasites i am having her treated for (sand being the major factor in that too) all makes sense now! again thank you so much.... now for one more question paper towels under the tile?? do you not grout it if you do that?

 

[renich]

You can grout it if you want. I'm a neat freak about some things. So, I like to lift the tiles out monthly and give them a good scrub. The papertowels are replaced weekly with any leakage that slips down.

 

[jynx77]

OK i think ill go the no grout way unless my bf gives me hell about if for some reason... then also do the papertowels underneath! thanks so much for all your help even after a year i find myself learning so much about these little creatures. its very fascinating

 

[renich]

You are quite welcome. We are all still learning about these little guys and gals...they like to keep us on our toes!

 

[angel]

just a quick note make sure you get a natural stone tile and preferably something with a bit of texture to it so they can grip it better when chasing food down. and check if its been sealed as you dont want bacteria growing in it if it isnt its easy to get a sealer and brush it on yourself , I bought mine sealed already and paid about $4 a tile but only needed 4 tiles so isnt that bad. good luck hope you post pics after you remodel.

 

[jynx77]

i just realized also she likes to dig in the sand and burrow herself... should i do half and half ?

 

[crypticdragons]

What i have seen done for diggers when in tile lined tanks people often get one of those sterlite or ziploc containers and fill it with a loose substrate so that when the animal wants to dig it can.

 

[beardielover17]

What i have seen done for diggers when in tile lined tanks people often get one of those sterlite or ziploc containers and fill it with a loose substrate so that when the animal wants to dig it can.

yep..ill actually be doing that soon for boris and jelly soon

 

[jynx77]

do you always keep it in the tank? or do you take it out?

 

[beardielover17]

thats a personal preference of yours and your dragons...ill probably offer it all day for a while and notice when my guys use i most

 

[jynx77]

ya ill figure out what im gunna do this weekend.... got alot of planning to do for this big tank remodel

 

[zebraflavencs]

Might I share my photobucket account with you... it will give you lots of ideas... Candice has lots to show you too...
http://s451.photobucket.com/albums/qq236/zebraflavencs/
Janie

 

[beardielover17]

ill post my photobucket link but you have to sort through all the crap on it to find what you need lol http://s19.photobucket.com/albums/b182/civicgrl88/

 

[zebraflavencs]

There you go, sweety... Most of us have lots of ideas to offer... and not a thing wrong with stealing either... I "nicked" an idea of Candice's... worked out nicely.
Janie

 

[jynx77]

thank you very much this has been very helpful ill post pictures when its done