Beardy Substrates

[Emski]

Hey Guys

So far i have tried astro turf which smells when u wash it, newspaper (but doesnt look the best) and playsand.

Out of all of them sand prob kept the smell down the most.

I spot clean their enclosure daily but my question is, which substrate is the best that keeps the smell down?

Help needed as i dont want to keep changing the substrates but they do poo daily most of the time and it smells bad!!

[ssssmithy]

aspen snake bedding is great i use it on all my enclosures bit pricey but it does work and keeps the smell down.heres a pic of what it looks like.

[JasonL]

There is no easy answer, bearded's are messy lizards and need regular cleaning. I tiled my enclosures and clean them every 2 - 3 days.

[ScottBec]

I have layers of butches’ paper (newspaper with out the print) Then each afternoon I remove the top layer.
Then every weekend, I do a thorough clean and disinfect.

I think the fact is that beardies eat so often, that they poop often, and that's what you have to deal with.

Butches’ paper is super cheap and you can clean often, by removing and binning any soiled paper.

[Kirby]

i use alot of different non particle substrates, these are always safer..

tile, is easily 'spray and wiped'

paper towel, is just a scrunch up and remove thing like butchers brown paper.

you can also use non adhesive lino.

semi absorbant things like astro turf do get stinky, and need a swap and hose down. tile stays there forever when siliconed in, a one off cost, and wipes clean forever..

[Emski]

could you just lay tiles in there?

[buttss66]

you could "just lay tiles" but food and poo will get trapped in all the cracks and you'll have to take them out to clean properly.

[JasonL]

Originally Posted by buttss66

you could "just lay tiles" but food and poo will get trapped in all the cracks and you'll have to take them out to clean properly.

You "grout" them with a non absorbent filler, Thats the best thing with tiles, no where to run and hide for the bugs.

[Badger]

I use recycled newspaper pellets. it absorbs the smell, its fairly cheap, and it doesn't look tacky.
The brand i use is called "breeders choice." It's a type of cat litter but works really well.

[Emski]

what sort of non-absorbent filler ?

What like normal tiling eg floors etc?

[buttss66]

i dont like breeders choice. My new beardies were on that when i picked them up. One wouldnt eat for 3 days and was getting very dehydrated even though he was drinking constantly. Just when i decided it was vet time he did an enormous poo which was clearly a pellet - i could see all the paper fibres. No Sooner had he passed it and he started eating every cricket in sight. That was 3 weeks ago and he still is much smaller than his brother but it could have been much worse. Im so thankful that it passed through.

[Badger]

I should've added that i meant for adults. As always, keeping baby beardies on pellets has a degree of risk. There is always the chance that they might decide to have a nibble.

[mckellar007]

i keep my adult beardies on breeders choice, and have never had a problem with it

[carinacat]

yep breeders choice for me too my babies are on plain newspaper. u tend to be a lttle more vigilant with babies thou so the smell doesnt become a problem