Beardies Vs Sand

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Metalbeard

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Getting a bigger tank on the weekend for my beardies, im sure they are big enough for Sand in the bottem instead of paper towels. I heard that the calcium sand from pet shop isnt recommended. So where should i get it from? the beach? sand/rock place? (lol). Also should/how do i clean it? (before i use it in the enclousure). Really looking forward to the upgrade its going to look so much better than paper :S .
 
Go to a landscape supplier and get washed playsand.. it's the nice white stuff and doesn't stain your animals. I think Bunnings sells it too. For a more natural colour go for washed river sand. Don't get red desert sand as it stains your animals.

Remember in the wild beardies don't live in sandy deserts, so give them rocks and wood and stuff to stand on too not only sand
 
Haven't heard of the calcium sand - and really they shouldn't be ingesting it anyway, I find there are alot of products available that are really just overkill-
I buy a bag of playground sand from bunnings - off memory it's from 7-$10 it's nice and fine in texture I've been using it from juvinile's to my breeding pairs and haven't had any issue's with it.
To clean it you can spot clean, and/or use a kitty litter sift - you can pick them up from coles etc in the pet section and they just look like a mimi shovel with lots of holes in them so the clean sand will fall straight through and your left with any nasties to be taken out.
 
I go to local brick retailer and get a few tubs of sydney sand for next to nothing. 5 dollars is the av price for about 50kg. Its the cheapest way to go. And you will be going through a fair bit of it with the bigger tank.
 
Just got off the phone to Bunnings $7 for 20kg washed play sand, Good weekend project ahead looking forward to setting it up.
 
Have you considered oyster-shell grit? From what I believe, if they ingest any, it dissolves in their stomachs and gives them a calcium hit. (I'd actually be keen on hearing if anyone uses this as a substrate - I use astro-turf personally, but that'd be my next choice).
Have fun with the project metalbeard - post before and after pics, hey!
Nic
 
Metalbeard - I purchase bags from either Bunnings or nurseries...

It is generally 'washed beach sand' or 'washed river sand' - down here it is often called Botany Sand or similar.

I would steer clear of brickies sands as the sand particles are 'sharp' rather than 'smooth' and designed to clump better (which is not a good thing in the case of accidental ingestion)
 
I just woke the first of my beardies up yesterday and she is on playsand from Bunnings, it looks great, so much better than newspaper.
I'll see how in works out over ext couple of weeks, but right now, I'm very happy with it!
 
Sand looks great, Just cleaning can be alittle more time consuming. Its funny to watch my oldest one she Digs a little hole to sleep in every night even tho there are plenty of branches to sleep on.
 
sounds like a plan im bout to invest in makeing a large 4ft enclosure with waterfall n some nice potted plants for my new pigmy which is currently in an old enclosure i had laying round am useing red dessert sand atm as was given for free.
jus wondering how much u needed and how big ur enclosure is im thinkin maby 40kg will give me an 1" deep substrate
 
sounds like a plan im bout to invest in makeing a large 4ft enclosure with waterfall n some nice potted plants for my new pigmy which is currently in an old enclosure i had laying round am useing red dessert sand atm as was given for free.
jus wondering how much u needed and how big ur enclosure is im thinkin maby 40kg will give me an 1" deep substrate
I have a 4ft x 18inch enclosure, and 2/3 of a 20kg bag put a nice 2-3cm covering over the whole tank. So 20kg should be plenty for you!
 
sweet thanks guys any other suggestions for my enclosure b4 i start buying all the materials lol makeing the front glass, roof mesh 2 vents 1 on ea side was thinkin of useing a ceramic heatlamp or is a heat rock best?? decore im undecided on seen a nice waterfall seup prety cheap would b nice at the cool end but would need more vents to reduse the humidity i hink.haveing bread fish while i was younger i have a good selection of driftwood siting round :D
 
whether you use a ceramic lamp or heat rock make sure that there is a visible light source above it/near it as dragons are active baskers (sp?) and they love to sit under a light source.. i've seen enclosures where they have used a heat rock and just have a uv tube for light source and all the little dragons were hanging of the background rock centimeters from the uv tube..... now i'm not sure but that bright light so close to their eyes sounds bad to me....

personally i use a heat light and place my uv globe near (but not to close) to their favourite basking spot, they perch on the warm spot and get some uv at the same time...
 
ah k never thaught of that 1st time with lizzards :D atm i jus useing a heat mat n takeing it outside for few yrs a day till i can get this new enclosure made
 
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