bearded dragon substrate

[Chrisreptile]

hey everyone, ive heard about using just about every substrate for beardys- red sand, white sand( that kids one), newspaper, bark, breeders choice paper pellets, marine carpet,astro turf and rocks (fish substrate).
what do you think is the best???:?

 

[crackers]

ive used all sorts of stuff but now i just use news paper....its safe and easy to clean

 

[Chrisreptile]

i no its safe and and easy... but its unattractive.
ive got news paper at the moment but want to change to red sand.

 

[slip_phreak]

dont use the aquarium gravel... its a pain in the hole to clean.. atm in my python enclosures im using breeders choice ontop of a single piece of newspaper... i've never kept anything apart from pythons so i dunno all too much about them.. perhaps pine bark? or those eco-earth bricks i've seen at a couple of pet shops and also on animal attraction i believe but i could be wrong.

 

[dragons75]

theres a calcium or vitamin sand available im not to sure on the details of it but im guessing it is safer than normal sand and is meant for ingestion has anyone else heard of or used it?

 

[jonesc1]

i use washed river sand in my tanks, never had any problems (5 years). i think calcium based sands can cause impaction problems as they intentionally eat it to get calcium out of it. if u use a silica or quartz based sand u should be right. jmo

 

[Chrisreptile]

i use breeders choice in my pythons too, soo sand is ok? beach, river, nursery or what 1 is best

 

[jonesc1]

well i get washed river sand, can buy it in 40kg bags from bunnings for round $5. had no problems with it.

 

[junglepython2]

Sand is fine, I usually use washed river sand, looks better then paper, but needs more maintenace and the beardies can bury their crap and smells can accumulate if note regularly spot cleaned and sieved occasionally

 

[Chrisreptile]

ill clean it well.

 

[Chrisreptile]

i went to my local bunnings today and couldnt see any river sand.

 

[jonesc1]

its usually in the timber yard area, near the concrete and cement stuff

 

[Chrisreptile]

oh ok thanks

 

[Chrisreptile]

i just looked near the garden section.

 

[junglepython2]

Go to any garden supply store and take a big bag or bucket, they will have several sand types and colours to choose from

 

[Reptilian]

I use towels (like the ones we use to dry ourselves) and people will prolly dis agree with me...I find that its easy to clean, cos all i do is take out the old and have another set to replace it (once a week) with and the old go into a washing machine and its safe...it comes in all colours (red, brown, green, even rainbowed if ya want...lol)... I find it also doesnt look that un attractive...

 

[Chrisreptile]

thats different, but i like it.

 

[Reptilian]

i was originally goin to buy substrate and it was a temporary arrangement, but i found it works well, so i decided to keep it that way...I been doin that way just over a year with absolutely no probs...

 

[Chrisreptile]

they would hide under it too, its just as easy as newspaper but they could hide under it and feel a bit cosier.

 

[Reptilian]

yeah, i havent actually seen em hid in it...my beardies are very ummm people loving/posers...lol but i spose they could...