Substrate question? What is safe?

[user 30368]

I'll get to the point - what substrate it safe for baby bearded dragons ? (Pogona minor minor).
I have been told simple white sand pit sand from bunnings. But wont they eat it when they lick up the crickets??

Or shall i just use plain kitchen paper towels?

 

[Sinners121]

i use red desert sand wetted and dried thoroughly so it becomes extremely hard makes it practically impossible to swallow and mine are thriving.

 

[Mavrick]

Any small, granular substrate will likely be consumed in very minor quantities, especially if it's wet as it will stick to food. By using something organic, you can reduce the chance of impaction. I use ESU Reptile Desert Blend which is ground English Walnut shells in a thick layer over the top of sandpit sand. I have had my beardie in there since he was very young, and he has had no impaction issues. I have not used any larger grained substrates and cannot offer advice on those, but really do recommend going the organic way, to take a portion off your mind as it has my own.

 

[Icarus]

Any small, granular substrate will likely be consumed in very minor quantities, especially if it's wet as it will stick to food. By using something organic, you can reduce the chance of impaction. I use ESU Reptile Desert Blend which is ground English Walnut shells in a thick layer over the top of sandpit sand. I have had my beardie in there since he was very young, and he has had no impaction issues. I have not used any larger grained substrates and cannot offer advice on those, but really do recommend going the organic way, to take a portion off your mind as it has my own.

i use ground walnut shells but when i said that recently on another post people told me that it is the worst thing you can have your dragons on! now i don't know what to think.

 

[user 30368]

i use ground walnut shells but when i said that recently on another post people told me that it is the worst thing you can have your dragons on! now i don't know what to think.

i have heard many horror stories over the wallnut shells. I use it as substrate for my snakes, but they eat out side of the cage so i dont worry about them eating it. As for lizards, i saw an autopsy on what it can do to them. And i am too scared to use it for them.
For now, i have desided to use paper towels until they are older.
I guess at the end of the day, we just need to pick something we think is safe and go with it. I dont think anyone really knows whats best.
I'm thinking the fake lawn might be good?

 

[Revell13]

I use sand then a thick layer of zoo-med reptibark, seams to work well for my critters.

 

[notechistiger]

It seems that as long as you have a hot spot so the animal is capable of digesting properly, then impaction with sand is very rarely an issue. Whether you believe all the sky is falling people that everything but newspaper in your enclosure is dangerous, it's up to you hehe.

 

[Jeannine]

you could always feed your dragons outside of the enclosure in a click clack especially when your feeding live food also if the grains are fine enough it shouldnt worry them after all they should be eating the salad out of a bowl or something

 

[Megzz]

Or shall i just use plain kitchen paper towels?

Sounds boring but thats what I ended up doing. Easiest for cleaning and its safe.
Not that I had any problems when I kept them on sand - I just changed for the ease of cleaning more than anything.

 

[Jarrod_H]

I use to used paper towels then newspaper and I was forever taking all the stuff out go the enclosure just to change the paper then I tried sand and that lasted a day or two coz of the mess they would make so I went to good ol bunnings and got some floor Lino, SO Easy co clean! Love it