They do benefit from having a substrate to dig in, it provides both physical and mental stimulation, keeps their nails trimmed and allows them to satisfy their natural digging instincts and bury themselves if they want to. As long as you keep it clean, sifted and washed playsand is fine. When i used sand i tried to change the entire load in the tank once a month so that i could take it all out and clean everything inside but that is a rule for any substrate; nomatter how often you spot clean you have to give it a thorough clean routinely. I liked using a mix of sand and bark chips/leaves, gave them lots of different textures to crawl through. These days i use rice husks and wood chips with varnished wood furniture instead, but that's just my personal preference
He's a cute little guy, good luck with him!
Here's a great guide for figuring out what foods are good for your dragon and what should be avoided, i hope it helps!
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