Wild Crystal substrate

[geckodan]

The difference I am told with the Wild Crystal product is that it doesn't contain marble which is what cause impaction.

If I had a dollar for every safe, digestible substrate that is claimed to "not cause impaction" but then just goes off and does it anyway, I wouldn't have to work. The seller has very carefully worded that section. It does not say it will not cause impaction under the conditions under which impaction often occurs (poor feeding, hunger, dehydration, pica's, parasite infections etc. ). It clearly states that it should not cause impaction under "normal conditions" - a safe word to use. As with any 'digestible' substrate it all a matter of quantity vs ability to digest vs. size of animal vs. health of animal. Stuff up one of these and even fairy floss can cause impactions.

 

[-Peter]

Marble is calcium carbonate.
"Wild Crystal" is advertised as calcium carbonate.
Someone told you something silly Peter.
QUOTE]

No, calcium carbonate is found in marble. Its a component.

 

[jack]

No, calcium carbonate is found in marble. Its a component.

calcium carbonate is a component of marble, just as water is a component of the stuff that comes from the kitchen tap...

i stand by my gross simplification in regards to the chemistry of marble

 

[snakes123]

The man who designed this just dropped in with a duck from a sydney wildlife rescue. We talked and im getting some to try in the bearded dragon enclosure, and some for the shallow end of my geckos enclosure. If your looking thanks.

 

[Renenet]

I'm curious about this stuff - but what do you do with it when you've finished with it?

 

[Bredli_Girl80]

I know it's been a bit since a posting but i just spoke to a guy who bought a 15kg bag for $20 at his pool shop but not sure where he is located

 

[Crystal..Discus]

I'm going to revive this thread for a moment and give a review of Wild Crystal Substrate, after using it in some display enclosures...

Pros
Looks fantastic at night under lighting: the subtle glitter effect adds a nice touch if you're into that type of look. (Pictured below)
Water resistant makes cleaning up a lot easier: Urine sits on top of the substrate, so all you have to do is soak it up with a paper towel.
Different grades means you can get a particular look - fine, medium, and pebble-like
Compatible with all types of heating.
I don't think snake no.3 (a woma python) has had so much fun on a substrate before




Cons
This stuff begins to stink after about three months. And I mean, stink out a room kind of stink: Three animals on the fine grade created a smell akin to three-four days after feeding time. It absorbs smells rather easily, but doesn't dull it in any way.
The colour runs and stains animals, stains clothing, stains skin: See picture below. (Used the same method for cleaning sand substrates I've used in the past.)
Expensive: I purchased three bags at the Ipswich Expo for around $50. That's $100 a year on substrate, roughly $1.90 a week.
$!@# Factor: The fine grade gets. EVERYWHERE. In sliding door tracks, in carpet, on your clothes, in water bowls... and it sticks.
Not all animals enjoy it: My spotted python became agitated after being left on the medium substrate for a week. Changed her back to Kitty Crumble the week after, and she went back to her happy disposition.

View attachment 238867

So, my conclusion is while it looks pretty, and does a great job for a month or two, it's just not great long term.

 

[snakes123]

As ive mentioned earlier in posts the guy who designs/makes this product gave me some to try on my snake, gecko and beardie tank.

I love it, i use the biggest grade on my bredli and it looks really good and holds the poo ontop, rather than sinks right through and goes all through the cage. Ive sprinkeled red and orange, fine grade through my knobbies enclosured and it looks great. I sprinkeled it over the sand to tine it, as the wild crystal will not hold a burrow.

And it looks good on the dregons enclosure.

 

[viciousred]

I think I'll stick with sand and eucy mulch... Looks to artificial for my liking...

 

[hugsta]

Nice to see an honest unbiased and constructive criticism Crystal..Discus. Thanks for sharing your viewpoint.

 

[Spider178]

I have just thrown mine out and gone back to newspaper and Aspen snake bedding. Found that the poo was drying out and getting broken up before I even knew it was there, it would then get dispersed through the enclosure as the snake moved around. To hard to clean out and then started to stink a bit.

 

[Heelssss]

Yeah I've tried this, and it does smell-after a week even when u clean up no.1 & no.2. Looks pretty for a while but is very messy and I'll stick to the kritter crumble

 

[Manda1032]

I'm sceptical, Like some others have said it's a calcium carbonate. I've never known calcite to degrade (I sell gemstones... i know calcite) It's coloured with food colouring so technically the colour will bleed and fade. And in the next sentence they say it doesn't rot... so how can it degrade and pass thru the system? Marble, crushed coral, aragonite and calcite are known as calcium carbonate. It's the Calcium and carbon atoms that vary. I'm also very sceptical of the water repellent parts cause calcium carbonate is porus. But I'm willing to be proved wrong

 

[Renenet]

Is there anyone who's had a good experience with it after using it for a couple of months or more?

 

[mike83]

Any one have issues with it getting in the rails on the enclosures I have 2 beardys that move around alot I used to use sand but always got it suck in the rails of the glass so I switched to kritters crumble but tend to need to change it pretty often to keep it clean.

 

[Crystal..Discus]

Just realized the second picture doesn't work for some people :lol: Man I'm slack.

Anyway, this was one wash....

 

[Bluetongue1]

The Chemistry Behind It
Calcium carbonate is CaCO[SUB]3[/SUB]. When it crystallises, the molecules can arrange themselves in one of several ways – calcite, aragonite and vaterite The resulting crystals have a differing appearance but identical chemical composition. They are different physical forms of the same chemical substance.

Calcium carbonate is the main constituent of the exoskeletons of many, if not most, marine invertebrates. From the microscopic foraminifera to molluscs (sea shells) to massive coral reefs and lots of others in between. Limestone (in all its many forms (excepting dolomite) and chalk are both primarily calcium carbonate.

Crystalline minerals formed by deposition are usually more pure and incorporate very little of other chemical substances. Limestone and chalk rocks can vary more in their purity depending on what they have been formed from initially. Marble is formed from limestone that has recrystallised under intense heat and pressure. Most impurities are excluded in this process but not all, which accounts for the different types and appearance of marble, depending on where it is sourced.

The body produced hydrochloric acid (HCl) in the stomach to activate the digestive enzymes. This acid can also "dissolve" the hard parts of bone because it reacts with calcium carbonate, as follows...
2HCl + CaCO[SUB]3[/SUB] → CaCl[SUB]2[/SUB] + H[SUB]2[/SUB]O + CO[SUB]2[/SUB]
[acid + base → salt + water + carbon dioxide]
Calcium chloride is highly soluble, so what is not absorbed is easily passed through.

While a calcium carbonate substrate is clearly digestible, as GeckoDan pointed out, there are other factors that impact (pardon the pun) on that. How much is ingested in relation to the size of the animal. The state of health of the animal, which will affect, amongst other things, its ability to produce digestive juices such as the acid. The state of hydration of the animal, which will affect lots of things, but in particular the volume of digestive juices it is capable of secreting.

Bottom line, if insufficient acid is released to react with all the substrate ingested, a percentage of it will continue through the digestive tract unchanged. Depending, this has the potential to cause problems.

I must say it sounds like something has been added to the surface of the crystals to make them hydrophobic (water repellant).

Blue

PS Jack was correct!

 

[Manda1032]

I must say it sounds like something has been added to the surface of the crystals to make them hydrophobic (water repellant).

Blue

Agreed, but they don't specify which is kinda scary

 

[Crystal..Discus]

Blue, I'm going to agree. Without getting into too much detail, after a second wash and dry the substrate is no longer hydrophobic, and left a greasy feeling on my hands. I'll be doing a few more tests on it before throwing it out...

:|

Edit: the second batch came out fine after being washed with just water.

 

[Renenet]

That's a bit of a worry. I was going to try some of this stuff out, but now I'm not so sure. I use butcher's paper instead of newspaper because I'm concerned about what might be in the ink. If there's something added to the Wild Crystal, I wouldn't want to use that either unless it turns out to be a harmless substance. I wonder if the Wild Crystal person/people would like to respond to Crystal Discus's review and clarify what's added to the substrate while they're at it?