zoomed Zoo Med XR-10 Excavator Clay Substrate, 4.5 Kg

Product Information

Important: Reptile carpets are specialized equipment and are NOT the same thing as regular “human” carpets or astroturf. Do not use any of these in your terrarium. 4. Large River Pebbles (over 2 cm / ~0,8″)

On the other hand, paper towels look completely unnatural; they will prevent leos from expressing their natural digging behavior, and they do not provide a good grip for adult individuals. The one thing I would not recommend in any case is using perfumed paper towels. Always go for the ones that are the lowest in chemicals. Naturally bleached (or unbleached) non-perfumed varieties are the best. This is why, when we were deciding on what type of substrate to use, we first looked to bearded dragons in the wild for clues. Who should you trust when it comes to the kind of substrate to use? We think that looking at Mother Nature and thousands of years of evolution is a great place to start!

Reason #4 Zoo Med Excavator Clay 20lb Can Hold Its Shape

It’s also very important when and if your dragon brumates (see our complete brumation guide here ). When they brumate, they do it for anywhere from several weeks to several months. Ideally, the sand should be fine or at least a type of sand that does not contain calcium. Other types of sand can be too rough for your blue tongue skink. The ratio is 50:50. Pros The second purpose of the substrate is to give us, as owners, a way to provide a clean and sanitary environment for our pets. In the wild, they can simply poop and move on. They cannot do this in our vivariums.

You simply take up the sheet and either clean or replace it with a fresh one , it’s as simple as that. It comes in a roll that you can then cut to the exact size of your terrarium. It also looks and feels like your bearded dragon’s natural habitat and once you add in your other tank decor it makes for an amazingly authentic look that your beardie will love and connect with. Tile is also the easiest to clean of all of your substrate options. This is a big part of the reason it is such a popular choice for owners. Remember to disinfect, not just wipe, as eliminating bacteria is vital to the health of your bearded dragon.As cool as excavator clay is, we chose not to use it at this time (although we may give it a go down the road). There are a couple of reasons for this.

Lastly, and this was the reason we didn’t choose to use tile, your bearded dragon cannot dig or burrow in tile. We feel strongly enough about this that we immediately eliminated anything our little Bacardi couldn’t dig in. This might not be a deal-breaker for you (and it certainly isn’t for many), but it is for us.

Unsafe Leopard Gecko Substrates

Old newspapers are an even cheaper option than paper towels with many upsides. The paper is usually very absorbent. Also, you are recycling/repurposing, so if you are worried about your environmental impact, newspaper is better than paper towels. There are a couple of cons with this substrate though. It takes a lot of cleaning and scrubbing to get 100% clean and it might often be better to put in a whole new piece once it gets dirty. Reptile carpet is a popular substrate choice as it is soft, does not create dust, and provides a natural look. It’s also easy to clean, as you can remove it and wash it. We feel that this will give our bearded dragon the best possible substrate to live on. We realize that this isn’t what most will be able to do, but we are going to have fun with it! Conclusion Other studies have found that healthy bearded dragons (juveniles and above in age) tended not to eat the substrate at all. Those that did passed smaller bits with no incidence.

Always leave the newspaper to dry for a week or longer. Although the ink used for printing newspapers these days is non-toxic, you should err on the safe side. Also, drying partially resolves the problem of the specific newspaper smell. If you go this route, get two or more pieces and change them out whenever soiled so you can fully clean the dirty one. We just don’t trust loose particle substrate because of the health concerns they can pose and carpet or tiles obviously don’t give you the features that the clay does when it comes to digging.We would use this option if it wasn’t for one small detail. Our beardie still can’t dig or burrow in it. Our goal is to provide a home to our beardie that allows her to act on all of her natural instincts.