Best substrate and disinfectant?

[poppy conboy]

Just wondered if anyone could tell me what the most suitable substrate is for my beardie, she's about 2 years old. Currently has laminate tiles down as is easy to clean, however the vet told me the other day that there not the best..... She's has chips before but was always a pain when she did a poo!!

Also she has "deep clean" disinfectant at the moment, but wondered if this is good enough or if there is better ones out there?

Cheers

 

[poppy conboy]

Also I don't really want sand cause heard bad things about it

 

[PatsyB]

I just recently switched to unsealed ceramic tile and I am kicking myself for not doing it sooner. So easy to clean, just pop the dirty tile out. The best part is my little guy runs around so much that his nails are filed down. The tile also holds heat so they have a nice warm place to lay.

I spot clean the tiles as needed and once a week I take them out and clean the tank down with good old fashioned vinegar and water. Spray with the vinegar water mix, wipe down, spray with plain water, wipe down boom, all clean! I have frogs and so I don't like to use a lot of harsh cleaners in my house so I use the vinegar water mix to clean almost everything.

 

[babyb]

Will the vinegar mix get the hard water marks and the hazy spots off? I also have that problem. I have mine in a fish tank and from when there was water it got all nasty from the water and I have SCRUBBED and it wont come off

 

[PatsyB]

Yes vinegar should help with the water stains. I have a betta fish that I don't really take care of as well as I should and so his water bowl will get that white water line around it from the water evaporating. I clean it with vinegar and it gets it off, I still have to scrub it a bit but it works. Just make sure you rinse real good before putting the fish back in.

 

[beardieX0]

If you like sand better there is a sand that is made out of nuts so it can be digested

 

[beardieX0]

I use vinegar also. The digestible sand is easy to clean the poop out with a substrate scooper. It has the holes in it so if you pick up the poop the sand falls through and the poop stays on it

 

[Heather1979]

I use Aspen and never had a problem , if they digest it it will pass through . I like to have a loose substrate as both my beardies like to dig a little and at night Rupert often buries his head my local pet shop has used it forever with no complications as a result.

 

[stumpylump86]

I use aspen for my cornsnake and corn cob for my beardie (and some sort of wood chippings for the gecko and some special soil stuff for the tarantulas). Mine loves to dig too. Might look into aspen for her then I can just buy it in bulk as it costs a small fortune on deep clean day!

 

[Heather1979]

I do like aspen and it's not cheap.

 

[Noella]

I use paper towels and shelf liner. Planning on getting some slate tile for her to use to file her nails. Her nails are clear and are hard to see sometimes.

 

[Noella]

Also use boiling hot water for cleaning. (I stopped using vinegar in the tank.) I feel boiling hot water kills all the baddies. Like when you boil water out in the woods to get rid of the baddies.

 

[tcruz]

I've been using the reptile carpet and it is a real pain to clean every night. Where would I get slate tile and how could I get it to fit the enclosure perfectly?

 

[PatsyB]

I've been using the reptile carpet and it is a real pain to clean every night. Where would I get slate tile and how could I get it to fit the enclosure perfectly?

You can get the tile at any home improvement store. If you measure the inside of your tank you can probably have them cut them to size for you.

 

[tcruz]

I think that's what I will do. Any advice as to what type of slate or tile is best? And I would assume it should fit flush against the sides of the tank so crickets don't try to hide down there.

 

[PatsyB]

Having the tile fit flush is a good idea. I use unsealed ceramic tile and I have some gaps in places where sometimes I will find a super that got away.

 

[VINCENT3113]

Please do not use crushed wall nut shell as its on the dangerous list of substrate along with vita sand, calci sand (same thing). Not totally sure about aspen but I would say the Sandinista chips over the thicker aspen shavings as it may harm BDs insides. Hope this helps

 

[tcruz]

I appreciate the input. I guess Reggie is getting some slate soon.

 

[jarich]

I would recommend staying away from any type of wood chips, corn cob, or walnut shell. While it may pass through undigested (none of these are digestible by the way), it also has the potential to be very dehydrating and damaging to soft internal membranes. While its not always a problem, it also isnt of any benefit over other substrates so doesnt seem worth the potential risks. If you want to keep the loose substrate for digging, go with a natural approach and use bioactive soil. This takes away the risks associated with those other loose substrates and still allows for natural behaviours like digging and moisture retention.