Hey :D (Substrate Question)

[Chubbyb]

Hey guys I have a question my beardie is starting to dig at the paper towel i put in her tank then hiding under it.. Should I change the substrate to repti carpet or put something she can dig in?

 

[Mungi's Buddha]

Bearded dragons love to dig...it's a natural behavior in them. As far as changing to a different substrate goes there are plenty of safe alternatives you can use instead of paper towels. Those include things like slate or textured tiles like used in a home or ReptiCarpet...there are others.
The one thing that you do not want to do is use a particulate substrate with a baby or juvenile beardie under 10 inches in length from snout tip to tail tip as it poses a higher risk of ingestion which could prove harmful to your dragon.
Once they are of appropriate size then if you want to use a particulate substrate the Washed, Screened Childrens Playsand like can be found at places like Lowes or Home Depot is a populer and safe alternative. Personally I.only use the Quikrete Premium Washed Screened Childrens Playsand found at Lowes as I have found it to be cleanest and best texture of any I.have used.
Again let me state...it is Only recommended for beardies over 10 inches long snout tip to tail tip.
Most of the other substrates that you will find in the petstores are not safe eventhough they say they are. CalciSand and Walnut shell are ones to stay well clear of because they pose serious risk.of impaction which can kill your dragon.U

Until they are big enough I would use slate tiles which.are not only safe but cheap and easy to clean
Hope that help!

 

[Chubbyb]

okay thank you the paper towels were getting very annoying especially with crickets because they would hide under it and i would have to constantly pick them out from under the paper

 

[Pat B]

I used slate tile for a long time but changed to sand when my Spike was older and bigger. He loves it....and I have always felt that sand substrate was more like a beardies natural habitat.

 

[Chubbyb]

i dont know yet because Nyla is about 9.5 inches long right now so i don't wanna use tile because of the way she jumps around. I don't know if any of your dragons do this but mine she gets on top of the basking log i put in her tank and jumps into the glass (which, i have no idea if this is normal) and then I dont want to get sand because of all of the sand impaction. Maybe repti carpet for now lol

 

[Germ]

The risks of Impaction from Strained Children's Washed Play Sand is almost non existent with a well hydrated, appropriate sized BD that is being kept with proper husbandry. All the Hype about Play Sand impactions are 'Myth', confusion with Calci-Sand & other particle substrates or improper husbandry. Now if you use sand with larger pebbles, stones or gravel, that is not the Sand's fault, that is just Plain "Poor Husbandry". I have been using Children's Washed Play Sand for all my BDs 10+" for over 10 years with no issues & have not seen any documented impactions that were proven to be caused by Play Sand.

What you use is up to you, but let's not spread personal preference & this Myth, as fact, here.

Yes Young BDs definitely are proficient jumpers, there is no doubt about that & have a difficult time understanding the concept of Glass. Sometimes I swear they think that they can fly & think nothing of taking that 5+ foot jump from the shoulder to the floor.

 

[Chubbyb]

ookay thanks

 

[Chubbyb]

sorry for double post but this is what you get correct just want to make sure http://www.homedepot.com/h_d1/N-5yc...d=Washed+Play+Sand&storeId=10051#.UE6UPrJlRTU

 

[Germ]

That would be it, that is the Brand that Mungi's Buddha swears by, I am not that particular, provided that it is washed by the manufacturer & strained by the keeper prior to being used. The same Brand name source is always different in different parts of the country, so the quality will vary by geographical location.

 

[Mungi's Buddha]

Agreed...Washed Strained Children's Playsand is what I have used for a long time and not just with Mungi but with other's of our Reptile family members.
I do stipulate that I prefer Quikrete Premium Washed Children's PlaySand and that I buy it almost exclusively from the Lowe's here in our area. It is available at Home Depot also and other sources but the reason I buy the stuff at our Lowes is because I have found that their source provides the cleanest and nicest texture of all that I have found locally.
Germ is exactly correct in that different stores sell the same brand but that it doesnt necessarily come from the same quarry so it pays to do a little investigation to find out who in your area has the nicest playsand.
I would also recommend only purchasing the bags that they keep stored inside instead of the ones they stick outside..again the inside ones are generally cleaner.

 

[Chubbyb]

ok one more question i want to mount a uvb 10.0 in the tank where can i buy a fixture inexpensive fixture

 

[Germ]

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0..._m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=0KVK8XGDAGKS4493GQVP

 

[Mungi's Buddha]

@Chubbyb...You can find inexpensive under the counter fixtures at Lowes and Home Depot for sure. Just make sure that you purchase the T8 fixtures and not the T5 ones as that is what your UV bulb most likely requires. Unless you happen to be using the Arcadia bulbs which I read use a T5 fixture.
The T8 ones start at about 11 bucks and change at Lowes and go up depending on the size you want. Much cheaper than the PetShop prices.
Just be sure that if there is a clear plastic cover over the bulb on the fixture to discard that because otherwise it will render your UV bulb useless;-)