How Big Before Sand?

[Exile Skimmer]

I want to add sand to 1 side of my tank and tile to the rest and wanted to know how big my dragon needs to be before i add sand and it be safe...

 

[Bill]

40 inches

 

[Exile Skimmer]

bearded dragon needs to be 40 inches long?

 

[Bill]

yep sand is bad

 

[Exile Skimmer]

what do you use tile?

 

[Brett]

yes tile or papertowls.

 

[Missy]

I heard at least 12 inches long. And/or a year old. Right now, I have Vivarim Reptile carpeting in our tank. I may just keep it this way. MUCH faster, and easier to clean. And the carpeting is washable.

 

[Dragonsx6]

I wouldnt use sand. We used to have sand in our vivs until one of our girls was digging constantly after laying her first clutch of eggs. She was digging in the sand so much that she lost a finger off one of her hands and the rest of her fingers are stumps. We now use Porridge Oats in our vivs. It's easily digestible if they eat it, and easily cleaned if they poop in it, and it doeasn smell the way the sand does if pooped on.
This was recommended to us by a fellow dragon enthusiast and the breader he uses.

 

[joshjack90]

i use sand in my beardie cage, but i also clean her poop out every time i see it and i completely do a sand change every few months. I would wait untill about 12-15 inches to put them on sand. It would be better to put them on it when fully grown about 16-20 inches for most dragons i think. Also NEVER feed them in their tanks if they are on sand. Get a separate feeding bin to feed them in

Most people say no to sand, but i dont see the big problem.. My dragon never eats it?! she is well fed. Also I think sand gives the cage a nice, and more natural look! And its alot easier to clean, you just scoop the poop and all the sand around it and throw it away. Tile the urine soaks into it and it stains ant i just dont like dealing with it.. Also the sand gives your beardie something to dig in, why would you take away something that they love doing?

 

[Bill]

I think the big concern is impaction dragons have a habit of tasting everything and will ingest sand there are some xrays on hear of a dragon living on sand that died of impaction and you can see all the sand inside of him.so it becomes more of a why take the risk when there are better alternatives like tile but if you use tile you need to seal it. If your looking for a natural look use dirt, clay and gravel pack it down hard then you will have there natural habitat like where they come from.

 

[Eric sachranienkow]

i used to use sand. then we read and read, and changed to walnut shells, first thing.. shells can be digested, about sand though, we all know if you have wet sand its mud, if bd's lick it, it can turn to mud and stick in their mouth and also get swallowed and get impaction, i now prefer to use something that can be digested OR something they cant eat at all. my very second dragon, would stick its head in the sand and we couldnt really see the head, so we usaully moved him/her around alot. i dont like sand, and i wouldnt ever use it again!

 

[lisa foster]

You should not use any loose sustrate at all. I use the vinyl stick down tiles and they are a breeze to clean.

 

[Exile Skimmer]

idk what to believe b/c in the wild they are always in sand and if sand was that bad for them how do they survive in the wild..........

 

[Missy]

idk what to believe b/c in the wild they are always in sand and if sand was that bad for them how do they survive in the wild..........

Exile makes a great point there.. Then again, maybe it's due to the fact that those that we have as pets were domesticated from the start and never had to fend and learn to be on their own in the wild.

 

[Bill]

Exile makes a great point there.. Then again, maybe it's due to the fact that those that we have as pets were domesticated from the start and never had to fend and learn to be on their own in the wild.

The problem is they don't live on sand in the wild

 

[lisa foster]

^^^ exactly Bill.

 

[Brett]

In the wild they live on hard compacted soil or clay not sand like most believe.

 

[joshjack90]

I have heard from people that have lived in Australia that they also tend to be a bit like pigeons in the UK ( everywhere) and in live in peoples back yards. A freind of mine who moved out there said when ever she goes out to her garden there are the odd few looking for food, suppose it depends on where she lived but i know its not in a town its on the outskirts. Which means no they dont live on a sandy desert like people assume

I so wish i could walk out in my yard everyday and find wild beardies.. is it just me or does EVERYONE on here wish that?!?!?!

 

[joshjack90]

haha yeah, the

Josh lol think most of us would love a yard full of beardies or any other rep for that matter. We get the odd frog or toad and get excited haha

best thing i have forund in my yard was a 3foot garder snake and also many babies about 8 inches or so

 

[Exile Skimmer]

ooooo now that makes more since b/c i have always believed they lived on sand and the pictures it looks like sand but now that you say its compacted soil that makes more since.......