gecko substrate

[5potted]

I bought some substrate today from the pet store for my geckos to be (levis)... it's not sand its pretty much just red dirt. Can I sift it, put it through the oven to kill bacteria and use it as a substrate or does it have to be sand?

Thanks

 

[Brettix]

It would be ok to use without baking it first ,if it came from the pet shop it would have been cleaned ect.
I use washed bags of beach sand,about $6 for 10kg from bunnings or local sand yard.

 

[5potted]

great i'll use the dirt until it needs to be changed then change over to sand.