Question on substrate

[Twin_Rivers]

I have a what is probably a very dumb question , but better to ask and know rather then not know and give the wrong advice to someone else.
A recent thread on Bearded Dragon enclosures a member was recomending to use tiles or carpet as substrate, and that sand especially calcium sand was bad. I did pose the question after this comment however the post was bumped to far down the list and was missed being answered.
Is this a common thought on sand and calcium sand as a substrate, i just want to know why it is bad? I am shortly to be setting up an enclosure for, i hope, a jacky lizard or similar.
Is sand bad for all lizards? Or just breaded dragons or all dragons?
What sabstrates are recommended for 'natural' looking enclosures other then sand?
Cheers,
Phil

 

[Dave]

I have a what is probably a very dumb question , but better to ask and know rather then not know and give the wrong advice to someone else.
A recent thread on Bearded Dragon enclosures a member was recomending to use tiles or carpet as substrate, and that sand especially calcium sand was bad. I did pose the question after this comment however the post was bumped to far down the list and was missed being answered.
Is this a common thought on sand and calcium sand as a substrate, i just want to know why it is bad? I am shortly to be setting up an enclosure for, i hope, a jacky lizard or similar.
Is sand bad for all lizards? Or just breaded dragons or all dragons?
What sabstrates are recommended for 'natural' looking enclosures other then sand?
Cheers,
Phil

Go put water in a bag of calcium sand. It will thicken like cement and that is what happens in Bearded Dragons stomachs. Causing impaction and/or death. The "Playsand" from bunnings etc is fine for adult bearded dragons. But Juvi/hatchling bearded dragons have a kink in there digestive system and can get impacted by the sand easy. Dragons like to test things by licking there surroundings and can miss food and get a heap of sand in there digestive system etc. I'm not sure about other dragons though.

 

[notechistiger]

Calcium sand clumps together when wet with water. You'd think that it would do so in a dragon's stomach, however, a dragon's stomach doesn't contain water (it contains acids), so I don't know how it will react. I have used calcium sand for my snakes, but not my dragon.

Dragons are curious, and many will taste their enclosure, or try to eat anything that catches their eye. Also, sometimes dragons (and other kinds of lizards) will eat sand while catching their insects. In my opinion, any kind of moveable substrate (such as sand, pellets, etc.) is bad for dragons. I use newspaper, and will continue to do so.

You can still make an enclosure look natural whilst using newspaper. Just use big rocks, logs and branches. It just won't look as good as sand.

 

[Twin_Rivers]

Even the highly soluable calcium carbonate products, especially designed for lizards to be digestable or are these products only suitable for certain species, sorry to be asking so many questions just wish to get things right.
Thanks

 

[Dave]

Even the highly soluable calcium carbonate products, especially designed for lizards to be digestable or are these products only suitable for certain species, sorry to be asking so many questions just wish to get things right.
Thanks

Trust me they can't digest it. It says on the packet but it isn't true.. I'd suggest you look at www.beardeddragon.org articles under impaction and you can see photos of the sand in there digestive system.

 

[notechistiger]

If you really want to find out, do some research and see what's in their stomachs. If you have access to the acids, you could make it then stick on some calcium sand and see what happens.

However, I think that if the sand was so bad, then the companies that produce the sand (such as T-Rex) would have been sued for false advertising, etc. As anyone heard of any lawsuits against them?

 

[JasonL]

Half sized to adult Jackies will be fine on Washed Sand (Play Sand), Tiles are good as they will wear down their nails. Insects will hide under loose substrates like newspaper and paper cat litter (unless you want to use a feeding tub). There is no need to use Cal sand, a; substrates need to be replaced often, and it will be very costly replacing Cal. sand every couple of weeks, and b; impaction problems, which also occur in other clumping sands like brickies sand.

 

[Twin_Rivers]

Cool thanks for the advice, i don't think i will be using with lizards, of any sorts. Is there any other options for more natural looking substrates for juvenile lizards, and when you say tiles do you mean ordinary terracotta and ceramic tiles, not some specific reptile tile?
I apologise for asking questions you have probably all answered a hundred times.
Thanks
Phil

 

[Gavin]

All substrates have their ups and downs.