Substrate recommendations for a leopard gecko

norea

norea

New member
hello all im new here... and i am keen to learn more about geckos...

i need help trying to revamp my gecko home...

anyway i have some doubts... attach here is a picture of what i am using for my substrate... the seller told me its coco peat but now im not very convinced... i am also wondering whether that is safe for my gecko... earlier today i saw a small fiber/thread about 2 mm long stuck on my geckos eye and this has started to worry me abit... let alone fear of them getting impaction!
 

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acpart

Well-known member
I don't know what kind of gecko you have. I use ceramic tile for my leopard geckos and coco fiber for most of my other geckos. I have found that some coco fiber has been ground fine so it looks like dirt and some is in chunks. The picture of what you have looks like the chunks and I think the more finely ground kind would be better.

Aliza
 
J

Jasonp85

New member
Personaly I use a carpet u can buy it omline feom ten to thirty $ but I went to home depot and bought mime I was extrwamly carefull to pick ou tho' one that wouldnt fray or could be bit and swallowed I payed about 10-11$ for a 3x6' pice and cut it to size
 
norea

norea

New member
acpart said:
I don't know what kind of gecko you have. I use ceramic tile for my leopard geckos and coco fiber for most of my other geckos. I have found that some coco fiber has been ground fine so it looks like dirt and some is in chunks. The picture of what you have looks like the chunks and I think the more finely ground kind would be better.

Aliza
Click to expand...

i think the finer it is the more easily eaten by ur gecko...same goes to sand??? im worry of my gecko getting impaction... i have a leo gecko...
 
J

Jasonp85

New member
You can gently feel its sides to see if it is or not if it is u can give it mineral oil to help it pass it or take it to a vet vets for reptiles can be expencive though b/c,there specialest
 
Ozymandias

Ozymandias

New member
norea said:
i think the finer it is the more easily eaten by ur gecko...same goes to sand??? im worry of my gecko getting impaction... i have a leo gecko...
Click to expand...

if you have a leopard gecko i wouldn't use that stuff at all it hold to much moisture, slate or ceramic tile is a better substrate.
 
Riverside Reptiles

Riverside Reptiles

Administrator (HMFIC)
If it worries you, try something different. For a leo, that's not the best of substrates. Carpet has some big draw backs, mainly geckos teeth and claws tend to get caught in it. Also, it harbors a lot of bacteria. If you look in the leopard gecko forum, there is a HUGE thread stickied to the top that has pages and pages of people opinions on substrates. I suggest reading it. The bottom line is that there is no single perfect substrate. The best thing that you can do is read and educate yourself as to the various choices and then decide for yourself what is best for you and your pet.
 
norea

norea

New member
im using that in my moist hide box now and every now and then my gecko relaxes there :) hoping i can use that for breeding in the future too...
 
norea

norea

New member
acpart said:
I don't know what kind of gecko you have. I use ceramic tile for my leopard geckos and coco fiber for most of my other geckos. I have found that some coco fiber has been ground fine so it looks like dirt and some is in chunks. The picture of what you have looks like the chunks and I think the more finely ground kind would be better.

Aliza
Click to expand...

lol if u even care to read the damn topic :crackup:
 
Elizabeth Freer

Elizabeth Freer

Well-known member
norea said:
i think the finer it is the more easily eaten by ur gecko...same goes to sand??? im worry of my gecko getting impaction... i have a leo gecko...
Click to expand...

Has your leo ingested some substrate?

Sometimes leos eat sand if they are looking for calcium. Other times it is a mouthful in a dive for a cricket.

For sand, it is often what it is made from. For example, silica sand with its pointy crystals accumulates in the guts to cause impaction. That is the type of sand sold by Home Depot and even the fine beach sand right near my home.

On the other hand, quartz-based sand (smooth granules) is less likely to cause impactions. However, one of my geckos even prolapsed on quartz-based sand. It was not a pretty sight, but the ER vet was able to reinsert the tissues. With careful aftercare, she recovered and is doing fine 5 or so years later :D.

Best thing is to check out any potential sand substrate under a microscope.

Best to use a feeding dish for containing the prey. That way the dive for crickets on the substrate is eliminated.
 
D

Dsaberton

New member
i have been keeping leopard geckos for 9 years in play sand. I also silicone in a small divider which allows me to dedicate about 1/5 of the tank to coconut fiber which i try to continuously keep moist. i also put a heat pad under the glass where the fiber is to keep it warm. the geckos absolutely love this. peat moss or top soil will work too, but I like the coconut fiber because it looks best, and i'm not growing any plants in it. It helps them shed a lot, especially their feet, which is a common problem for leopard geckos. The moist coconut fiber is also ideal for egg laying.
 
Elizabeth Freer

Elizabeth Freer

Well-known member
Holly12 said:
When I use to have my leos I use reptile carpet it is more safe then anything eles.
Click to expand...

Reptile carpet harbors bacteria from poop. Leos can also get their teeth and claws stuck in it, especially if one does not use a feeding dish :(.

(GU has an exhaustive sticky on this subject. You can find that right at the top of the leo subforum.)
 
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