Sand Dilemma

blazingecko11

blazingecko11

New member
So I was told a numerous of times not to use sand for my geckos because of the risk of impaction and possible dehydration. But I was also told that sand was okay if husbandry was done properly and well maintained. The reason why I'm posting this is because I think sand would look very natural and stunning in a leopard gecko's vivarium, if the gecko was only being a pet and not for breeding. My male leopard gecko who is 5 months old and 7.5 inches long is very healthy and has an extreme appetite for mealworms, crickets, and superworms. He's always been on paper towel. Is there any possible way to have him on sand without the risk of impaction? Ive had quite the experience with these animals just havent really done much with substrate changes. So if there is any way its possible please let me know, if not than I will continue to keep him on paper towel. Thanks for the feed back:D
 
Conched

Conched

New member
One thing you have to remember about sand it that you have to replace all of it on at least on a monthly basis. Since you are currently using paper towels I think you will understand this concept.
 
Mardy

Mardy

New member
Unfortunately it's not possible to have a gecko on sand without the risk of impaction. When you use sand, impaction is always on your mind. When your gecko stops eating, you worry about it being impacted. When your gecko not acting well, you worry about the gecko being impacted. When your gecko stops going to the bathroom, you worry about the gecko being impacted.

While there have been plenty of people that have kept their leopard geckos on sand successfully, there have been just as many if not more that have had their gecko impacted. You as the owner have the responsibility to make that choice for your beloved pet. I won't tell you what you can't use. But personally I wouldn't risk it.

Leopard geckos are actually arid creatures, contrary to popular belief they do not live in sand in the wild. They live in burrows and rock crevices. So if you want natural, buy some slate/ceramic tiles to go in your terrarium. You can create some really nice looking tanks using tiles as tiles come in different colors and designs. Just make sure don't buy glossed tiles as they're too smooth for your gecko to gain traction.
 
blazingecko11

blazingecko11

New member
Alright man I totally understand your response. I actually went through a phase of being worried about impaction with another gecko on sand a while back. It was constantly on my mind.. it drove me crazy. But honestly I think im going to keep the big guy on paper towels because I really dont want to risk him getting sick or impacted.
 
A

acpart

Well-known member
Yes, it's true that there's no way to completely eliminate the danger of impaction but here are 2 other possibilities that will also look good:
--ceramic tile, especially if you get the slightly textured beige tiles
--bioactive substrate (I use coco fiber with a small amount of desert sand mixed in and some leaf litter in the one enclosure that's set up this way --the others have ceramic tile). I also have dermastid beetles and their larvae in there and they clean up the poop so I don't have to clean the cage. There are also some superworm beetles (and hopefully some baby superworms) in there. The beetles look really cool trundling around and don't bother the geckos.

Aliza
 
Elizabeth Freer

Elizabeth Freer

Well-known member
blazingecko11 said:
So I was told a numerous of times not to use sand for my geckos because of the risk of impaction and possible dehydration. But I was also told that sand was okay if husbandry was done properly and well maintained. The reason why I'm posting this is because I think sand would look very natural and stunning in a leopard gecko's vivarium, if the gecko was only being a pet and not for breeding. My male leopard gecko who is 5 months old and 7.5 inches long is very healthy and has an extreme appetite for mealworms, crickets, and superworms. He's always been on paper towel. Is there any possible way to have him on sand without the risk of impaction? Ive had quite the experience with these animals just havent really done much with substrate changes. So if there is any way its possible please let me know, if not than I will continue to keep him on paper towel. Thanks for the feed back:D
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Hey blazingecko11,

You've done a great job with this leo :yahoo:. Why risk it? ANY particulate substrate carries risk of impaction, especially if you are feeding free-range.

Consider textured tiles as a substrate. They transfer heat well from an UTH, look good, are permanent, and can easily be cleaned. The only benefit missing is digging.

How about sharing a picture of him?

blazingecko11 said:
Alright man I totally understand your response. I actually went through a phase of being worried about impaction with another gecko on sand a while back. It was constantly on my mind.. it drove me crazy. But honestly I think im going to keep the big guy on paper towels because I really dont want to risk him getting sick or impacted.
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:cheer: :banana: :cheer:
 
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Conched

Conched

New member
It is hard for me to get past the unsanitary conditions of using sand, much less the chances of impaction. Combine the two and you have a real nasty situation. Allow me to elaborate.

When a leo poops there is a small amount of liquid that comes out. While you may be successful at removing all of the larger pieces of excrement the some of the watery part still remains and simply drys up with the sand. Multiply this over a few months and you end up with what is basically sand with allot of dried urine in it.

Now you know that the leo is ingesting some of this sand during feeding time. The leo is now ingesting sand with urine. I don't know about you but, I would not want to be sitting around risking possible sand impaction with urine soaked sand.

In my observation sand is basically double jeopardy.

Regrettably, I suspect most people don't change out the sand with enough frequency. Likely because it is a real pain in the butt to empty out an enclosure with what could be several pounds of sand(depending on size of enclosure).

Risk of impaction with sand = bad

Risk of impaction with urine stained sand = worse

I have used sand as a substrate in the past housing Euro's and was never happy with it.

Just my 2 cents.
 
Mardy

Mardy

New member
^ It's kind of like making a cat live on cat litter.. even if you scoop them out regularly, it's still not very sanitary.
 
Muffins94

Muffins94

New member
I have to agree with using something different than sand. When I got my gecko I used reptile carpet until my gecko was about 8 months old, then I decided to try sand. While I changed it out fully every month, I still found that it wasn't that easy to keep clean. Yes you could scoop the bigger portions out, it still had some that leaked through into bottom layers. Also I feared for impaction so I switched back to reptile carpet. Now I am using tile and I absolutely LOVE IT!! It looks so nice and heats up very well. My geckos even seem to like it, they are out more than before and love laying their belly on the warm tile. I give it and A+ for safety and an A+ for looks.
 
blazingecko11

blazingecko11

New member
20 long Elizabeth. I mean I feed him almost ever day so he could of grown faster than normal. Im not really sure.
 
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Elizabeth Freer

Elizabeth Freer

Well-known member
blazingecko11 said:
almost 9 inches long at 4 months. literally I bought him at 3 inches long, practically hatchling size. hes a big boy
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blazingecko11 said:
20 long Elizabeth. I mean I feed him almost ever day so he could of grown faster than normal. Im not really sure.
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If this growth rate continues, he's going to be B-I-G :).

Recently cricket4u has suggested a minimum tank length for an adult leo which exceeds my former recommendation of a 20 gallon LONG (30 x 12.5 x 12.5 inches). She suggests 4 inches of tank length for every inch of leo. So for a 9 inch leo that = 36 inches long. Thing is your leo is already nearly 9 inches total length (?) at only 4 months old. For sure, he's not fully grown.

Any idea whether he has giant genes?

How about feeding him 3x per week now?
 
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blazingecko11

blazingecko11

New member
I think I have a 40 gallon long in my garage ill have to fully clean out, I mean could I gently peal off the heat pad i have and put it on the bigger tank? its for tank sizes 30-40 gallons and if its still really sticky im sure it will work and be reusable.
 
Elizabeth Freer

Elizabeth Freer

Well-known member
blazingecko11 said:
I think I have a 40 gallon long in my garage ill have to fully clean out, I mean could I gently peal off the heat pad i have and put it on the bigger tank? its for tank sizes 30-40 gallons and if its still really sticky im sure it will work and be reusable.
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BTW, what is this leo's name? I surely wish him to achieve his full potential growth. And I appreciate your updates :).

This 40 gallon tank sitting in your garage might be just the cage. :) I have 2 issues: what happened to the former occupant of that tank and heating.

Zoo Med strongly suggests not to reuse UTH pads. Check post #43 following the Leo Caresheet below for correspondence to me directly from Zoo Med on that issue.

Consider using Flexwatt Heat Tape (post #44) to heat your 40 gallon tank. Flexwatt heat cables are the industry standard heating method. Never used such, but I'm certain someone on GU could help out.
 
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