wheeleri setup

[psychosid]

hi guys im new here and new to knobtails, im getting one at the beginning of next month, will be
using a exo terra 45x45x45, i know there from a more of a rocky habitat, my question is would zoo med excavator clay be a suitable substrate? reason i ask is its wet to start with, easy to mould and create burrows etc, and it hardens to become like a rocky texture. whats your opinions? cheers

 

[AKA Reptiles]

I'd like to second this question...

 

[AKA Reptiles]

Ok. Since no one is chiming in, I did a bit of digging. Turns out that this stuff really isnt good for the animals. It would be better to use play sand of some sort.

 

[Douceboyz]

I've used the excavator clay for a portion of my N.amyae display enclosure. They are from the rocky outcrops of Australia as well and I haven't had a problem. I dampened an molded the clay beforehand and it hardened up like a rock.

 

[AKA Reptiles]

So it didn't dry up and powder up or color dye the geckos feet?

 

[Douceboyz]

No it dried up but stayed solid, so solid in fact when it was time to take it out i had to use some muscle to break it up. It really worked well, held burrows really firm. My geckos do not have dyed feet but they have orange feet to begin with. I don't know much about geckos with lighter feet.

 

[AKA Reptiles]

Posts that I've read say that peoples geckos like to dig in it. How do they dig in it if it becomes solid after you wet it? Maybe a dumb question but I'm curious.

 

[Douceboyz]

Well it starts out like clay until it completely dries out and then it becomes solid, that's how it holds it shape. I think the purpose of this product is to mist the clay and then put your reptile in and let it burrow. Then the tunnels will solidify. It seems a little misleading but once it dries I don't know how a gecko would be able to burrow through it.

 

[AKA Reptiles]

That makes sense. Thanks.