Natural Substrate for Leo's

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MonitorZilla

New member
I understand that plain sand with calcium in it will entice geckos to consume the sand to obtain calcium, and thus become impacted. But at the same time, putting paper towels, newspaper, or tile aren't natural for the geckos. I don't own any leo's yet, but as it's owner, I want to provide the most natural and best care for my future pets.

Anyway did a bit of research and came across this website. Natural Leopard Gecko Substrates

At the bottom it says using a well researched type of clay with stones(well researched as well) would provide the most natural environment for geckos. Of course, I'm not one to just take one bit of evidence I read online as truth, so I wanted to get a bunch of opinions on this topic.

Once again, no I will not be using sand, lol. Don't go off, please. Just trying to find the best solution.
 
hmarie186

hmarie186

New member
MonitorZilla said:
But at the same time, putting paper towels, newspaper, or tile aren't natural for the geckos.
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Yes, but neither is confining it to a "box", feeding it commercially available insects that are dusted with supplements, using artificial light/heat sources or taking it to the vet for medical treatment when it's sick. Nothing about caring for animals in captivity is natural. Captive bred geckos really have no idea what "natural" and "unnatural" is. They are not unhappy on tile/paper towels/repticarpet/etc vs clay/rock/soil mixture. What's most important than a "natural" substrate is hygiene and safety. Tile comes in an array of colors and textures. I have faux wood for mine which makes it look pretty neat. You can get slate, ceramic, sandstone- just stop by a tile shop and most will have hundreds to choose from. It's very easy to clean and disinfect, warms well with an UTH and has zero impaction risk. Paper towels are easy to dispose of and replace. Sand and excavator clay, pebbles, rocks, etc are not real sanitary. I understand your want to have a nice looking tank, but you can have both a pretty setup and one that is functional and safe. If you want to provide an outlet for digging behavior you can put eco earth in the moist hide. That's what my vet recommends. Just some food for thought. :)
 
Conched

Conched

New member
I have tried assorted natural substrates in the past with a pair of uromastyx. I used sand and also soil.

I was not happy with either.

The problem with these substrates is they are very unsanitary. Leo's have a fair amount of liquid that comes out with their poo.You can see this clearly if you use paper towels. You would need to change the substrate regularly if using a natural type and that can be costly and time consuming and lastly unsanitary as you cannot reasonably remove all of the excrement.

Just my observations.

I currently use paper towels. I wish I could find a sand colored paper towel.
 
A

acpart

Well-known member
As I've mentioned in other posts, I generally use ceramic tile for my leos. I do, however, have a bowfront tank with 2 retired female breeders on a substrate of coco fiber with a bit of desert sand mixed in and some leaf litter. I don't have problems with leo "fluids" because I have a good number of dermastid beetles and some super worm beetles in there who clean up regularly. The tank has been going for 3 years, smells fine and I can hardly find any poop in there.

Aliza
 
Elizabeth Freer

Elizabeth Freer

Well-known member
Conched said:
I have tried assorted natural substrates in the past with a pair of uromastyx. I used sand and also soil.

I was not happy with either.

The problem with these substrates is they are very unsanitary. Leo's have a fair amount of liquid that comes out with their poo.You can see this clearly if you use paper towels. You would need to change the substrate regularly if using a natural type and that can be costly and time consuming and lastly unsanitary as you cannot reasonably remove all of the excrement.

Just my observations.

I currently use paper towels. I wish I could find a sand colored paper towel.
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Have you seen those unbleached paper towels, Matt? Viva brand, maybe?
 
LEOPARD1

LEOPARD1

New member
I will tell you what I use. I am blown away only a few people use it. I will not mention it openly. It causes drama and well I had a chemical engineer look into what its made of and then ran that by my cousin who is a marine biologist and his friends who are professors at a large university. I was told low to no toxicity heated or un-heated. waterproof and is not going to be edible intentionally or accidentally.I have used it for years for every type of herp imaginable and it caused Zero problems.
 
Conched

Conched

New member
LEOPARD@1 said:
I will tell you what I use. I am blown away only a few people use it. I will not mention it openly. It causes drama and well I had a chemical engineer look into what its made of and then ran that by my cousin who is a marine biologist and his friends who are professors at a large university. I was told low to no toxicity heated or un-heated. waterproof and is not going to be edible intentionally or accidentally.I have used it for years for every type of herp imaginable and it caused Zero problems.
Click to expand...

Well this sounds interesting, can you PM me the name of the product. I am forever in search of the holly grail of substrates.
 
A

acpart

Well-known member
If you get to the point where you feel you can stand a little drama, let us know what it is.

Aliza
 
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