I want to switch to tile

[Scarygirl]

Like the title says, I want to switch Dany to tile. My question is, can I get the tile at home improvement stores like Home Depot and Lowes or do I have to get them from somewhere special?

 

[Elizabeth Freer]

Most any Home Depot or Lowe's will carry tile. Check out the rough ceramic kind so Dany's got firm footing. Bathroom/kitchen tiles(~3/8" thick) will conduct heat well and be easy to clean.

 

[ToffeeNut]

They both carry tile, but I noticed that the Lowes near me had a bigger selection (I can be picky, lol) and they could cut tile for you. Home depot didn't cut the tile, but they do offer rental services so you could rent a tile cutter.
This could be different where you live though.

 

[kholtme]

I just got tile a couple weeks ago from lowes, they also cut it (very cheap cost, like $0.25 per cut after first two free cuts) I got a rough style tile, but also got one extra smooth type tile for his potty corner so it would be easier to clean. I had to go back once and have some tiles trimmed down smaller because they didnt fit at first, they didnt charge me for that. I also had to get a tile file to file it down because i still didnt mark them small enough. So i would recommend going a little smaller than what you measure for a easier hassle free fit. (dont try to force the tile into the tank if they are slightly too large. one member broke their tanking trying to force the file to fit.)

 

[Scarygirl]

Thank you all for your responses! I'll look at Lowes. Dany has a forest theme setup, so Im gonna look into some tile to match.

 

[kholtme]

I also had a problem with the glue they use to water tight aquariums (not sure what kind of tank you have). it would raise the tile up a little around the edges, and some tiles would rock back and forth like a teeter toter, so i used a thin layer of sand under neath. (the gecko can not reach this sand, as my tile covers 100% of the bottom). This also helps the heat distribute all over the warm side tile better (air is an insulator, so any air patches under the tile could prevent all the heat from reaching the tiles.) And my aquarium has thicker glue in the corners so those corner tiles may need to be a little smaller, but im sure you can figure out the measurements. Another member says they used a layer of paper towel under their tile to help conduct heat and keep the tiles in place, so you could also try that instead of sand. If you use sand, Elizabeth recommend me to rinse water through it first to prevent dust.

 

[ToffeeNut]

Another way to fix the glue issue with the corners of the tank you can see if the hardware stores can cut the corners you want on your tile, so that way the tile can fit up against the tank and not have to fight with the glue.

 

[Scarygirl]

I probably won't use glue with the tiles, in case I wanna change the tile.

 

[kholtme]

No dont glue them in! I dont know if you were confused by what we were talking about. If youre using a glass aquarium for your tank there is aquarium glue around all the edges to keep it water tight for fish. The glue we are referring to is already in the tank when you buy it.

 

[Scarygirl]

No dont glue them in! I dont know if you were confused by what we were talking about. If youre using a glass aquarium for your tank there is aquarium glue around all the edges to keep it water tight for fish. The glue we are referring to is already in the tank when you buy it.

OH! Okay! Yeah, I was confused, lol.

 

[Psyduck]

You all should come to my place. My dad redid the basement flooring and used tile. We got WAY too much, so now we have huge stacks of tile stored down there.

 

[Rebeca]

I have a bearded dragon that loves her natural slate tile I got in the flooring Dept. At home depot for less then $2

 

[tr.73]

How much sand do you add underneath the tile?... a thin layer is all I can find online and everyones opinions of thin could be different. Any one have a guess in mm/cm/in?
Also, does it matter what type of sand?

 

[Scarygirl]

Just to keep everything in one thread, is it normal for leos not to poo much in the winter? 'Cause Dany doesn't poo much in the winter, but once the weather warms up, she's regular again.

 

[Elizabeth Freer]

Just to keep everything in one thread, is it normal for leos not to poo much in the winter? 'Cause Dany doesn't poo much in the winter, but once the weather warms up, she's regular again.

Hi Liz ~

Thanks for keeping it all in one thread!

If Dany is eating as much as usual, then Dany should poop as much as usual. Could your leo be constipated? Is Dany having any trouble shedding?

How's the humidity in Dany's enclosure and in your home in general? If it's very dry because of winter heat, it's more difficult to keep the humidity up in Dany's cage. For the cage in general we recommend 40-50% relative humidity. In the warm moist hide the humidity should be considerably greater, to the degree where droplets form on the insides of that hide. Leos use that warm moist hide for hydration as well as for shedding.

Try adding a second medium size water bowl. See whether that helps boost humidity.

 

[Scarygirl]

Hi Liz ~

Thanks for keeping it all in one thread!

If Dany is eating as much as usual, then Dany should poop as much as usual. Could your leo be constipated? Is Dany having any trouble shedding?

How's the humidity in Dany's enclosure and in your home in general? If it's very dry because of winter heat, it's more difficult to keep the humidity up in Dany's cage. For the cage in general we recommend 40-50% relative humidity. In the warm moist hide the humidity should be considerably greater, to the degree where droplets form on the insides of that hide. Leos use that warm moist hide for hydration as well as for shedding.

Try adding a second medium size water bowl. See whether that helps boost humidity.

No trouble shedding and she eats whenever I give her food She does poo when she's on me. I just got a new thermostat for her, so her warm side stays between 88 and 92 F. The cool end is lower than it should and so is the humidity. I do have a laxative that I ask the vet to give to me to help her poo.

 

[Scarygirl]

Just to let you guys know, Dany had a fall last night. She got spooked and flew off my parents' bed. Her limbs were twitching and she went limp. As we were talking to an emergency vet hospital, she came to and was limping on her back legs. On the way to the hospital, she was aware of what was going on and was moving around the container. The vet checked her out and her legs are fine and she's not limping. She doesn't have any neurological damage or internal injuries, the vet said and internal injuries would've shown up within 30 minutes, which it didn't, though she may have some bruising. She was still freaked out about the whole ordeal, but she did eat the small cricket I gave her, which is a good sign. I checked her this morning and she perked her head up when she saw my finger. I'll be keeping an eye on her today. Please keep her in your thoughts.

 

[majahawt]

Just to let you guys know, Dany had a fall last night. She got spooked and flew off my parents' bed. Her limbs were twitching and she went limp. As we were talking to an emergency vet hospital, she came to and was limping on her back legs. On the way to the hospital, she was aware of what was going on and was moving around the container. The vet checked her out and her legs are fine and she's not limping. She doesn't have any neurological damage or internal injuries, the vet said and internal injuries would've shown up within 30 minutes, which it didn't, though she may have some bruising. She was still freaked out about the whole ordeal, but she did eat the small cricket I gave her, which is a good sign. I checked her this morning and she perked her head up when she saw my finger. I'll be keeping an eye on her today. Please keep her in your thoughts.

Aww poor baby! Crossing my fingers that she feels better soon

 

[Scarygirl]

Aww poor baby! Crossing my fingers that she feels better soon

She definitely feels better I think. She even ate a cricket last night once she calmed down and she had a poo on me tonight! She was snuggling with me too

 

[LEOPARD1]

These animals while physiologically fragile can sure shake off a "leap".

I was making Dua for your Gecko, its great it bounced back.