Substrate Questions

[aiden13]

Hey everyone,

I'm planning to get a leopard gecko soon. I've already decided against using sand, and will use carpet if I need to, but a lot of other forums I checked out said the best substrate would be slate or porcelain tile.

My questions would be:
1. would they need to be sealed and if so, what sealant is safe?
2. is porcelain or slate better?
3. how would you prevent their toes from getting stuck in the cracks in the tiles?
4. if I were to use non-self-adhesive vinyl tile, would I still need to be worried about heat causing fumes to be emitted?

Feel free to comment, message me, or link me to other forums/articles.

Thanks in advance

 

[acpart]

Welcome to GU! Here are my answers to your questions (I use ceramic tile):

1. would they need to be sealed and if so, what sealant is safe?
They do not need to be sealed

2. is porcelain or slate better?
I prefer porcelain because I think slate is thicker, heavier and hard to find in square pieces. Some people do use slate successfully though..

3. how would you prevent their toes from getting stuck in the cracks in the tiles?
This has never been problem. It's more of a problem with reptile carpet.

4. if I were to use non-self-adhesive vinyl tile, would I still need to be worried about heat causing fumes to be emitted?
Not a clue. You could ask the vinyl makers. I find that it cracks after awhile and doesn't do well if it gets wet (like if the water bowl spills).

Aliza

 

[Lizardian]

I switched to vinyl tile because it's cheap & easier to cut.
I used slate tile before as well, but I didn't like how thick it was, and you would have to have someone cut it for you.

If you do go with vinyl tile DO NOT use the self-adhesive tile because as you said, you worry about fumes. You CAN use the non self-adhesive and it will be safe.

I've never had a problem with their toes or their feeder insects being caught in the gaps because I actually use a thin layer of sand between to prevent that. It's just enough sand so that it fills up the gaps without posing risk of obstruction. You could maybe use other stuff to fill up the gaps if you didn't want to use sand. But yeah, a sealant isn't needed, it would be counterproductive if you ever needed to remove the tile for cleaning.

Definitely do some research and check out all the options before deciding. A lot comes to personal preference.