Leopard gecko

[coura]

If you thought sand was originally dangerous, why would you even consider bark chips?

A.gigas is right on. The other comment is apparently uneducated. Calcium sand was invented for a good intention. Unfortunately, leopard geckos cannot digest large blobs of grainy calcium. Crushed walnut shells are just plain ridiculous, undigestable.

Now if you do want to add sand, do ensure that your geckos are healthy with a sufficient diet of vitamins and calcium, they are very important if you do not want the gecko eating the substrate.


Last thing. Do not trust pet shop labels.

Walnut shells and things such as corn knobs are actually dangerous and dont belong in a gecko tank, purelly comercial items.

 

[snakefin]

I actually didn't say we used bark chips... I believe it may be coconut husk. That was what was suggested by a few private pet store owners. We may be changeing it to the first suggestion as it sounds the safest.

Thank you so much for the feed back!

Well okay. Eco-earth may be fine, but you may find it holds to much fluid to be suitable for leopard geckos. Also, when choosing the substrate, KNOW and don't believe.

 

[muffywrx]

I would honestly avoid loose substrate all together with leos, to prevent impaction. That's just me though I guess.

 

[TaratronVaeVictus]

When I had my breeding gecko colony, it was in a 40 breeder with play sand. I had a plastic shoebox with a large hole cut into the lid, filled with moss, for an egg-laying and shedding site. Never had any issues with sand impactation, though I handfed pretty much all the adults and they always had a large bowl full of mealworms to eat from too.

Babies I kept on paper towels. But adults were fine on sand.

 

[ozz465]

While it looks ugly i keep all my leos on news paper. cheap, easy to change and easy to spot feces on it.

 

[AllTheseKids]

When I bred leos, they were all on paper towels. Safe, clean, easy. The few I kept in my living room for show were on slate with the "excavator sand" that hardens after you mold it. I made spaces for succulents in pots. Looked pretty cool and the leos were always healthy. My daughters' leo is on sand and maybe 10% eco-earth.

 

[kast]

newspaper is better.. then provide mist box that filled with coconut peat.