Is moonsand safe?

[Echoplexic]

The Moonsand I have us from a commercial buisness but im assuming its made of the same thing as the homemade flour and vegetable oil version. If this is the case is it okay for my reptile or might it cause impaction or respiratory issues of something else altogether.?

[kingofnobbys]

Maybe for human children to play in , but not appropriate for a bearded dragon to live on.

For all the usual reasons related to particulate / absorbant substrates.

[Echoplexic]

Its not an absorbent substrate since it is flour fully saturated in oil and oil doesnt mix with water so i feel like it would pass right through him. I'm going to do some scientific reasearch on not only beardie digestion but moonsands reaction to water heat and being ingested.

[Echoplexic]

Ok upon inspection of my so called moonsand I realized it is not true copyrighted moon sand it is actually copyrighted as sands alive and is apparently safe for children to ingest it is also water soluble does this mean it's safer for ingestion ?very curious more research now

[kingofnobbys]

Ok upon inspection of my so called moonsand I realized it is not true copyrighted moon sand it is actually copyrighted as sands alive and is apparently safe for children to ingest it is also water soluble does this mean it's safer for ingestion ?very curious more research now

No not safe for dragon to ingest.

[AHBD]

Moon sand is sand, just altered by the way they manufacture it. Home made moon sand can be made with flour or flour + cornstarch and then you add oil. Some people use baby oil, but I wouldn't consider that safe to ingest. If they use veg. oil it will spoil at some point because then it's kind of like cookie dough without the egg + extra moisture.

[Echoplexic]

Well I've had this sand alive stuff just sitting on a dish for the last 3 years and its exactly the same as when i first opened it . When i drop it into water it dissolves and it has no odor and has apparently been the only lab tested sand on the market to not harbor any bacteria.

[AHBD]

I'm not for it or against it, just wanted you to know that it's not flour but a home made version can be made with flour. Your original post mentions that you thought the sands alive product was the same as the flour mixture but it isn't.

As for using it, it may be somewhat dusty over time in a dry tank and a beardie might breathe it in but no one has any reports on trying it as a substrate for beardies.

[Echoplexic]

Its in a dry area as is and it doesn't seem dusty but you do bring up a good point I'll see if I can like inhale pieces of it .

[Calgrim]

Why even take the risk?

[Echoplexic]

This thread IS me not taking the risk .I'm not just going to throw it in with my beardie all willy nilly. I'm diving so far into research and testing and contacting product help lines or consumer report centers and beardie vets and medical specialists and more to compile enough proof that it could be a usable substrate. As I've done with all substrates for all my reptiles. It would be the same research that the first person who ever thought of using paper towels would have done making sure they aren't bleached or colored and wouldn't cause issues.