Crushed Walnuts vs. Alfalfa pellets?

[xMissMae]

I'm getting ready to move my two buddies to their 40gal breeder vivs. I had planned on using the crushed walnuts but I just saw on Amazon some alfalfa pellets you can use. I was wondering if they would pass through if ingested as well as the crushed walnuts or if they'd get weird and cause inpactation(sp?). Thoughts? Ready, set, go!

 

[Katie007]

I would stay away from any loose substrate. Id go with none adhesive shelf liner or some sort of tile. I use slate and really like it.

 

[BotanicalStig]

Crushed walnut does not pass through their system easily. I've seen people use alfalfa but I wouldn't recommend it. Find a non adhesive shelf liner or use non adhesive vinyl flooring.

 

[ChiefsDaddy]

I would strongly advise against either of those. Loose substrates are not good for beardies. I suggest non-adhesive shelf liner or slate tile.

 

[wilddanny88]

I suggest reptile carpet, paper towels, or slate tile. No loose substrates.

 

[xMissMae]

Thanks so much everyone! I had been told that the crushed walnuts pass right through so it was safe for beardies. Thanks for the info!
Is using tile difficult to stick in a viv?

 

[ChiefsDaddy]

Crushed Walnut is one of the worst possible substrates for a bearded dragon. They will get impacted if they eat it and could die. The biggest piece of advice I can give you is don't ever listen to anything you are told at a pet store. Do your own research online, where people can share their experiences, and both you and your beardie will be much happier.

This is a link that shows a bearded dragon that died from impaction due to eating crushed walnut. Beware, the pictures are graphic, but it will show you the damage that crushed walnut can cause.
http://mrskingsbioweb.com/beardeddragngrossanatomy.htm

As for the tile, I find it to be very simple. Even cleaning is a breeze. I can just pull out the one tile with poop on it and replace it with a nice clean one, while I clean and disinfect the dirty one. And they're very cheap at a few cents a piece. I like to lay non-adhesive shelf liner underneath as well, so they don't slide around and any leaks are caught. The tile helps to keep their nails filed down so they don't scratch you up.

 

[xMissMae]

Oh dear, that poor baby. That's awful. Now if all the loose sub-straits cause so many problems for our dragons, why are they continued to be sold everywhere? D:
Tile is sounding like the best option, easiest too. Will the shelf liner under it get moldy if it gets wet? My dragons like a good splash in their water dish now and again.

 

[chris9]

As for the tile, I find it to be very simple. Even cleaning is a breeze. I can just pull out the one tile with poop on it and replace it with a nice clean one, while I clean and disinfect the dirty one. And they're very cheap at a few cents a piece. I like to lay non-adhesive shelf liner underneath as well, so they don't slide around and any leaks are caught. The tile helps to keep their nails filed down so they don't scratch you up.

This sounds great system! Though I'll start with paper towel if i get a baby i think... Are there any issues with their toes or nails getting caught in the cracks between the tiles? Did you have to cut some of the tiles to fit tightly around the two sides? Thanks

 

[ChiefsDaddy]

It's because the market is not regulated. Pet stores try to sell it to you because it's how they make their money. And if your animal dies, you're probably going to buy another one. It's pretty sick when you think about it, but to them, these animals are nothing but profit. My animals are my babies, and I want the very best for them. All 21 of them.

I've never had any mold problems with the shelf liner, but if mold becomes a problem, you may want to remove the water dish because the humidity would be too high for a beardie at that point. Ideal humidity for a bearded dragon is 30% or lower. I live in Florida (very humid), so I don't use water bowls in my vivs so that I don't raise humidity too much. As it is, my humidity tends to hover between 28-35%. I measure my temps and humidity with the Acurite Digital Thermometer with probe. It gives me an accurate readout of the basking spot temp, the cool side temp, and the humidity, and you can buy them at Walmart for $12. Similar to this one http://www.walmart.com/ip/Acu-Rite-Indoor-Outdoor-Thermometer/896347

It's actually this one, but I can't find it on the Walmart website. http://www.acurite.com/thermometer-with-wired-probe.html

But they are really the same thing.