Dig box substrate ideas

[thegame345]

I've been thinking about making Puff a dig box and wasn't sure of what to user as a digging substrate. I've heard sand cam be really bad due to impaction. Perhaps millet seeds or alfalfa pellets. If anyone has more experience in this kind of thing Amy advice would be appreciated. Also I'm not sure what to use as the dog box itself, I was thinking a tupperwear container.

 

[miloandrufusdragons]

I would recommend sani chips. They are commonly used for snakes and blue tongue skinks and I have met several breeders who use it as the sole substrate for their beardies. I think it would make a great dig box bedding since it absorbs the small amount of liquid in a beardies poop unless its super runny. From what breeders have told me, it cannot cause impaction because it is not as small as sand so it will not get left behind in the guts but it is small enough that it will not block the gut. Despite being bigger than grains of sand, the particles are still very small only about 1/20 of an inch. They're also not dusty. This is just my opinion from what many beardie breeders have told me. I think that this seems like a great dig box bedding.

 

[Taterbug]

Isn't sani-chips the small aspen flakes? I've wanted to try them for my snakes but they are harder to find, and I read a lot of complaints that they are very light weight and maybe potentially messy in a dig box. I'm not sure I'd use them for mess reasons and that I don't like the idea of using absorbent or wood based bedding.

I did use alfalfa and it was ok - still got flung everywhere. The pellets are absorbent and could be a problem of ingested, but most dragons don't find them worth eating and they won't accidentally eat them. I used a 12x12 tray, some folks use small litter pans. If it gets wet it needs to be changed or it will mold, but the stuff is really cheep. I'd feed it to my roaches when I changed it out. I wanted to try millet but I couldn't find any locally.

Personally, now I use a sand/soil mix, but that is also messy and can make for a dirty dragon.

 

[miloandrufusdragons]

I ordered my sani chips. They are extremely cheap. I was enticed to use them because my beardie didn't like tile for some reason. She'd always glass dance all day hand smear her poop everywhere. I put a dig box but she would never leave it! She had been on sand for 2 years prior. I wanted the sani chips because I wanted to have no risk of impaction or dust, the absorbency to keep it fresh longer as well as it being a loose bedding since its what my beardie preffered. I was recommended it by many breeders at a reptile expo such as sandfire dragon ranch and a few others I believe LLLreptile uses it for their beardies. My beardie hasnt glass danced since and is very active. And pooping regularly. I still make sure the layer is deep in the tank so it does not get tossed around. Also feed her in a bowl. I don't feed crickets so a bowl is my only option lol.

 

[Taterbug]

I ordered my sani chips. They are extremely cheap. I was enticed to use them because my beardie didn't like tile for some reason. She'd always glass dance all day hand smear her poop everywhere. I put a dig box but she would never leave it! She had been on sand for 2 years prior. I wanted the sani chips because I wanted to have no risk of impaction or dust, the absorbency to keep it fresh longer as well as it being a loose bedding since its what my beardie preffered. I was recommended it by many breeders at a reptile expo such as sandfire dragon ranch and a few others I believe LLLreptile uses it for their beardies. My beardie hasnt glass danced since and is very active. And pooping regularly. I still make sure the layer is deep in the tank so it does not get tossed around. Also feed her in a bowl. I don't feed crickets so a bowl is my only option lol.

Glad to hear she likes it, what do you think of it? Is it as light and fluffy as reviews claim? I have thought about trying it for my snake with a dust sensitivity.

 

[miloandrufusdragons]

I actually really like it. My beardie seems to like it better than a solid bedding too. It is light but it is cheap enough that you can use a thick layer for something active like a beardie. Now I've never owned snakes but I think they're not as fast as beardies. So you could get away with a 1 inch layer. I got several cubic feet for just $40 about half of that was shipping. Its a laboratory grade bedding I believe so I assume that it must be fool proof rather than a pet bedding which would not be made with such concern. But because of its shape and size of particles it cannot cause impaction due to being very fine but not as fine as sand. I would use it for a snake if I had one. Just make sure if it requires higher humidity then mist the tank as sani chips are mildly dry.