great new substrate

[blackbeard10]

hi all,
after trying various substrates for my beardies i found one quite by accident one day. i was reading the lable that my guinea pig bedding comes in and after i felt satisfied it would be safe, i tried it with my beardies.
it is simply the best, most inexpensive, odor controlling stuff i have ever used. it is called "critter care" or critter comfort" and other similar names. it is a paper mulch bedding that is soft, absorbant and if ingested by accident, easy to pass.
i have huge terrarium for my two girls and a wide 40/50 gallon tank for my boy, i only need to change them every three to 4 weeks. if they have a really big, wet, stinky, poop (rarely, tho usually after a juicy hornwom or two), i will scoop it out, but for the most part, the waste is absorbed and dried out in the paper mulch. i use the grey coloured one, as the white can look messy and unnatural.

they love to dig and bury themselves in it at night and in the down-time winter months. i highly recommend giving it a try.
would love to hear what other folks think, if they do give it a go.
thanks,
christine

 

[bambichik39]

I dont think I'd personally ever use that. It isn't natural in any way shape or form for a beardie, and it probably is digestible... for a small animal. The description I found on Sears website says, "Kaytee's Total Comfort Bedding is a supersoft comfortable bedding and litter developed especially for small animals and birds." It doesn't say anything about reptiles, which have different needs. I personally wouldn't risk it. Plus, letting stool sit in their tank for a month, even if it doesnt smell due to the bedding masking the smell, is still harboring bacteria. Pablo gives me the stink eye if hes left in his tank for a few hours with his poop, let alone weeks.

 

[blackbeard10]

thanks for the info bambi.
i do scoop out the big messes and add fresh bedding, what i actually meant was, i clean all the bedding out every few weeks, disinfect, and add all new. even with other substrates i found that its near impossible to get all of their droppings out. this stuff is better as it doesn't stay damp or wet, so it (the poop that i can't find) becomes quite dry and odorless. if i had to replace other substrates as often, it would cost me an arm and a leg. i found that even having the sand, you could never quite get it all and it smelled terrible after awhile, even adding new sand from time to time. nobody i know ever completely replaces the sand-type substrate regularly as that is very expensive.
on the bag that i use, it does say it can be used for snakes and other reptiles, as well as small animals and birds. birds and reptiles do have a connection from an evolutionary branch and my understanding is their fecal waste is very similar.

there is so much info out there on beardie care and so much of it is contradictory it is hard to find real solid info. thats why i joined this site, it has so much valid advice from members and links to other terrific sources.

i have been using this type of bedding for almost a year now and have had no issues at all, my beardies are all happy, active and healthy. my biggest worry now is the new info on solar-glo lights, looks like i will have to replace what i have and thats gonna cost me big $$$. *sigh*

 

[blackbeard10]

here is a link for the stuff i use. the names very, but this is the best i have used so far. http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3166875
also it does say in the specs its okay for reptiles too.

 

[bambichik39]

I believe that is different, slightly, than the product I was able to find online yesterday. I personally use tiles, so I do take out them and clean them, and underneath them every time my beardie goes in his cage. To each their own.

 

[Deemac6]

If you can't afford changing substrates so often why don't you use something that doesn't have to be changed and is super easy to clean, like tile or shelf liner.

 

[GeckoGarden]

thanks for the info bambi.
i do scoop out the big messes and add fresh bedding, what i actually meant was, i clean all the bedding out every few weeks, disinfect, and add all new. even with other substrates i found that its near impossible to get all of their droppings out. this stuff is better as it doesn't stay damp or wet, so it (the poop that i can't find) becomes quite dry and odorless

This can still cause bad bactiera and stuff..

Id never use it or even recommended it, I looked at the link you put up and it contains baking soda, I would not use it on your bearded dragons, while its great for guinea pigs or chinchillas, its not a good idea to use on them,

Loses substrate in general is just a bad idea.

 

[mellu]

Any loose substrate poses risks that can be avoided SO easily. If replacing flooring is a problem for you the BEST thing you can use is tile which doesn't need to be replaced at all or shelf liner, which if you keep it clean can last months and months. I've been using the same bit of liner in Kira's tank since I got her and haven't had to change it because she's only pooped on it like 3 times. That's like 5 months. Mika and Lagu's get changed if they get stinky which only happens if someone forgets to wet wipe under their rocks after a poo cleanup. Even then we just take them out, clean them up, sanitize, and air them out, we only throw them out if they get stained up.

 

[blue11]

I swear by tile. its a god-send.
it looks amazing, is by far the absolute easiest one two three wipe down clean up, and man oh man does it save so much hassle. There just is no hassle at all. Hassle-Free is the way to be! weeeeeee!
i do understand how its nice to have something for your beardie to burrow in, but just an example, Blue Belle has a her blankie (her blue towel) in her viv bunched up in the corner to dig around in and hunker down in if she wants to. Thats easy too .... remove, wash, dry, replace.
Thanks heavens for tile. keeps nails trimmed down too

 

[blackbeard10]

thanks for all the input, i think i will change to tile now. what kind do you recommend? should it be somewhat rough so that their claws get a grip or smooth? should it be lamenate tile or stone?
i know they do not poop tons in any one day, unless of course they have been piggies with horn worms et al. for them thats like cheesecake or pizza night so i don't do it often. its mostly dandi-greens, parsley and some assorted veggies and a bit of fruit. also i give them a good feed of crickets 3 - 4 times a week still, as they are just a year old.

right now during the day they spend a great deal of time outdoors in a pen i made for them. it has a shaded area, pool and basking rocks and logs. they love to eat the fresh grass and dandi's (no pesticides) i pick and wash for them. they enjoy hens and chicks, hibscus, herbs etc. that i grow in my garden. all safe eats according to the lists. i have noticed that in the last few weeks or so since being outside they have grown a lot and eat twice as much it seems. i think its the natural sunlight that is doing it.

 

[Carnivorouszoo]

I use the cheapest substrate I can find, newspaper lol. Its $2 for one sunday paper, the coupons inside make up for the cost thus leaving the the paper itself free. Just takes 2 pages to cover her cage floor and I change it out anytime she actually goes in her cage or each saturday if she hasn't gone all week. I do it sat as that is when I wash the decor anyway. Mojo seems to like looking at the papers and I don't have to spend more money. I even have enough from one paper to last if there are no coupons one sunday, I only buy the paper if there are coupons lol.

 

[blue11]

The tile i have is from Lowes, and they cut it too fit her viv for you :mrgreen:
Its just a really NICE looking natural tile that has some texture to it but isnt porous, for easy cleaning. Just run your hand over it, and if it feels like it has some texture, go with it if you like it

Blue has no traction problems on our tile at all, its not super slick, has a little toughness to it for keeping her nails trimmed too she seems to enjoy it too! There is so much to choose from you will find exactly what you want

oh and newspaper works too!
with tile i rarely have to re-arrange things and take her stuff out to wash the tile. It cleans so nicely on the spot. Some people do love their newspaper but personally for me, tile is our numero uno choice.
but yeah, tile, newspaper, non adhesvie shelf liner, paper towels .... anything not loose