sand

[pl4life52]

i want to add sand to my enclosure when my bearded dragon gets bigger but i was wondering what is the dif between calcium sand and play sand i would like one with a color to it

 

[missnikki]

just to let you know sand should never be used in thier tanks, it can cause severe impaction becuase they eat from it and they lick everything too. it is a lot safer for them to be either put on paper towel, news paper, and the most decorative is tile. in some cases, sand has also caused respiratory issues to becuase of the dust it can get into thier lungs. i know the sand looks pretty but that is all it will do,it will only do damage to your beardie.

 

[BDMom22]

Agree. Sand is not safe I know it looks cool, but it's not cool for the beardie.
Also you may find it less stinky when you use something else b/c the poo will make a mess in the sand and go all over the place, where as when he poo's on tile you can just use a babywipe and scoop it right up and get rid of it.
I was much happier when I found all this out and switched over. Its so much cleaner and better for the dragon.
Chek out the viv section and look at the cool floor ideas people on here have. All three of my viv's have different flooring.
Goodluck, and I really hope you reconcider

 

[GoFast]

126 posts and you havent seen this very topic 30 times already?

 

[jbrickley]

I use sand as the breeder recommended it. No problems. He loves to dig and play in it too. Guess what they run around on in Austrailia????

 

[GoFast]

I use sand as the breeder recommended it. No problems. He loves to dig and play in it too. Guess what they run around on in Austrailia????

not sand

 

[twyliteskyz]

I use sand as the breeder recommended it. No problems. He loves to dig and play in it too. Guess what they run around on in Austrailia????

i seen they run around on clay an dried lake beds, not loose sand

 

[missnikki]

i was not trying to be rude or anything, facts are facts and thats what it is, if you use sand and it has not done anything to your dragon then consider yourself lucky, it rarely happens that way. down to it this is not what we think they should have, it is the things they would normally have in their own habitat and twyliteskyes is correct on the habitat of what they like. trust me when i tell you this. sand is not a great option for your dragon.

 

[Hopefulresearch]

if you really like the natural look, tile is an excellent choice. There is also tan colored reptile carpet. Sand (especially calcium sand) clumps together inside a beardies stomach, basically every time he goes to eat he will get some sand in his mouth, which he will swallow building to a sand snowball blocking his intestines. Yes, there are many people who will tell you that there are no problems, but there are also many bad things that happen often ending in alot of money or death or both. Its best just to stay away from any loose substrate.
Please take our advice for the sake of your beardie.

 

[diamc]

Moved here from General Discussion forum

 

[twyliteskyz]

yea dont be downhearted about the sand thing, you can find lots of awesome rocks an slate instead, i bought mine at a good price because i went to a local rock seller not a pet store, the pet stores charge double an have minimal selection, if you make a trip to a rock store they have too many to choose from. i think normally the rocks are sold for landscaping but just clean them well an they make for good enclosure decor. i put the rocks on top of natural looking tile and it looks great

 

[pl4life52]

i knew the sand had a risk of impaction but if its very likely as you guys say then im not gonna do it and i never knew that it also caused respiratory issues and didn't put the two together of them licking the sand
and gofast i have seen some of this before in my 126 posts but my question was whats the difference between regular sand and calcium sand and that i have not seen
as to the other replies thank you for the info and i have a mat down right now thats like a sand color and looks great but stains easily so i am going to do tile in my new enclosure thank you all for the help

 

[HumorDragon]

I used to use sand with color but it stained my boys tail. (Plus I kept on getting the dust in my eye and it swelled up really big.) :shock:

 

[sithcdw]

Alright... YES, sand CAN cause impaction in dragons of all ages... ESPECIALLY young dragons. How often do you hear of peoples dragons dying from impaction? Not very often at all, however the risk is still definately there. If you truly believe that your dragon is not ingesting any sand and that you are doing everything to minimize his risk of accidental ingestion, then you can use sand.
There are many things you can do to minimize the risk of impaction:
Feed outside your dragons cage
Make sure your dragons vegetables sit on a relatively large sand free area to keep sand from sticking to them.
Sift the sand to remove large particles.
Give your dragon furniture to climb and play on to keep him occupied
Let your dragon out of its cage daily for exercise
Keep an eye on your dragon; some dragons just like to eat WHATEVER they can...even sand...
Doing these as well as other things you can think of will minimize your dragons risk for impaction.
Now babies, in MY opinion, should never be housed on sand as they are much more likely to become impacted. Babies should be housed on paper towels or similar SAFE substrate.
Another possible issue with sand is the dust involved; this is most prominent in childrens play sand. However dust isnt really a HUGE deal as the dust usually settles very quickly. But, again, there are possibilities of respiratory problems as well as vent blockage. If you let your dragon out of his cage for daily exercise, then he should be less active within his cage minimizing the dust he creates from activity.
There are also several different types of sand on the market. Calcium sand is probably the most popular because of its wide array of colors available; but its also the most expensive. Play sand only averages $3 for 50 pounds. There is aslo another made from ground walnut shell; i recommend staying away from this type because its granules have sharp edges and can tear the stomach lining.
So its a really a matter of opinion when it comes down the type of substrate to use. If youre content on using sand just be aware of the things above and you should be fine. I have been using childrens play sand for a year and a half now.

 

[GoFast]

I can't believe that as often as this EXACT topic and question gets brought up, people keep asking. The answers are the same as always people. Impaction is just ONE of the risks associated with sand. Don't ask me what the others are because it is a topic that has been beaten to death. Search the word "sand" and do some research.