slate & sand??

[Lcbova85]

i used to have all sand in my viv. Then I read on here that you can use slate. So i put in all slate. Then someone from petsmart said i have to have some sand in there. so I added a little sand under her hideout I also read in a book that if you have all slate or "hard surface" that it can cause the feet to disfigure and their toe nails will grow long. whats the right way???

 

[GoFast]

whoever told you that you "have" to have some sand in there is ignorant. You do not have to have any sand. I recommend not have any. Stick to the slate and ditch the sand. Also, listening to a pet store for advise is like listening to a homeless guy telling you how to become a millionaire....just a bad idea.

 

[Grumbles]

Beardies in the wild very rarely are found out in the sand, they go for the harder, compact clay surfaces.
It's suggestive selling, people think desert reptile and they think they need sand.
And the whole "Calci-sand" concept doesn't mean it's any safer.
I work at a Petsmart as a pet car associate and can tell you that the majority of the people who are "helping" you don't have an idea what they're talking about unless they take care of these little guys outside of a store setting.
You'll also notice that at Petsmart they never provide their beardies or any reptiles for that matter with anything but a small basking light - no UVB, nothing.

-John

 

[lokey]

As I'm sure you are aware by now, Sand, even Calci-sand, play sand and pretty much all types of the sand type stuff is very dangerous for your dragon. it causes impaction and eventually death.
It is better to remove all particle substrates from the Vivarium and tile it, if you cant tile it right away, just use news paper until you can.