Stabilizing sand

[Momissa]

We just switched to slate tile and want to stabilize the tiles and prevent insects from hiding beneath them. We were thinking of using a fine sand, I know this is not a safe substrate but if it is beneath the tiles making it unreachable for our beardie would that be ok?

 

[ruben0311]

the issue you will have is cleaning... if there is a particularly messy poop it will leak down into the sand and, because it will be darker and probably warmer, it will harbor more bacteria than you would really want. how much space are you looking to fill in? if you get the tiles cut to the tank size you shouldnt really have too much space in-between to worry about. Throw some pics our way so we can check it out.

 

[Momissa]

I'm not at home but I'll send some pics when I get home, right now this is the only pic I have.

The area I'm struggling with is the edges because of the sealant for the aquarium glass. It prevents the tiles from laying completely flat and all the way to the edge.

Don't mind the mess, were adjusting temperatures and re-doing the basking area.

 

[CooperDragon]

I haven't run into issues with bugs getting under the tile, but I feed bugs in small batches of a few at a time so they're easy to track. I have the same small cracks at the edges but I've found that makes it easier to pop the tiles out for cleaning. If you want to put something under the tile I'd use something easy to clean rather than sand. I've had good luck using fleece (even on top of the tile to provide a soft surface). The fleece is easy to pull up and just throw in the washer and dryer for cleaning.

 

[Momissa]

Fleece is a good idea, I'll try that! I only put in a couple at a time and they end up running quickly to the sides and under. He isn't a very quick eater, he likes to look at it first for a bit then eat it.

 

[Momissa]

 

[Jsw]

If you know someone with a tile saw, it's relatively simple to round the edges of the tile to fit flush against the tank. That's what I did, and I like it with the tiles very tightly spaced. Very little can fall between the cracks.