Substrate confusion

TheHoggle

Member
Hey All,

New beardie owner and I have read more than I can remember on acceptable substrate for the guys. currently I have mine on a carpet but I have heard that is not ideal for a dragon to be on, and I also find it to be rather unappealing visually, and gets dirty pretty quick with calcium from the insects moving around. My new guy is a juvenile ( about 6 inches without the tail ) and I want to know if it is safe to use a soil / sand mix, or just sand, I have also been told both to use and not to use crushed coconut shell as well because they are able to ingest it safely in the event of accidentally consuming it while eating.
 

KarrieRee

BD.org Sicko
Beardie name(s)
Hiccup he is 6 and Blaze is 5
Hey All,

New beardie owner and I have read more than I can remember on acceptable substrate for the guys. currently I have mine on a carpet but I have heard that is not ideal for a dragon to be on, and I also find it to be rather unappealing visually, and gets dirty pretty quick with calcium from the insects moving around. My new guy is a juvenile ( about 6 inches without the tail ) and I want to know if it is safe to use a soil / sand mix, or just sand, I have also been told both to use and not to use crushed coconut shell as well because they are able to ingest it safely in the event of accidentally consuming it while eating.
Play sand and a soli that has NO fertilizers etc in it -- also textured NON adhesive shelf liner is recommended cut to the size of the tank -- or a black mat from Zen Habitat - those are sold for 120 gallon tanks 4x2x2
 

TheHoggle

Member
Original Poster
Play sand and a soli that has NO fertilizers etc in it -- also textured NON adhesive shelf liner is recommended cut to the size of the tank -- or a black mat from Zen Habitat - those are sold for 120 gallon tanks 4x2x2

Thanks for the info. The sand / soil mix is ok for it at this age ? Also, should the dirt help with humidity? I live in Canada and right now is the rather cold and dry season so getting the humidity up in the tank is proving troublesome even with trying to mist a few times a day with water. I was hoping if the soil was safe, it would offer a bit of extra humidity with how it absorbs water.
 

KarrieRee

BD.org Sicko
Beardie name(s)
Hiccup he is 6 and Blaze is 5
Thanks for the info. The sand / soil mix is ok for it at this age ? Also, should the dirt help with humidity? I live in Canada and right now is the rather cold and dry season so getting the humidity up in the tank is proving troublesome even with trying to mist a few times a day with water. I was hoping if the soil was safe, it would offer a bit of extra humidity with how it absorbs water.
What is the humidity and how are you getting readings?
 

TheHoggle

Member
Original Poster
What is the humidity and how are you getting readings?
Currently I have 2 of these in the tank:

1734803295184.jpg


While I know these are no ideal, unfortunately the term "starter kit" doesnt mean what you would think.

On the warm basking side the temp reads 100 degrees but the humidity only reads 20 which I am told is too low. I try to spray the tank a few times a day but that seems futile as its not really staying in the tank or on anything.

On the cooler side the temp reads 80 degrees and the humidity is the same. I do know that I should use a different gauge for these readings, but right now this is what I have to work with.
 

Claudiusx

BD.org Sicko
Staff member
Moderator
the humidity only reads 20 which I am told is too low. I try to spray the tank a few times a day
I would strongly encourage against misting. This is why I am strongly against this hobby even caring about humidity. 20% humidity is not an issue at all. There are zero health issues associated with low humidity. There are a multitude of health issues that can arise from misting the tank though. These are not geckos, they don't need a specific humidity for skin health.

Not to mention, most hygrometers are inaccurate anyways, even the digital ones. They need to accuracy checked in uses where the humidity matters. But like mentioned, in our case it doesn't matter.

In regards to your original question, if you want to go with a particulate substrate, I'd just stick with plain washed play sand.

-Brandon
 

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