Substrate for 5-6 month old?

[keegaroo]

Hi! So, I'm upgrading my girl's enclosure from 40 gallons to 120 gallons. I'm using the 4'x2'x2' ZooMed enclosure for her new one. I would also like to change out the substrate I use, as I've been using paper towels to monitor her poops and urate and such. She seems to want to dig, so I would like to incorporate some sort of loose substrate for her, even if it isn't the main substrate. I've heard from a few people that a mix of topsoil and playsand can be a very good option for either a dig box or main substrate. I've also heard people say NEVER to use a loose substrate, which I don't agree with since digging is a natural behaviour for them and provides a lot of enrichment if done properly. I'm aware that impaction can be a problem with loose substrates, though from what I know it shouldn't be a problem if the husbandry is correct (and you don't use straight sand or calcium sand) and you aren't feeding them directly on the substrate.

Qs: Is this true? If so, which aspects of their care are most important to keep an eye on to prevent impaction? - Should I provide just a dig box for her and use the mat that came with the enclosure as the main substrate? - Are there better loose substrates to use? - Will the transition to loose substrate be stressful for her? How can I ease her stress, if it is? - Is she too young for a fully loose substrate? If so, when is it safe? - Is there anything else I should keep in mind?

I want to give my girl the best life possible, she means so much to me and she's such a sweet dragon. Thank you for helping.

 

[CooperDragon]

I think that loose substrates can cause issues if there are other problems with the setup such as inadequate lighting, space, or diet etc. The big issue I have with a sand/soil substrate in the main enclosure is that when it gets pooped in or if food bits get in it, then bacteria can build up and cause illness or a foul smell. Setting up a dig box in a separate bin allows you to clean it out more easily and the limited time in the box makes it less likely to get pooped in and food bits won't be there etc.

For the main enclosure, a bioactive setup is a good option since it is balanced and somewhat self managing once it is established. It can take some effort to set up correctly, but is worthwhile in some cases.

I tend to like the easy to clean/sanitize route in a lot of cases. Things like shelf liner or tile are really easy to clean off and sanitize so the enclosure stays clean more easily. The downside is that the hard surfaces can be rough on their nails and hands/feet and doesn't allow for digging. I've found that putting down fleece scraps or small fleece blankets allows them to burrow while also being pretty easy to clean - just throw them in the washer as needed.

There isn't a single right option, it really just depends on what you think works best. These are a few factors to consider in your decision though.

 

[Longfellow777]

I use tile and shelf liner, the tile on hot and shelf liner on the cool side. Fleece is a great cozy material that cooper dragon turned me onto. Our girl loves her fleece spots