Substrate For Young Beardies

[HatterQueen]

Hello All,

To give you some background --

I have a Juvenile Beardie named Drogon, and recently obtained a new addition (from a friend who no longer had the time to care for her). They get along fairly well, and the female is very mellow as the previous owner thinks she has some type of neurological disorder (she keeps her head low to the ground and is constantly surveying her area in slow motion). Up until recently, she was only eating baby food out of a syringe, but I was successful in feeding her 2 Dubia Roaches this week. So I remain hopeful.

I have been searching for the perfect substrate to make my Beardies happy (and not break my bank). Here is what I have tried so far:

1. Exo Terra Sand Mat -- I looked great in my 40 gallon tank, but to clean it was a nightmare. Those little pebbles got everywhere and annoyed both me and my roommate.

2. Zoo Med Eco Carpet -- I had the green carpet because it was the only color they had that would fit my tank. I disliked how it looked and feel like my Beardie's nails would get caught in it. It definitely didn't look like they enjoyed it very much.

3. Zoo Med Excavator Clay -- The most current substrate in my Beardie's Tank. It took 3 10 LB bags to create a suitable substrate for them and now it is all dry and hard. It definitely looks better, but cleaning is an issue and I've also read that there is a risk of bacteria growing and killing Beardies. I will be out of town next weekend (my roommate will be watching them for 5 days) and I don't want anything bad to happen to them in my absence. I plan to clean out their tank this weekend and provide a new substrate. The questions is... what?

This brings me to my question as I have read that ceramic tile is becoming a popular substrate for Beardies as there is no change for impaction and it is super easy to clean. Has anyone experimented with this that can provide feedback on this method before I go spending money on tile... my concern in that the basking lamp will make the tile too hot for my Beardies to enjoy. Any recommendation you may have for a suitable substrate for a 40 gallon tank is much appreciated as I want to ensure the happiness of my Beardies and stop meddling with potentially harmful substrates (such as the clay and calcium sand).

I look forward to your responses.

 

[HippieLizards]

Hello All,

To give you some background --

I have a Juvenile Beardie named Drogon, and recently obtained a new addition (from a friend who no longer had the time to care for her). They get along fairly well, and the female is very mellow as the previous owner thinks she has some type of neurological disorder (she keeps her head low to the ground and is constantly surveying her area in slow motion). Up until recently, she was only eating baby food out of a syringe, but I was successful in feeding her 2 Dubia Roaches this week. So I remain hopeful. Have you gotten her seen by a vet yet?

I have been searching for the perfect substrate to make my Beardies happy (and not break my bank). Here is what I have tried so far:

1. Exo Terra Sand Mat -- I looked great in my 40 gallon tank, but to clean it was a nightmare. Those little pebbles got everywhere and annoyed both me and my roommate. Indeed, Sand mats are a pain in the rear to clean and it gets the sand pebbles everywhere. :bleick:

2. Zoo Med Eco Carpet -- I had the green carpet because it was the only color they had that would fit my tank. I disliked how it looked and feel like my Beardie's nails would get caught in it. It definitely didn't look like they enjoyed it very much. They are ok but sometimes their nails can get caught in them as you said.

3. Zoo Med Excavator Clay -- The most current substrate in my Beardie's Tank. It took 3 10 LB bags to create a suitable substrate for them and now it is all dry and hard. It definitely looks better, but cleaning is an issue and I've also read that there is a risk of bacteria growing and killing Beardies. I will be out of town next weekend (my roommate will be watching them for 5 days) and I don't want anything bad to happen to them in my absence. I plan to clean out their tank this weekend and provide a new substrate. The questions is... what? Yeah I'd get rid of that, I don't know much about it but I know it can harbor more bacteria and other problems (eek imagine if your beardies swallowed some of that clay :shock.

This brings me to my question as I have read that ceramic tile is becoming a popular substrate for Beardies as there is no change for impaction and it is super easy to clean. Has anyone experimented with this that can provide feedback on this method before I go spending money on tile... Tile works great for all beardies, It is safe, cheap, easy to use, easy to clean, and Looks nice. my concern in that the basking lamp will make the tile too hot for my Beardies to enjoy. I Use slate tile for all my beardies currently and have never had a problem like that at all so far. Any recommendation you may have for a suitable substrate for a 40 gallon tank When your beardie becomes an adult I'd Recommend on upgrading to a 4x2x2 tank, Great size and my beardie enjoys his 4x2x2. is much appreciated as I want to ensure the happiness of my Beardies and stop meddling with potentially harmful substrates (such as the clay and calcium sand Calcium sand is the worst. :bleick: ).

I look forward to your responses.

I'd Recommend Tile or Paper towels. This has some good substrate ideas as well as the dangers of sand and such: viewtopic.php?f=34&t=243890&p=1857889#p1857889

-HippieLizards.

 

[HatterQueen]

Hello All,

To give you some background --

I have a Juvenile Beardie named Drogon, and recently obtained a new addition (from a friend who no longer had the time to care for her). They get along fairly well, and the female is very mellow as the previous owner thinks she has some type of neurological disorder (she keeps her head low to the ground and is constantly surveying her area in slow motion). Up until recently, she was only eating baby food out of a syringe, but I was successful in feeding her 2 Dubia Roaches this week. So I remain hopeful. Have you gotten her seen by a vet yet?

I have been searching for the perfect substrate to make my Beardies happy (and not break my bank). Here is what I have tried so far:

1. Exo Terra Sand Mat -- I looked great in my 40 gallon tank, but to clean it was a nightmare. Those little pebbles got everywhere and annoyed both me and my roommate. Indeed, Sand mats are a pain in the rear to clean and it gets the sand pebbles everywhere. :bleick:

2. Zoo Med Eco Carpet -- I had the green carpet because it was the only color they had that would fit my tank. I disliked how it looked and feel like my Beardie's nails would get caught in it. It definitely didn't look like they enjoyed it very much. They are ok but sometimes their nails can get caught in them as you said.

3. Zoo Med Excavator Clay -- The most current substrate in my Beardie's Tank. It took 3 10 LB bags to create a suitable substrate for them and now it is all dry and hard. It definitely looks better, but cleaning is an issue and I've also read that there is a risk of bacteria growing and killing Beardies. I will be out of town next weekend (my roommate will be watching them for 5 days) and I don't want anything bad to happen to them in my absence. I plan to clean out their tank this weekend and provide a new substrate. The questions is... what? Yeah I'd get rid of that, I don't know much about it but I know it can harbor more bacteria and other problems (eek imagine if your beardies swallowed some of that clay :shock.

This brings me to my question as I have read that ceramic tile is becoming a popular substrate for Beardies as there is no change for impaction and it is super easy to clean. Has anyone experimented with this that can provide feedback on this method before I go spending money on tile... Tile works great for all beardies, It is safe, cheap, easy to use, easy to clean, and Looks nice. my concern in that the basking lamp will make the tile too hot for my Beardies to enjoy. I Use slate tile for all my beardies currently and have never had a problem like that at all so far. Any recommendation you may have for a suitable substrate for a 40 gallon tank When your beardie becomes an adult I'd Recommend on upgrading to a 4x2x2 tank, Great size and my beardie enjoys his 4x2x2. is much appreciated as I want to ensure the happiness of my Beardies and stop meddling with potentially harmful substrates (such as the clay and calcium sand Calcium sand is the worst. :bleick: ).

I look forward to your responses.

I'd Recommend Tile or Paper towels. This has some good substrate ideas as well as the dangers of sand and such: viewtopic.php?f=34&t=243890&p=1857889#p1857889

-HippieLizards.

Hi HippieLizards! She was just recently placed in my care and I have not taken her to the vet (and am afraid of spending $$$ for them to tell me what we already know as the previous owner is a Nurse). Thank you so much for your reply! That makes me feel a little bit more comfortable trying out the tile substrates. I actually want to have a custome enclosure built for my Beardies. At least that is the end goals as they grow into adulthood. I will check out the link you provided as well and update this post over the weekend when I’ve had the time to redo their tank.

 

[HippieLizards]

Ok Good! You sound like you are taking good care of her! I Hope she does well for you and I Hope that the Custom enclosure turns out well.