Substrate

[McCoy402]

My dad picked up a bag of vita sand. On the bag it says ultra fine grade to help prevent impaction from over consumption. I've barely had him a week. Currently I'm using the carpet substrate you buy at petsmart. He's healthy and very active and eats a lot. Hes 7-8inches. Is the vita sand good to use now? Or should I keep it wait till he's bigger?

 

[Taterbug]

It's best to avoid artificial substrates like vitasand and calcisand all together. You don't want your pet consuming substrate at all. Loose substrate isn't all bad but you want to researcha bunch and be confident in your husbandry before going that route - if you do I recomend a bioactive sand/soil substrate rather than a sand one. Many folks on here use tiles to good success and it would be easier to clean than carpet.

 

[CooperDragon]

I agree that using the sand isn't the best idea. It's tough to keep it sanitary. If you go with bioactive substrate, you'll need to have enough space for several layers and invest time and effort into setting it up properly. If this is done, it's a very nice option. If you want a simple to care for substrate, ceramic tile or non adhesive shelf liner are good bets because they can easily be cleaned and sanitized. The carpet you have in place now is OK but I've found it needs frequent washing as bits get caught up in it. This leads to them getting worn out somewhat quickly. The tile and shelf liner are both cheaper options in the long run.

 

[Rankins]

Vita sand and calcium sand are horrible products. Can cause vitamin and calcium overdoses.
Although controversial (never problematic in my experience) regular sand has worked well for me for a very long time. I wouldn't put young dragons on it though. I may try tiles eventually...I don't like digging up roaches that burrowed down into the sand.