I understand sand is bad to use because they can injest it but in the wide they have sand. I have a food dish for them and was wondering if it still would be bad to do half of the tank sand and leave food and water on the other half
Esther is right that BDs don't live om sand, however personally I don't believe proper play sand is problematic. A natural environment would certainly involve the ingestion of particles at times, however there is a caveat that a lizard needs the correct: temperatures, hydration and diet. If they are not right; then impaction could be a problem.
Ingesting sand is bad, regardless of temperature, etc.
SDragon, the "we" I referred to is the collective "we," representing the experience and recommendations of the many experienced keepers here on the forum.
Considering their native range is over a large part of a huge continent, some live on or near sand, some live in woodlands, some live in towns.... That said they also have the opportunity to move to a different terrain of they choose. http://tinyurl.com/m6hw2m9
I tried a setup with half sand and didn't like it. It never stayed where it should and was just a mess.
I don't like sand for a few reasons. It's dusty, it doesn't hold a burrow so it's almost useless for digging, it's like a litter box hygienically and its doesn't give the lizard a stable surface to walk around on.
I use a bioactive substrate and I encourage people looking at sand or other loose substrates to check into that method. It's a good option if your looking to add enrichment for them (such as digging).
For newer keepers solid flooring can be much easier and safer to learn on.