Zen habitat enclosure substrate help

[TheBeard9789]

I have 2 Zen Habitat enclosures 4x2x2 and it has the custom mats as substrate my question is that I would like to put natural substrate down. I was thinking of getting those heavy plastic bags they put around windows for winter as a bottom. Then fill their enclosure with possibly soil/play sand but I wanna make sure the plastic and/or substrate isn't toxic for them nor will cause problems. They LOVE digging but you can't do it with the mat they have as substrate right now

Any ideas?

 

[KarrieRee]

I have 2 Zen Habitat enclosures 4x2x2 and it has the custom mats as substrate my question is that I would like to put natural substrate down. I was thinking of getting those heavy plastic bags they put around windows for winter as a bottom. Then fill their enclosure with possibly soil/play sand but I wanna make sure the plastic and/or substrate isn't toxic for them nor will cause problems. They LOVE digging but you can't do it with the mat they have as substrate right now

Any ideas?

Put a dig box in the tank for them -- and keep your regular mat in the tank -

 

[TheBeard9789]

Put a dig box in the tank for them -- and keep your regular mat in the tank -

I have thought of that but I would need to take out many of their decor hides and basking platform to be able fit it. I did think of possibly finding something the same length of their enclosure with decent depth. Then put everything in side it kinda like a liter box and then fill it up so I will only need soil and can keep the mat inside the enclosure. Unless someone can find some dig box or has a suggestion that is big enough for them all I see is tiny ones and custom box's much smaller than them

Note: beardies are 18" long snout to tail

 

[KarrieRee]

I have thought of that but I would need to take out many of their decor hides and basking platform to be able fit it. I did think of possibly finding something the same length of their enclosure with decent depth. Then put everything in side it kinda like a liter box and then fill it up so I will only need soil and can keep the mat inside the enclosure. Unless someone can find some dig box or has a suggestion that is big enough for them all I see is tiny ones and custom box's much smaller than them

Note: beardies are 18" long snout to tail

@AHBD any ideas for him?

 

[TheBeard9789]

@AHBD any ideas for him?

Something like this but MUCH bigger? This easily fits inside even if I get a longer box

 

[KarmaMoon]

Ok so how i would do this is still the dig box idea. use the zen mat. I love mine. but then take Styrofoam and make a rectangle (Think of a swimming pool) and how deep you want it to be. you could add a ramp up to it, making it stone like with grout covering it all with grout like any DIY Hide. think of a upside down hide in a way.

See my bad drawling of a idea
and then you will see how I made my own hide.
You will see i but the foam and hot glued it together, then took three layers of grout giving it a rock finish. just make a POOL like with a ramp up in to it, above the sand pit you can always attach a net or something.

 

[TheBeard9789]

Ok so how i would do this is still the dig box idea. use the zen mat. I love mine. but then take Styrofoam and make a rectangle (Think of a swimming pool) and how deep you want it to be. you could add a ramp up to it, making it stone like with grout covering it all with grout like any DIY Hide. think of a upside down hide in a way.

See my bad drawling of a idea
and then you will see how I made my own hide.
You will see i but the foam and hot glued it together, then took three layers of grout giving it a rock finish. just make a POOL like with a ramp up in to it, above the sand pit you can always attach a net or something.

So is this a hide or dig box idea? I have plenty of hides and stuff they both use a corner XL hide that is cozy. I just hear dig box a lot and I am fine with putting a bin inside and making a ramp into it so they can dig. I just need the correct dimensions I have heard 15x15 but that seems awfully small I want it to be big enough but not to big

 

[KarrieRee]

So is this a hide or dig box idea? I have plenty of hides and stuff they both use a corner XL hide that is cozy. I just hear dig box a lot and I am fine with putting a bin inside and making a ramp into it so they can dig. I just need the correct dimensions I have heard 15x15 but that seems awfully small I want it to be big enough but not to big

I would go look and decide in the store - if it's too big take it back and look for the next size down etc

 

[Dinky26]

Something like this but MUCH bigger? This easily fits inside even if I get a longer box

I’m planning on making my own sandbox (in my spare time) It’s going to equal to 1/4th of the enclosure. Initially I was going to tile up to it then I said it needs to be movable. I scored a really good deal on Facebook marketplace for an enclosure, was going to build one..,