Bearded dragon owners--what do you use for substrate?

[6packofun]

For a long time, we used this nice thick shelf liner in the bottom of our 75 gallon tank. The only issue is that, as you know, the dragon poo STINKS and if you don't clean it up right away, you KNOW it. LOL We have our tank in our main living area so this is a necessity.

 

But then, I decided to try something new: Very fine, reptile-safe sand. I *love* how it looks and for some reason the smell seems reduced even though it doesn't really act like kitty litter. :P (You can shovel out the piles easily, though.) But now, our guy has discovered digging and it annoys the heck out of me. LOL! Plus, after a while you DO need to either clean or replace the sand and that can be expensive. It's starting to stink...

 

*sigh* What do you use?? I guess I care more about smell than anything...I just wish you didn't have to clean up the poo so *immediately* before the ghastly smell overtakes the room!! (He eats healthy and IS healthy, so the smell of the poop isn't because he's sick; I think I'm just a bit sensitive to smells in general.)

[Perry]

Premium white play sand, from Home Depot. It was about $8.00 for a big bag. I change it a couple times a year.

[SonshineLearner]

With sand, don't you just have to worry about if there are unsafe additives? I just remember talking about the ones that kids can play in and not... on a Healthy Parenting group a few years ago...

[Frontier Mom]

Well, after many years and many different things, we just use paper towels and/or newspaper. I don't like the dust produced by the sand at all. I will tell you my favorite was rabbit pellets. You just buy a big bag at Tractor Supply and pour it in the cage. Just scoop up the poo and you are good to go. No dust!!

 

I can't remember where I read this recommended but I had no problems with my beardies using this. I am wondering if I could use the Equine Pine I have discovered for the kitty box as substrate? Might try that as well since the texture would be similar to the rabbit pellets.

 

One thing you might watch is if they can find their crickets. Mine are great hunters so they had no problems.

[6packofun]

Hmm, we buy a sand that is made for use with reptiles and there isn't any dust, so that's not the issue. But I can't imagine changing it only a few times a year like Perry said! LOL! I mean, it's one thing to scoop out the poop but the dragon pees in it, too, so smell is an issue. He keeps spilling his water all over as well and I think the damp sand is not helping! He's digging around and wallowing in it like a dog! lol

 

Oh well, maybe we'll go back to what I used before. Newspaper isn't very attractive and I'm pretty sure our dragon would make a mess of it. :P

[Perry]

Hmm, we buy a sand that is made for use with reptiles and there isn't any dust, so that's not the issue. But I can't imagine changing it only a few times a year like Perry said! LOL! I mean, it's one thing to scoop out the poop but the dragon pees in it, too, so smell is an issue. He keeps spilling his water all over as well and I think the damp sand is not helping! He's digging around and wallowing in it like a dog! lol

 

Oh well, maybe we'll go back to what I used before. Newspaper isn't very attractive and I'm pretty sure our dragon would make a mess of it. :P

Water? Am I supposed to give him water? I've had him for 8 years and I've never given him water. :blink:

 

I don't think it smells bad, but maybe I just don't notice it. We clean up as soon as he goes. The crickets stink though. Phew.

[Elizabeth in WA]

We use sand made specifically for reptiles. But our dragon is only in her cage at night, when we are away, and to eat crickets. She does poo in there, because she starts wandering when she needs to go, so we have learned to put her in her cage when she is determined to walk about the house. This also means we are prepared for immediate clean up most of the time, having just returned her to the cage to potty. Otherwise she loves sitting on her heating pad in windowsills when the sun is up, or laying on one of her people once it gets dark out. We started keeping her out because the digging and scratching at the aquarium glass was getting really annoying. For some reason, she is just more content in windowsills, looking at natural daylight. However, we do have to keep track of how warm she is, especially if she moves off her heating pad. ... I regularly tell my boys they have the world's most spoiled dragon. Chopping up carrots or other treats for the dragon is popular excuse for short breaks from school as well.

[Perry]

 

Hmm, we buy a sand that is made for use with reptiles and there isn't any dust, so that's not the issue. But I can't imagine changing it only a few times a year like Perry said!

It's probably more like every 2-3 months when he's awake and active. But my lizard sleeps about 4-5 months of the year. Is that weird?

[Truscifi]

I used the special sand when he was little, but now that he is all grown up we just use regular sand from our yard (we live in Fl, our yard is very sandy). Also, you don't have to give them water. They get all they need out of their food if you are feeding them fresh veggies regularly. I change it twice a year, and he is always excited to root out any little critters that get tossed in with the new sand.

[Frontier Mom]

I guess I should have clarified that we have 5 in separate cages. The reptile sand was just too expensive for us. I tried the regular sand and loved the looks of it. However, it did have a bad smell after some time. I really like the drawer liner material and I get it at Dollar General for a buck. That works well and it is washable. I like how tidy and pretty it looks.

 

BTW, as far as water goes, I have one who will drink a whole bowl of water at a time and 4 that won't touch it. We give ours baths periodically in a dishpan. Just warm water and they love it!! Watch for the poop though. We have one that does it everytime he gets a bath. Guess who goes last? We tend to mist ours with water every other day so they stay hydrated.

[snipsnsnailsx5]

Nice to see a bearded dragon thread. We just aren't getting this bearded dragon thing.

We've had ours for a year, since he was a little baby. He's grown a lot, but is far from full grown. I thought at a year old he'd be a lot bigger.

Partly we made the mistake of feeding him only mealworms the first few months of his life. We didn't know any better. :(

Now he gets crickets every other day, but he Will Not eat his veggies! Right now we're trying cooked squash , to see if he'll lick it up and he wont'. We've tried green leafy veggies and he won't eat them.

 

Any tips or tricks?

 

And what daily veggies or fruit do you give your bearded dragon? I have a website listing the best foods for bearded dragons - its very detailed. However, the majority of the items they list as the "daily" staples I have no clue where to find other then grow myself which will take awhile.

So how do you do it? What do you feed daily?

[Frontier Mom]

Nice to see a bearded dragon thread. We just aren't getting this bearded dragon thing.

We've had ours for a year, since he was a little baby. He's grown a lot, but is far from full grown. I thought at a year old he'd be a lot bigger.

Partly we made the mistake of feeding him only mealworms the first few months of his life. We didn't know any better. :(

Now he gets crickets every other day, but he Will Not eat his veggies! Right now we're trying cooked squash , to see if he'll lick it up and he wont'. We've tried green leafy veggies and he won't eat them.

 

Any tips or tricks?

 

And what daily veggies or fruit do you give your bearded dragon? I have a website listing the best foods for bearded dragons - its very detailed. However, the majority of the items they list as the "daily" staples I have no clue where to find other then grow myself which will take awhile.

So how do you do it? What do you feed daily?

 

Mine like mustard greens and carrots the best. They will eat bananas on occasion, though they have to be cleaned out soon or the bugs find them. I have given them apple pieces that were soft and they like those too.

[MamaJeanne]

We have ours on tile. It is easy to clean up the poo with a baby wipe. She gets crickets and she loves her greens, although she really only eats them about every other day. I make sure they are dripping in water so when she runs over to eat them she gets quite a bit. Dandelions, kale, bok choy (I think this is her favorite) grapes. I will have to try winter squash since it is about that time of year! I think I tried grated acorn squash last year but I can't remember if she ate it or not.

[i.love.lucy]

We are about to get my son a lizard. We had a sad day as we made a rookie mistake. Found the coolest Texas Spiney Lizard in the yard and wanted to keep it. Got an aquarium and it didn't live 24 hours. :confused: My poor little heartbroken son....

 

So now that we have the set up we thought we would head down to the reputable lizard guys and get him a beardie. From reading and research there seems to be a consensus that that would be the best first lizard for him, right? And I can use sand in the bottom? What about a heat lamp, or do they prefer a heating pad? I am sure I can trust the store to tell me, they are pretty famous locally for these kinds of critters. We just want to do it right. And veggies aren't an issue as we always have them for our guinea pigs!

 

Any ideas or words of wisdom for a newbie to the lizard world?

[lmrich]

Go to a great pet store and ask tons of questions.

We are lucky to live near a reptile speciality store. They advised us to get our son an older bearded dragon. (even though he was 13 at the time) We found one on Craig's List with the cage and lights and everything for a great deal. The baby beardies are more work, from what I have heard although they are super cute. Maybe ask a vet in your area for a recommendation.

[6packofun]

I say no to heating pads, heated rocks, etc. They aren't regulated and since they go right against the beardie's skin, I don't think they're safe. But a heat lamp, yes! We also have one of those aquarium type lights that provides other rays to mimic sunlight--not just heat.

 

There are plenty of resources online to help you with the right kinds of veggies, although when bearded dragons are babies their diet should be mostly crickets with some veggies...as they get older, it's more veggies and occasional crickets. :)

 

Get a tank bigger than you think you need! LOL We're still using the sand since I posted this thread a while ago, but we've had success with a thick Rubbermaid shelf liner and it's very easy to clean.