Using Leopard Gecko Sand Substrate
Thinking about using sand as your substrate material? Using pet leopard gecko sand substrates is a popular choice but there are some things you should know about it before you start filling the tank with sand. Improper sand choices and practices can lead to serious problems for your beloved pets! To avoid any unwanted problems, here’s what you need to know about using leopard gecko sand substrate.
Age and Size
One of the first things you should know about using leopard gecko sand substrate is that the age and the age of your gecko has to be considered. Sand, although a very popular substrate, can be unsuitable for very young geckos because when they feed, they will ingest some of the leopard gecko sand with the food. This can collect in their digestive systems, leading to problems like intestinal impaction. If your young geckos are not big enough, the sand can easily build up inside their stomachs and intestines. To be safe, use other substrates (see Alternatives and Reminders below) until your lizards reach about 6 inches.
You can check your pet’s stomachs for sand ingestion. Having a very hard belly is usually a sign of ingesting too much sand. If your pet ever gets in trouble with sand ingestion, try using mineral oil to help them pass the sand through their systems.
Grain
You can further reduce the chances of any ingestion problems by buying finer grain leopard gecko sand. Usually a grain of around 0.5 mm is safe for sub-adults and adults. Grain sizes of about 1.5 and 2 mm can be too big for anything but big adult geckos. Avoid the industrial or the ones used for sand blasting as they contain materials that can be unsafe for your geckos.
Cleaning
One of the advantages of using sand as a substrate is that it makes it very easy to spot clean feces left behind by your pets. It also makes cleaning out dead crickets and other unwanted materials from the cage or habitat. However, you still need to replace the whole leopard gecko sand bed around every four months. Make sure you bleach the tank as well when you change out the sand as trace materials from feces and other things can stay in the walls of the tank.
Alternatives and Reminders
If you need some alternatives to sand, you can try pea gravel, newspapers, paper towels, artificial stones or turf. Your geckos are usually neat so they won’t be too hard to clean up after even without the extra ease of using sand.
Also, be careful about the sand containing materials or chemicals that can be harmful to your pet. Check for fertilizers or pesticides that may come with the sand. Try to find sands that have been treated, cleaned, and washed so that you don’t have to worry about these harmful materials.
You should also be aware of the fact that mealworms, a staple food for your pet, can use the sand to hide or burrow into if they get out of the feeding dish.
