All other subtrates VS Rabbit food pellets

I have used all kinds of substrates, from repti carpets to calci sand to newspaper to regular printer paper. I was also using too much decorations for my baby beardie. It was losing weight and was looking stressed out. The pet store/ breeader told me to use Reptilite cali sand which worked fine, but I was scared of inpaction. The crickets would hide under the papers and on or in the decorations. The repti carpet needed cleaning all the time. So my last option was using rabbit food pellets. I was using the pellets for about two or three days after use I could see the change. My beardie was gaining weight and looked very happy. I feel if you keep the tank set up very simple and use rabbit food pellets your baby beardie will be fine until old enough for sand. The crickets will actually eat the rabbit pellets so that work out in two ways. Theres more than on way to skin a cat. But the pellets worked extremely well for me. I dont feel I used poor husbandry. I feel I was just seeing what really worked best. Becauese three web sites would say use paper, six would say use washed play sand, 12 would say use repti carpet (which works great if you like cleaning the all the time. So if I would say which substrate is the best for baby Beardie. I would have to say rabbit food pellets. Its cheap and very effective. It does have a odd smell.



7/23/06

i breed bearded dragons. i on.y use ether newspaper or sani chips( aspen.) after all the horroriable impacted stomaches i have seen. you could not pay me to put a beardie or any thing else on sand or fake sand.


Matt Fisher

I only use ceramic tile. I just line the bottom of my tank with paper towel and place the tiles on the paper towel. No grout or anything. Most of the time you can get a nice tight fit, with a little trimming of the tile. As far as cleaning, you just put up the tiles, clean them, let them dry and put 'em back in. There's no risk of impaction, they help keep their nails in good shape.

with baby beardies.....only newspaper or papertowels

Paper towels and newspaper are the way to go. Since these little lizard friends poop so much, its easy, sanitary, and cheap to replace. Just my oppinion

I just hate how the crickets hide under paper anything.

I've switch my beardy from crickets to Phoenix worms and it loves them, and they are very high in calcium too.:) They are a little expensive tho.

i wonder if you could use topsoil with beardies like you can with monitors? my ackie loves to thrash his crickets around in his sandy dirt before he eats them and it doesnt hurt him, neither does it other monitors.

I have used paper towel and sand collected from outside, not bought in a store. Rocks and branches from outside.... never had a problem with any of the clutches we have produced.