Sand or no sand?

[Schlyne]

I use paper towels. I'd heard to many horror stories about the sand before I started keeping leos. I've also heard people complain how hard it is to tell how clean the sand is...

Each to his own.

[ADEE]

NO DES, NO DES, NO DES!!! As you know, we used ONLY paper towels or tile.. its not worth risking impaction, especially not at echos age.

Your gecko is a YOUNG hatchling.. there is no reason under the sun to ever, EVER use sand at that age... but hey its your gecko.

[littleindiangirl]

I find it interesting in these cases to see the different points of view. Some have had leos for decades and say it's fine to use sand. On the flip side, there are people keeping them for a very short time defending that sand should never be used.

Desiree, you'll quickly learn to sift the grain from the chaff and through it find your own rhythm.

[SatanicIntention]

There's also a HUGE difference between fine-grain playsand and that crap Calci-Sand.

Juveniles should not be kept on sand, adults tend to fair better on it due to their larger digestive tracts.

Calci-Sand and all of it's other counterparts likes to swell up and turn to cement once inside A lizard's digestive system.

I keep both my Leopard Gecko and my Beardie on paper towels. Easier to see messes, they don't grab a huge bite of sand with their roaches, and it doesn't get everywhere.

If you just HAVE to use sand, go to HOME DEPOT and get a 50lb bag of finely sifted Playsand.

Also, the pet store employee told you it was ok to use it because she gets commission off of that sale. She could care less if it's safe for the animal.

[wilomn]

Calcisand is a Bozo No No.

We ALL agree on that.

[invadertoast]

I started my leos on paper towels, then switched to sand when they grew up. It's been 7+ years with no problems. I like sand because it's easy to spot clean (I use a fish net and sift it) and my leos seem to really enjoy digging in it. I use Zoo-Med Repti-Sand, it's really, really fine (way smaller grains than play sand.) They have calcium dishes and eat mealies out of a dish also so I'm pretty sure they don't accidentally eat any while hunting. I'm not so sure about them licking it or not, but like I said it's been over 7 years with no issues, just fat happy leos.

[Beardedragon]

http://homepage.mac.com/exoticdvm/re...oAlbum181.html

Enough said

[dsirkle]

I have a female blizzard that kept eating sand when it was a juvenile until it became impacted. She didn't have a bowel movement for weeks and I could see the dark sand inside her. Finally she pooped out some all sand turds. Now I keep her on paper towels and she always is into the calcium dish. I have others and only she is a big sand and calcium eater. I only have 2 years in keeping Leos.

[wilomn]

http://homepage.mac.com/exoticdvm/re...oAlbum181.html

Enough said

Actually, I disagree.

You have a picture of ONE lizard who was so stupid it felt a need to eat sand.

I have experience with HUNDREDS who WERE smart enough to NOT eat sand.

Hmmmmm, one and hundreds......

Yeah, enough said.

[Argentra]

I think it comes down to this: Hatchlings and Juvies on sand is a big risk because they're young, clumsy and sometimes fragile. Adults on sand is more acceptable if you feed them with a dish and use fine grain sand, not that crap calci stuff.

I kept my leo for over 10 years on fine grain playsand and only had slight trouble because he loved to dive at his food snout first then lick the sand off his nose. After I started using a dish to feed him all was fine. When he got older and slower, I switched to tile to avoid the impaction risk alltogether.

If you like sand, and so does your gecko, then use it. But do so smartly and keep an eye on him at feeding time.