zoomed Zoo Med XR-10 Excavator Clay Substrate, 4.5 Kg

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Reptile carpet has a lot of pros such as the fact that is some in a big roll that you can easily cut and then fit into your Dragons tank with ease.

Reptile carpet is different than the astroturf mentioned above in that it won’t come apart over time. It cannot be easily eaten and therefore is safe from causing impaction. It also doesn’t get ultra hot as artificial grass does. You will need a single layer of tiles that should cover the entire bottom of your terrarium. You can use it in combination with a layer of paper towel beneath the tiles. 7. Excavator Clay Substrate For lizard paludarium owners (bearded dragons, etc.), there’s a probable chance that you’re in search of a different kind of substrate for your tank. The problem with these is that they are near impossible to clean. A substrate that can’t be cleaned needs to be changed instead. This would be cost-prohibitive as these mats would have to be changed every time your beardie poops. Tip: If you ever need a new piece simply use the old piece as a template so you don’t have to re-measure the tank again.

Reason #5 The Clay Is Natural

Old newspapers are an even cheaper option than paper towels with many upsides. The paper is usually very absorbent. Also, you are recycling/repurposing, so if you are worried about your environmental impact, newspaper is better than paper towels. The first purpose of the substrate is to give your bearded dragon an environment to live in that somewhat closely simulates their home in the wild. As mentioned above, beardies like to bask, climb, dig, burrow, and sometimes lay eggs. Reptile carpet is different from the normal household carpet as it’s made specifically for reptiles so they can’t chew any of the fibres and ingest them. However, we must recognize that there will always be leo owners who will use sand, for whatever reason. If you are really into keeping your leos on sand despite everything said about this substrate, at least you can get specialized reptile sand. It should be somewhat safer than using regular coarse playground/river sand, or aquarium sand. Other types of substrate to avoid

But usually, impaction is caused by other factors wherein the accidental ingestion of substrate is a minor collaborator. Another big plus of excavation clay is that looks and feels like a Bearded Dragons natural habitat and that’s something you should always look for. Using newspaper or similar just isn’t helping your Dragon to feel at home. This is the best to get if you have no idea how to set up a bioactive enclosure. With this kit, you already have everything you need. And speaking of unrelenting and fixed, these aren’t the safest or most comfortable surface for your beardie to be walking over, as they are pretty rough and sharp in some spots. Seriously, don’t When putting a layer of river pebbles, you should aim for silence and stability – the number of centimeters is not overly important. 5. Stone SlatesThat means that they can naturally survive and thrive on a variety of ground cover. When observed, bearded dragons will move to different types of environments based on what their needs are at the time.

Reptile carpet is a very popular option. It’s inexpensive, attractive, easy to clean, and readily available at most pet stores. Despite it being a hard surface, your beardie can still dig in it. It won’t be like digging in their native sand, but they can dig. When the clay is new and softer, they can even burrow and dig their own tunnels. A DIY blended substrate consists of safe materials, such as coconut coir, organic topsoil, and sand. This allows for a natural-looking habitat and encourages digging behavior.In the end, even if the above choices weren’t all dangerous and a really bad idea, there are better options out there. There’s simply no reason to use any of them since superior alternatives exist. Reptile carpet is a popular substrate choice as it is soft, does not create dust, and provides a natural look. It’s also easy to clean, as you can remove it and wash it.

Although you can make your life easier and just use whatever towels are available, you do have many options when it comes to material, texture, colors, weight, and sustainability. You can also create hollow points along the flat surface that are fairly large and fit your hand-molded clay designs into them, making both your design and the substrate look more natural as if it were pulled straight from the desert.

Reason #2 You Can Study And Watch Your Reptile’s Digging Behavior

Important: Reptile carpets are specialized equipment and are NOT the same thing as regular “human” carpets or astroturf. Do not use any of these in your terrarium. 4. Large River Pebbles (over 2 cm / ~0,8″) Our vision is to have a varied landscape that provides our bearded dragon with harder clay to scratch around and build in and softer Repti Chips to dig and burrow in. Our enclosure will have several levels and plenty of places for Bacardi to move around, climb and explore. While this might seem obvious, it’s important to touch on this question. It’s very clear to us by some people’s choice of a substrate that they really don’t fully understand what substrate is and what its purpose is. When selecting a substrate for your bearded dragon’s tank, you should choose one of three options: Tile, excavator clay, or ReptiChips. We prefer ReptiChips as they are easier to keep clean and provide a substrate for your bearded dragon to dig in. Using a mix of one or more of these is ideal.