Substrate Help For Beardies

Hi I have 2 Beardies and want to know the best substrate to use I want to know which is best to use to get a desert effect that wont be a danger to them any help would be great thanks

Childrens play sand is often used for beardies. I know of man people that use it and never had a problem with impaction.

BTW welcome to the forum

Thats great thanks

Street hawk I dont have beardies, but I believe corn cob, or even a gravel would be fine, as long as its clean and free of parasites etc, Im sure you can buy them at a garden centre/store in your village. They look nice and natural and easy to clean, sand as Denise suggested would be great as well. For me I prefer the more natural look.
And now feel free to post pics of your beardie

Bogga I would completely avoid those love for beardies, sorry xxx

Reptile Rescue Den wrote:

Bogga I would completely avoid those love for beardies, sorry xxx

Why not Denise? does it have an ill effect on them? Im just curious as i dont know the last thing about them, but I have seen them with Corn Cob, and another with a very fine gravel.

Ok when beardies eat they often pick up part of the substrate with their foods, clumsy feeders you see lol. Fine gravel and corn cob can cause obstuctions in their guts, leading to death. Nearly everyone in the UK will tell you to stay clear of such substrates, it's very interesting however to find how different they are in Africa

Ok, thanks for that! Im not accustomed to beardies etc, so thanks! corn cob just look so nice, especially under a nice uv lamp, besides we cannot keep them legally in our province! anyway Im hoping to get me a nice Varanus Niloticus soon, or something similar, I just adore them!

Yeah I like monitors too

Do you have any denise?

I have a Salvator and a Savannah

Kewl, I take it they are not in the same enclosure due to size differences? will they predate?

LOL no i never mix species

Ja, that would pose a problem

The only issue I can foresee is an enclosure large enough!

Will post some picture when i get home from work Thanks for the help

Always happy to help love.

Our beardies used a calci-sand substrate. It's fine, crushed calcium that looks like sand but if they eat it with their food, because like Denise says, they are sloppy eaters, they would only get a mouthful of calcium instead of something that impact them or cause other harm.

caimanhunter wrote:

Our beardies used a calci-sand substrate. It's fine, crushed calcium that looks like sand but if they eat it with their food, because like Denise says, they are sloppy eaters, they would only get a mouthful of calcium instead of something that impact them or cause other harm.

Sorry but I have to say (only my opinion mind you) calci-sand is a big no no, I have heard too many stories of impaction sometimes leading to death using this stuff for beardies cos it clumps together when damp and goes solid, I know others disagree but as I said earlier this is oimo

mummybear wrote:

caimanhunter wrote:

Our beardies used a calci-sand substrate. It's fine, crushed calcium that looks like sand but if they eat it with their food, because like Denise says, they are sloppy eaters, they would only get a mouthful of calcium instead of something that impact them or cause other harm.

Sorry but I have to say (only my opinion mind you) calci-sand is a big no no, I have heard too many stories of impaction sometimes leading to death using this stuff for beardies cos it clumps together when damp and goes solid, I know others disagree but as I said earlier this is oimo

I personally don't like cali sand either. Plus my vet hates the stuff with a passion.

I have never had a bad experience with calci sand, though tend to stick to newspaper for babies just cos it's far cheaper, and playsand for adults!