substrate

[marylyn101]

i'm trying to find a good substrate soon. i'm fearful of impaction but one of my beardies is starting to dig (he has a large encloser) I was wondering what you guys used. i've heard of round sand that will slide threw but i'm skeptical. he's on paper towel right know but has lots of (sanitized) rocks and climbing branches.

[peterm15]

i dont use it yet but bran... you can get it at bulk barn ad its totally digestable

[drewlowe]

I LOVE wheat bran!!!

It's such a great subtrate, to me at least. You can pick it up at pretty much any feed store. I was able to get it for around 10 bucks for 50 lbs. Used it for amost 2 years without running out, full cage cleanings and spot filling.

There are 2 downsides to wheat bran but if you know about them then you can prevent it.

There can be stowaways in the bran so it's best to bake it before you use it. I bake mine at 325 for 15 mins. If you don't bake it there may be a chance of insects living in your cage along with your beardies.

The 2nd one is if it gets wet and can't fully dry out if will start to mold. For this reason i don't use water dishes in my enclosure (mine get enough water from their veggies and bath). Or you can section off a spot for the water dish as long as it don't come in contact with the bran.


Other than that i can't think of one other possible downsides, it looks close to sand and they have the enjoyment of burrowing in it without the risk of impactation. Plus they get all the fiber they need if they injest some.

If you have any other questions about bran feel free to ask away, i'll try my best to answer them.

Jamie

[marylyn101]

no thats perfect!i'm so excited to get it. now my kids will be happy and dig away. thanks!

[fluffybytes]

hello, thank you for the substrate idea. We are in the process of getting a beardie and i was so cunfused as to what to use. I like the idea that it looks like sand since i want to set up a desert home for our new baby. If you ahve any other ideas as to how we can make a more suitable enviroment please let me know at fluffybytes@shaw.ca And again thank you

[striko_69]

Does anyone have any pics of the stuff in a viv?

[drewlowe]

Here's a pic, It was taken at night when they were sleeping. I assure you it is wheat bran.

http://ssnakess.com/photopost/data/500/1695Beardies-cage-2.jpg

Jamie