leo and sand...

[lizards_rule]

hello there i am very woried that my leo might start eating sand?
well the leo i'm buying was always on news paper but i would like to keep him on sand is there any problem with that???

thank you yves

[Linds]

IMO loose sand isn't the best substrate for leos. If you want to go with a natural substrate there are many recipes for a desert mix you can make and pack it down nicely, this will cut down greatly on the risk of impaction.

[Tim Winegard]

Hey there,
I would not use fine sand. I use ground walnut shells they have worked well for me.
If you do use sand and your gecko consumes enough to become impacted than I sugest that you put him pack on the paper towel, although less attractive it does work well.
I good way of curing impaction is to place your leo in a escape proof container with about an inch of luke warm water.
Any other questions please post

[Youkai]

Ground walnut shells have a worse reputation then sand, and for a good reason! Not only are they more likely to cause impaction, but can also do damage even if they are passed.

Paper towels work fine, though they might not look great.
I agree with Linds. A nice mixture works well, and looks nice.

[silke]

i keep my juveniles on papertowel
my adults are on playsand
I feed them mealworms or crix in a dish (the crix stay in the dish since they have no back legs)
i watch their poop and make sure they aren't sand logs

[lizards_rule]

thanks all
you are a great help
yves