Best substrate for leopard geckos

Choosing the wrong substrate, however, can lead to illness and even death. Are you looking for the absolute best substrate for your leopard gecko? We did the research for you! That is why the choice of substrate is very important.

Are you working on setting up the perfect habitat for a leopard gecko? One of the best places to start is by choosing a great substrate. Substrate has a large impact on the health and happiness of a Gecko. Picking the best Leopard Gecko substrate is hard for beginners. On top of the large number of options, it also requires knowledge of their habitat and lifestyle. Beginners should know that not all substrate for Leopard Geckos is good.

Best substrate for leopard geckos

Leopard gecko substrate is a controversial issue. Many sources recommend against using any kind of loose substrate sand, soil, etc. This is an example of folklore husbandry — popular myth and pseudoscience that have become a standard of practice in leopard gecko instead of science and facts. Here at ReptiFiles, we base our recommendations on scientific fact, not hearsay. Loose, naturalistic substrate can actually be the best kind of substrate for housing leopard geckos. A more detailed explanation is provided further down the page, which you can jump to here. These are the best substrates that ReptiFiles recommends for use with leopard geckos. If you are concerned about impaction, these make decent alternatives to loose substrate. These substrates are particularly dangerous to leopard geckos because they either emit VOCs volatile organic compounds that can make your gecko sick, or they pose a severe impaction risk if accidentally swallowed. Avoid these substrates at all costs and stick to the list in the previous section. Sand and other loose substrates are very controversial as a leopard gecko substrate. The most vehement opinions are usually supported by claims that sand causes fatal impaction in leopard geckos by turning into a cement-like sludge inside their intestines. After extensive research and thought on the matter, we at ReptiFiles have concluded that sand is safe for use with leopard geckos, but only if it is used correctly. Leopard geckos should not be housed on loose substrate unless they have passed quarantine and are healthy.

Stone slabs, slates, or pavers are perhaps the most attractive of all non-loose substrates. Other artificial safe substrates, such as reptile carpets and shelf liners, have pretty much fallen out of favor although they can still be used.

Choosing a substrate can be one of the more confusing aspects of setting up a tank for leopard geckos. There is much debate over which substrates are safe and best for your specific age and size of a gecko. Paper towels, though not as attractive in a terrarium as some other options, are one of the most popular substrates available. For juveniles and hatchlings under a year old , paper towels may be your best choice as a substrate. For adults, there are more choices of substrates available to you, but with all the recommendations, making a decision can be confusing. Here's a rundown of some options you have to choose from and some to avoid. As mentioned previously, paper towels are one of the best substrates for juvenile leopard geckos as well as sick geckos , but they can also be used for an adult leopard gecko.

Are you working on setting up the perfect habitat for a leopard gecko? One of the best places to start is by choosing a great substrate. Substrate has a large impact on the health and happiness of a Gecko. Picking the best Leopard Gecko substrate is hard for beginners. On top of the large number of options, it also requires knowledge of their habitat and lifestyle. Beginners should know that not all substrate for Leopard Geckos is good.

Best substrate for leopard geckos

There are a lot of different substrates out there that you can use for your leopard gecko. But what is the best substrate for leopard gecko? In this definitive guide, we will go over all of the different substrates that you can use and help you decide which one is the best for your pet leopard gecko. As you may know, Leopard Geckos are ground-dwelling lizards that come from semi-desert regions of Asia. In the wild, they live on a diet of insects and other small invertebrates. In captivity, they can be fed a diet of commercially available insectivore diets as well as live insects. There are many different substrates available on the market and it can be difficult to decide which one is best for your pet.

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If you already own any of these substrates — look for other options. Substrates can impact the happiness and well-being of your Leopard Gecko. You may need someone else to set up your enclosure. This substrate also holds a lot of moisture which can cause respiratory and skin infections. While using coconut fiber as a general substrate has its downsides, there is no issue when you use coco as a moist hide substrate. She has more than five years of experience in lifestyle editing and media and has been published in a variety of prestigious outlets. Best Clay:. Paper towels are cheap , easy to change, and super absorbent , so they make maintenance a breeze. Finally, the substrate should be fully replaced at least once every four months. This is non-calcium sand so it is safe for reptiles and snakes. Just keep the setup simple in case you need to move it to a school setting. February 9, However, it has its downsides — more on that later.

The best substrate for a leopard gecko is a non-adhesive, burrow-friendly substrate like reptile carpet, tile, or paper towels.

Availability of the substrates near you might be one deciding factor. They may get too hot and require a barrier layer of cardboard. Beautifully crafted by nature, stone slates provide a good grip with zero ingestion risk. I have her on Reptisand now and her poops are fine. Lianne McLeod, DVM, is a small animal and exotic pet expert with over a decade of experience writing about veterinary care. Search Close this search box. Use profiles to select personalised content. Bottom line: Your gecko will not miss out on anything if you skip using pure sand. The ideal substrate is one that is safe, easy to clean, durable, cost-effective and looks nice. Choosing the wrong substrate, however, can lead to illness and even death. The amount of sand between the stones is less likely to be a problem than an open area of sand. All Rights Reserved. Moist hide substrates need to be highly absorbent and good at moisture retention. Leopard geckos should live much longer than two years in captivity, the average being 10 to 20 years. It also needs to allow for natural behavior like hiding, digging, climbing, and burrowing to keep your little guy or girl happy and active.