Reptile Forum, Reptile Classifieds - CaptiveBred

[alastair]

[Jack]

could i have mabey a plysand and bark mixture or excavator
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jack
http://z3.invisionfree.com/snakechat/index.php

[callmechook]

Yeah thats a main consideration, a bit of near to natural hunting seems to really boost them. I did get a bit concerned when I found myself dishing up mealies on the best china for them but then I thought hey the kids have their own china go for it, locusts are pretty fun too and a bit more challenging especially for those beardies that don't understand things can go up!!!!! xxxxxxxxx

[Bohan]

In healthy animals play sand isnt a problem (most lizards ingest substrate when feeding, whether in the wild or captivity) i use play sand with all my lizards but have started fazing it out in favour of finely sifted top soil with added grit, they ingest it every time they feed. The reason i have fazed it out is because play sand is inert, its just silica a type of glass and thats all.
I use Finely sifted top soil because it carries so many other natural chemicals/trace elements/salts etc which you dont find in vitamin powders but do find in wild substrates. As far as im concerned impaction is only suffered by unhealthy animals eg sick, kept to cool, just emerged from hibernation etc these animals will not be working at top whack and nor will their digestive system which is why subsrates can settle in unhealthy amounts and cause problems.
I dont like bark/wood chip as these are large and jaggy and can easily lodge some where along the way and cause inpaction with food/substrates building up behind it, they can also swell and lodge too.
I also fined with top soil mix that once wetted/sprayed it tends to form a crust which limits the amount accidentaly ingested because the lizards face tends not to bury into it with the force of the attack
Just my opinion
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http://s124.photobucket.com/albums/p17/Bird-fly/

2.0.0 Varanus glauerti.
1.1.0 Varanus a brachyurus.
1.1.0 Chlamydosaurus kingii.
1.3.4 Lacerta vivipera.

[callmechook]

Bohan when you say top soil whats sort do you mean? Just interested hon. Is it out of the garden and if so how do you make sure there's nothing in there that can harm the Beardies?
I was thinking that possibly a mix of sand and Eco earth dried might work but personal pref is still either plain sand or paper purely as I've had no probs on either.
Good points about the fact that healthy animals tend to ingest accidentally rather than the stories you hear of animals ingesting sand due to dietary deficiency.
I'd be interested in the earth tho as I do have some animals that use mixtures, and it will give Jack more options


Cheers hon xxxxxxxxxxxxx

[Jack]

thanks xxx
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jack
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[Bohan]

Hi, i had been using this stuff from Endsleigh garden centre, its there own stuff it has no label on it other than " fine tortoise substrate, made from topsoil" or very similar (i dont have the packaging any more so thats the best i can remember) but its what gave me the idea, I've been using our own back garden stuff (no poisons, weed killer or insecticides) dugg up and left to dry, micro waved to sterilize, sieved through the mrs colunder, mines very clayie, so i've been adding bird grit from local pet store to airate it and heavy it up a bit.
I mix it to eye and one batch is never the same as another and i supose it depends on what your local soil type is like as well, i dont think it really matters as long as there are no lumps of stone or wood in it, for obvious reasons.
Try not to use soils with a heavy peat load with it ( dark/black) as this drys to fine and dusty in the heat of a vivarium, aim for the typical brown coloured stuff as this seems to work the best.

Oh, to heavy a grit load in it and it loses the crust effect after wetting/drying.
I have also been experimenting with ground cuttle fish bone in to the mix, again for obvious reasons.
Its also great fun to make but i dont go out much
_________________
http://s124.photobucket.com/albums/p17/Bird-fly/

2.0.0 Varanus glauerti.
1.1.0 Varanus a brachyurus.
1.1.0 Chlamydosaurus kingii.
1.3.4 Lacerta vivipera.

[Jack]

thanks bohan
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jack
http://z3.invisionfree.com/snakechat/index.php

[Bohan]

Edit wont work for 0.1 hours ?
I used to use it 30 years ago for all my lizards, Tokays, Leopards, Moorish, Days, Flying, Anolis, Water dragons, Ameivas, Skinks, Lacertids, Slow worms etc etc even used it for my corn snakes, adders, Natrix, Garters etc, not the pythons though.
Basicly all small to medium sized lizards that would be most at risk of impaction imo.
I dont recall one dying unexplainedly?
I dont know why i started using sands ? probably too many forums (not a bad thing at all) But you try to do the best for your charges by keeping up with current methods
_________________
http://s124.photobucket.com/albums/p17/Bird-fly/

2.0.0 Varanus glauerti.
1.1.0 Varanus a brachyurus.
1.1.0 Chlamydosaurus kingii.
1.3.4 Lacerta vivipera.

[Jack]

ok ill do that
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jack
http://z3.invisionfree.com/snakechat/index.php