This was great, thanks, I have been researching "are bearded dragons good pets" for a while now, and I think this has helped. Ever heard of - Tiyndrew Bewildering Tip - (should be on google have a look )? It is a great exclusive product for discovering how to care for your bearded dragon without the normal expense. Ive heard some pretty good things about it and my cousin got cool success with it.
I like loose with rocks around the cage or even tune or something so it files there nails and allows them to climb I use paper towel now that he’s in a 40 gal but I’m upgradeing him and he’ll have loose substrate
To be honest, if you want to use the most natural substrate for beardies you can use a mix of coconut fiber, clay (excavator clay), a LITTLE bit of sand and cypress
My husband just got two baby beardies just a couple days ago. He actually bought the calcium sand they were eating it. So I really appreciate this video because I'm hoping with this information you provided he will change the substrate. You definitely have a new subscriber! Love your videos,lots of respect!!
Don't worry, the good thing is that you know now :). We did a lot of research before getting a beardie and you will still find conflicting products that are sold for bearded dragons but aren't the best for them. I think Facebook might have groups you could join for new owners. Be aware there will be the Simon Cowell's on there but there should be helpful people to answer your questions! :)
Yes, loose substrate can often move out of the way and leave bare glass and make it slippy so the tile can make it so the bottom substrate just above the tile will stay in its place preventing slipping.
I use a tile that almost has a brick like surface, so my dude doesn't slip. The main reason is to keep the nails filed down. I am considering doing half tile and half loose. He's due for an enclosure remodel, and I am so sick of smeared poo with this tile!!! Loved the video. 💕
That’s exactly what I’m doing now. We originally went with bio active but being he was a baby and I’m not familiar with caring for a dragon. I would prefer a sterile side until I’m more comfortable so I’m going half and half
I use tile for my bearded dragon and would love to convert to a bioactive substrate someday. When I was much younger we had a Water Dragon on carpet and I would never use carpet again after that. Very hard to clean up!
I have to take in a bearded dragon because my moms new place that she’s renting doesn’t allow pets so I’m trying to make sure I know how to take care of the bearded dragon and make sure it thrives with me instead of just surviving since she will be with me for a while. So far from my research is to get coconut and excavator clay and sand mixed for substrate but have some spots with slate to help keep their nails under control (but check them every once in a while incase they need to be trimmed), at least 2 hides, one under the heat and one on the cool side, some climbing hammocks with thick rope because mesh can get their nails stuck and they may freak out, they enjoy digging so make the substrate thicker in some places. If anyone has any tips for me as a beginner or any product recommendations, please let me know because I want her to be happy and healthy. She’s a full grown female and her temporary enclosure is a 40gal. I know it’s small but it’s only temporary for about a year and I take her out often and let her roam around my room. She’s usually only in there to sleep, eat and drink. I can’t afford a huge tank because the pet stores near me don’t have anything bigger than 40gal currently and I’d need to order a tank online which will cost more. I plan on adding some ramps and things to my room for her if she wants like to my window and get her a suction cup window hammock so she can look outside. If any of my research Is wrong or needs correction, please let me know :)
I got carpet for my beardie and I think it lasted a couple days before I got rid of it. I now use a solid substrate that is rocks/sand that are glued down and a little "burrow box" where I keep a clay/dirt mixture. I like the box because it helps keep her from accidentally flinging sand into her water dish or food dish when she digs around. Awesome video!
Totally agree with everything! Great video! I’ll definitely recommend this to anyone with questions about the substrate. (Personally I really like tiles, that’s probably because I’m currently using them, but I’d like to go bioactive eventually)
Around 4 years ago I got a beardie and I was 10 and was very dumb and didn’t do research, this left my beardie in a low sort of state, after about a year I realized what I was doing and ever since then I’ve really been trying to give him better treatment tha any other dragon, he is very healthy now. I say this because I want people to learn from my mistake and realize how much effort you truly have to put into beardies. Don’t be like me. And if you found out you’ve been doing it wrong to I want you to remember as long as you try your absolute best, your not a bad person. Not trying is what makes you bad. I hope this helps people
i did something similar, i got him when i was 10 and i did all the research i could, i knew everything there was was to know. And i took such good care of him for like the first couple years but as i got older i sort of lost interest in him and stopped giving him the best care i could. Even though he was still relatively healthy, he wasnt happy. in the past 6 months or so ive been caring for him better and his quality of life has improved so much. Im getting ready to give his enclosure a total makeover in the next couple months.
@@XTheJenovaProjectX i make sure he has the perfect conditions in his terrarium and testing out different foods and enrichment to find which he enjoys the most
I'm glad I watched this because I have 2 beardies that each have their own drastic favorite colors, and for our older one we got pink shelf liner.....and she just loves it, she doesn't slip on it at all. We do have some paper towling in her tank, but that's because we have her potty trained and she prefers to use her paper towel
I love arid bioactive enclosures for beardies. You can put edible succulents and plants in there which offer a great source of enrichment and make a fun snack for them
Here's my thing, I want to use loose substrate for my dragon, okay. BUT, when feeding she tends to miss...like a lot. Do I give her a dig box to play in, and take it out when needed...ooor? Any opinions?
You could have a separate box got your beardies feeding. Now it may he time consuming, especially if you're in a rush for something. But you can put your dragon in a tile or paper towel based tank (doesn't have to be big of course, it's just for feeding) and they can eat safely in there. Then when they're done, put them back in your loose substrate
Good video, sir. Love to hear someone with your experience agree with my thoughts on this subject. I am right there with you on the bio active route, it is the pinnacle of husbandry standards in my opinion. Also love you shouted out The Bio Dude. His presence packaged substrates are amazing. Terra Sahara is the bomb!!
Brilliant. Thanks for this. I was just about to change his sand and thought I wanted to use something else. Then I got so baffled as to which one. Now I have been convinced. Bio active is the way! Cheers. 👍🏾
I use tile for my beardie. It’s great! But he smears it all over unless I catch him, like you mentioned. He seems to poop when I’m in the room though, so I usually am able to catch it a lot. 😂
Stephanie Grigsby: Yes, Carpet seems like a pain. I use carpet for my geckos since their poop isn’t messy at all, it’s really great! I just wash it in the washing machine with vinegar and warm water every couple weeks and iron it so the fuzz lies down and their nails won’t get caught. But I don’t think I’d ever use it for bearded dragons.
I think I messed up. I went out and bought sand and soil and threw it right into my dragons tank. Now the humidity is high. Should I have dried it out or something first?
Do you think a mix of (non clumping) play sand and coconut core would be okay for a bearded dragons substrate? I would just like to hear some people's opinion I'm thinking of getting a bearded dragon and have already done a 40 page paper and researched every inch of the care but still the substrate has got me in a knot. 😅
Hi Malike I am setting up for my beardies, installed branch jamboree. Building a waterfall adjacent too what I call beardies paradise!! Plantes and tree that are edible. Subterranean is a mixture of organic soil, sand and peat moss. Any suggestions?
I started using dining table place mats, for like... your plates and stuff. lol It's a kind of fabric that isn't like carpet where it doesn't really wear down easy, another thing I do is that I can give it a good scrub down and toss it in the washing machine, dry it and place it in the enclosure again. It's very useful. There's other place mats that are plastic and it has like a rigid surface so they can grip easier and they don't go sliding around. Idk, they're a nice substitute instead of the carpet. Just thought I'd throw that out there.
I've been using straight playsand for a few years now and I had no issues. Easy to clean and looks better then any "solid substrate". However I just bought playsand and top soil to make a mix of it for both my beardie and my kingsnake. 👏🏻 I'm not going for bioactive because I can't make it deep enough in my current enclosure. (maybe in the future, bio is the best for my crestie for sure). If it isn't deep enough it would get too humid unfortunately since I live in a humid environment it makes it difficult. Anyway, great video and I mainly agree! Ps. Paper towel gets impacted way faster then sand for example when ingested.
Ok so I have had my bearded dragon for 2 years and have had her on play sand with 2 tiles in her basking and feeding areas. Would it be bad to change it now? She also recently stoped eating and has not eaten in over a month now. She has already come out of brumation and is really active but won't eat anything.. What sould I do?
@@janelleloyola5646 no it’s not “very” dangerous. Sand is perfectly ok. The risk of impaction is so small as long as you have the right lighting. Watch the video.
My bearded dragon tank is modern theme but I really want to get some new substrate because right now I’m using newspaper but newspaper always has violent content on it and I don’t really like that. So I’m probably going to get some of the loose substrate you said to get. Thanks for the help❤❤
I own a BD and use paper towels but the kind in a box that is much thicker than usual type👍it works well in certain areas ..easy to reach areas no carpet unless its the green grass looking stuff easy to clean
At this point I like tile so I can keep it clean it fast, but I use the back side of tile that is not shiny and smooth. I also used paper towel first, but non bleached gray.
I’m getting a rank combo for my baby beardie and it comes with reptile carpet. Should I keep that until he grows a bit bigger and then move onto tile or shelf adhesive
Sand mats harbour bacteria and don’t offer any burrowing enrichment, which is extremely important for beardies. I strongly recommend switching to a suitable loose substrate, ideally a deep layer of a soil/playsand/clay mix.
What about Aspen Bedding? I volunteer at a rescue and we use advertisement papers for young or severely MBD dragons or Aspen bedding for adult dragons.
I can’t remember exactly what substrate it was but it was pretty chunky, some pieces of bark up to the size of a quarter; we bought it for our bearded dragon when I was young. Long story short she ended up ingesting some of it and couldn’t pass it, she had a prolapse. She shortly passed away after surgery, it was so sad.
For my beardie I use tile and because the tile is a little textured he doesn’t slide around so if your looking at tiles I would say not to get the shiny slick ones :)
A soil/sand/clay mix is ideal. One source I trust says 50% sand, 30% soil, and 20% clay is good. You can experiment with the proportions, just make sure the mix can hold burrows.
Is spot cleaning easy with Terra Sahara? I've always wanted to use play sand or Exo Terra desert sand since it was so easy to spot clean and would dry up excrement quick.
Do you think puppy pee pads could work? I use them for other animals and they are really absorbent so I figured it might work. I can’t see why it would be bad
How often would you suggest changing loose substrate? Have been thinking about adopting a bearded dragon for a few years and just want a ball park on how much substrate to purchase at once. I'm a bulk buyer. (cheaper)
@@ica6944 at that age, from what I've read (and I've read a lot) lightly dusting with calcium powder a few times a week is enough. Alternate between calcium with d3 and calcium without d3 if you have a proper lighting setup. If your dragon doesn't like the taste of the powder, they make flavored ones. I always dust the worms bc I know he'll eat those quickly as opposed to his greens.
I use rock tile it helps keep their nails not too sharped and you can lift and clean easy but I also have grass and calcium sand so he can go elsewhere and not always be in sand
I’m preparing to get a juvenile bearded dragon. However I might use paper towels first but after that I’m completely confused on what to use. I was thinking I don’t want to do soil but if I feed my juvenile on a feeding dish then there won’t be much of a problem. Has anyone tried like shavings and has an opinion on them?
@@logantrinko9374 Thankyou! I will definitely use the paper towels for when it is a juvenile bearded dragon. I was thinking when it is an adult to use a bio active substrate. What do you think about that?
How about actual central Australian dirt? I've seen some around and been wondering about it, but haven't seen many people if any talk about it, unless it's something pretty new on the market
I use reptile carpet. I've never had any issues as far as him getting stuck. The only issue is the cleaning. I've been terrified to go bioactive but I really want to. My question is, with soil and live plants.. wont it raise humidity? Also the "clean up crew", how much to add of them and how often do add more in? Last question with bioactive how often do you take everything out and add all new substrate back in? I've kept bearded dragons for 3-4 years now and I've tried tile, reptile carpet, loose substrate. I've stuck with the carpet but want to change it. If you could please help me out I'd really appreciate it! ♡
Humidity shouldn’t be an issue. When you water the enclosure there will be a humidity spike for a day or 2 but once the top layer dries up it’ll go back down and when you think about it the same thing happens in the wild (fluctuating humidity). And even when it does spike it usually only goes up to around 50% for me and by the next day is back down to 30-40%. For cuc I added a little colony of powder blues and powder oranges and if you maintain the enclosure well you shouldn’t have to replenish because they will reproduce. But if you dig through and don’t see many of them you could add more every once in a while but again that’s not necessary if they are reproducing. And as far as replacing substrate, you shouldn’t have to! The cuc and plants will keep it clean and the whole point is not having to replace! If it starts to break down you might want to add more substrate after a year or so but a full change shouldn’t be necessary (:
Have you ever at one point used calcium sand? I just got my beardie about 3 weeks ago she’s about 2 1/2 years and all she knows is calcium sand so in order to make her move more adjustable I of course bought that, I literally just filled her tank with Zoo Meds vita sand outback orange, should I allow her to wear this out and then switch or should I switch ASAP?
You should switch it immediately. She will get used to another substrate, maybe go for a mix of soil/sand is she is used to a loose substrate? Calci-sand can also cause discoloration from just being in it so its a huge no-no. Hope your beardie adjusts well!
What about coco fiber? Did he say no to that been wanting a beaded dragon but I think I need to do at least 1 year of research more don't want my first little friend to die ! Thank you for the tips!
Coconut fibre isn’t a suitable substrate for them. It’s unnatural, dusty when dry (which can cause respiratory issues), can be hard on their joints, doesn’t hold burrows, etc. A soil/sand/clay mix is ideal.
Eco earth has to be kept moist so the amount of humidity in the tank will get too high for your bearded dragon to handle. Cheap topsoil mixed with sand is a safer option
My juvenile bearded dragon is kept on carpet but he is barely on the ground, climbs on stuff I've got in there. I'm building him a much bigger enclosure soon and plan on using tile.
I use a mixture of play sand with organic soil and I have a bunch of flat slate rocks that I got from a landscaping shop And I put those on the ground under his basking lamp spot so that the rocks would warm up a bit so he can get warm under and on top but they would not be producing heat from on the rocks so it would not make him too hot like a heat mat would So half of his tank is loose substrate and then the other half has slate rocks on the ground in certain spots because I know in Australia it's a mix between sand and stone and dirt and clay and all these different types of substrates so I try to keep a mixture
I don’t own a bearded dragon. It’s 1:30 am, Yet here I am.
Robyn Kelly That’s a whole mood
omg same. why am i like this.
Good
I'm here at 1:48 AM, and I have a lab report due at 8:00 AM 🤦🏻♀️
This was great, thanks, I have been researching "are bearded dragons good pets" for a while now, and I think this has helped. Ever heard of - Tiyndrew Bewildering Tip - (should be on google have a look )?
It is a great exclusive product for discovering how to care for your bearded dragon without the normal expense. Ive heard some pretty good things about it and my cousin got cool success with it.
:") I'm so glad you endorsed (safe) loose substrates, non-loose is always so dull and barren, it doesnt seem nice to walk on either
Jaya Newcombe yeah!!! like i feel like if u use tile they’ll slide around and not be able to get traction
shelf liner is great and looks great!!!!!!!
Males can clog their pores in loose substrate. Plus impaction. Just can be sketchy
I like loose with rocks around the cage or even tune or something so it files there nails and allows them to climb I use paper towel now that he’s in a 40 gal but I’m upgradeing him and he’ll have loose substrate
Sands best
To be honest, if you want to use the most natural substrate for beardies you can use a mix of coconut fiber, clay (excavator clay), a LITTLE bit of sand and cypress
My husband just got two baby beardies just a couple days ago. He actually bought the calcium sand they were eating it. So I really appreciate this video because I'm hoping with this information you provided he will change the substrate. You definitely have a new subscriber! Love your videos,lots of respect!!
definately they will die babies definately cannot and they need their own tanks they are solitary reptiles
Please do research FIRST next time before getting any animal
@@Samicheekx her husband got it she didn’t
@@Samicheekx please comment something helpful next time you comment, thanks !!
Don't worry, the good thing is that you know now :). We did a lot of research before getting a beardie and you will still find conflicting products that are sold for bearded dragons but aren't the best for them. I think Facebook might have groups you could join for new owners. Be aware there will be the Simon Cowell's on there but there should be helpful people to answer your questions! :)
Would it be a good idea to use a tile for the base and then add soil or something loose on top?
I think that would be a waste but sure
Yes, loose substrate can often move out of the way and leave bare glass and make it slippy so the tile can make it so the bottom substrate just above the tile will stay in its place preventing slipping.
@@lqpql18 it can really damage their joints
I use a tile that almost has a brick like surface, so my dude doesn't slip. The main reason is to keep the nails filed down. I am considering doing half tile and half loose. He's due for an enclosure remodel, and I am so sick of smeared poo with this tile!!!
Loved the video. 💕
That’s exactly what I’m doing now. We originally went with bio active but being he was a baby and I’m not familiar with caring for a dragon. I would prefer a sterile side until I’m more comfortable so I’m going half and half
i'm also doing half loose half tile:)
I use tile for my bearded dragon and would love to convert to a bioactive substrate someday. When I was much younger we had a Water Dragon on carpet and I would never use carpet again after that. Very hard to clean up!
I know it’s been a year since you said this but I agree I hate the carpet substrate 😂 crap is trash
@@traviswatson9862 I also know it's been a year since you said this but I as well agree😂
I have to take in a bearded dragon because my moms new place that she’s renting doesn’t allow pets so I’m trying to make sure I know how to take care of the bearded dragon and make sure it thrives with me instead of just surviving since she will be with me for a while. So far from my research is to get coconut and excavator clay and sand mixed for substrate but have some spots with slate to help keep their nails under control (but check them every once in a while incase they need to be trimmed), at least 2 hides, one under the heat and one on the cool side, some climbing hammocks with thick rope because mesh can get their nails stuck and they may freak out, they enjoy digging so make the substrate thicker in some places. If anyone has any tips for me as a beginner or any product recommendations, please let me know because I want her to be happy and healthy. She’s a full grown female and her temporary enclosure is a 40gal. I know it’s small but it’s only temporary for about a year and I take her out often and let her roam around my room. She’s usually only in there to sleep, eat and drink. I can’t afford a huge tank because the pet stores near me don’t have anything bigger than 40gal currently and I’d need to order a tank online which will cost more. I plan on adding some ramps and things to my room for her if she wants like to my window and get her a suction cup window hammock so she can look outside. If any of my research Is wrong or needs correction, please let me know :)
definitely goin with that bioactive substrate. been watchin my guy try to dig through his tile for weeks and its so sad to watch him get nowhere
😂 that honestly made me laugh
You are the best UA-camr ever! Thank you for sharing this educational video
My beardie is BioActive. He gpdigs so often. It’s great to see. I’m so glad I made that decision and don’t plan to go back.
I agree with all your likes/dislikes/do"s & don't. Thanks for the great advice:)
I got carpet for my beardie and I think it lasted a couple days before I got rid of it. I now use a solid substrate that is rocks/sand that are glued down and a little "burrow box" where I keep a clay/dirt mixture. I like the box because it helps keep her from accidentally flinging sand into her water dish or food dish when she digs around. Awesome video!
i used to use carpet but tbh it was horrible.. he'd get his claws stuck in it nd it was extremely hard to clean
Totally agree with everything! Great video! I’ll definitely recommend this to anyone with questions about the substrate. (Personally I really like tiles, that’s probably because I’m currently using them, but I’d like to go bioactive eventually)
Yayyy I been waiting for a video. Im so happy your gonna start posting more. Nobody that had a channel for pets post anymore. But your the best one so
Tyler you're one of my favorite youtubers and I love your content 😁😁😁
thank you! I might be getting a bearded dragon and ive been having a hard time finding which substrates are the best so this really helped.
Same
Around 4 years ago I got a beardie and I was 10 and was very dumb and didn’t do research, this left my beardie in a low sort of state, after about a year I realized what I was doing and ever since then I’ve really been trying to give him better treatment tha any other dragon, he is very healthy now. I say this because I want people to learn from my mistake and realize how much effort you truly have to put into beardies. Don’t be like me. And if you found out you’ve been doing it wrong to I want you to remember as long as you try your absolute best, your not a bad person. Not trying is what makes you bad. I hope this helps people
Can you explain what you were doing “wrong” vs what you are doing “right”
i did something similar, i got him when i was 10 and i did all the research i could, i knew everything there was was to know.
And i took such good care of him for like the first couple years but as i got older i sort of lost interest in him and stopped giving him the best care i could. Even though he was still relatively healthy, he wasnt happy.
in the past 6 months or so ive been caring for him better and his quality of life has improved so much. Im getting ready to give his enclosure a total makeover in the next couple months.
@@AndrewTrip. what do you do that makes him “happy”
@@XTheJenovaProjectX i make sure he has the perfect conditions in his terrarium and testing out different foods and enrichment to find which he enjoys the most
@@XTheJenovaProjectXWhy you being like that?
I'm glad I watched this because I have 2 beardies that each have their own drastic favorite colors, and for our older one we got pink shelf liner.....and she just loves it, she doesn't slip on it at all. We do have some paper towling in her tank, but that's because we have her potty trained and she prefers to use her paper towel
Thank you! I have been needing someone to talk about arid bioactive substrates, as I have been wanting to upgrade my hognose.
I love arid bioactive enclosures for beardies. You can put edible succulents and plants in there which offer a great source of enrichment and make a fun snack for them
Thanks for the commit I’m am currently but the plants now!
Here's my thing, I want to use loose substrate for my dragon, okay. BUT, when feeding she tends to miss...like a lot. Do I give her a dig box to play in, and take it out when needed...ooor? Any opinions?
You could have a separate box got your beardies feeding. Now it may he time consuming, especially if you're in a rush for something. But you can put your dragon in a tile or paper towel based tank (doesn't have to be big of course, it's just for feeding) and they can eat safely in there. Then when they're done, put them back in your loose substrate
You could use tombs
Good video, sir. Love to hear someone with your experience agree with my thoughts on this subject. I am right there with you on the bio active route, it is the pinnacle of husbandry standards in my opinion. Also love you shouted out The Bio Dude. His presence packaged substrates are amazing. Terra Sahara is the bomb!!
can the isopods climb the glass walls id like to get some but cant have them escapeing
hi do you know what else you can use for sand instead of playsand
Brilliant. Thanks for this.
I was just about to change his sand and thought I wanted to use something else.
Then I got so baffled as to which one.
Now I have been convinced.
Bio active is the way! Cheers. 👍🏾
I use tile for my beardie. It’s great! But he smears it all over unless I catch him, like you mentioned. He seems to poop when I’m in the room though, so I usually am able to catch it a lot. 😂
A heart for animals I use tile for mine because he makes the most disgusting poops! The tile is so much easier to clean than the carpet he came with
Stephanie Grigsby: Yes, Carpet seems like a pain. I use carpet for my geckos since their poop isn’t messy at all, it’s really great! I just wash it in the washing machine with vinegar and warm water every couple weeks and iron it so the fuzz lies down and their nails won’t get caught. But I don’t think I’d ever use it for bearded dragons.
I think I messed up. I went out and bought sand and soil and threw it right into my dragons tank. Now the humidity is high. Should I have dried it out or something first?
Do you think a mix of (non clumping) play sand and coconut core would be okay for a bearded dragons substrate? I would just like to hear some people's opinion I'm thinking of getting a bearded dragon and have already done a 40 page paper and researched every inch of the care but still the substrate has got me in a knot. 😅
if you mix your own does if have to be completly mixed?
Ceramic (specifically) tile as matte and rough as possible for heat absorption versus heat reflection (very bad as you know) and natural nail filing.
Where did you get your large tank
Hi Malike
I am setting up for my beardies, installed branch jamboree. Building a waterfall adjacent too what I call beardies paradise!! Plantes and tree that are edible. Subterranean is a mixture of organic soil, sand and peat moss. Any suggestions?
Holy crap! Crushed walnut shells. 😱
I have no idea how but my bearded dragon it scared of his own poop he will run away or not come down for his hammock because there it poop there
My girl won’t get near hers either. She holds her tail up so she don’t touch it. 😂
I started using dining table place mats, for like... your plates and stuff. lol It's a kind of fabric that isn't like carpet where it doesn't really wear down easy, another thing I do is that I can give it a good scrub down and toss it in the washing machine, dry it and place it in the enclosure again. It's very useful. There's other place mats that are plastic and it has like a rigid surface so they can grip easier and they don't go sliding around. Idk, they're a nice substitute instead of the carpet. Just thought I'd throw that out there.
I've been using straight playsand for a few years now and I had no issues. Easy to clean and looks better then any "solid substrate". However I just bought playsand and top soil to make a mix of it for both my beardie and my kingsnake. 👏🏻 I'm not going for bioactive because I can't make it deep enough in my current enclosure. (maybe in the future, bio is the best for my crestie for sure). If it isn't deep enough it would get too humid unfortunately since I live in a humid environment it makes it difficult.
Anyway, great video and I mainly agree!
Ps. Paper towel gets impacted way faster then sand for example when ingested.
How old do they have to be to switch them to bio active!?!?
Awesome video Tyler keep up the awesome work 😊 I enjoy watching your videos 😊
Ok so I have had my bearded dragon for 2 years and have had her on play sand with 2 tiles in her basking and feeding areas. Would it be bad to change it now? She also recently stoped eating and has not eaten in over a month now. She has already come out of brumation and is really active but won't eat anything.. What sould I do?
I am looking to make a dig box for my bearded dragon and I was thinking if I did sand and soil is that ok for my bearded dragon his cage is tile
No, anything but sand. Sand is very harmful towards beardies
@@janelleloyola5646 no it’s not “very” dangerous. Sand is perfectly ok. The risk of impaction is so small as long as you have the right lighting. Watch the video.
Would pool filter sand work?
hi! What about for digging?
My bearded dragon tank is modern theme but I really want to get some new substrate because right now I’m using newspaper but newspaper always has violent content on it and I don’t really like that. So I’m probably going to get some of the loose substrate you said to get. Thanks for the help❤❤
MALACHI!! yeees. Defenetly my favorite one 😄
I own a BD and use paper towels but the kind in a box that is much thicker than usual type👍it works well in certain areas ..easy to reach areas no carpet unless its the green grass looking stuff easy to clean
It's 3 am school starts in 3 hours yet Tyler is worth it ! That's why I'm late hehe 😅 oh and I don't have a beardy but I want one
I use a very coarse organic coconut husk substrate by critter comfort. best decision to switch from slate tile
How do you feel about coconut tile ?
At this point I like tile so I can keep it clean it fast, but I use the back side of tile that is not shiny and smooth. I also used paper towel first, but non bleached gray.
I’m getting a rank combo for my baby beardie and it comes with reptile carpet. Should I keep that until he grows a bit bigger and then move onto tile or shelf adhesive
Just out of curiosity, what about excavator clay?
gr8storybrah no no and no
Olivia Hovde my friend use to use this, she changed the substrate thankfully
Excavator clay is great!
I use a sand mat for my bearded dragon, it wears down his nails and is similar to Repticarpet, looks natural and is pretty easy to clean.
Sand mats harbour bacteria and don’t offer any burrowing enrichment, which is extremely important for beardies. I strongly recommend switching to a suitable loose substrate, ideally a deep layer of a soil/playsand/clay mix.
Can u send me a link to the loose substrate you use the premix I’m new and I want a healthy happy lizard .
A deep layer of a soil/playsand/clay mix works best. Terra Sahara from the bio dude is good as well.
What about Aspen Bedding? I volunteer at a rescue and we use advertisement papers for young or severely MBD dragons or Aspen bedding for adult dragons.
7:08: Nice background. 😂😉
I can’t remember exactly what substrate it was but it was pretty chunky, some pieces of bark up to the size of a quarter; we bought it for our bearded dragon when I was young. Long story short she ended up ingesting some of it and couldn’t pass it, she had a prolapse. She shortly passed away after surgery, it was so sad.
could i mix Repti Sand and organic soil??
Yep! I’d add some clay too, to help it hold burrows.
What’s kinda organic soil is best?
For my beardie I use tile and because the tile is a little textured he doesn’t slide around so if your looking at tiles I would say not to get the shiny slick ones :)
where did you get your tile from?
whats your opinion on the non-loose substrate thats like a pebbles and sand all stuck in place on a flat sheet type thing?
Okayyyy but what are the percentages for the mixture, for soil and sand??
A soil/sand/clay mix is ideal. One source I trust says 50% sand, 30% soil, and 20% clay is good. You can experiment with the proportions, just make sure the mix can hold burrows.
What about femoral pores and loose substrates?
Is spot cleaning easy with Terra Sahara? I've always wanted to use play sand or Exo Terra desert sand since it was so easy to spot clean and would dry up excrement quick.
You don’t need to clean bioactive substrates, the cleanup crew do that for you.
Do you think puppy pee pads could work? I use them for other animals and they are really absorbent so I figured it might work. I can’t see why it would be bad
What do you think of jungle mix
what about tree bark?
How do you clean the bio active substrate? or the tank , i feel like it's a pain in the ass to clean the whole tank from dirt then a rug or something.
i dont think you have to clean if its bio active, cause then it probably gets taken care of by insects
We have like half tile and then it goes into a mix of sand rocks that my beardie can’t eat and mix it in with the bio dude substrate and she loves it
I use a regular towel with drift wood and very large worm rocks to bask on. I take towel out when I feed. No impact chances here.
How often would you suggest changing loose substrate? Have been thinking about adopting a bearded dragon for a few years and just want a ball park on how much substrate to purchase at once. I'm a bulk buyer. (cheaper)
If you do a bioactive you wont really need to change it
@@dert_818 ok cool thanks!
I change my bedding every few months for my dragon
Could you please make a video about supplementation and how often you use what? I’ve been doing research and I’m at loss
How old is your bearded dragon?
americandumpsterfire 3 years old
@@ica6944 at that age, from what I've read (and I've read a lot) lightly dusting with calcium powder a few times a week is enough. Alternate between calcium with d3 and calcium without d3 if you have a proper lighting setup. If your dragon doesn't like the taste of the powder, they make flavored ones. I always dust the worms bc I know he'll eat those quickly as opposed to his greens.
americandumpsterfire how about his vitamins and minerals?
anything for ball pythons?
Ball pythons need a deep layer of a humidity retaining substrate such as cypress mulch or coconut husk, possibly mixed with soil.
Does CoCo Fiber fall with eco earth?
is bioactive substrate expensive?
I use rock tile it helps keep their nails not too sharped and you can lift and clean easy but I also have grass and calcium sand so he can go elsewhere and not always be in sand
Calcium sand is not a safe substrate. I strongly recommend switching to a soil/playsand/clay mix.
I’m preparing to get a juvenile bearded dragon. However I might use paper towels first but after that I’m completely confused on what to use. I was thinking I don’t want to do soil but if I feed my juvenile on a feeding dish then there won’t be much of a problem.
Has anyone tried like shavings and has an opinion on them?
I would use paper towels to start off it is much easier to clean up everything when the are a juvenile
@@logantrinko9374 Thankyou! I will definitely use the paper towels for when it is a juvenile bearded dragon. I was thinking when it is an adult to use a bio active substrate. What do you think about that?
How about actual central Australian dirt? I've seen some around and been wondering about it, but haven't seen many people if any talk about it, unless it's something pretty new on the market
I use reptile carpet. I've never had any issues as far as him getting stuck. The only issue is the cleaning. I've been terrified to go bioactive but I really want to. My question is, with soil and live plants.. wont it raise humidity? Also the "clean up crew", how much to add of them and how often do add more in? Last question with bioactive how often do you take everything out and add all new substrate back in? I've kept bearded dragons for 3-4 years now and I've tried tile, reptile carpet, loose substrate. I've stuck with the carpet but want to change it. If you could please help me out I'd really appreciate it! ♡
Humidity shouldn’t be an issue. When you water the enclosure there will be a humidity spike for a day or 2 but once the top layer dries up it’ll go back down and when you think about it the same thing happens in the wild (fluctuating humidity). And even when it does spike it usually only goes up to around 50% for me and by the next day is back down to 30-40%. For cuc I added a little colony of powder blues and powder oranges and if you maintain the enclosure well you shouldn’t have to replenish because they will reproduce. But if you dig through and don’t see many of them you could add more every once in a while but again that’s not necessary if they are reproducing. And as far as replacing substrate, you shouldn’t have to! The cuc and plants will keep it clean and the whole point is not having to replace! If it starts to break down you might want to add more substrate after a year or so but a full change shouldn’t be necessary (:
@@tylerrugge this was very helpful! Thank you so much!
Have you ever at one point used calcium sand? I just got my beardie about 3 weeks ago she’s about 2 1/2 years and all she knows is calcium sand so in order to make her move more adjustable I of course bought that, I literally just filled her tank with Zoo Meds vita sand outback orange, should I allow her to wear this out and then switch or should I switch ASAP?
You should switch it immediately. She will get used to another substrate, maybe go for a mix of soil/sand is she is used to a loose substrate? Calci-sand can also cause discoloration from just being in it so its a huge no-no. Hope your beardie adjusts well!
I’ve never had impacting. Do I stay with that?
I didn’t see him mention anything about the Australian desert habitat substrate unless i fast forwarded too fast… 👀
That sounds good.
Are sand mats safe???
My bearded dragon uses the fabric carpet and is fine with it
There are types of tile that are more like rock texture-wise.
What about the exo-terra sand-mat?
It's a great substrate, but a real pain to clean
the bio dude substrate for bearded dragon is REALLY good and the only i will use
9:38 he pooped 🤣 even after you said you were worried.
What about coco fiber? Did he say no to that been wanting a beaded dragon but I think I need to do at least 1 year of research more don't want my first little friend to die ! Thank you for the tips!
Coconut fibre isn’t a suitable substrate for them. It’s unnatural, dusty when dry (which can cause respiratory issues), can be hard on their joints, doesn’t hold burrows, etc. A soil/sand/clay mix is ideal.
Is this the new recording spot? It looks a lot better
What do you think of eco earth mixed with play send?
Eco earth has to be kept moist so the amount of humidity in the tank will get too high for your bearded dragon to handle. Cheap topsoil mixed with sand is a safer option
My juvenile bearded dragon is kept on carpet but he is barely on the ground, climbs on stuff I've got in there. I'm building him a much bigger enclosure soon and plan on using tile.
I use cabanet sticker paper. Easy cleanup. I also add a kitty litter box with sand so they have options
What about fake grass?
I use tile and I used to use coconut husk, but now I only put it in and by his cage because he loves digging in it.
Thank you for sharing your videos I really like them
I use a mixture of play sand with organic soil and I have a bunch of flat slate rocks that I got from a landscaping shop And I put those on the ground under his basking lamp spot so that the rocks would warm up a bit so he can get warm under and on top but they would not be producing heat from on the rocks so it would not make him too hot like a heat mat would
So half of his tank is loose substrate and then the other half has slate rocks on the ground in certain spots because I know in Australia it's a mix between sand and stone and dirt and clay and all these different types of substrates so I try to keep a mixture
This really helped me thank you !
I have really pretty vinyl tiles for mine
Great video!