![]() Adult bearded dragons can tear it up easily and make a mess. If you want a “natural” looking enclosure, paper products are not the right choice for you.Īnother drawback is that this substrate is not very durable. Unfortunately newspaper or paper towels will not win any beauty prizes. The hottest part of their tank will often reach around 100☏ which can cause other materials to warp. Paper products also have the benefit that they will not affect tank humidity levels or warp under the high heat from basking lamps. This substrate also makes it easy to spot any changes in their poop. Paper products are extremely easy and cheap to replace. Younger dragons can poop a lot and create a lot of waste and mess. If you have a baby or juvenile bearded dragon this is often the best substrate. Paper towels usually only cost a few dollars per roll and newspaper can even be free. ![]() Newspaper or paper towels are one of the cheapest and easiest substrates. If you are looking for something cheap and easy, look no further than your local grocery store. Needs lots of maintenance and is not for beginners. Very difficult and expensive to install.Ĭheap, safe, durable and easy to fit. Not eco-friendly and can get torn up easily by adults.Įasy to clean, looks nice and makes a great basking surface. Very cheap, safe and does not warp or affect humidity. Needs to be cleaned thoroughly and often. We will talk more about this later in the article for those keepers interested in a challenge. If you are a more experienced keeper with a little extra money, you could create a bioactive substrate that mimics their natural habitat. This means they have no risk of impaction and are often easier to spot clean and replace. You will notice that all of the options above are a solid substrate. Some examples of the best bearded dragon substrate include: The exact choice will depend on your tank set up and budget. Thankfully it is easy to find a safe substrate for bearded dragons.Ĭhoosing a substrate comes down to what works best for you and your lizard. This blockage is known as impaction and if not fixed quickly can lead to serious health problems like weight loss, mobility issues and even death. When these substrates are eaten they can cause intestinal blockage. Second, any loose substrate like mulch, sand, wood chips, or crushed walnut, run the risk of impaction. In severe cases it can lead to respiratory infections. Sustained humidity above 50% can lead to skin issues, like stuck shed or scale rot. This can mean tank humidity levels rise far beyond the 35% needed for bearded dragons. Loose substrates such as sand, moss, mulch and some soils can be very dangerous and problematic for two reasons.įirst, substrates like soil, moss or mulch often retain too much humidity. There are also a wide variety of products that claim to be the “best” substrate for bearded dragons, but this is not true in all cases. The wrong substrate can lead to a variety of health issues like impaction, stuck shed, respiratory issues, skin problems, infections and more. Things like diet, humidity, lighting, temperature and enrichment are all very important.ĭo not make the mistake of thinking your bearded dragon substrate is not just as important. Proper care and diet is the first step you can take to make sure they live a long and happy life. Keeping bearded dragons is not hard, but their health is very dependent on the environment and tank they live in. Substrate can be any material or bedding that you use in a bearded dragon’s tank for them to live on. Alfalfa Pellets, Crushed Walnut, Wood Chips, Bark or Mulch.
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