Calcium Sand for a leopard gecko?

[chrispaine]

Hi my girlfriend just got a baby Leopard and she is usein the Calcium Sand because its 'supose' to be safe. I have herd that if they do eat it, because it stick with water, it could cause impactions and stuff, what do you think?

[herpbreakout]

i think its safer 4 adults more than juvis

[eddie]

It really isn't too safe for any critters in my opinion.
If you really want them to have an edible source of calcium, put some powder in a small dish to be used as a lick.
It's a whole lot cheaper to do that than to use the calcisand anyways.

[buck2003]

I seen beardies eating the stuff like they were starving (they werent of course) so IMO it aint safe.

	In My Opinon IMO = In My Opinion and IMHO = In My Honest Opinion

[chrispaine]

Ya, crap... i wonder what is good for a stinkin leoperd gecko...

[eddie]

Read a leopard gecko care sheet

[ann0306]

Originally Posted by chrispaine

Ya, crap... i wonder what is good for a stinkin leoperd gecko...

I think we already had this conversation with her.

[chrispaine]

ha ... ok then forget that.. this thread is junk.. sorry

[chrispaine]

oh and the care sheets all say different things... so i was just try'n to see what people are usein...

[rtb_lover]

your best bet is to use ewspaper....but if you are going for the cosmetic look use toy box playsand.....calci sand has calcium which geckos/beardies are attracted to it and thus eat t.......playsand=calcium free

[rtb_lover]

there was a study done on this.....i will post the article a lil later

[rtb_lover]

Substrate
Substrate is whatever you choose to line the bottom of your tank with. There are many choices and the substrate debate is a hot topic; one which is guaranteed to cause disagreements between keepers! You should do lots of reading round about substrates to make yourself aware of the risks associated with each type, then make your own decision. DO NOT rely on the what is written on the packaging! remember, the manufacturers are businesses! and in some instances what is written on the packaging is inaccurate.

Most cases of substrate impaction are likely due to inadequate supplementation. If the leopard gecko is deficient in vitamins or minerals, it will purposely eat the substrate, therefore it is essential to provide the correct supplementation. However, substrate can also be swallowed by accident during hunting, which is why large indigestible substrates are not suitable and also why particulate substrates (e.g. sand) should never be deep.

The following is my opinion on substrates (you'll notice it's mostly a list of negative points!!):

kitchen roll is THE only substrate that should be used for babies and juveniles (their digestive tracts are small and narrow and therefore very vulnerable to substrate impaction). It is suitable for adults too but most people prefer to have a more natural look in their vivarium.
repti sand (by zoomed) is the substrate I use for my adults. It is a very fine sand. It is, however, quite expensive
slate tiles or pieces are great! any gaps between the tiles can be filled with sand but these will make your tank very heavy.
childrens play sand is successfully used by many keepers, my only reservation about play sand is that it clumps (clumping substrates are not great! even though manufacturers will tell you so on the bag!, yes, they may be great for cleaning out BUT it clumps when swallowed too, yes?)
reptile carpet is available in several types. Some are ok, others are not. Only the non-looped type should be used (as leopard geckos can get their claws stuck in the looped type, resulting in them losing toes). Reptile carpet may also be more difficult to clean
bark chips, gravel, pebbles, cat litter and other substrates which are totally undigestible are not suitable, these obviously have a very high impaction risk
calcium sand is not the ideal substrate it is made out to be!. Some varieties are very dusty and may lead to respiratory and/or eye problems. Some (perhaps all) calcium substrates are not digestible, despite what is says on the bag!... in fact, leopard geckos recognise the smell of calcium and will purposely eat the substrate. If the substrate is not digestible this is obviously going to lead to trouble.
crushed walnut (packaged as Desert Blend) gets a big thumbs down. Firstly it is sharp! and the pieces are quite large. If swallowed, it can irritate and cut the digestive tract and can also cause impaction. It is also great for culturing mould! should it get damp in the vivarium
corn cob is not digestible (as anyone that eats sweetcorn will know!) and could, therefore, cause impaction. It is also good for culturing mould and bacteria in the tank if it gets wet!
saw dust is also not suitable as it is dusty and not digestible

[chrispaine]

good stuff to think about rtb_lover. ... I didnt know about the dust of the calci sand, and good point about the non-loop carpet!! I got to see if i can get my girlfriend to take that calci sand outa there for hers.

[rtb_lover]

your most welcome also.....if they eat calcium from a bwl that means thy will just eat the calcisand....

btw...i have baby Super Hypo Carrot-tail babies for sale...will post pics soon

	Hypomelanistic Hypomelanistic - a genetic reduction in the dark pigment Melanin.

[TheOtherAndy]

okay, everyone who has had a leopard gecko die from eating too much calci-sand please post. Bonus points if you can actually verify thats what killed them and not, "my leo died + used calci-sand = calci-sand kills geckos".

Leos are designed (or have evolved, if you prefer) to eat *dirt* when they need more calcium (or possibly other minerals?) than they have available to them through their diet. Not calcium sand, not sifted and washed play sand. They eat same sandy dirt they live in, and have been doing so long before people started putting them in tupperware and breeding them back to their mother. To suggest that them consuming sand made of calcium to meet this need is somehow a death sentence (but not play sand?)...well, I don't get it. If one of my leos had died from eating too much calci-sand, the first thing I would do is review my husbandry, not put them on carpet.

I raised maybe three generations on the calci-sand stuff before I switched to paper towel. Only because by that time I had way too many geckos to afford using it. I've also kept them on sandy dirt in planted vivs. To me its another case where I wonder how some people think these animals survived for the millions of years before we started keeping them. If death by impaction was anything more than a statistical anomaly for a healthy animal, I'd think they all would have adapted means to cope with it or they wouldn't be here.